St. Peter’s Basilica Tour Ticket

St. Peter’s Basilica—also known as Basilica di San Pietro in Italian—stands testament to centuries of enchanting art, faith, and the enduring power of belief.

This edifice is built over the tomb of St. Peter, the first Pope of Christianity and one of Jesus’ disciples. 

Visited by more than 10 million tourists each year, the Basilica is renowned for its magnificent dome, the Vatican Necropolis, and the commingling of Renaissance and Baroque architecture.

There’s also a lot to see inside and outside the Basilica, like the gigantic St. Peter’s Square, Bernini’s colonnade, and glimpses of the Vatican Museums.

Here’s everything you need to know before booking your St Peter’s Basilica tickets.

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St. Peter’s Basilica Tickets

There are several ticket options available to tour the Basilica. Here are the best of them in terms of experience and art.

One-Hour Guided Tour of St. Peter’s Basilica

This ticket entails a one-hour guided tour of Saint Peter’s Basilica with an official guide. During the tour, you will be regaled with snippets about the Basilica’s Renaissance art and statues while also marveling at the ceilings adorned with frescoes and stucco work.

Please note that this group tour, which is limited to 20 participants, does not include the Dome climb or entry to the Vatican Grottoes and Necropolis. 

The meeting point for this guided tour is at the desk under the portico of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

To enter the church without any hassle, arrive at least 20-30 minutes before your allotted time. There are airport-like security checks, and the lines can get really long as the hours pass.

Regarding the time slots, there are three for this tour—10.30 am, 12 pm, and 3.30 pm. Moreover, this tour is available in English, Spanish, Italian, and French.

Ticket Details

• Adult (18+ years): €24
• Child (7 to 17 years): €19
• Infant (6 years and under): €0

Cancellation policy

You are eligible for a full refund if you cancel your ticket up to 24 hours before the booked date. However, you cannot reschedule your ticket to another date.

St. Peter’s Basilica with Dome Climb and Crypt Guided Tour

Often termed ‘the original experience,’ this St. Peter’s Basilica guided tour lasts 3 hours. 

The reason behind the prolonged duration is that once you have toured the Basilica, you’ll be taken in an elevator to the Dome, from which you can enjoy pristine views of the city of Rome that look spectacular in the morning light.

The tour also includes a visit to the Papal Crypt or Papal Grottoes, where most of the Popes, including St. Peter, are buried.

This guided tour starts at 7.15 am to help you avoid the crowds that get larger as the hours drift by.

Please arrive at least 15-20 minutes before the tour starts. Your guide will be waiting for you in front of Caffè Leonina just outside St. Peter’s Square, holding a sign saying ‘Walks.’

Ticket Details

• Adult (15+ years): €64
• Child (2 to 14 years): €58
• Infant (1 years and under): €0

Cancellation policy

You are eligible for a full refund if you cancel your ticket up to 24 hours before the booked date. However, you cannot reschedule your ticket to another date.

Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour

This 2.5-hour Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica tour starts at 10 am, and you’ll be given skip-the-line access to the tour’s starting point, the Vatican Museums. 

You’ll be accompanied by a knowledgeable guide and provided with headsets to hear the tour guide clearly despite the Vatican’s teeming crowds.

The meeting point for this tour is Piazza della Città Leonina. Please arrive at least 15-20 minutes before your tour starts.

After you have visited the Museums’ Galleries of Maps and Tapestries, the Raphael Rooms, the Belvedere Courtyard, and the Sistine Chapel, your guide will escort you till the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica. From there, you can tour the Basilica on your own.

Please note that this tour does not provide access to the Dome climb or entry to the Vatican Grottoes and Necropolis.

Ticket Details

• Adult (8+ years): €80
• Child (3 to 7 years): €65
• Infant (2 years and under): €0

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Cancellation policy

You are eligible for a full refund if you cancel your ticket up to 24 hours before the booked date. However, you cannot reschedule your ticket to another date.

