The cheapest of the St. Peter’s Basilica tickets on GetYourGuide is the $9 reserved-entry audio-app product, which is non-refundable. The most-reviewed is the Touriks guided tour at $60: 4.5 stars from 10,249 reviews. Entry to the Basilica itself is free, and the official site offers a free visit without a guide. The dome, tombs and guides are the paid parts of St. Peter’s Basilica tickets. I’d book the KK Tour at $33.
Tour
From
Rating
Length
Free cancellation
Book
St. Peter's Basilica, Papal Tombs, and Dome Climb Tour
I compared all 10 products that GetYourGuide sells for the Basilica. None of them is a ticket in the sense of paying to enter, because walking in costs nothing. What they sell is a reserved time, a guide, the dome climb, the papal tombs or the Vatican Museums in the same booking. Prices are in US dollars, checked in November 2026. The buttons open GetYourGuide through affiliate links (more on that on my about page).
St. Peter’s Basilica Tickets at a Glance
This table puts the whole choice on one screen before the detail.
What
Details
Ticket types
Reserved-entry and audio products, guided Basilica tours, tours with the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, and one tour of the Necropolis
Price range
$9 (reserved entry with an audio app) to $98 (Tomb, Dome and Scavi tour)
Areas by type
Basilica on all; dome on most as an option; Papal Tombs on the Grottoes tours; Vatican Museums on two; Necropolis (Scavi) on one
Official entry
Free; the dome and other visits are booked separately on the official site (cited below)
Time to allow
1 hour (shortest audio visit) to 4 hours (museums and Basilica)
Address
Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Vatican City (per Google Maps)
Google Maps hours
7 am to 7:10 pm every day
Most of the choice between St. Peter’s Basilica tickets is about who walks you through and how the dome is handled. The sections below take the products in turn.
St. Peter’s Basilica Tickets and Prices
Prices for St. Peter’s Basilica tickets start at $9, but the $33 KK Tour is the one I’d pay for. It is the top rated of the guided options at 4.7 stars from 6,462 reviews, runs 1.5 to 2.5 hours, and offers 11 languages. The listing includes a complete guided tour of the Basilica and of the Papal Tombs, a licensed guide and a radio headset. The dome ticket is added only if you select the dome option. Entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel is not included, and you can cancel up to 24 hours before for a full refund.
KK TOUR SRLS
St. Peter's Basilica & Tombs Tour, Optional Dome Climb
★4.7 (6,462 reviews)
1.5 - 2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: My pick for a first visit: 4.7 from 6,462 reviews, a guided Basilica and Papal Tombs tour, dome as an option, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Complete guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica
✓ Complete guided tour of the Papal Tombs
✓ Professional licensed guide
✓ Entry ticket to the top of the dome (if the dome option is selected)
✓ Radio and headset to hear your guide clearly
Not included / not suitable
✕ Entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Meeting point: The meeting point is '' Piazza Della Citta Leonina 2 ''. The staff will be waiting on the meeting point holding a Red sign written ''KAY KAY TOURS''. Make sure to arrive 15min before than schedule time for Check-in, and to collect your Radios and Headsets. Piazza della Città Leonina, 2, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“The whole experience was just amazing. The guide was fantastic made the bit of queuing fun and interesting so knowledgeable. 11/10 Highly recommend and great value for money 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻” – GetYourGuide review
You meet at Piazza della Città Leonina 2, where staff hold a red sign reading KAY KAY TOURS, and the listing asks you to arrive 15 minutes early to collect headsets. One reviewer’s comment shows what you pay the extra for:
“The guide was fantastic made the bit of queuing fun and interesting so knowledgeable.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
At $33 this guided tour costs only $24 more than the cheapest listing, so the price range of these St. Peter’s Basilica tickets looks wider than the real gap for a guided visit.
