I’ve made the St. Peter’s dome climb a few times now, but never as part of a tour group. This changed when I took the Tour Guy’s “St. Peter’s Dome Climb and Sistine Chapel Combo Tour.” Let me tell you—if you book this Vatican tour, you’re in for a treat!
Lia was our amazing guide for this adventure. At the beginning of our tour, she called us her family and, endearingly, kept calling us family as we went along. I can hear her voice melodically saying, “Come on, family, I will show you something special.”
We started the day with a quick trip through security to enter the church. Since there are no St. Peter’s Basilica tickets, these lines can get excruciatingly long…but not for us. We zipped through. Our day started with the dome climb (smart because I think it would be too tiring later in the day, plus it’s not as hot). Part of our climb was eliminated by the taking the elevator some of the way.
Lia didn’t climb with us, but she prepared us well by explaining it would be tight quarters going up and offering us advice on how to best tackle the climb. As I had done this a few times previously and had not know what to expect, I appreciated the prepping—for me and the rest of the “family.”
After our climb (with amazing aerial views of Vatican City and Rome), we entered St. Peter’s Basilica. Since mass was being conducted until 9:30, Lia couldn’t talk until after that so she prepared us outside for what we would see. She led us quietly around the church taking us to Michelangelo’s Pieta and showing us the enormous size of St. Peter’s.
When 9:30 passed, Lia talked about Bernini’s baldacchino and showed us one of the papal mummies…among other things. We then descended into the grottoes/papal crypt. This area was a favorite of mine! I had never been beneath St. Peter’s in all my trips there, so I didn’t know what to expect. Walking down we saw frescoes and amazing mosaics. I heard women singing/chanting. The sound reinforced what an intimate and sacred space we were entering.
Lia pointed out the columns of the first Christian church on the site (commissioned by Constantine in the 4th century), as well as the various tombs of popes, like Benedict, and saints (even women).
When we saw the spot where the bones of St. Peter are buried, I was almost moved to tears. The specialness of everything we were seeing combined with the antiquity of the spaces and ritualistic sounds, evoked emotion from me—even though I am not a Catholic.
After we left St. Peter’s, Lia pointed out the Swiss Guard and took the family on to see the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. As I had an engagement in an hour, I—regrettably—had to cut my tour short. Thankfully, I had been to the Vatican Museums/Sistine many times prior. I plan to keep going back, as it is spectacular.
Some Perks of the Tour Guy’s St. Peter’s Dome Climb and Sistine Chapel Combo Tour
- See St. Peter’s before the crowds (it’s like having St. Peter’s Basilica tickets)
- Climb before the heat of the day
- Ride the elevator part of the way up the dome
- See the best views of the Vatican from an aerial view
- Have an expert guide with small group sizes
- See highlights of Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel (trust me—this can be overwhelming if you go alone): Raphael Rooms, Gallery of Maps, Pinecone Courtyard, and more
- Get Vatican Tickets to Skip the Line
- Experience the papal crypts below St. Peter’s
- Gaze upon Michelangelo’s La Pieta
- See Bernini’s Baldacchino
I highly recommend taking a Tour Guy tour when visiting the Vatican. Their guides are experts on that location and know the ins and outs of what you’re seeing. Plus, the small group size means you can easily ask questions. A tip though: Bring a snack—if you’re like me, you will get hungry. You can reserve this tour through our link (below) or check out others. Happy travels!
St. Peter’s Dome Climb and Sistine Chapel Combo Tour (this was the one I took): https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1362329&u=4109975&m=89095&urllink=thetourguy%2Ecom%2Ftours%2Fvatican%2Fst%2Dpeters%2Ddome%2Dclimb%2Dplus%2Dvatican%2Dtour%3F1440%3Dtrue%26partner%3D2&afftrack=
Ultimate St. Peter’s Basilica Dome Climb and Tour with Papal Crypts (dome climb without Vatican Museums): https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1362329&u=4109975&m=89095&urllink=thetourguy%2Ecom%2Ftours%2Fvatican%2Fst%2Dpeters%2Ddome%2Dclimb%3F1440%3Dtrue%26partner%3D2&afftrack=
My YouTube Videos from the St. Peter’s Dome Climb Tour
St. Peter’s Before the Crowds Vlog: https://youtu.be/BwwFYxEGSms
Inside St. Peter’s: https://youtube.com/shorts/_9hSfFQdRQU?feature=share
Other Vatican Tours
Tour Guy Vatican Tours Link: https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1362329&u=4109975&m=89095&urllink=thetourguy%2Ecom%2Ftours%2Fvatican&afftrack=
Skip the Line Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel
Exclusive After Hours Sistine Chapel Tour with Aperitivo
Privileged Entrance Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tickets
Sistine Chapel, Vatican Gardens, & Castel Gandolfo Day Trip
Rome in a Day with Colosseum and Vatican Museums
Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Vatican Highlights Combo Tour
Going on a trip? You will love our tour partners at LivTours, Tour Guy, and Viator. Check them out:
LivTours (semi-private/private tours): https://livtours.com?af_code=E1DDN61
TourGuy (small group/private tours): https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1362329&u=4109975&m=89095&urllink=&afftrack=
Viator (small to medium size groups/private): https://www.viator.com/Italy/d57-ttd?sortType=external&pid=P00161535&mcid=42383&medium=link&medium_version=selector
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