Planning a visit to the Museums? Here’s all you need to know about the attraction’s dress code, its three entrance lines, opening and closing hours, the amenities within the Museums, how to reach the Vatican, and special tours like the Vatican Museums early morning and late evening tickets, Castle Gandolfo, and Vatican Grottoes & Necropolis tickets.

St. Peter’s Basilica Entrances

There are five entrances to the Basilica, the main entrance being free and the most recognizable.

• Main Entrance (Free): Facing St. Peter’s Square
• The Cupola entrance (Ticketed): The entrance to the Dome is on the right side of the portico, where the elevator leads to the roof
• Sacristy & Treasury Museum (Ticketed): You’ll find this entrance below the Monument to Pius VIII
• Vatican Grottoes and Necropolis (Ticketed): This entrance is located in the central nave of the Basilica
• Sistine Chapel Hidden Entrance (Ticketed): This secret entrance with a small door is located on the right side of the Sistine Chapel, and it leads you into the Basilica

Basilica Mass Timings

The Basilica has three main altars: Altar of St. Joseph, Altar of the Chair of St. Peter, and the altar in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

The Altar of St. Joseph is at the Basilica’s left transept, the Altar of the Chair is beneath the apse, and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is right before the transept.

Weekday mass timings

Blessed Sacrament Chapel: 8.30 am (mass in Italian followed by Eucharistic Adoration)

Altar of St. Joseph: 9 am, 10 am, 11 am, 12 am (mass in Italian)

Altar of the Chair: 5 pm (mass in Latin, homily in Italian)

Sunday mass timings

Altar of the Chair: 9 am (Italian), 10.30 am (Solemn mass in Latin), 12.15 pm (Italian), 4 pm (Italian), 4.45 pm (Vespers in Latin), 5.30 pm (Italian)

Altar of St. Joseph: 1 pm (Italian)

Blessed Sacrament Chapel: 11.15 am (Italian) 

Note: Confession or the Sacrament of Penance is conducted on the right transept of the Papal altar. Make sure you maintain silence at all times.

Timings of Attractions Inside/Outside the Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica

Days	Timings	Last entry
Weekdays	7 am to 7 pm	6.30 pm
Wednesdays	12.30 pm to 7 pm	6.30 pm
Weekends	7 am to 7 pm	6.30 pm

Note: The Basilica remains closed from 7 am to 12.30 pm on account of the Papal Audience

St. Peter’s Basilica Dome

Days	Timings	Last entry
Weekdays	7.30 am to 6 pm	5.30 pm
Weekends	7.30 am to 6 pm	5.30 pm

St. Peter’s Tomb

Days	Timings	Last entry
Weekdays	7 am to 7.10 pm	6.10 pm
Weekends	7 am to 7.10 pm	6.10 pm

Vatican Grottoes

Days	Timings	Last entry
Weekdays	9 am to 6 pm	5.30 pm
Weekends	9 am to 6 pm	5.30 pm

Vatican Necropolis

Days	Timings	Last entry
Weekdays	8 am to 6 pm	4.30 pm
Saturday	8 am to 2 pm	12.30 pm

Note: The Vatican Necropolis remains closed on Sundays

St. Peter’s Square

Days	Timings	Last entry
Weekdays	7 am to 7.10 pm	6.30 pm
Weekends	7 am to 7.10 pm	6.30 pm

Did you Know?

• The original basilica Emperor Constantine built lasted for almost 1,200 years!
• The current St. Peter’s Basilica still uses the foundation from the original structure
• St. Peter’s Basilica had five architects—Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Carlo and Stefano Moderno
• The Basilica’s dome is so tall that you could fit the Statue of Liberty inside it!
• Bernini’s Baldacchino, the 95-foot tall canopy inside the Basilica, was built with bronze stolen from the Pantheon
• There are no paintings in St. Peter’s Basilica; in fact, what you see as paintings are actually glass or ceramic mosaics!

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FAQs about St. Peter’s Basilica

Here are some frequently asked questions about St. Peter’s Basilica: