See Michelangelo's La Pietà up close and climb the dome for stunning views of Rome and the Vatican
4.93
(181)
2.5 h
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 take it all in. This is a a truly immersive experience.
You’ll meet your friendly local guide at Largo Del Colonnato, near St. Peter's Square. Then, you'll begin your journey to the top of the Dome. 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 before entering, where you’ll learn its history and see the artistic mas...
Select participants and date
Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance!
Travelers
Private, friendly guide
Climb St. Peter's Dome
St. Peter's Basilica
La Pieta
Panoramic views of Rome
Elevator access
Max 25 guests
Private, friendly guide
Climb St. Peter's Dome
St. Peter's Basilica
La Pieta
Panoramic views of Rome
Elevator access
Max 25 guests
Guide gratuity
Meals
Guide gratuity
Meals
Hotel pickup
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
181 Ratings
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Tour
Tonya Brake
Verified Review
May 17, 2025
Thank you we really enjoyed this tour!! Would definitely do another tour with you guys..Tonya
Vivian Rupp
Verified Review
May 16, 2025
It was not an easy climb but super glad we did it. Maria was a very good guide.
Brad Smith
Verified Review
May 16, 2025
Great tour and experience! Our tour guide was very well informed and was enjoyable.
Fabritzio was awesome
Glenn Archer
Verified Review
May 16, 2025
Fabritzio was an easy going , friendly and knowledgeable tour guide.
The view from the dome was the best view of Rome and much easier than I thought it would be to climb.
It was extremely good value for money and would highly recommend this to anyone with a normal level of fitness.
Christine Molloy
Verified Review
May 16, 2025
Debra Hanley
Verified Review
May 14, 2025
It was an awesome tour! Our guide was amazing and we really appreciated the skip the line tour. We loved all the facts she shared with us and the beauty of the whole Vatican area. The Sistine Chapel was great. So wonderful to see the art and the museums. It was also definitely a work out climbing all the steps - but so worth it for those views!!! Definitely recommend to others!
Thomas Poole
Verified Review
May 14, 2025
Great!
Great guide-incredible views
James Beaty
Verified Review
May 14, 2025
The views at the top of St. Peter’s dome were amazing. Guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Highly recommend
Gabe Ramirez
Verified Review
May 13, 2025
The dome climb portion was great. However the basilica tour was too much. When I booked this tour online it said the tour time was 7:15am to 9:15am. Great so I book another tour somewhere else for 11am. When I received the voucher the tour time was now 7:15am to 9:30 am. Still ok for my next tour. Day of the tour guide spent too much time on each sculpture and art piece. he referenced to movies and politics with the church. Needless to say the tour ended at 11am, 1 and a half hour later than the voucher stated. This caused me to miss the next tour. Tour guides don’t always stick to their times as learn on this day.
Atahualpa Arrieta
Verified Review
May 13, 2025
Bernadette Smith
Verified Review
May 12, 2025
Drew Timothy
Verified Review
May 10, 2025
Trevor Churchley
Verified Review
May 10, 2025
Very informative
Yelly Wantania
Verified Review
May 07, 2025
We enjoyed this tour very much. We did an early morning tour & its much more enjoyable with a lot less crowds.
Frank Griffin III
Verified Review
May 06, 2025
George Justice
Verified Review
May 05, 2025
Dome climb! With St Peter's Basilica tour!
Jason Anthony
Verified Review
May 04, 2025
Worth it! Tour was supposed to be 2.5 hours but was closer to 4 due to jubilee, and crowds. Marco kept us entertained and was so full of knowledge that there was never a boring minute. You could ask him anything and he knew the answer. Getting through everything was seamless. The papal crypts were unfortunately closed. Next time! Marco was also very respectful and kept everyone together as best he could even with certain stragglers kept leaving the group for photo ops. Definitely recommend and have booked more tours with the company and will in the future! Thank you Marco!
Herminia Mirphy
Verified Review
May 03, 2025
Very knowledgeable!
Paige Shreeve
Verified Review
April 30, 2025
Great guide—super knowledgeable, friendly, and funny!! Great views from every level of the basilica!
Taryn Marie Hynek
Verified Review
April 29, 2025
Heather brekke
Verified Review
April 25, 2025
A Must Do and See!
Barbara Inaba
Verified Review
April 24, 2025
Our tour guide (Bogden, if I correctly recall his name) was just great. Enthusiastic, well organized and knowledgeable, considerate, patient, respectful, very thorough, provided explicit info and directions, communicated very well, and truly made our tour a joy. He provided so much in-depth history and shared historical images/photos from his iPad/tablet. The Dome climb itself was not so difficult and was roomy , as compared to the Duomo Dome in Florence.
What a view and Experience!
Robert Cassulis
Verified Review
April 22, 2025
Early morning, rainy day but this didn't discourage any of the participants of this tour! Roberta was incredible and had us up and into the Dome with plenty of time to enjoy St Peter's and the crypts as well.
More than I Expected
Robert Johnston
Verified Review
April 19, 2025
Our guide went above and beyond. She took the time to really explain the little aspects of the basilica.