Skip the Line St Peters Basilica, Papal Tombs & Dome Guided Tour
Recommended by 94% of travelers
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Rome, Italy
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Visit St. Peter's Basilica and the Papal Tombs without having to wait in long lines with a skip-the-line tour. Your guide will show you celebrated art, such as Michelangelo’s sculpture, "La Pietà", and Bernini's "Baldacchino." Then head underground to pay your respects as you visit papal tombs and the final resting places of royals and revered dignitaries from centuries past, wrapping up with an optional Dome visit.
- Perfect for first-time visitors to Rome
- Save precious vacation time with skip-the-line entry
- A tour guide provides insight you'd miss out on if exploring independently
- Upgrade to add on access to St. Peter’s Dome for panoramic views of the city
What's Included
- Skip the line entrance to St. Peter's Basilica
- Tour Experience with Expert Official Licensed Basilica Guide
- Access to the papal tombs
- Access to St.Peter's Dome (if Option Selected)
- Headsets to hear the guide clearly in crowded areas
- Location pick-up and drop off
- Scavi / Necropolis
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Via Germanico, 16, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Once you book, we organize everything. Just show up at the office (VIA GERMANICO, 16) at the correct time (Please arrive 15 minutes before your booked departure time) where your guide will meet you with your ticket to skip the line and enter the Basilica.
End point
- Saint Peter’s BasilicaPiazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
You will end the tour inside St.Peter's Basilica. You will then exit into St.Peter's Square.
Itinerary
St. Peter's Square (Pass By)
1
St. Peter's Basilica
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not suitable for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
- If you arrive late for the meeting time, it will not be possible to join the group or reschedule, unless you pay for the activity again. As per "No Show" rules you will not be entitled to a refund.
- Knees & Shoulders MUST be covered for both men & women.
- All visitors must pass through the monument/attraction security check please allow at least 20 minutes to clear security.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Some monuments or areas may be under restoration and subject to last minute closures. Please pay attention to any messages we may send regarding potential changes.
- Please be aware that large bags/backpacks/suitcases are not permitted in the monument/ attraction. Only very small bags are allowed. Please do not bring these items with you on the day of your tour as there are no cloakrooms at the monument.
- Cancellations, changes or issues due to weather, security and events held by the monument are beyond our control and are directly decided by their administration team. These issues will be reviewed by us and dealt with on an individual basis but are the responsibility of the monument.
- The exact timings and reservations can vary, dependent on the monument/attraction’s administration offices availability and decisions on the booking day and can be subject to last minute changes. Departure time can differ up to 20 minutes from your selected time.
- Please note that on the day of your visit certain areas of the monument/attraction can be closed due to either religious events or national holidays.
- Please be advised capacity regulations and security may delay the tour departure this could also influence the smooth running of the tour especially on national holidays and events.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 237 reviews
Rachel_C, May 2026
Mariana was an amazing guide! She was very knowledgeable, patient, & kind! This us a must see tour!!
Austen_C, May 2026
Very good! Still took over an hour to get in but well worth it considering the normal queue is over a 3 hour wait.
The guide was brilliant, very informative and had a very good personality, keeping you engaged, informed and laughing even when waiting.
The Basilica was unbelievable, words cannot describe it.
Make sure you have trousers, or shorts/dresses past the knee, and shoulders covered
Jonathan_D, May 2026
The tour was well organised and the guide was extremely informative. Thought good value for money. Would recommend.
Cameron_H, Apr 2026
Marianna was our guide and she was fantastic! She was very knowledgable, and the price is well worth it to skip the main line. Still a short wait but much better than the main line and our tour guide kept us entertained with interesting information during the wait. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the Vatican!
Vanessa_E, Apr 2026
Amazing tour guide, friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to follow with. Great experience to enjoy solo or with friends.
Elexes_M, Mar 2026
Very good tour by a knowledgeable guide (think her name was Maria). Lengthy wait in queue to get in even with timed entry tickets (not guides fault) but guide filled the time with lots of information. Well worth the money.
Sarah_C, Dec 2025
Marianna was an amazing guide and I was fortunate to have her. St. Peter’s is beautiful and was quite an experience. I didn’t end up walking up to the top of the dome as the stairs were too much for me but spent some peaceful time at the midway point.
Roberta_W, Dec 2025
She is very knowledgable found out so much information I did not hear from ither guides. She is excellent!
MaryAlice_B, Dec 2025
Mariana was a wonderful guide. She was so friendly and knowledgeable. The tour was very informative and beautiful. The view from the Dome was breathtaking.
Ann_T, Nov 2025
It is absolutely amazing, better than we ever anticipated. Our guide , Maryanna was extremely personable and made our experience very memorable. Climb the the dome!
Leslie_K, Nov 2025
Great tour. Our guide Marianna was very knowledgeable but kept things interesting. Also worked very well to the pace of the group.
