Ultimate St. Peter's Basilica Dome Climb and Tour with Papal Crypts

Free CancellationSkip the Line

See Michelangelo's La Pietà up close and climb the dome for stunning views of Rome and the Vatican

4.93

(152)


2.5h


Max 25 Guests

Visiting St. Peter’s Basilica and its dome on your own can mean dealing with crowds and waiting in line for hours. Our early-morning tour, led by a captivating local guide, ensures you skip the hassle with privileged access and insider knowledge, including the best times to climb for awe-inspiring views. Explore the stunning Basilica, take in breathtaking panoramas, and descend into the sacred Papal Crypts for a truly immersive experience.

You’ll meet your friendly local guide and group in front of St. Peter’s Basilica soon after it opens and begin your dome climb. After taking the elevator to the first level to admire the elaborate mosaics, you can ascend the narrow, ancient stairway to the very top, where you’ll have an unbeatable view of Rome and the Vatican.

Afterwards, your guide will give you an in-depth tour inside the basilica itself, where you’ll learn its history and see the artistic masterpieces of Michelangelo...

Select participants and date

Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance!

Passionate English-speaking guide

Climb St. Peter's Dome

St. Peter's Basilica

La Pieta

Papal Crypts

Group size of 25

Tour guide gratuities

Hotel pick-up

Wheelchair accessible

Meet your guide at Largo Del Colonnato

Your tour begins with a warm welcome from your guide at Largo Del Colonnato Square, conveniently located in the heart of the Vatican City.

1st level of St. Peter's Dome

Step out of the elevator on the dome’s lower level to witness elaborate mosaics and architectural details, as dreamed up by Michelangelo.

Top of the St. Peter's Dome

Climb 320 steps to the very top of the dome, where you’ll be rewarded with a view of the Vatican that has inspired pilgrims and poets alike.

St. Peter's Basilica

Return to the ground level to discover its opulent decorations, stunning marble statues, and gold accents that reflect its sacred status.

La Pietá

Carved from a single block of Carrara marble, this masterpiece showcases Michelangelo's skill in capturing human emotion and divine beauty.

For Reference Only. Itineraries are subject to change

Meet your guide at Largo Del Colonnato. This is the area just outside of the St. Peters Square colonnades, on the right side if you’re looking at St. Peter’s Basilica. You’ll see a friendly representative holding a “The Tour Guy” sign standing between the fountain and the green kiosk.

Comfortable shoes, a bottle of water, and a great camera!

4.93

152 Ratings

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Christine Seifert

Verified Review

April 02, 2025

Highly informative

Ethan Salleh

Verified Review

April 01, 2025

Loved this tour ... loads of historical facts and information. Highly recommended.

Pamela - George Stenger

Verified Review

March 25, 2025

Our first time to Rome, and our experience with Julius as our tour guide was amazing. He was very patient, knowledgeable and so accommodating. We recommend The Tour Guy for your tours in Rome! And early appointments are your best option, will beat the large crowds!

Joshua Young

Verified Review

March 25, 2025

Ross Daniels

Verified Review

March 22, 2025

Amazing views!

michele burke

Verified Review

March 22, 2025

Worth the climb for the views. If you’re claustrophobic, suffer from vertigo or are not in good health, you may want to pick another tour. If you think you’re in great shape…trust me…this climb will make you rethink your physical assessments. Get cleared by the cardiologist before trying. Another fantastic tour with the company. We took 9. They were all excellent

Ultimate St. Peter's Basilica Tour

DAMIAN O'MAHONY

Verified Review

March 20, 2025

We enjoyed an excellent tour and appreciated the guidance received ! Full Marks !

Cynthia Smith

Verified Review

March 15, 2025

Great tour

Amanda DeMarni

Verified Review

March 11, 2025

We thoroughly enjoyed this tour with Alba. She had lots of great information to share and lots of recommendations of other places to visit.

Wonderful experience!

iwan gunawan

Verified Review

March 03, 2025

We had a wonderful experience with this tour. Our tour guide, Patricia, was very engaging and eager to share her wealth of knowledge about St Peter's Basilica, its history, and lots of tidbits information. We climbed up to the dome, it was quite a workout, but we were rewarded with the 360 degree view from the top. It was an awesome experience.

Highly tecommended

Alice Evans

Verified Review

February 20, 2025

This is the first time I have been to the dome and crypt, although I have been to St Peter’s before. The views are spectacular, inside and outside. I got so much more out of it with a guide and with time to appreciate the beauty of the Dome.

Monti Favero

Verified Review

February 10, 2025

George Sellers

Verified Review

January 15, 2025

Jason Howe

Verified Review

January 11, 2025

Tracy Gough

Verified Review

January 05, 2025

Amit Joshi

Verified Review

January 04, 2025

The guide was very knowledgeable.

What a View

Michael Collins

Verified Review

December 30, 2024

The dome climb and crypt tour along with the visit to the Basilica itself were great. Glad we added this tour to our list.

Dennis Gee

Verified Review

December 29, 2024

Great view

Kathy Jaing

Verified Review

December 11, 2024

The view from the dome was definitely worth the climb. The tour guy was very energetic and he let us take some short breaks during the climb. He gave us plenty of time at the top of the dome to take in the view and pictures before we had to start the climb down. His commentary inside the basilica was also very informative.

Farhad Khan

Verified Review

December 08, 2024

Enjoyed the tour and Marco!

Christopher B Brown

Verified Review

December 02, 2024

Marco was very informative about all of the sites on the tour. He offered the right amount of insight without going down a "rabbit hole" with too much detail. I highly recommend the tour and Marco as a guide.

Timothy Stannard

Verified Review

December 01, 2024

Great experience with Marco

Ronny Hanafi

Verified Review

November 26, 2024

Marco is our tour leader. It has been a great experience and he is a good guy. He gives us a lot information about the tour inside the Vatican city.

Koreena M Zawojski

Verified Review

November 23, 2024

Katherine Tarachas

Verified Review

November 09, 2024