St. Peter’s Basilica — Visitor Guide

Entry to the main floor of St. Peter’s Basilica is free — no ticket required. The external security queue typically takes 45 to 90 minutes during peak season (April–October). The Basilica is open Monday–Saturday 7:00am–7:00pm and most Sundays 1:00pm–6:00pm; it closes Wednesday mornings until ~12:30pm due to the Papal Audience. The Dome climb costs from €6 (elevator to terrace + 231 steps) or €8 (551 steps all the way). The Vatican Grottoes beneath the Basilica are free. The Basilica is a separate site from the Vatican Museums — it has its own entrance on St. Peter’s Square and requires its own queue.

St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest church in the world, the spiritual heart of Catholicism, and one of the greatest architectural achievements of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Entry is free, but free does not mean queue-free — the external security line at the Basilica entrance regularly takes 45 to 90 minutes during peak season. A Vatican Museums guided tour that includes the Basilica via the internal Sistine Chapel passageway bypasses this queue entirely.

This guide covers what to see inside, what to expect at each section, opening hours, the Dome climb, and how to plan your visit alongside the Vatican Museums.

Top Tickets

• Vatican Museum Entry Ticket
• Vatican Museum Guided Tour
• Explore Vatican Tickets

Getting In — Free Entry vs Guided Tour Access

St. Peter’s Basilica has two ways to enter: the free public entrance via St. Peter’s Square (45–90 min queue during peak season, security screening required), and via the internal Sistine Chapel passageway for visitors on specific Vatican Museums guided tours (bypasses the external queue entirely). The free entrance is on the right side of St. Peter’s Square facade. Guided tours of the Vatican Museums that include the Basilica are priced from €75 per adult and include both sites with skip-the-line access to both.

	Free Public Entrance	Guided Tour via Sistine Chapel
Cost	Free	From €75 (includes Vatican Museums)
Queue	45–90 min peak season	No queue — internal passageway
What’s included	Basilica main floor, Grottoes	Basilica + Vatican Museums
Timing	Any time during opening hours	Fixed tour departure time
Best for	Budget visitors, return visitors	First-timers, peak season

What to See Inside St. Peter’s Basilica

Michelangelo’s Pietà (right transept, immediately on entering)

The Pietà — Mary cradling the body of the crucified Christ — was sculpted by Michelangelo between 1498 and 1499 when he was 23 years old. It is displayed in the first chapel on the right immediately inside the main entrance, behind bulletproof glass (installed after a vandalism attack in 1972). The Pietà is extraordinary for the technical achievement of depicting two life-sized figures in one block of marble, and for the emotional restraint of Mary’s expression — serene rather than grief-stricken, an interpretation Michelangelo defended as intentional. The signature on Mary’s sash (MICHAEL ANGELUS BONAROTUS FLORENT FACIEBAT) is the only work Michelangelo ever signed.

Bernini’s Baldachin (over the Papal Altar)

The Baldachin — a monumental bronze canopy 29 metres high standing directly over the Papal Altar and St. Peter’s tomb — was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and completed in 1633. It is one of the largest bronze objects ever created and was cast partly from bronze taken from the Pantheon’s portico. The four spiralling columns echo the supposed appearance of the columns of Solomon’s Temple. Only the Pope celebrates Mass at the altar beneath it. The Baldachin stands at the crossing of the nave and transepts, directly beneath Michelangelo’s dome.

Michelangelo’s Dome

Michelangelo designed the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica from 1546 onward; it was completed in 1590, fourteen years after his death, by Giacomo della Porta. The dome rises to 136 metres at the tip of the lantern and remains the tallest dome in the world. From inside the Basilica, standing beneath the drum and looking up at the mosaics depicting saints and angels in the dome’s interior is one of the most overwhelming spatial experiences in any building in the world. The drum inscription (in letters 2 metres tall) reads: TU ES PETRUS ET SUPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCLESIAM MEAM ET TIBI DABO CLAVES REGNI CAELORUM — the words Christ spoke to Peter, the founding text of the Papacy.

