- Category
- Architecture, History, Vatican
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Location
- Rome
St. Peter's Basilica Tour
Vatican Grottoes
Miscellany
FAQ
Does this tour include the Scavi beneath St. Peter's?
No, however, visits to that site can be made through the Vatican Scavi office directly and are led by their own guides. You can email them at the following address: scavi@fsp.va
Is this tour mobility friendly?
This tour is not very walking intensive and access to the basilica is made by ramps. The Vatican Grottoes can be accessed by elevator for wheelchair users. Feel free to contact us or indicate in your trip notes any mobility concerns and we can ensure the tour is adapted accordingly.
Are skip-the-line tickets included?
No, St. Peter's Basilica is free, therefore, there is no advance tickets/access available. During the tour we usually visit the Treasury Museum, they do not sell advance tickets for it. These are €6 per person and you are responsible for purchasing these during the tour. If you plan to also visit the Vatican Museums with Context, we recommend the Art Vaticana tour which also includes the basilica and prevents the need to stand in line to enter.
Does this tour include climbing the dome?
Climbing the dome is not included in the tour, however, you can do this on your own at the end of the tour if you wish. Tickets can be purchased on site.
Does this tour include the Sistine Chapel?
No, the Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatican Museums and is visited on our Vatican Museums Tour.
Is this tour good for kids?
We recommend families traveling with kids under 13 take our Vatican Tour for Kids which has been specifically designed for younger learners. It is led by a family-friendly expert guide and includes interactive activities.

Cecilia is an art historian and a native Roman with a Master's degree in Medieval and Renaissance art from the Sapienza University of Rome. Although her specialty is painting and decorative arts, she has a broad knowledge of the history of Rome and a personal passion for ancient history, which she shares on many antiquity-themed itineraries. Cecilia has worked actively in the past as a lecturer, teacher, and curator of exhibitions. She had been a staff member of the didactive service of the Vatican Museums, the Galleria Doria Pamphili and the Galleria Colonna where she still frequently consults. As a licensed guide for Rome and Florence and with a specialized teaching degree, she has more than 20 years of experience in leading highly-qualified tours.

Sara is an art historian with doctoral degrees in Medieval and Modern Art History and Classical Antiquities. She is the author of a book, published by the Accademia dei Lincei, on the antiquities collection of Pope Julius II and has written various articles in important scholarly journals on the history of Renaissance and Baroque collections. More recently, she had published a book on some of the most famous paintings of Caravaggio in Rome which introduces a new interpretation of the works, based on philological data, and which is changing the way we look at this artist. For many years, she has combined her philological research with her work as a university instructor, museum educator and professional tourist guide.

Olivia is a Rome licensed guide and an expert art historian who has worked as a main contributor to the award-winning Eyewitness Guide to Rome. She combines this role with her job as a professor, teaching a course at the Lorenzo de Medici School in Rome on Roman civilization. In addition she has contributed to the National Geographic Lost Cities of the Ancient World. Olivia infuses her discussion of Rome with a sense of what it's like to grow up in the city and be Roman.
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