Rome: St. Peter’s Basilica, Dome Climb, and Underground Tour
Overview
Available languages
2 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
St. Peter's Basilica, located within Vatican City, is a symbol of religious devotion and architectural grandeur. A guided tour of this iconic basilica provides an immersive encounter with its historical, artistic, and spiritual dimensions.
Marvel at the Renaissance and Baroque architecture of this monumental church, including the awe-inspiring dome designed by Michelangelo.
Explore a treasure trove of masterpieces by renowned artists such as Michelangelo's "Pieta" and Bernini's "Baldacchino."
Discover the religious importance of St. Peter's Basilica as the burial site of St. Peter and a hub for major papal ceremonies.
Descend into the Vatican Grottoes to pay homage to the tombs of popes and saints, including the traditional resting place of St. Peter. Ascend to the top of the dome for panoramic vistas of Vatican City and Rome, offering a unique perspective on the Eternal City.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please select the right option for the Dome climb or no Dome climb option
We offer a variety of tour options to suit your preferences: Italian Regular Tour (No Dome), German Regular Tour (No Dome), French Regular Tour (No Dome), Spanish Regular Tour (No Dome), English Regular Tour (No Dome), German Tour with Dome Climb, Italian Tour with Dome Climb, French Tour with Dome Climb, Spanish Tour with Dome Climb, English Tour with Dome Climb
What To Expect
St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica is one of the holiest sites in Christianity. It is traditionally believed to be built on the burial site of Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and the first Bishop of Rome (Pope). The basilica holds great religious and historical importance for Catholics. The basilica is renowned for its stunning Renaissance and Baroque architecture. It was designed by notable architects like Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
The Vatican Grottoes
The Vatican Grottoes, located beneath St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, are a sacred and historically significant underground complex. This subterranean space serves as the final resting place for numerous popes, saints, and notable figures from the history of the Catholic Church. Visitors to the Vatican Grottoes can explore a labyrinth of burial chambers and tombs, including the traditional resting place of St. Peter, one of Jesus' apostles and the first Bishop of Rome (Pope). The grottoes are adorned with artistic and decorative elements that reflect the rich heritage and religious significance of the Catholic faith. Accessible to tourists and pilgrims, the Vatican Grottoes provide a unique opportunity to delve into the history of the Church and pay homage to its revered figures. These underground chambers are a place of reverence, reflection, and historical exploration, offering a deeper understanding of the enduring legacy of the Catholic Church.
Options
Spanish Tour with Dome Climb
Italian Tour with Dome Climb
Basilica Private Tour
Basilica Private Tour
Spanish Regular Tour (No Dome)
Spanish Regular Tour (No Dome): This option include complete guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica and the Papal Tombs. The Dome ticket is not included
English Tour with Dome Climb
French Regular Tour (No Dome)
French Regular Tour (No Dome): This option include complete guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica and the Papal Tombs. The Dome ticket is not included
German Regular Tour (No Dome)
German Regular Tour (No Dome): This option include complete guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica and the Papal Tombs. The Dome ticket is not included
German Tour with Dome Climb
English Regular Tour (No Dome)
English Regular Tour: The option include Complete guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica and Papal Tombs, The Dome ticket is not included
Italian Regular Tour (No Dome)
Italian Regular Tour (No Dome): This option include complete guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica and the Papal Tombs. The Dome ticket is not included
French Tour with Dome Climb
What‘s Included
Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica
Headsets to clearly hear your guide
Entry tickets to the Dome. IF OPTION SELECTED
Professional and Licenced Guide
Entry to Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
410 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Run away from Kay Kay Tours
G1220NOoscarv,Jun 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Miguel was an amazing guide and really made the whole tour enjoyable and we learned quite a lot, however the woman who was in charge of handing over headphones should be nowhere near any position related to customer service. My wife and I arrived at 9:00 (tour was scheduled for 9:00) but we had to drop our bags since we had checked out from our hotel because it was our last day in Rome and we were about 45 minutes from Vatican. The place we were trying to store our bags was literally in front of the tent. The bags drop off took longer than anticipated and it was 15 past 9. I tried explaining this to the woman and even told her that we’d forfeit the guided tour and to give us the tickets and we’d go on our on so we didn’t hold the group back any longer but she screamed that she DIDNT CARE what the reason was for our delay and was petty enough as to not even hand the headphones to us (she handed it over to Miguel despite me being next to her). That was such a humiliating experience and I will NEVER book again nor recommend Kay Kay Tours ever. Too bad since Miguel is such a great guy and amazing guide.
