Group · 6 Max
2 hrs 30 mins
Important Notice: Jubilee Year 2025
As part of the 2025 Jubilee celebrations, St. Peter’s Basilica may experience unexpected partial or complete closures. In the rare event that the Basilica cannot be visited, rest assured that your tour experience will remain exceptional. Your guide will seamlessly adapt the itinerary to include alternative highlights, ensuring the full duration and quality of your tour.
LivTours’ St. Peter’s Basilica tour with Michelangelo’s Dome and Papal Tombs is a semi-private tour of St. Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest church, which holds the underground tombs of over ninety-one Popes and is home to one of the most stunning architectural works of the Renaissance, Michelangelo’s Dome! This tour is designed to take you through 2000 years of Christian history, while you enjoy a complete tour from the sacred papal tombs all the way to the top of majestic views from Michelangelo’s dome.
Discover the elegance of one of Michelangelo’s first sculptures, the Pietà. A depiction of the Virgin Mary holding her lifeless son Jesus in her arms, which is considered to be a work of perfection and the only piece that Michelangelo signed. Above the high altar you will find Bernini’s Baldacchino, a huge bronze canopy, above the altar reserved for the Pope. The highlights of this tour are many, but what sets this tour apart from all others is entrance into the crypts below and a climb to the top of Michelangelo’s dome. Gain an understanding of ancient Christian burial rituals and take in the extraordinary view from the tallest building in the Eternal City.
Semi-Private tours and experiences are guaranteed six participants max.
Our prices always include tickets and reservations fees (no waiting in lines!)
Our tour guides and staff are selected experts and speak perfect English
Easy to book and prepay your tours with our secure payment system
Eco-sustainable tourism, designed to respect and support local culture, art and traditions
LivTours’ St. Peter’s Basilica Tour with Michelangelo’s Dome and Papal Tombs is a semi-private experience designed to uncover the spiritual and artistic grandeur of one of the most iconic churches in the world.
Your journey begins inside St. Peter’s Basilica, where your expert LivTours guide will lead you through its most breathtaking highlights. Admire Michelangelo’s Pietà, sculpted when he was only 24 years old from a single block of Carrara marble, and hear why it remains the only artwork he ever signed. Gaze up at Bernini’s massive bronze Baldacchino, rising nearly 100 feet above the High Altar, marking the heart of Catholicism and the resting place of St. Peter himself.
You’ll also discover lesser-known treasures like the Statue of St. Peter in Bronze, worn smooth by centuries of pilgrims, and the elegant Chapel of the Baptistery by Carlo Fontana. Learn about Bernini’s Memorial of Alexander VII, a hauntingly beautiful work symbolizing the Pope’s humility in the face of death.
Next, it’s time to ascend Michelangelo’s Dome. Your guide will lead you to the base, where you’ll ride an elevator part of the way up, followed by a climb to the interior gallery of the dome. From this unique vantage point, enjoy a dramatic aerial view of the Basilica’s interior and Bernini’s canopy below – a perfect spot for photos and reflection.
Your guide will then provide all the context and tips you need before you continue the climb of 281 steps to the summit. At the top, take in breathtaking views of St. Peter’s Square and the entire city of Rome – a once-in-a-lifetime panorama from the tallest point in the Vatican.
After descending, your tour concludes with a visit to the Papal Tombs beneath the Basilica. This sacred crypt is the final resting place of many Popes, including John Paul II, and is believed to house the tomb of St. Peter, located directly below the High Altar. It’s a moving and powerful finale to a tour that takes you through the heart, heights, and history of the Catholic Church.
LivTours’ group size of max 6 participants is and always has been based on sustainable travel, and we are proud to be at the forefront of change and innovation in the industry. LivTours is committed to providing travelers with truly sustainable tours with the lowest possible environmental impact, all while supporting the local industries and people of each unique destination. To learn more about how you can actively support sustainable tourism and how LivTours is contributing, click here.
All LivTours Semi-Private Group Tours are limited to 6 guests per tour guide. Our commitment to maintaining our uniquely tiny group sizes can sometimes be a little tricky, mathematically speaking. For example, we want to ensure that traveling families and friends can tour together so on rare occasions we may add one or two guests in order to not split groups. On that same note, you may also find yourself on tour with less than six people! We thank you for your understanding and flexibility.
By selecting Choose Dates Later / Buy as Gift at booking, any tour can be purchased without fixed dates. This is the perfect option if you want to purchase your tour as a gift for a loved one, or if you are in the pre-planning phase of your vacation. After booking, you will receive a Travel Voucher Code and full instructions on how to schedule your tours when ready. Once your travel plans are confirmed, you can easily use the Travel Voucher Code on the LivTours website to formally schedule your tours. You can find out more here.
