St. Peter’s Basilica Tour with Dome Climb and Papal Crypts｜Italy

Discover the secrets of the world’s largest church on our in-depth tour of St. Peter’s Basilica. Magnificent St. Peter’s is a true Roman icon, and our special semi private tour is the perfect way to learn the fascinating history of the church and appreciate its masterpieces. Enter the Basilica early to avoid the long entrance queues that form later in the day, and make the elevator-assisted journey up the church’s soaring dome before climbing on foot to the top to gaze down on all of the Eternal City spread out before you in one of the world’s most spectacular panoramas. Back on terra firma our expert guide will weave a dramatic tale of the apostles and popes, artists and architects that have left their mark in St. Peter’s. Admire Michelangelo’s Pieta and Bernini’s Baldachin, before concluding our visit in the atmospheric crypts beneath the church, where generations of Popes have been laid to rest in spectacular tombs.

The tour starts in the magnificent St. Peter’s Basilica. As the world’s largest church, it can be difficult to navigate your way around the basilica. Our special in-depth tour of St. Peter’s will take you to see the best of St. Peter’s in the company of one of our expert guides, making sure you don’t miss a thing.

We’ll be entering the church early, at the quietest time of the day. There is no way to skip the lines at St. Peter's, but while there may be a short queue even at this time, you won't have to wait too long before entering!

When in Rome, climbing the iconic dome of St. Peter’s basilica is an absolute must, and this is how our in-depth St. Peter's tour will begin. Our route to the top will unfold in two stages. First, we’ll be ascending the interior of the dome via elevator, where amazing views down into the basilica below will give you a completely new perspective on the stunning church. This is a perfect opportunity to admire the mosaics that decorate the dome, which are difficult to make out in detail from the floor of the church far below. Then we’ll be heading higher, up above the roof line right up to the very top of the cupola. It’s a breathless climb to make it all the way, but the jaw-dropping panorama over the city from the summit will make it all worthwhile!

We’ll finish our in-depth St. Peter’s tour with a journey downwards into the atmospheric grottoes beneath the church. In these underground crypts, generations of popes have been laid to rest from as far back as the fifth century. The highlight of our visit to the Papal crypts will be the so-called Clementine Chapel: with its origins dating as far back as the 6th century, this beautiful chapel is traditionally held to house the remains of the Apostle Peter himself, and was an important site of veneration and oath-taking in the middle ages. It’s one of the only parts of the old basilica to survive intact, and offers a window into the millennial history of St. Peter's.