Disappointing compared to other tours we have taken this trip
Joel A,May 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00While we had no issues meeting up with the tour or the guide being informative, there were a few things that left it just a tour. We added on the dome climb which not only did my family not participate in the climb but not a single person from the entire group stayed to do it. We found out not before the tour started, or when the changes happened that the facility started to restrict numbers even further than prior. Had we known the changes and been communicated prior we would have gone in with a different mindset. Instead we stood in the full sun in a line for 45 plus minutes before finally being the last set of people from the tour to bail and not complete it. No water, no shade, no heads up it would be a very long wait and to prepare. Instead the guide tried to make it seem he was trying to find a way to get us in quicker some how, conveniently indoors in the air conditioning. Communication ahead of time and then pretending to try to make it so we magically could jump the line just to be in a temperature controlled area was a major disappointment after all of the other tour guides we have had the past week and a half. Another disappointment which is not the tour provider’s fault but added insult to injury for the experience was just the unimaginable number of people all in the same place. It was worse than Times Square on a busy day. Again, nothing the tour operator can control but I do warn you that this experience does not provide an even controlled feeling of a tour just due to the sheer number of people onsite there. Guide was knowledgeable and I will not take that from him. We saw what was listed and decided not to continue to stand in line for the dome as the heat was unmanageable with no reprieve insight. If you decide to attempt to do the dome climb ensure you have ways to stay cool and come prepared, we unfortunately did not have the info that could have prepared us for that.
Federico was a warm,...
John P,May 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Federico was a warm, charismatic and knowledgable guide who gave a great group tour of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Didn’t get to do the climb
Valentina M,May 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00While the guide was great, we were unable to do the climb due to them not having tickets for us. To try and get tickets, we waited in line for an hour, the guide left us, and we had barely moved up in the line. We had just done the underground of St Peter’s and had already been there for 3.5 hours, so we decided to leave to get to our next activity.
Highly recommend!
Jill P,May 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Highly recommend this tour! Very informative and so easy to get around with guided tour. Francisco was a very good guide!
The meeting point was...
Joseph K,May 18, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The meeting point was easy to find with clear directions. The tour was amazing! Our guide was wonderful
Journey to the history of Catholic Church where apposle Peter the rock was crucified
Hani A,May 18, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Incredible spiritual experience with lot of pope's toombs to see, the church of St-Peter is beyond imagination.
Never Showed Up — Ruined My Visit to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Dome
Luceritravel,May 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Very disappointing experience. I booked this tour months in advance because I wanted to secure my visit to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Dome, and I trusted this service to organize that experience. I arrived on time at the meeting point, but the person in charge never showed up. We called multiple times and no one answered. There was no notice, no explanation, and no support at the moment. The worst part is that because I relied on this reservation, I was not able to find any more tickets available to visit the Basilica and the Dome on my own that same day. This ruined a very important part of my visit to the Vatican. I understand that unexpected situations can happen, but leaving customers waiting without answering calls or offering any solution is completely unacceptable. I would not recommend this tour if you truly want to secure your entrance and avoid unnecessary stress during your trip.
Paid for nothing, no communication, when we found Kay Kay tours, we were turned away...nothing.
Richard S,May 18, 2026
- Review from Viator
1.00Beware, company did not help, reach out or give us a tour or tickets. We paid for nothing. Our experience: In a sea of thousands of people we are within a few meters of our meetup point (meetup on viator - no other) we are an hour early...no issue. Signs tel us in the sea of.people to fet in the line for those that made online reservations...we were suspicious we might not ne in the right place, so we ask the Security officials. They tell us we are in the right place. We get thru security, no bar code for the special tour we paid for and get notice Kay Kay tours has a red flag. We find Kay Kay tours and the tour guide tells us to leave and go back to the meeting point. We did, nobody was there.
Tour of St Peters Basilica Rome
josephines354,May 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Valentina was our tour guide today, she is an excellent guide full of knowledge and never rushed anyone who wanted to take pictures, and we had a lady take ill while on tour and Valentina had medics on site in minutes and took excellent care of the lady..
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Operated by KAY KAY Tour Ltd.