St. Peter's Basilica: Dome Views & Art Tour

Experience a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica, including a climb to the top of the dome for breathtaking views of Rome. Explore the art and architecture of the Renaissance in small groups.

Duration: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • St. Peter’s Square - Begin your tour at St. Peter’s Square and take in the grandeur of its majestic architecture. Discover the visual effects crafted by its designer, Bernini, and locate the two “special” spots within the square.
  • St. Peter’s Basilica - Next, proceed to the Basilica to be awestruck by its splendor. Learn why it took 150 years…
What's Included
  • Professional art-historian guide
  • Guided tour of St. Peter Dome and St. Peter’s Basilica
  • Sterilized headsets for clear audio
  • Entry fees to the top of the Dome
  • Full on-site assistance
What's Not Included
  • The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are not part of this tour
  • This tour does not skip the line (neither the security checks one nor the dome’s elevator one)
Additional Information

Begin an extraordinary adventure starting at St. Peter’s Square, where Bernini’s architectural genius is on full display.
Next, step into the awe-inspiring St. Peter’s Basilica, a space adorned with golden ceilings, vibrant marbles, and masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s Pietà. Explore the Papal grottoes below, touching ancient walls and visiting St….

Location
Largo del Colonnato, 5
Largo del Colonnato
Meet your guide at Largo del Colonnato, 5, by the first columns of the Colonnade. Look for a yellow label with TOURIKS written on it. Please be at the meeting point 5 minutes before the starting time. The meeting point is outside the Basilica before entering St. Peter's square.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(2309 Ratings)
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Cheri_d
Oct 2, 2025
Patricio was a great... - Patricio was a great guide, great information! Walked to top of dome, need to be in good health to do climb, no knee or leg issues. Close to top very steep. About 500 steps to top! Fabulous views.
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Michael_s
Sep 30, 2025
Patricio was great, and the group was very accommodating. - My wife and I were lost so we ended up late, but someone met us and rushed us to the group and we didn’t miss a beat. Our guide Patricio was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. There were multiple areas that were temporarily closed, and Patricio was able to navigate us in a way that allowed us to see everything on the tour and then some. Highly recommended group!
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Sarah_s
Sep 29, 2025
Informative and book early time! - Book an early time. We did 845 and crowds were manageable. When we left at 1130 it was insane. We enjoyed it. Learned a lot more than of we were walking on our own. Amazing experience. Well worth it. Angelina was amazing
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Danielle_s
Sep 28, 2025
Great tour! - Glad we booked this. Got into the basilica easily and the tour guide was knowledgeable. The basilica is obviously breathtaking to see. If you book the Cupola climb plan for extra time. The total time on the listing is with the guide throughout the church. We did climb, it was fun and the top was awesome. It’s a VERY small, narrow staircase. I am petite and it felt very small and tight in there. It gets uneven or “tilts” a bit as you walk so if you get vertigo or claustrophobic I would not recommend doing the climb portion, or at least know that expectation going in. We enjoyed it, thought the climb was interesting. Glad we booked this tour and would recommend to friends.
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Cathy_l
Sep 27, 2025
There is a lot of walking... - There is a lot of walking and a lot of information and a lot of people. It is very beautiful ad quite overwhelming.
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Carlete_m
Sep 26, 2025
Loved It - Frederica was a great tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and approached the basilica with great reverence. We did not complete the dome climb. This tour was on day 4/4 in Rome for us and we had already walked thousands of steps, including walking from the Trastevere to the Vatican. When we were told the dome climb was 320 steps, we bowed out gracefully…maybe not so gracefully. I almost fell over the chain rope trying to get out of the dome climb line :)
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Mae_s
Sep 25, 2025
It's better to book an... - It's better to book an early tour. Even with "skip the line" privileges, there was still a lot of waiting.
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Matthew_k
Sep 25, 2025
Well Worth It - The cues are slow and big. People intending to do this tour need to be prepared for this but, don't let it dissuade from doing it as the experience far outweighs the crowds and wait times. This was amongst the most spectacular experiences of our trip. Our guide - Silvia - was amazing. So knowledgeable and helpful. It was apparent how much she loves.her.job and knows her stuff
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Bob_w
Sep 29, 2025
Worth the long wait? Yes!! - We purchased “Skip the Line” tickets, but apparently the “Skip the “Line” line was still a two hour wait to get through security. Francesca did her best to fill the time with detailed stories, but it still took forever to enter the basilica. Once inside it was breathtaking. She gave wonderful descriptions of the various sections of the church highlighting key historical features. Touring the grotto was a little rushed so we didn’t feel we had much time to see the tombs. Had to go with the flow. We had plenty of time to see the main level of the church though. Fascinating experience.
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Jacques_t
Sep 25, 2025
Miss the visit - We wrote the same morning to ask if we could postpone our visit but no response from Victor or the person in charge.
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From $63
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).