Numbers are limited to 20 people on this St Peter's Basilica tour, ensuring you'll enjoy a more personalized experience.
Highlights
- 1.5-hour walking tour of St Peter's Basilica and Square
- Explore St Peter's Square, with a Vatican guide, and learn about its creator -- Gian Lorenzo Bernini
- Enjoy fast-track entrance to St Peter's Basilica with your skip-the-line ticket
- Gaze in awe at the impressive dome designed by Michelangelo
- Rub the foot of the statue of St Peter, and see Michelangelo's La Pietà
- Small-group tour with a maximum of 20 people ensures an intimate experience in this holy place
Useful Information
Skip the Line: St Peter's Basilica Walking Tour
Your small-group tour starts in the square, and as you walk over from the colonnade to the terrace in front of the church, your guide will tell you tales of Bernini, whose work had so much impact on the Vatican as you see it today. See several sites of significance, including the northern fountain, created by Bernini in 1975, and the impressive obelisk that dates back to 13th-century BC Egypt.
Next, leave St Peter's Square and head inside the tour’s main attraction -- St Peter's Basilica. Reputedly built on the very ground where St Peter the Apostle was crucified, the church started out as a humble chapel to which Christian pilgrims flocked.
Over time, the church has evolved to become as ornate as it is sacred, home to priceless works of Baroque and Renaissance art. After skipping the long lines, head straight in and gaze up in wonder at the incredible cupolone -- the church’s dome -- created by colorful Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo. You'll also see his beautiful La Pietà sculpture, as well as various mosaic works.
Stop at the statue of St Peter and kiss or rub his foot for a blessing, before walking over to the tomb of Pope John Paul II. As you continue through the church, your guide will show you Bernini’s lavish, bronze canopy altar, known as the baldacchino. Positioned right in the center of the building, the altar marks the tomb of St Peter underneath.
Your tour finishes in St Peter's Basilica, where you can stay if you want to spend more time exploring this sacred place independently.
Reviewed by Lyle B, April 2013
This was one of the best tours we have ever taken. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and spoke English very well. She was adept at keeping the group together. She also gave us suggestions for further explorations on our own at the completion of the tour.
Lyle and Sue from Canada
Reviewed by Marc H, USA, April 2013
We not only bypassed over a thousand people waiting to get inside St Peter's we bypassed hundreds trying to climb the copula and dome which is a separate minimal charge. Would highly recommend it to save so much time and energy. Our guide was amazing and was quite knowledgeable of the site.