Skip-the-Line St. Peter’s Basilica Tickets
Skip-the-line St. Peter’s Basilica tickets need a careful reading, because the line most people mean is the security check, and no reseller can remove that. The Touriks guided tour at $60 is the clearest example. It scores 4.6 from 6,160 reviews and lasts 2 hours, with a professional art historian guide and dome entry by stairs. Its not-included list says skip-the-line entry applies only if you select that option. Its meeting point is outside the Basilica at Largo del Colonnato 5, and the listing warns you not to go through the metal detectors before meeting the guide.
Touriks
Guided Tour of St. Peter's Basilica with Dome Climb
★4.6 (6,160 reviews)
2 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The dome-focused guided option: 2 hours, art historian guide, dome stairs included, 4.6 from 6,160 reviews, skip-the-line only on the option that names it.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Guided tour of St. Peter's Basilica and Dome (only if option is selected)
✓ Professional art historian guide
✓ Entry fees to the dome (by stairs)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Vatican Museums
✕ Sistine Chapel
✕ Vatican Necropolis
✕ Skip-the-line entry (unless option selected)
Meeting point: Meet your guide at Largo del Colonnato 5, by the first columns of the Colonnade. Look for a yellow label with the activity provider's, Touriks, logo on it. The meeting point is outside the Basilica before entering St. Peter's Square. Do not go through the metal detectors before meeting the guide. Largo del Colonnato, 5, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: German, Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, Italian
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Lorenzo was really good, knowledgeable and very friendly.” – GetYourGuide review
So when you search for skip-the-line St. Peter’s Basilica tickets, what you are buying is a guide who walks you to the entrance and a reserved dome entry. A reviewer put it this way:
“Skip the line was very effective & efficient and very well worth the cost.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
I have no data on how long the security queue is at any hour, and the listings do not promise a time.
St. Peter’s Basilica Tickets Official Website
The official site for St. Peter’s Basilica tickets is basilicasanpietro.va, where the Basilica sells its own products: a Basilica visit with a Digital Audio Guide, the dome (by lift or stairs), the Treasury Museum, the Necropolis, the Pétros ení digital experience and guided tours. The official St. Peter’s Basilica tickets page says a booking includes a free visit without a guide and a customised day and time. The pages I could read show no prices, so I cannot tell you how the official products compare with a reseller.
The nearest reseller match to the official audio-guide product is the Rome City Sightseeing audio tour at $22. It scores 4.3 from 1,136 reviews, offers self-guided audio in 15 languages and timed reserved entry, and adds the dome if you select it. It does not include a live guide, headphones or skip-the-line access. You can cancel up to 24 hours before.
Rome City - Sightseeing Tour
St. Peter's Basilica: Audio Experience, Optional Dome Climb
★4.3 (1,136 reviews)
1 - 2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The self-guided audio option at $22: timed reserved entry, 15 audio languages, dome optional, 4.3 from 1,136 reviews, but no live guide and no headphones.
Meeting point: Our meeting point location is 3 minutes walking distance from Ottaviano metro stop. Via Vespasiano, 35, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Duration: 1 - 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“The guide did guide us to destination, it was chill and cool. However, in the basilica, there is no 4G so enven tho we have loaded the oudioguide, we didn't download them so we were visiting without audio” – GetYourGuide review
You meet at Via Vespasiano 35, which the listing puts 3 minutes on foot from Ottaviano metro. A reviewer pointed out the practical catch:
“in the basilica, there is no 4G so enven tho we have loaded the oudioguide, we didn't download them so we were visiting without audio”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
If you buy an audio product, download the files before you go in.
St. Peter’s Basilica Dome Tickets
St. Peter’s Basilica dome tickets are the one paid thing that most visitors actually want, and the GetYourGuide audio-app product at $9 is the cheapest way to see a dome option in the list. It scores 4.1 from 3,572 reviews and lasts 2 hours. It includes a digital audio guide to the city of Rome and reserved access to the Basilica; the listing says plainly that Basilica entry is free but this product gives you a timed, reserved entrance. Reserved dome access with a lift is included only if you select the dome option. There is no live guide, and the product is non-refundable.