William_B, Nov 2025
They have changed tour sequence. Not, you begin with St. Peter's (& bunch of Pope's - mostly you've never heard of - or care about), BEFORE you pop up by the altar. I like it better!
Then, "Maria," (I think) gave Great Tour including entering through Holy Door. Explaining every Faith's reliance on 'Son of God' beliefs. She was terrific. Paid CLOSE attention to handicapped person & did not run away from us. Can't recommend her highly enough!
Joanne_G, Nov 2025
Wow! Just wow! What a fabulous experience for first time tourists! Pour tour guide was simply amazing. She was professional yet so approachable with questions. We didn’t feel hurried for one minute. We could tell she loves touring The Basilica with tourists like us.
Nancy_M, Oct 2025
My family and I really enjoyed this tour! The Basilica is massive and it’s easy to miss things if you’re not in the know. Maria was our tour guide and she was phenomenal! She was really knowledgeable and made the tour super enjoyable! The view from the dome is amazing! Would definitely recommend this tour and our tour guide Maria for a seamless visit to the Basilica!
Mark_L, Oct 2025
Fantastic inside St. Peter’s learned so much I would have never known. Marianna was the BEST! Patient, kind and knowledgeable.
Nathan_L, Oct 2025
Really great tour! We had a group of 9 including some older kids/young teens. Just enough info and then exploring the roof and dome on our own at the end was incredible. Not an easy hike to the very top, but worth the views.
Abby_S, Oct 2025
Our tour was terrific. It left on time. We were provided earpieces and we could hear very well. Thank you!
Craig_P, Oct 2025
The St Peter’s tour including the grottos was simply amazing and very powerful. Seeing the tombs of so many popes as well as St Peter himself is beyond words.
Margie_B, Oct 2025
Wonderful tour seeing the tombs of the past popes and St. Peter's. Our guide was not able to spend much time in the tombs because of the Jubilee crowds but she did her best to point out ones of prominence. Inside St. Peter's she showed us all around and told us stories of many of the statues and their history. I learned a lot more on this tour than I did the first time I was able to visit. I would highly recommend this tour to first time visitors and return visitors.
Thomas_K, Oct 2025
Skip the line was amazing, the tour guide walked you from the meeting location 5 mins to the entrance. We skipped the long line and was inside in 10 mins. He gave a brief history lesson and pointed out the main statues to visit. After that we were left to our free team and we said goodbye to our guide
Olga_R, Oct 2025
We paid for a skip the line tour and unfortunately we never got into the Basilica because it was too hot and we were waiting in line for way too long. I’m not even sure if the other participants were able to get in, but we left after a 20 minute wait under the scorching sun.
John_Z, Oct 2025
Outstanding and religious. Going thru the Holy Doors I hope is life changing. We cried as we went thru the doors. The Basilica was simply beautiful.
Young_K, Oct 2025
Our guide was great, kind, and knowledgeable, even though we couldn't visit the St. Peter's graveyard due to the Vatican problem. But she managed all matters smoothly.
Clarissa_P, Oct 2025
Tour was great and Marina showed us all the main interesting points to see and more. Definitely worth the time and money.
Robert_G, Oct 2025
Marianna (Mayo Tours) was an excellent tour guide! She provided the right amount of information while keeping us together & moving through a very busy day in St. Peter’s Basilica. The papal tombs and the view from the top of the dome were incredible. Give her a bonus or raise!
Fran_L, Oct 2025
You will learn the history of the Vatican area. I never knew that Nero was involved. Our guide expertly described statues and the manner in which the Popes’ bodies are preserved Mariana??? Was an excellent guide!! (feel free to edit)
Jennifer_W, Sept 2025
To start, Maya Tours was exceptional to work with. We had major train delays and they worked with us and I can’t thank them enough. The tour with Marianna was beautiful. She was a lovely and knowledgeable guide, leading us through the Basilica. She made sure to keep us together and prepared us for what was to come and why we had to approach a certain way. Highly recommend.
Kenneth_B, Sept 2025
Marco was amazing and very knowledgeable. My daughter and I had so much fun ! Our group was pretty small and it just made the experience more personal. . While we still stood in line for a bit even when we booked the skip the line option , I think it was still faster . Just really a lot of people . We also were not able to go to the papal grottos which was ok since the climb to the dome was quite the experience . Please don’t take the warning lightly about the dome climb , as it is very strenuous and gets tighter as you ascend .
Andrea_T, Sept 2025
excellent management ot the entry to the basilica in times when there are thousands of people queuing up. the guide-Mariana- was fantastic. perfect mix of history, religion and artifacts.
Taryn_D, Sept 2025
Vlasin Mariana was an incredible tour guide. She was extremely knowledgeable and provided as much insight as possible. I will book this tour next year when I bring my mom and I’m going to request her specifically as a tour guide.
From $19.23
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Skip the Line St Peters Basilica, Papal Tombs & Dome Guided Tour
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