St. Peter's Dome (Cupola di San Pietro) Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience St. Peter's Basilica Dome. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Tour of St Peter's Basilica with Dome Climb and Grottoes

• Private Tour of St Peter's Basilica with Dome Climb and Grottoes

• Private Tour: Basilicas of Rome

• Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter's Basilica Guided Tour

• Skip-the-Line Group Tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica

You’ll need to purchase a ticket if you want to climb the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. It costs around €8 per person to take the stairs to the top. There is also an elevator option, which brings you to the roof terrace before a final climb of roughly 320 steps and comes out to around €10 per person. For a more seamless experience that covers more ground and incorporates expert information, guided tours of St. Peter’s Basilica are available that include dome access; these start from around €40 per person.

Yes, St. Peter's Basilica Dome is worth visiting, as it offers some of the best views in all of Rome. From the top, look out over St. Peter's Square, the Vatican Gardens, and the city's skyline stretching to the horizon. The climb itself is memorable, passing through the interior of the dome with sweeping views down into the basilica below. To make the most of your visit, book a guided tour that includes access to the St. Peter's Basilica Dome, the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel, so you can take in all of Vatican City's top highlights in one excursion.

Per one customer who booked the Tour of St Peter's Basilica with Dome Climb and Grottoes, "Patrick was an excellent guide! He is very engaging and would leave us with enough time to take photos. While waiting to enter the Basilica, he managed to make the waiting time fly by as he regaled us with history/stories, etc. We learned a lot! And we were still able to go up to the Dome despite the rain!"

Yes, climbing the dome affords you panoramic views of Rome and Vatican City. You’ll need to purchase St. Peter’s Basilica Dome tickets or book a tour with dome access. Once inside, you can choose to either climb the steps or take the elevator, located next to the entrance.

To reach the top of the dome on foot, you’ll have to climb 551 steps from the entrance. The staircase features narrow passages, with occasional resting areas. If attempting the climb, you should be comfortable with heights and relatively confined spaces.

You can take an elevator to the roof level of St. Peter’s Dome. To reach the dome’s cupola—its highest point—you’ll need to climb a further 200 steps up a spiral staircase.

From April–September, St. Peter’s Dome is open from 7:30am–6pm. The dome closes an hour earlier from October–March, with hours changing to 7:30am–5pm. If lines become too long, entry to the dome can end 30 minutes earlier than scheduled.

No, there isn’t free parking—or any convenient parking—at St. Peter’s Basilica. While there are some paid garages nearby, driving isn’t recommended. Ottaviano is the closest metro station, which you can reach via the metro’s A line.

The views from the top of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica are among the best in Rome—the panoramic perspective oversees Vatican City’s most famous landmarks, including St. Peter’s Square and the Vatican Gardens. On clear days, the vista extends across Rome to the Colosseum and the Tiber River.

There are tons of fun things to do when you're done visiting St. Peter's Basilica Dome. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in Vatican City:

• Vatican Museums

• Sistine Chapel

• St. Peter's Basilica

• Vatican City (Citta del Vaticano)

• St. Peter's Square

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in Vatican City.