GetYourGuide Tours & Tickets GmbH
St. Peter's Basilica, Optional Dome Access & Rome Audio App
★4.1 (3,572 reviews)
2 hours
My pick: The cheapest at $9, a leftover rather than a best match: timed Basilica entry and an audio app, dome by lift only if selected, 4.1 from 3,572 reviews, non-refundable.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Digital App Audio Guide to the city of Rome
✓ Reserved access to Saint Peter's Basilica - please note that the Basilica entry is free but with this product you will have a timed and reserved entrance
✓ Reserved access to Saint Peter's Dome with a lift - only if you select the option that includes the Dome Climb
✓ Reserved access to Petros Eni digital Experience and Basilica entry (only if you select the option that includes the Petros eni digital experience)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Live tour guide
Meeting point: You will need to follow the indication for "on line reservation entrance" - separate line on the right of the street Via di Porta Angelica.
Please note that there is NOT a guide waiting for you at the meeting point but you can go directly to the entrance WF35+93P, Roma RM, Italia
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: This activity is non-refundable
“Unbelievable basilica!! The amount of art, statues, painting and marbles is amazing. Everything in there is priceless, of course was acquired from other church and from the colosseum. If I could describe it in one word it would be decadent” – GetYourGuide review
There is no guide at the meeting point: you follow the signs for the online reservation entrance on Via di Porta Angelica. A reviewer warned about the climb:
“Just be aware that it is quite physically challenging”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
The same reviewer counted 320 steps if you take the lift to the first level and over 500 if you do not. The official dome page offers a lift option and a stairs option to the terrace level, and says the Basilica entry slot is one hour before or after your dome time.
St. Peter’s Basilica Online Tickets
St. Peter’s Basilica online tickets split into two kinds: reserved time slots, and tours that bundle the places the plain visit cannot reach. The Tour in the City product at $98 is the second kind, and the most expensive in the set. It centres on the Vatican Necropolis, the Scavi under the Basilica, with a visit to the Tomb of St. Peter, and lists skip-the-line entry to the Basilica and dedicated VIP access. A Basilica guide and a self-guided dome ticket are added only if you select them. It scores 4.6 from 156 reviews and is in English only. It is non-refundable.
Tour in the City - Travel Agency Rome -
St. Peter's Basilica, Tomb, Dome & Underground Scavi VIP Tour
★4.6 (156 reviews)
1.5 - 4 hours
My pick: The Scavi option at $98: the Necropolis and the Tomb of St. Peter, with optional Basilica guide and dome, 4.6 from 156 reviews, English only, non-refundable.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Skip-the-line entry to St. Peter’s Basilica
✓ Guided tour of the Vatican Necropolis/Underground Scavi
✓ Visit to St. Peter’s Tomb
✓ Guided tour inside the Basilica (if option selected)
✓ Ticket for optional self-guided climb to the Dome (if option selected)
✓ Professional expert guide
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Gratuities
✕ Everything that's not listed in the inclusions
Meeting point: Meeting Point: Largo del Colonnato, 5, in front of the Galleria San Pietro Shop (near St. Peter's Square). Please go to the meeting point to collect your tickets.
Participants are required to attend a mandatory meeting 30 minutes before the scheduled tour departure time due to organizational and security procedures required for access to the Vatican Necropolis.
Guests arriving after the meeting time will not be able to join the group or reschedule the visit. According to the No-Show policy, late arrivals are not eligible for a refund.
Although entrance tickets are reserved for a specific time slot, the visit schedule may occasionally be delayed.
The Necropolis, St. Peter’s Basilica/Vatican Museums/Sistine Chapel are managed directly by the Vatican, and any schedule adjustments are beyond our control.
For this reason, the tour start time may vary by up to 30 minutes due to events or operational requirements outside our control. For any problem, contact us at 0039 3280010018 Largo del Colonnato, 5, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: English
Duration: 1.5 - 4 hours
Cancellation: This activity is non-refundable
“Sabrina was absolutely incredible, what a sweet and knowledgeable guide. She was easy to understand. She was clearly passionate about her role, very knowledgeable. Absolutely recommend the tour” – GetYourGuide review
The meeting is at Largo del Colonnato 5, in front of the Galleria San Pietro shop, and the listing requires a mandatory check-in 30 minutes before departure. The booking page names the product by its Scavi content, so the reviews matter more than the slug. One of them is a fair warning:
“It was hot and humid underneath, which I don't believe was mentioned in the synopsis of the tour.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
Another reviewer paid for the dome but could not use it because the lines were too long. If the dome matters to you, book it on its own time.
St. Peter’s Basilica Tour Tickets
St. Peter’s Basilica tour tickets from Touriks at $60 are the most-reviewed in the set: 10,249 reviews at 4.5 stars, and a duration of 105 minutes. The stop list runs from Largo del Colonnato through St. Peter’s Square and the Basilica to the Vatican Grottoes. The listing includes dome entry by stairs and Basilica entry, a guide only if you select that option, and a dedicated entrance only on the small-group English option. Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and the Necropolis are not included. It runs in six languages, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Touriks
St. Peter's Basilica, Papal Tombs, and Dome Climb Tour
★4.5 (10,249 reviews)
105 minutes
Free cancellation
My pick: The crowd favourite: 10,249 reviews at 4.5, about 105 minutes, Basilica and Grottoes, dome by stairs, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Professional guide (if option selected)
✓ Entry fees to the Dome (by stairs)
✓ Entry fees to the Basilica
✓ Dedicated entrance (if option selected and only for English tour)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Entry to Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and Vatican Necropolis
✕ Skip-the-line service (except for the 'Small Group Tour in English with Dedicated Entrance' option)
Meeting point: Meet your guide at Largo del Colonnato 5, by the first columns of the Colonnade. Look for a yellow label with the Touriks logo on it. The meeting point is outside the Basilica before entering St. Peter's Square. Do not go through the metal detectors before meeting the guide. Largo del Colonnato, 5, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
Several reviewers praise the guides by name for knowledge and timing, and the dome dominates the warnings. One wrote that the area was closed for more than an hour after people fainted on the stairs:
“Fantastic, could not climb stairs due to people that fainted and doctors. Closed the area for more than an hour.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
I would read that as one incident, and a sign that the dome is a physical effort and can be delayed.
St. Peter’s Basilica Dome Tickets Price
The price of St. Peter’s Basilica dome tickets is not a single number, because on GetYourGuide the dome is an option inside a Basilica booking. The cheapest guided way to add it is the Premium City Tour product at $19. It scores 4.6 from 4,234 reviews, lasts 1.5 to 2.5 hours and includes access to the Basilica, a guided tour of it, the Pietà, Bernini’s Baldachin, the Chair of St. Peter and the Papal Crypt. The dome ticket is included only if you choose the dome option. It is the product I found that matches the price question least, and the card is here as the nearest leftover. You can cancel up to 24 hours before.
PREMIUM CITY TOUR
Vatican: St. Peter's Basilica, Dome Climb & Papal Tombs Tour
★4.6 (4,234 reviews)
1.5 - 2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The $19 guided entry: Basilica tour with Pietà, Baldachin and Papal Crypt, dome as an option, 4.6 from 4,234 reviews, but not the dome-price answer in itself.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Access to St. Peter’s Basilica
✓ Guided tour of the Basilica
✓ Viewing of Michelangelo’s Pietà
✓ Viewing of Bernini’s Baldachin
✓ Viewing of the Chair of St. Peter’s
✓ Visit to the Papal Crypt and Tomb of St. Peter
Not included / not suitable
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Tips
Meeting point: Our office is located near St. Peter's Basilica, on the famous street Via del Mascherino 88, which is close to Via Porta Angelica Via del Mascherino, 88, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
The listing says only 200 people are allowed to climb each hour, and that you may wait from 10 to 120 minutes. A reviewer confirmed the sting of that wait:
“Note that the guide queues with you for this to get you in but then leaves you on your own to do this.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
For a family or a group, here is a calculator to see what the total looks like for the St. Peter’s Basilica tickets you are weighing.
Calculator
What will it cost for your group?
–
from per person, before any child or group discount
Prices are the lowest per-person prices on GetYourGuide when I last checked; the final price depends on the date, time slot and age.
