St. Peter’s Basilica Dome offers some of the most impressive views of Rome.
The Dome is the second tallest building in Rome and can be seen from many places in town. It’s an impressive sight, especially at night when it is beautifully illuminated.
Unfortunately, getting to the Dome is a bit of a hassle. Much like the rest of the Vatican the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica can be quite crowded and you will find a line of people waiting to get their tickets. You can’t really get tickets in advance -they are only sold at the door. But typically, if you do a guided tour the guide will know how to dodge the lines.
This post will tell you everything you should know before visiting St. Peter’s Basilica Dome, with useful information on how to get the tickets and skip the line.
What’s Special About St. Peter’s Basilica Dome?
St. Peter’s Basilica Dome was built to cover the main basilica – the largest church in the world and, together with the rest of the Vatican, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its height of 136 meters (446 feet) and diameter of 42 meters (almost 138 feet), this is one of the largest domes in the world.
While the church was designed by artists Bernini, Bramante and Raphael, the Dome was designed exclusively by Michelangelo, inspired by the Pantheon in its design. Construction of the Dome started in 1546, when Michelangelo was 71. When he died, in 1564, the construction had yet to be completed. Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana started working on the site again in 1588, and the Dome was finally completed in 1590 (the church was only completed in 1626).
You have to climb 551 steps in order to get to the top of the Dome (or 320 if you take the elevator to the interior balcony). The steps are narrow; there is a part where you have to hold on to a rope and bend; it is narrow and dark. Yet, it’s a fun experience. Once you reach the top of the Dome, you get breathtaking views of St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican Gardens and the city of Rome.
How To Get Tickets To St. Peter’s Basilica Dome
You do need tickets to climb St. Peter’s Basilica Dome, but these aren’t sold online. This means that, much for like other famous tourist attractions in Rome, there are often lines. The only way to avoid those lines is be smart about them, and know when to go. Guides are definitely best at this, but here are a few tips to help out.
Here are more ways to get St. Peter’s Basilica tickets.
Way N. 1: Head to St. Peter’s Basilica Dome before it opens at 7:30 am
This is the most budget friendly way of visiting St. Peter’s Basilica Dome – it can be a bit of a hit and miss in terms of lines, depending on the day. Anyhow – just head there super early: the Basilica opens at 7:00 am, and they start letting people in at the Dome at 7:30 am.
The best thing to do is to climb the Dome first and then visit the Basilica afterwards – you have to go through the Basilica anyways once you leave. Just as well, if you want to admire Rome in the golden light of sunset, climb the Dome right before it closes and visit the church afterwards, since it closes later than the Dome.
A lot of sites claim that the Dome opens at 8:00 am. However, the official site of the Vatican states it opens at 7:30 am.
These are the ticket options:
- €8 ticket to climb all 551 steps to the top of the Dome;
- €10 ticket for the elevator – for which there may be a line – to the interior terrace, from where you will have to climb the remaining 320 steps.
Way N. 2: Join a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica with Dome climb
At the moment, there are no tickets-only option to visit St. Peter’s Basilica Dome. The best way to do it is to join a guided tour of the Basilica which includes a visit to the Crypt and the Dome climb. It’s definitely more expensive than a plain ticket option, but completely hassle free as the guides really know how to time the visit – not to mention, you get the bonus of a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica – which I wholeheartedly recommend!
Tours typically start at 8:00 am. Your first stop will be the Dome: you’ll take the elevator to the first terrace, and then climb the remaining stairs. Then, you’ll head back for a guided visit of the church.
You can book your guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica with Dome climb here, here or here.
For a selection of guided tours of the Vatican, click here.
Other Useful Information For Visiting St. Peter’s Basilica Dome
Opening times
St. Peter’s Basilica Dome is open daily from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.
For the updated opening times, you may want to consult the website of the Vatican here. Keep in mind it’s in Italian only, but it is fairly self explanatory.
Prices of the tickets to St Peter’s Basilica Dome
These are the ticket options available directly at the door:
- €8 ticket to climb all 551 steps to the top of the Dome;
- €10 ticket for the elevator – for which there may be a line – to the interior terrace, from where you will have to climb the remaining 320 steps.
Ways of climbing to the dome
When you climb the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, you have two different options:
- Climb the 551 steps to reach the very top of the Dome.
- Take the elevator to the first terrace and then climb only 320 steps to the top of the Dome.
The price difference for the two tickets is minimal, so you may want to invest in the elevator to ease your way to the top. On the other hand, there may be lines to board the elevator.
Once you get to the first terrace you will get impressive views of Piazza San Pietro below, and of the upper statues.
From the first terrace, continue climbing along a very narrow spiral staircase, at times having to hang on a rope. It’s a dark climb, with the occasional small window to peak outside. It will take you 10 minutes to climb this final section.
You will go down via another staircase.
It will take you about one hour to visit St. Peter’s Basilica Dome. This includes the time needed to climb to the top (depending on which option you pick, anything between 10 and 20 minutes); admire the views and take photos and then head back down to visit the Basilica. You may want to keep this in mind if you are packing your day with other visits.
How to get to the St. Peter’s Basilica Dome
The entrance to the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica is inside the church, in Piazza San Pietro. Once you walk in, it’s on your right the security checks. There are clear signs pointing to the ticket office of the Dome.
By metro
The nearest metro station is Ottaviano, on line A: it’s a 5 minutes walk to the entrance from there.
By bus
From Termini, take bus n. 40 or 64.
If you are traveling from Tiburtina, take bus n. 492.
From the Colosseum, take bus n. 81.
Dress code
There is a strict dress code to enter the Vatican – including the Basilica and the Dome. Avoid wearing shorts, tank tops and flip flops; cover your knees, chest and shoulders. Wear long pants or a long skirt even in the summer months, and carry a light shirt to wear for the duration of the visit.
Security checks
No matter the kind of ticket you have purchased, you will have to go through the security checks. For a faster process, leave any bulky items in your room, and don’t bring prohibited items such as umbrellas, tripods, knives or scissors.
Toilets and other facilities
Toilets are located on the first terrace, where you will also find a water fountain, a coffee shop and a souvenir shop. You will have to go a few steps down from the terrace.
The best views of St. Peter’s Basilica Dome
The views of Rome from the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica are stunning, but the views of the Dome itself are just as incredible. You will get beautiful views from the Aventine Hill, where Villa del Priorato di Malta has a unique keyhole view of St. Peter’s Dome. If this something you are keen on, I recommend going on a guided tour of Secret Rome. You can book here.
You’ll also get incredible views of the Dome from the dining room of the lovely B&B Orange Garden.
Further Readings
Make sure to read my other posts about Rome
- The Best Things To Do In Rome
- The Perfect Itinerary To See Rome In 2 Days
- A Fantastic Itinerary For 4 Days In Rome
- A Wonderful Itinerary For 5 Days In Rome
- A Great Itinerary For A Fabulous Week In Rome
- 31 Incredible Places To Explore Rome Off The Beaten Path
- 18 Useful Things To Know Before Visiting Rome
- 20 Great Day Trips From Rome
- What To Eat In Rome
These are my detailed attractions’ guides:
- How To Get Tickets To The Colosseum And Skip The Lines
- How To Get Tickets To The Sistine Chapel And The Vatican Museums And Skip The Line
- How To Get St. Peter’s Basilica Tickets And Skip The Line
- Seven Smart Ways To Get Galleria Borghese Tickets And Skip The Lines
- A Guide To Visiting The Pantheon, Rome + What You Should Know About Pantheon Tickets
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