St. Peter’s Tomb and the Confessio

The Confessio — the sunken oval area in front of the Papal Altar surrounded by 99 constantly burning oil lamps — marks the location of St. Peter’s tomb directly below. The lamps burn continuously. Visitors can look down into the Confessio and across to the gilded niche containing the statue of St. Peter. Below the Confessio, excavations in the 1940s–1960s uncovered what is widely believed to be the actual tomb of St. Peter, beneath the Grottoes beneath the Basilica.

Statue of St. Peter (nave, near the Baldachin)

The bronze statue of St. Peter seated on a throne, his right foot extended, dates from the 13th century (attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio). The right foot has been worn smooth by centuries of pilgrims touching or kissing it — an act of veneration that continues today. The statue is one of the most visited objects in the entire Basilica.

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel (right transept) is reserved for prayer only — non-worshippers are not permitted to enter. It contains a ciborium by Bernini and an altarpiece copy of the Trinity by Pietro da Cortona.

The Dome Climb — Is It Worth It?

The dome climb at St. Peter’s Basilica offers some of the best elevated views of Rome and, from the exterior lantern gallery, an extraordinary close-up view of Michelangelo’s dome from outside. There are two options: elevator to the terrace (intermediate level, €6, then 231 steps to the top) or entirely by stairs from the base (551 steps, €8). The elevator is strongly recommended — even with the elevator, the final 231 steps to the top are steep and narrow. Allow 45 to 60 minutes for the dome climb including queuing.

Option	Cost	Steps	Time
Elevator to terrace + stairs to top	€6	231 steps after elevator	45–60 mins total
All stairs from ground level	€8	551 steps total	60–75 mins total
Terrace only (no top)	€6	Elevator only	20–30 mins

The view from the top of the dome (the external lantern gallery) encompasses the full sweep of St. Peter’s Square below, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Tiber, and Rome’s skyline to the horizon. On a clear day, the Alban Hills are visible to the south. This is the highest publicly accessible viewpoint in Rome.

Vatican Grottoes — Free with Basilica Entry

The Vatican Grottoes (Grotte Vaticane) are beneath the main floor of the Basilica and contain the tombs of most popes from the 9th century to the present — including John Paul II, John Paul I, Paul VI, and John XXIII. Entry is free and included with Basilica admission. The Grottoes are accessible from inside the Basilica (staircase near the Baldachin) and from the outside (separate entrance). They close approximately one hour before the Basilica. For the deeper Scavi excavation tour showing what may be St. Peter’s actual tomb beneath the Grottoes, advance booking is required. See our Vatican Necropolis & Grottoes tickets guide.

Dress Code & Practical Rules

• Dress code enforced: Shoulders and knees must be covered — same rules as the Vatican Museums. Enforced at the entrance; ponchos available for purchase if needed
• Wednesday mornings: The Basilica closes from 7:00am until ~12:30pm on Wednesdays for the Papal Audience in St. Peter’s Square
• Photography: Permitted throughout — no flash. The Pietà is behind glass but photographable
• Mass times: Masses are celebrated at multiple altars throughout the day — check the schedule at the Basilica entrance. Visitors are welcome to attend
• Blessed Sacrament Chapel: Reserved for prayer — sightseers not admitted
• No re-entry: Once you leave the security perimeter, you rejoin the queue to re-enter

Opening Hours

Site	Days	Hours	Last Entry
Basilica (main floor)	Mon–Sat	7:00am – 7:00pm	6:30pm
Basilica	Most Sundays	1:00pm – 6:00pm	5:30pm
Basilica	Wednesdays	Closed until ~12:30pm (Papal Audience)	6:30pm after reopening
Dome (April–Sept)	Daily	7:30am – 6:00pm	5:30pm
Dome (Oct–March)	Daily	7:30am – 5:00pm	4:30pm
Vatican Grottoes (Apr–Sept)	Daily	7:00am – 7:00pm	—
Vatican Grottoes (Oct–March)	Daily	7:00am – 6:00pm	—

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

• St. Peter’s Basilica Tickets
• Vatican Necropolis & Grottoes Tickets
• Vatican Museums Guided Tour
• St. Peter’s Square — What to Know
• Vatican Museums Tickets — Complete Guide