Vatican Saint Peter's Basilica, Square &Grottoes w/tickets

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Rome, Italy

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Group discounts
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

5.0

· Jason_K ·

Dec 2025

Amazing experience, Leah was a fantastic guide, highly recommend this tour! One of the best things we have experienced in Vatican City!

· Franciscus_S ·

Nov 2025

Lia was excellent. She knew the history of St. Peter’s and the Vatican in great depth, explained everything clearly, and was very friendly throughout the tour. We learned so much more than we expected. Highly recommended!

· jamie_g ·

Mar 2026

Lis was absolutely amazing! The Vatican was beautiful, and she made the entire experience even more special. She was incredibly friendly with all of the staff. She is so kind and accommodating to my father, who was in a wheelchair. We truly appreciated how thoughtful and attentive she was throughout the tour. I can’t say enough great things about her. I would highly, highly recommend!

Overview

The heart of the Catholic Church, St. Peter’s Basilica, is a must-visit for pilgrims, and this small-group tour. See the grottoes where popes are laid to rest, admire Michelangelo’s “Pietà”, the most sacred place in Europe—Saint Peter's Tomb, and many more treasures. This convenient tour handles all the logistics, so all you have to do is show up and enjoy the tour.

Discover the basilica’s spiritual and architectural secrets with a guide
Opt to climb St. Peter's dome for stunning views of Rome
Priority entrance tickets spares you potentially hours of waiting in line
Get to know fellow pilgrims on this intimate tour

What's Included

Skip The Line Tickets included
Licenced Tour Guide
Travel insurance for the duration of the tour
Cancellations permitted

Dome visit is optional, please ask in advance

€22.00 per person
Access to some chapelsmay be limited due to ceremonies

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Gran Caffè Rossetti
Piazza Papa Pio XII, 4, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
You will see a cheerful petite blond Signora wearing a guide badge by the entrance into the Gran Caffè Rossetti

End point

Saint Peter's Square
Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City

Itinerary

Vatican City

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

St. Peter's Square

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Vatican Grottoes

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

St. Peter's Basilica

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 3 hours of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Transportation is wheelchair accessible

Most travelers can participate
In case you choose The St Peters Dome: 551 steps, the final staircase is very narrow, and gets narrower as you go, you won't be able to sit &rest.
The St Peters Dome :Not recommended for Pregnant , elderly, suffering from closed environment or for people with difficulty climbing steps
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

5.0

based on 27 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Friendly! Attentive! Knowledgeable!

jamie_g, Mar 2026

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Oh Jaimie thank you so much for these beautiful words!!! I absolutely loved your family, you are an amazing daughter !! Hope you had a great time in Rome and safe travels back home! Big hug to amore mio Rosario :))

Great experience. Very...

Walter_S, Jan 2026

Great experience. Very helpful guide , super friendly ! Rated A! Took her time explaining every stop and history of every location.

Amazing experience, Leah...

Jason_K, Dec 2025

Amazing experience, Leah was a fantastic guide, highly recommend this tour! One of the best things we have experienced in Vatican City!

Lia the Great !!!

Franciscus_S, Nov 2025

Worth every penny

Laura_R, Nov 2025

Lia our guide was wonderful! There aren’t really words!! Superb tour with images to really explain. She got us through the lines and has so much good information.

Top tour

Lisa_S, Nov 2025

It can be overwhelming with all the crowds of people. This was the most informative, small group tour.

Holy Doors

Idalia_C, Oct 2025

We had a wonderful guide, Lia. She was knowledgeable and kind. We learned a lot. Lia also reached out to me the morning of the tour to remind me of the meeting point.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Dearest Idalia, Tatiana and Benjamin! Thank you for having me as your guide was a beautiful experience to pass with you through the Holy Door and see your beautiful family united in prayer! Big hug and hope to see you again soon!!!

Lia was Tremendous

David_C, Oct 2025

Our tour of the Basilica, the Grottoes, and thru the Holy Door were special and stunning, as expected. But our tour guide Lia took it all to another level. She was passionate about everything, appropriately spiritual at times, and shared countless stories of the inspiration (both good and sometimes horrifying) behind every stop throughout the tour. The mix of Roman history and the effects on the Catholic Church and the Basilica itself was fascinating. My wife and I were so fortunate that we were the only 2 on the tour that Monday morning and essentially got a private/personal tour, which allowed us to interact with Lia very directly all morning. What a great 3+ hours -- tremendous, start to finish.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Oh thank you so much!! I was absolutely honoured to lead you through this special Jubilee experience! hope to see you again soon in the Etermal City! L

A Blessed Event

Lori_R, Sep 2025

This was a wonderfully blessed experience 🙏 To be able to visit the Vatican during the year of the Jubilee and walk through the holy door was such an awesome experience. I have been to St. Peter's Basilica 3 times before this trip, but this time, it was extra special. Our guide Livio Cipriano was so awesome. She was very patient with our entire group and was extremely knowledgeable about everything. If you are lucky enough to obtain her as your guide, you will not be disappointed ✨️ 😊

Response from Host, Sep 2025

My dear Lori!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!! We had such an amazing experience thanks to your spirituality and natural curiosity!! Would love to see you again soon in Rome!!!

Absolutely must do and breathtaking experience

Chris_M, Sep 2025

This was a breathtaking experience first start to finish. Absolutely must see in Rome. And be able to experience it on the year of the Jubilee was special. Lia was so knowledgeable and made the whole experience the perfect mix of learning and education with spiritual beauty. Thank you again. I strongly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Dear Chris!! Thank you for your beautiful review and a rating. so happy to hear how much you enjoyed our Jubilee tour!! Your kind words are truly motivating!! Hope to see you again in Rome! Lia

Great tour

Marcia_B, Jul 2025

Lia was so knowledgeable. Advice is to wear comfortable shoes and take water. Be patient and enjoy the beauty.

Lia was a wonderful tour...

Kathryn_R, Jun 2025

Lia was a wonderful tour guide. She was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. We couldn’t have asked for a better tour or tour guide. We learned so much about Saint Peter‘s Basilica.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Dear Kathryn and your sweet family!! Thank you so such for those beautiful words! Enjoy your Vacation and big hug to everyone and see you again in Rome!!!

Jubilee Tour 2025

wendy_m, May 2025

This was such an informative and interesting tour. Our tour guide, Lia, was very knowledgeable and she made the tour fun for our entire group.

Wonderful Experience and Tour Guide

Chere_G, May 2025

Lia provided a detailed description of the Basilica with a wealth of knowledge on the historical and religious aspects of the sacred chapel. The attention to detail was so great and the emphasis on our experience was always felt during the tour. I recommend this tour and ensure Lia is your guide. She goes above and beyond to ensure you get a wonderful experience. Thanks Lia!

We unfortunately couldn’t...

Krista_L, Apr 2025

We unfortunately couldn’t make the tour but Lia was so extremely helpful and did everything she could to assist us. Would highly recommend her as a guide and hope to rebook with her another time

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Dear Krista thank you for your kind feedback and appreciation, hopefully next time in Rome you will make it to our Experience and will be delighted tò lead you through!! Big hug from the Eternal City!!! Lia

Lia is an excellent guide .

Claire_h, Mar 2025

Lia is an excellent guide , a member of our party is an RE teacher in the UK and he learned so much from Lia despite leading tours many times. Lia made the experience engaging and exciting and her enthusiasm was contagious . I would recommend her 100% to anybody . I wished we could have stolen her and kept her all week with us ! Keep up the good work Lia , we loved meeting you and spending our time with you .