Guided Tours

St. Peter's Basilica Reserved Entry Tickets with Dome Access

Name: St. Peter's Basilica Reserved Entry Tickets with Dome Access
Start: 2025-12-15T11:30:00
End: 2025-12-15T13:00:00
Location: Rome

St. Peter's Basilica interior with ornate dome and altar in Vatican City.

St. Peter's Basilica interior with tourists exploring ornate architecture and sculptures.

Tour group exploring the interior of St. Peter’s Basilica, focusing on detailed mosaics.

View from St. Peter’s Basilica dome overlooking St. Peter’s Square and Vatican City.

Flexible cancellation

Get full refund for a small fee if you cancel 24 hours before the experience start time.

Explore at your pace

Choose your entry time, stay as long as you like

Book now, pay later

Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

Guided tour

4.3/5

(4,391)

Brigitte

Oct 2025

Verified booking

5/5

There was a huge queue to get into the Basilica, but our great guide Sam talked us through the entire wait, at least 100 minutes, and didn't start counting down the hours until we had entered St. Peter's Square. His tour was particularly interesting and comprehensive, thank you Sam. Then he had to manage another group and left us with the Spanish group to get to the Duomo. We queued for another 2 hours or so, and when we got to the bottom of the elevator, the Spanish guide vanished into thin air, never to be seen again. In the end, she was only useful for buying tickets, which we could have done without her. Sam alone easily deserves 5 stars.

Laucher

Oct 2025

Verified booking

5/5

This French-language tour of the Basilica of St. Peter was a great success, mainly thanks to our guide Pierre, who gave us many details to help us understand the origins and very essence of the Basilica. Pierre is a passionate guide who loves to share his in-depth knowledge of the building, and his passion shines through. He explains things very well in French, even though it's not his mother tongue. On our second visit to the basilica, after the guided tour, we admired and experienced the site in a completely different, less neophyte way. We recommend this visit and thank Pierre once again for his high-quality explanations. Top.

Quillere

Oct 2025

Verified booking

5/5

Excellent experience with Sam, who is an outstanding guide. Because of the huge crowds preventing access to the basilica on Sunday (due to the canonization), he kindly offered to move it to the following day so that we could enjoy it. He's a great teacher, and takes great care to ensure that his group remains complete despite the crowds. He gets people involved and brings the experience alive. The visit to the dome is the icing on the cake, and we don't regret it. You don't have to be afraid of the narrow, sloping corridors! What an incredible view of the Vatican! As always, it's very crowded... You have to be patient in the queues.

Skip the long free-entry lines and walk right into the world’s most visited church.

Explore all three levels—Basilica floor, underground Papal Tombs, and the Dome.

Admire iconic works like Michelangelo’s Pietà and Bernini’s Baldachin with rich audio commentary.

Climb to the top of the Dome for breathtaking views over Vatican City and Rome.

Choose your experience—go fully self-guided with audio or upgrade to a guided tour or elevator access.

Reserved entry to St. Peter's Basilica

Access to Papal Tombs

Digital audio guide

Access to the Dome by lift or staircase (as per option selected)

Guided tour of Basilica (as per option selected)

Food and drinks

These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.

4.3
4,391 reviews
How do we collect reviews?
These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.
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Guests from Germany, United States, France and over 10 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Martin
Dec 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Experience shows that there is a lot going on on Saturday, but thanks to the very experienced and knowledgeable guide Cornelius, the time was very entertaining, there was a lot to learn and the time flew by...super brilliant and highly recommended! ... a "Renaissance tour" through the Vatican....enjoy life 😉
Antonietta
Dec 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Super Top experience, the guide, Valery, besides being knowledgeable and prepared in answering every question, managed lightly to keep the group's attention all the time even telling familiar anecdotes. We were really pleased 😍
Lars
Dec 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Our guide (Riccardo) took time both outside and inside (st Peter's) to tell his story and make social contact.
Ursula
Dec 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Good and interesting explanations, Good and variable route depending on the number of tourists, very pleasant guide
Balint
Dec 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Best guide I've ever had. Alexandra was both passionate and knowledhebale about the subject.