Is St. Peter’s Basilica Worth It?
St. Peter’s Basilica is worth it for most first-time visitors, and the figures suggest why: Google Maps rates it 4.8 from 185,738 reviews. Wikidata gives it a height of 136.6 metres, and about 11,000,000 visitors a year as of 2018. The point of a ticket is to turn a crowded walk-through into a visit that you understand. The one product that bundles a different kind of visit is the Once Upon a Time Rome Tours entry at $72. It combines skip-the-ticket-line entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel with the Basilica, if you select that option. It scores 4.2 from 346 reviews, lasts 2 to 2.5 hours and runs in English only. Cancellation returns 80 percent up to 24 hours before.
Onceuponatimerometours
Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Entry
★4.2 (346 reviews)
2 - 2.5 hours
My pick: A museums-first visit at $72: Sistine Chapel entry, Basilica only if selected, English only, 4.2 from 346 reviews, 80 percent refund up to 24 hours before.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Licensed Tour Guide (for guided tours)
✓ Skip-the-ticket-line entry to the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
✓ Access to St. Peter's Basilica (if option selected)
✓ Free WiFi available at the meeting point
✓ Headsets (for guided tours)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Food and Drinks
✕ Transportation
Meeting point: Go to the activity provider's office: at Via Mocenigo, 2. There are 2 blue flags outside the office written "Once upon a time tours".
Kindly go inside and show your voucher to our staffs. Via Mocenigo, 2, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: English
Duration: 2 - 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a 80% refund
The office is at Via Mocenigo 2, marked by two blue flags. One reviewer reported difficulty finding the meeting spot, which is the usual complaint for tours that start away from the Basilica. If you want only the Basilica and not the museums, Basilica-only St. Peter’s Basilica tickets from the guided tours above fit better.
Do You Have to Pay to Get Into St. Peter’s Basilica?
You do not have to pay to get into St. Peter’s Basilica, and the GetYourGuide audio-app listing says it directly: Basilica entry is free. The official booking page lists a free visit without a guide, and the official entry page says access begins with the State Police security check. What costs money, as far as St. Peter’s Basilica tickets go, is everything around entry. A guide costs money, the dome costs money, and the Vatican Museums need their own ticket. The MDA Tours product at $75 is the way I found to buy all of that in one booking.
MDA Tours
Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour + Dome
★4.5 (232 reviews)
3 - 4 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The all-in booking at $75: museums and Sistine Chapel with priority entry, guided Basilica, dome with lift, 3 to 4 hours, 4.5 from 232 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Priority entry to the Vatican Museums
✓ Priority entry to the Sistine Chapel
✓ Guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
✓ Reserved internal access to St. Peter’s Basilica
✓ Priority entry to St. Peter’s Basilica
✓ Guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Tips
Meeting point: Meet us at Via Mocenigo, 15, located approximately 2 minutes away from the Vatican Museums. Head down the stairs that are located across the street from the large white marble Vatican Museum exit. Take the first left onto Via Sebastiano Veniero, keep walking straight until the end of the street, and then turn right; you will find yourself on Via Mocenigo. You will find the purple flags outside our office. Via Mocenigo, 15, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German
Duration: 3 - 4 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Luna was amazing! Very knowledgeable and loved the pace and enthusiasm!” – GetYourGuide review
The listing includes priority entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, a guided tour of both, reserved internal access to the Basilica, and dome entry with an elevator to the rooftop terrace, plus whisper headsets. It covers 3 to 4 hours, runs in six languages and starts at Via Mocenigo 15, about 2 minutes from the museum exit. For the museum and Sistine Chapel prices, I keep the full comparison in my Vatican Museums tickets page and do not repeat it here. A reviewer described the pace of this tour:
“The tour was planned brilliantly and mad the experience very informative and interesting.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
Is St. Peter’s Basilica Worth Visiting?
