Ultimate St. Peter's Basilica Dome Climb and Tour
See Michelangelo's La Pietà up close and climb the dome for stunning views of Rome and the Vatican
4.94
(185)
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!
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!
4.94
185 Ratings
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Francesca era fantastica! St. Peters Basilica & dome tour
William Eakin
May 23, 2025
Our tour guide, Francesca, was very pleasant, informative and attentive. She took time to look after each of our group of 18 and no one was lost in the chaos. The Basilica is massive & full of wonders. It was nice to have a guide to explain the history and background of the more notable sights. I strongly recommend planning to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the meeting time & CONFIRM that you are at the correct location. Google maps is usually very accurate, but this time we found ourselves waiting several minutes talking with what we thought were fellow group-mates when we found we were at the wrong meeting point! We almost missed our tour! Fortunately with With the help of a couple of very helpful waiters & locals, we found our way to the designated meeting point. The staff reacted quickly and got us off on our tour with Francesca & the group. We were well looked after.
Great tour!
Michael Rebellino
May 22, 2025
I really enjoyed this tour. The guide was very friendly, engaging, and knowledgable. I learned a lot and had an amazing time exploring St. Peter's Basilica. The tour was the perfect length of time and I would definitely recommend it. One of the highlights of our trip for sure.
Louisa Ruiz
May 21, 2025
Great Dome Tour!
Kerry Smith
May 21, 2025
My husband and I did this tour on the second day of the conclave. As a result, the security line was long. Luckily our super knowledgeable guide Maria was able to provide context about Vatican City while we waited. The Dome Tour is worth it for two reasons. One, seeing the dome from above gives you a full appreciation of its size and the beauty that is unfathomable from the floor of St Peter’s Basilica. Second, the view of Rome AND the Vatican Gardens from the top is spectacular! Maria was super informative within the basilica as well . There is so much to see and appreciate. Without the information shared on the tour we really would have missed so much context. I highly recommend this tour and if you are lucky enough to have Maria you are in excellent hands!
Tour
Tonya Brake
May 17, 2025
Thank you we really enjoyed this tour!! Would definitely do another tour with you guys..Tonya
Vivian Rupp
May 16, 2025
It was not an easy climb but super glad we did it. Maria was a very good guide.
Brad Smith
May 16, 2025
Great tour and experience! Our tour guide was very well informed and was enjoyable.
Fabritzio was awesome
Glenn Archer
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
May 16, 2025
Debra Hanley
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
May 14, 2025
Great!
Great guide-incredible views
James Beaty
May 14, 2025
The views at the top of St. Peter’s dome were amazing. Guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Highly recommend
Gabe Ramirez
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
May 13, 2025
Bernadette Smith
May 12, 2025
Drew Timothy
May 10, 2025
Trevor Churchley
May 10, 2025
Very informative
Yelly Wantania
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
May 06, 2025
George Justice
May 05, 2025
Dome climb! With St Peter's Basilica tour!
Jason Anthony
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
May 03, 2025
Very knowledgeable!
Paige Shreeve
April 30, 2025
Great guide—super knowledgeable, friendly, and funny!! Great views from every level of the basilica!
Taryn Marie Hynek
April 29, 2025
Heather brekke
April 25, 2025