Religious Sites

St. Peter's Basilica Entry with Audio Guide

Name: St. Peter's Basilica Entry with Audio Guide
Start: 2025-11-06T10:30:00
End: 2025-11-06T11:30:00
Location: Rome

St. Peter's Basilica and Square with obelisk, Vatican City, crowded with visitors.

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

View of St. Peter's Basilica interior from the dome, showcasing ornate architecture and altar.

Visitors overlooking St. Peter’s Square from the Basilica Dome Terrace in Vatican City.

Open today

Explore at your pace

Choose your entry time, stay as long as you like

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

Discover St. Peter’s Basilica with an immersive audio guide. Upgrade for skip-the-line entry and optional Dome access by stairs or elevator.

3.0/5

(1,126)

Tanja

Sep 2025

Verified booking

4/5

Everything worked out perfectly. The tickets arrived by email the day before. The audio guide was great. It was a little more difficult to find the guides at St. Peter's Basilica as they were wearing yellow vests instead of the green ones described. Buy a ticket for the dome at the same time. We wanted to do this spontaneously and ended up standing in line for a long time. It wasn't nice, but it's not the fault of the vendor that far too many people are allowed into St. Peter's Basilica and the dome at once. In the grotto in particular, you were literally pushed through.

Jurgen

Oct 2025

Verified booking

4/5

That my (in-law) parents enjoyed. The whole place was cordoned off because of the pope who was coming/running around, so we had to detour (with people with mobility problems). There it was very unclear that we were allowed into the fastline where it was. Very long queue to get to the dome and at the top the fencing is such that you don't really have a view. It would be nice if there is an elevator to the part at the top of the church where you can walk around inside.

Nunes

Sep 2025

Verified booking

4/5

Perfect service, well oriented, we were able to get through quickly thanks to the ticket-cutter. We arrived 1 hour and 15 minutes early and... we got in straight away, incredible. Visiting the dome via the staircase is a real challenge, with more than 500 steps, and the corridors are very narrow almost to the top. Don't venture to the top if you're overweight or suffer from chlostrophobia.

Explore St. Peter’s Basilica at your own pace with a multilingual audio guide and digital map covering 27 highlights.

Your included digital guidebook helps make the most of your visit by offering handy tips, pointing out highlights to watch out for, and more.

Learn the stories behind masterpieces like Michelangelo’s Pietà and Bernini’s Papal Altar.

Transform your free-entry visit into a meaningful, self-paced journey through art, faith, and history.

Upgrade to reserved entry to skip the long lines—or add Dome access for sweeping Vatican views.

Access to Basilica and Papal Tombs

Digital audio guide

Digital guidebook

Reserved entry to St. Peter's Basilica (as per option selected)

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

Live tour guide

Food and drinks

These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.

3
1,126 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, United Kingdom and over 10 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Praud
Nov 2025
Verified booking
3/5
In the end, I didn't need to pay for 5 audio guides for the original free tour. At worst, I would have needed an audio guide, knowing that it could be shared with other users. Lack of information, especially on the fact that it's not really a queue cutter, as the ticket is valid for the entire opening period of the monument. I could have saved the money. Otherwise, the visit was as grandiose as the basilica itself.
Mary
Nov 2025
Verified booking
5/5
It most certainly wasn't the queueing system or the security. Having fast pass tickets didn't help in any way. The system was so disorganised, nobody knew what was going on. We were in the queue for nearly 2 hours. However, we enjoyed the Basislica once we got there. The place is amazing.
José
Nov 2025
Verified booking
5/5
I really liked the basilica is beautiful and with the audio guide you learn a lot of how and why of things. Good organization the only thing I saw wrong is that in Spanish there was almost no signage or posters I information.
Sentiabreva
Nov 2025
Verified booking
5/5
It's hard to say anything about the basilica itself. It's a total delight and admiration. Words can't express it, it's just music that bursts out. Michelangelo's pieta, how could such a thing be created by a boy?
Michael
Nov 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Highly recommended if you don't want to spend half the day queuing. Definitely worth the money. The audio guide leads you to the most important stations with relevant information.

Step into St. Peter’s Basilica—the world’s most visited church—and explore its art, architecture, and history at your own pace with a multilingual audio guide and a digital guidebook on your phone (approx. 2 hours).

Getting started

Start your visit by joining the free-entry line outside St. Peter’s Basilica. After clearing the security check at the entrance, open the link sent to your email and activate your digital audio guide through your phone. You’ll need your own earphones—no QR code or app download is required for this base variant. Do keep your included digital guidebook for easy reference as you tour the basilica.

Note: QR codes for reserved entry and dome access are only applicable for upgrade variants with reserved access.

What to expect

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica

Once inside, go at your own pace through this architectural wonder—home to centuries of Christian history and priceless Renaissance art. The audio guide points out key highlights, bringing the sacred and artistic details to life with expert commentary. Your guidebook points out unmissable highlights and charts out an itinerary for you, based on the time available for exploration.

Highlights:

Michelangelo’s Pietà: Hear the story behind this delicate yet powerful marble sculpture, created when Michelangelo was just 24 years old.

Bernini’s Baldachin: Learn how this monumental bronze canopy marks St. Peter’s tomb and reflects the Baroque drama of the space.

Chapel of the Sacrament & Nave: Discover intricate details often missed on unguided visits, from mosaic floors to overlooked altars.

Self-Guided Access to Papal Tombs (reserved entry & dome variants only): Upgrade for access to the underground crypt housing past popes.

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

Personal earphones to use with the audio guide on your smartphone.

A valid photo ID matching the name on your booking (may be checked at entry).

For Reserved Entry or Dome variants: Make sure you’ve received your QR codes for both entry and audio guide activation (check spam or retrieve them online if needed).

What’s not allowed

Large bags, luggage, or suitcases. Only small backpacks or personal bags allowed (no cloakroom on-site).

Food, drinks, smoking, and pets.

Infants and animals are not permitted.

Flash photography, tripods, and filming gear. (Non-flash photography is allowed.)

Accessibility

The Dome involves a steep climb of up to 551 steps and isn’t recommended for infants, pregnant visitors, or those with mobility issues, heart conditions, claustrophobia, or vertigo.

Not wheelchair accessible.

All visitors must pass airport-style security.

Additional information

There are two queues at the main entrance — a free entry queue and a reserved entry queue. Only if you've selected the reserved entry option at checkout are you eligible to skip the free entry line.

Modest dress is required: no shorts, mini skirts, or sleeveless tops.

If you’ve reserved entry, arrive at least 45 minutes early to clear security—especially during busy times.

The audio guide is smartphone-only; bring earphones and ensure your device is charged.

Minimum age: 6 years. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

This experience is non-refundable.

Closures & exceptions

Papal Tombs are not accessible for 6pm entries—only the Basilica will be open.

The Basilica and/or Dome may close without notice due to religious ceremonies. If access is restricted, alternatives will be provided.

Special access from the Sistine Chapel to the Basilica is unavailable on Wednesdays and during major celebrations like Easter.

Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.

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.