St. Peter's Basilica: Tickets

St. Peter's Basilica, Rome - Tickets and Information

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• St. Peter's Basilica Address: Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
• Opening Hours: 07:30 - 18:00 (subject to change)

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Is St. Peter's Basilica Worth Visting

• If you enjoy buildings steeped in history, absolutely.

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What You See When Visiting St. Peter's Basilica

• Incredible Panoramic Views of Rome
• Incredible architecture
• Religious artefacts
• The Dome
• Art

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*You don't actually need a ticket to enter St. Peter's Basilica. However, the queues are very long indeed, especially in peak season (we are talking hours). If you want to avoid most of the queue, you can purchase tickets which entitle the holders to skip-the-queue and go to the special queue for ticket holders.

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About St. Peter's Basilica

The ‘Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano’, or the ‘Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican’ in English, stands at the heart of Vatican City.

The incredible piece of architecture is actually the second basilica to stand on the historic site. The original basilica which was commissioned by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, was built over the burial site of Saint Peter, one of Jesus's twelve apostles, and where it gets its name from.

However, as the first basilica aged, Pope Julius II commissioned the construction of the current basilica in 1506, which was completed in 1615 under the direction of Pope Paul V. 

Often referred to as 'New St. Peter's Basilica,' it earned UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1984. While it remains an active place of worship, it also symbolises the grandeur of Catholicism and draws millions of visitors and pilgrims to Vatican City each year.

The basilica's design showcases the genius of several Renaissance masters, including Bramante, Raphael, and Michelangelo. The façade, featuring iconic Corinthian columns, was crafted by Carlo Maderno and has stood proudly since the 17th century.

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The St. Peter's Basilica Dome

The Dome was actually designed by Michelangelo and is one of the basilica's most recognisable features. It stands at 136 meters (448 feet) and posed an engineering challenge at the time due to the weight. Michelangelo's solution was to construct two domes, an inner and an outer, which made it more stable and fixed the issue.

Visitors can climb the dome (click here for ticket details). There are 550 steps that take you to the top but you are rewarded with fabulous views of Rome!