St. Peter’s Basilica is worth visiting even if you skip every ticket, since entry is free and it is open from 7 am. The question is whether to pay for the extra layer of St. Peter’s Basilica tickets. The Art Ticket and Tour product at $23 is the cheapest of the self-guided visits that comes with a person at a desk. It includes entry, a digital audio guide, a self-guided visit and an optional dome climb by lift or stairs. It is also the lowest rated of the ten, at 3.8 stars from 348 reviews, lasts 2.5 hours and has free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Art Ticket & Tour
St. Peter's Basilica: Entry & Audio Guide + Dome Climb Option
★3.8 (348 reviews)
2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The no-guide pick at $23: office pickup of tickets, audio guide, dome optional, but only 3.8 from 348 reviews and one reviewer's audio failed.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Entry to St. Peter’s Basilica
✓ Digital audio guide
✓ Self-guided visit at your own pace
✓ Optional Dome Climb by lift or stairs
✓ Stunning views of Rome from the Dome when the Dome option is selected
✓ Meeting
Not included / not suitable
✕ Food and beverage
✕ Transport to meeting point
✕ Live tour guide
Meeting point: Please arrive at our office at Via Vespasiano 71, Rome, 20 minutes before your scheduled time.
Our staff will provide your ticket and explain how to reach the entrance. Via Vespasiano, 71, 00192 Roma RM, Italy
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Went well except the downloaded audio guide wasnt working. Did the activation link, managed to hear only the first welcome message and then nothing else.” – GetYourGuide review
You collect tickets at the office on Via Vespasiano 71 and arrive 20 minutes early. Staff explain the route to the entrance, which a reviewer said was under 10 minutes on foot. The weak spot is the audio:
“Went well except the downloaded audio guide wasnt working.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
If you are choosing between these St. Peter’s Basilica tickets and a guided tour, I’d pay the difference for the guide.
Opening Hours and Getting There
Before you buy St. Peter’s Basilica tickets, note that Google Maps lists the Basilica open from 7 am to 7:10 pm every day. The official opening hours page gives 7 am to 8 pm until 25 October 2026 and 7 am to 7 pm from 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027. The nearest metro stations I found are Cipro and Ottaviano, about 13 and 14 minutes on foot by my estimate. Before you book St. Peter’s Basilica tickets, my St. Peter’s Basilica opening hours and visitor guide has the table, the dome hours and the dress code.
Which Ticket Fits You
This table is built from the listings; the sections above hold the detail for each row. There are no separate tour pages on this site for St. Peter’s Basilica, because the whole choice fits in one comparison.
Ticket
Kind
Price from
Duration
Areas
Best for
Premium City Tour
guided tour with entry
$19
1.5 to 2.5 hours
Basilica, Papal Crypt, dome optional
Cheapest guide
Art Ticket and Tour
self-guided entry
$23
2.5 hours
Basilica, dome optional
No guide
Rome City Sightseeing
audio, timed entry
$22
1 to 2.5 hours
Basilica, dome optional
Audio visit
GetYourGuide audio app
reserved entry
$9
2 hours
Basilica, dome optional
Cheapest
KK Tour
guided tour with entry
$33
1.5 to 2.5 hours
Basilica, Papal Tombs, dome optional
First visit
Touriks Papal Tombs
guided tour with entry
$60
105 minutes
Basilica, Grottoes, dome by stairs
Most reviewed
Touriks Dome Climb
guided tour with entry
$60
2 hours
Basilica, dome by stairs
Dome focus
Once Upon a Time Rome
ticket with museums
$72
2 to 2.5 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica optional
Museums first
MDA Tours
guided tour with entry
$75
3 to 4 hours
Museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica, dome with lift
Everything
Tour in the City
guided tour with entry
$98
1.5 to 4 hours
Scavi, Tomb of St. Peter, Basilica and dome optional
Necropolis
Near St. Peter’s Basilica
The Basilica sits on the west edge of the central Rome sights, and most of them are a long walk away. The walking times below are my estimates from straight-line distance, multiplied by 1.3 at 4.8 km/h. St. Peter’s Square is about 3 minutes away. Your St. Peter’s Basilica tickets do not cover the sights below. The Vatican Museums have their own page: Vatican Museums tickets, and so does the Colosseum, at Colosseum tickets.
