When you step inside St. Peter's Basilica you'll get special access to the Dome elevator, taking you 320 steps up to the terraces for a view like no other. Admire the mosaics up close, as your guide illuminates the history of the Vatican's long relationship with the arts. If you choose, continue to climb to the cupola for a truly outstanding view of Rome, and St. Peter's Square. While in St. Peters, you’ll explore works of art like Michelangelo’s Pieta and Bernini’s Baldachin with your guide, learning how these masterpieces came to be and their importance to the history of art and St. Peters itself.
Start your tour near St. Peter's Square. Gaze up at the architectural wonder, before entering St. Peter's Basilica with a pre-reserved ticket.
Then head to the Sistine Chapel just before closing time. Before entering, your guide will explain the stories behind the creation of these iconic frescoes as well as what they mean. When you enter, you will then be able to appreciate the full majesty of the room, spotting the little details and quirks that most visitors miss.
Skip the (always long) lines into the museums, diving right into the galleries holding some of the most famous works of art in the world. Your expert, English-speaking guide will offer eye-opening insight and context (along with some great stories) as you explore the Raphael Rooms, the Belvedere Courtyard with ‘Apollo Belvedere’ and ‘Laocoön and Sons’, the Pinecone Courtyard, the Gallery of the Candelabra, the Gallery of the Maps, and the Gallery of the Tapestries.
Rome: Dome Climb, Sistine Chapel & Vatican Tour
Tour Information
Key Details
- Mobile Voucher Accepted
- Hotel pickup Available
- Instant Confirmation
- Lowest Price Guaranteed
- Duration: 5 Hrs
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Language:
English
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Departure Time :
2:45 PM
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Return Details :
• Gratuities to guides are appreciated but never obligatory. • Please note that the tour meeting time is 15 minutes prior to the start time. No refunds or re-bookings can be provided for late ar.. read more
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Cancellation Policy : This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.
Overview
Climb the Dome at iconic St. Peter's Bascila, and explore inside the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum. Discover the Raphael Rooms, the Belvedere Courtyard with Apollo Belvedere and Laocon and Sons, and Michelangelo's masterwork in the Sistine Chapel, with an expert local guideKnow More about this tour
Itinerary:
When you step inside St. Peter's Basilica you'll get special access to the Dome elevator, taking you 320 steps up to the terraces for a view like no other. Admire the mosaics up close, as your guide illuminates the history of the Vatican's long relationship with the arts. If you choose, continue to climb to the cupola for a truly outstanding view of Rome, and St. Peter's Square. While in St. Peters, you’ll explore works of art like Michelangelo’s Pieta and Bernini’s Baldachin with your guide, learning how these masterpieces came to be and their importance to the history of art and St. Peters itself.
Start your tour near St. Peter's Square. Gaze up at the architectural wonder, before entering St. Peter's Basilica with a pre-reserved ticket.
Then head to the Sistine Chapel just before closing time. Before entering, your guide will explain the stories behind the creation of these iconic frescoes as well as what they mean. When you enter, you will then be able to appreciate the full majesty of the room, spotting the little details and quirks that most visitors miss.
Skip the (always long) lines into the museums, diving right into the galleries holding some of the most famous works of art in the world. Your expert, English-speaking guide will offer eye-opening insight and context (along with some great stories) as you explore the Raphael Rooms, the Belvedere Courtyard with ‘Apollo Belvedere’ and ‘Laocoön and Sons’, the Pinecone Courtyard, the Gallery of the Candelabra, the Gallery of the Maps, and the Gallery of the Tapestries.
Inclusions
- Skip the Line Access tickets to the Vatican Museums
- Expert English speaking tour guide
- Pre-reserved St. Peters Basilica tickets
- Elevator access to St. Peter's Basilica Dome terrace
- Headsets
- Small groups, never more than 20 people
Exclusions
- Gratuities
- Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Also, please remember that the Sistine Chapel is a holy place, and attire must be appropriate for the visit. Both men and women are asked to wear clothing that covers at least the shoulders and knees. Walks of Italy cannot be held responsible for denied entry due to improper dress. Please note that, since the chapel is at the end of the Vatican visit, it is sufficient to bring extra coverings with you and put them on before our entrance to the holy areas.
While the Vatican Museums are equipped with elevators for wheelchair and stroller access, they are not conveniently located on the group tour route and only give access to specific sections of the Museums. We advise clients to contact Walks Customer Service Team to make further arrangements.
Please note that guests may only carry small handbags inside the Vatican Museums. Larger backpacks and big pointy umbrellas etc must be left at the cloakroom. It is the responsibility of the guest to return to the Vatican Museums entrance to collect these after the tour.
Please ensure that all members of your party have a valid ID on them on the day of the visit. This is particularly important for guests who have qualified for child reduction.
Walks complies with all local government regulations. You may need to wear a mask or provide proof of vaccination to enter certain venues. Please refer to Italy government guidelines for the most up to date information.
Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments, or for wheelchairs or strollers. Please contact our Guest Experience team to make alternative arrangements.
Traveler Reviews
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the location, organization, tour itself were great. our guide was kind of awful. he was knowledgeable, which was nice, but he was very very negative. he gave a sour taste mocking the guards, the pope and the vatican. I wish i had never taken my teens on this tour as it left a horrible taste in their mouths for the church, I am really disappointed. the ear piece was awful and had a lot of static making it hard to understand him many times. although, given his pessimistic views and negativity, i wish we hadnt heard him at all. however, the climb to the top, the views, the sistine chapel were all beautiful. this company really needs to find guides that can relay history without so much negative commentary. most people wanting to see the vatican probably dont want to hear how much the guide hates and resents it. so so disappointed.
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One of the highlights of our trip to Italy! Our guide was excellent and very knowledgeable about art history and the Vatican. She was able to get our group into otherwise crowded spaces while always managing to somehow find a quieter place for us where she could explain the highlights of the works we were viewing. She was very passionate and enthusiastic in talking about the art and it’s master artists, and even our 13-yr-old thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Highly recommend!
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Our tour guide Sev was outstanding! He was full of information, insights, and had a great sense of humor. The tour itself: St. Peter’s was incredible, the museums while interesting seemed a bit rushed - of course due to the crowds. Overall, it was a wonderful tour and I would highly recommend it!
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St Peter’s basilica was amazing. Entire Vatican incredible. Our guide was absolutely wonderful and was expert at avoiding crowds and lines, thank god. Crowds were incredible.
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We took this tour in late June - our tour was the day after the Vatican was closed, so it was an especially busy day. Fortunately, we got an early start - even though we were able to "skip the line" at the Vatican Museum, everyone must go through the same line for security, so we did have to wait a bit longer than usual which was outside the control of Walks or our guide. That being said, our guide made excellent use of the time, providing us with a preview of Michelangelo's frescos and giving us a preparatory lesson, so we didn't have to stop when we got to the Sistine Chapel later that morning. When we got through security, we immediately started with the Dome climb - to save time, our group opted to skip the elevator, so we climbed all the way up (and down) (over 300 steps each way). Our family is fairly fit, so it was not too much for us; however, there were a few on the tour, who struggled a bit with so many stairs. I tend to get a little claustrophobic and am less comfortable with heights (especially as we were circling our way around the dome and the stairs narrowed and the walls were slanting away from us)....but just when I thought I couldn't go further, we were at the top! If you really struggle with vertigo, heights or tight-ish spaces, you might skip the climb because it's a one-way path up and a different way down. Otherwise, the spectacular views are so worth it! Once we climbed down, we were able to visit the basilica before making our way to the Vatican Museum. This is where is was WELL worth the cost of being on a tour - we passed hoards of people who were in a line that would take them 2-3 hours just to get inside the museum. Our guide had a tremendous knowledge of art history, Roman and Vatican political history. When we were diverted through the Etruscan part of the museum (which actually was better b/c it spread people out and made our Sistine experience more pleasant), our guide swiftly walked us through exhibits that were unplanned...yet, he knew so much and pointed out the key pieces in each room! This tour was 5 hours long - so be sure to wear extremely comfortable footwear and clothing (though following appropriate Vatican guidelines) - such as a scarf to cover shoulders (not during the climb) and skirt/dress that covers the knees. They were wise to have us do the climb first - when everyone has the most energy. To do it later, would be more crowded and honestly more tiring. Someone on our tour was planning to do a second tour later in the day. I would not suggest this - get up early, do this tour, grab a quick lunch and then go back to your Airbnb or hotel for a nice rest and shower...then treat yourself to a nice dinner when the heat of the day has passed! We highly recommend Walks as the source of excellent tours of all things Italy!!
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The entire experience was great. I loved the dome climb, the museum tour, Sistine chapel and the basilica.
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I'm sorry for not getting the spelling, but I believe her name was Mira/Myra. She was great! Even though the Vatican Museum was extremely crowded, she managed to guide us through the highlights. One word of advice though is to know that the Dome climb isn't easy - especially on a hot day like it was in late June. There are lot of steps in a very enclosed space, all of which we were warned about; however, it was a bit more than we expected. It is a BIG dome though. Mira/Myra provided many, many details about history and the artwork that made it very entertaining. We definitely recommend.
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Our guide, Anna, was fantastic! She gave us a lot of useful information and was very pleasant. The tour was great but definitely requires one to be physically fit!
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Made it to the top of the dome. Our guide Marco was excellent and caring and took interest in each member of our group. It was a little confusing to find our check in
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My family and I arrived in the piazza 15 min early as recommended. We were told by a tour leader to go on the other side of the wall to meet our group. When we went on the other side of the wall to meet our group and asked the leader there where to go, we were told to go back. When we went back, our group left and we completely missed our tour :(