Start your visit with priority entry—no waiting in the long general access queues. Simply show your ticket and head through the airport-style security.

St. Peter’s Basilica

Step into one of the most iconic churches in the world, known for its soaring dome and deep ties to Catholic history.

The Basilica Floor

Explore artistic and spiritual highlights including Michelangelo’s Pietà, Bernini’s Baldachin, and the high altar, guided by expert audio commentary.

The Papal Tombs

Descend into the solemn crypt beneath the Basilica where many Popes, including John Paul II, are buried.

The Dome

Climb by foot or take the elevator (as per your ticket) to the terrace and dome summit for panoramic views of Rome.

Extras

Upgrade to include elevator access and skip 231 steps to the dome terrace—or join a live guided tour for deeper historical insight.

Vatican Museums

Monday	08:00am - 08:00pm	last entry 06:00pm
Tuesday	08:00am - 08:00pm	last entry 06:00pm
Wednesday	08:00am - 08:00pm	last entry 06:00pm
Thursday	08:00am - 08:00pm	last entry 06:00pm
Friday	08:00am - 08:00pm	last entry 06:00pm
Saturday	08:00am - 08:00pm	last entry 06:00pm
Sunday	Closed

St Peter's Basilica

Monday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Tuesday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Wednesday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Thursday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Friday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Saturday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Sunday	07:00am - 07:10pm

St Peters Basilica Dome

Monday	07:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:30pm
Tuesday	07:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:30pm
Wednesday	07:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:30pm
Thursday	07:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:30pm
Friday	07:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:30pm
Saturday	07:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:30pm
Sunday	07:30am - 05:00pm	last entry 04:30pm

St Peters Square

Monday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Tuesday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Wednesday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Thursday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Friday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Saturday	07:00am - 07:10pm
Sunday	07:00am - 07:10pm

What to bring

A valid photo ID or passport is required for security checks.

Wear comfortable walking shoes—expect stairs and long stretches on foot.

Dress modestly: both men and women must cover shoulders and knees. Sleeveless tops, shorts above the knee, and miniskirts are not allowed.

Bring your own earphones/headphones to use the digital audio guide on your smartphone.

What’s not allowed

Large bags, backpacks, suitcases, and luggage are not permitted inside the Basilica or Dome.

No flash photography, food, drinks, glass items, or smoking on the premises.

Animals are not allowed, except registered service animals.

There is no cloakroom service.

After 6pm, access to the Vatican Grottoes and explanations inside the Basilica are restricted.

Accessibility

This experience is not wheelchair accessible.

The Dome climb involves 551 steep, narrow stairs and confined spaces. It is not suitable for infants, pregnant individuals, or visitors with mobility concerns, heart conditions, vertigo, or claustrophobia.

The elevator only reaches the terrace—an additional 320 steps are required to reach the summit.

Minimum recommended age for the Dome climb is 6; all minors up to 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Additional information

All guests must pass through airport-style security. During peak season, lines may exceed 30 minutes—arrive 15–45 minutes early.

The Dome and roof terrace may close in bad weather.

Entry to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Dome may be suspended without notice due to religious ceremonies or Vatican events. If this happens, suitable alternatives will be arranged.

The special access passage between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica is closed on Wednesdays and during major events like Easter. In such cases, your guide will take you to the Pinacoteca Gallery instead.

QR codes for entry and audio guide activation are required—check your email (and spam folder) before arrival.

No refunds or date changes are allowed in case of visitor cancellations or closures due to religious events.

All visitors must pass through security checks at the Basilica. Please allow for wait times of up to an hour, as this may extend the overall tour duration.

Your voucher will be emailed to you.

Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point.

Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.