Saint Peter's Square
Plaza
★4.8 · 45,700 Google reviews
Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
Piazza Navona is about 26 minutes on foot and the Pantheon 31. The Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are each roughly 39 minutes, the Roman Forum 47 and the Colosseum 55. With St. Peter’s Basilica tickets in hand, I’d use the metro or a taxi between the Basilica and the Colosseum, not walk.
How I’d Choose
Cheapest of the St. Peter’s Basilica tickets: the $9 audio-app product, if you accept no guide and no refund.
First visit with a guide: the KK Tour at $33, with the dome as an option.
Most reviewed: the Touriks tour at $60, 4.5 from 10,249 reviews, for the Grottoes and the dome by stairs.
Museums and Basilica in one booking: the MDA Tours product at $75, with the lift to the dome terrace.
The Necropolis under the Basilica: the Tour in the City product at $98, if the Scavi matter to you.
No guide, own pace: the Rome City Sightseeing audio product at $22, with the files downloaded before you go in.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need tickets for St. Peter's Basilica?+
Not to get in. The GetYourGuide audio-app listing states that Basilica entry is free, and the official booking page offers a free visit without a guide. Tickets pay for something else: a reserved slot, a guide, the dome climb or the tombs. Everyone goes through the Italian State Police security check at St. Peter's Square first.
How much are St. Peter's Basilica tickets?+
On GetYourGuide the 10 products I compared run from $9 for the reserved-entry audio-app product to $98 for the tombs and Scavi tour. The usual guided tours with the dome option sit between $33 and $60. The official site sells the dome and the Basilica audio guide separately, but its pages do not show prices to me.
Can you just walk into St. Peter's Basilica?+
Yes, if you accept the queue. Per the official entry page, access begins with security checks by the Italian State Police on the right side of St. Peter's Square, and visitors without a reservation queue on the same side. Dress rules apply: no sleeveless tops, excessively short clothing or hats.
Is the dome climb included in St. Peter's Basilica tickets?+
Only when you choose the dome option. Of the 10 products, the Touriks tours at $60 include dome entry by stairs, the KK Tour at $33 and Premium City Tour at $19 add it as an option, and the MDA Tours combination at $75 includes the lift to the terrace. The official dome page says Basilica entry is scheduled one hour before or after your dome time.
Which St. Peter's Basilica tour is best?+
For a first visit I'd book the KK Tour at $33. It scores 4.7 from 6,462 reviews, covers the Basilica and the Papal Tombs with a licensed guide and offers the dome as an option. The most-reviewed alternative is the Touriks tour at $60: 4.5 stars from 10,249 reviews.
Is St. Peter's Basilica worth it with a guide?+
I think so for a first visit. Reviewers of the guided tours praise the guide's knowledge and pace, and several warn that the dome stairs are hard. The plain audio-guide products score lower, at 4.1 and 3.8 stars, and two reviewers report audio that did not play.
What is the official St. Peter's Basilica tickets website?+
The Basilica runs its own booking pages at basilicasanpietro.va, with separate products for the Basilica audio guide, the dome, the Treasury Museum and the Necropolis. I could not read prices there, so I cannot compare them with the resellers.
Every St. Peter's Basilica ticket and tour I compared
St. Peter's Basilica, Papal Tombs, and Dome Climb Tour★ 4.5
St. Peter's Basilica & Tombs Tour, Optional Dome Climb★ 4.7
Guided Tour of St. Peter's Basilica with Dome Climb★ 4.6
Vatican: St. Peter's Basilica, Dome Climb & Papal Tombs Tour★ 4.6
St. Peter's Basilica, Optional Dome Access & Rome Audio App★ 4.1
St. Peter's Basilica: Audio Experience, Optional Dome Climb★ 4.3
Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Entry★ 4.2
Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour + Dome★ 4.5
St. Peter's Basilica, Tomb, Dome & Underground Scavi VIP Tour★ 4.6
St. Peter's Basilica: Entry & Audio Guide + Dome Climb Option★ 3.8
