Vatican City · Piazza San Pietro · Michelangelo's dome
St. Peter's Basilica: entry, dome tickets and hours
Walking in is free, and the dome, the tomb of St. Peter and the guided tours are what you pay for. Here is how to choose and what to expect at the door.
Today
Opening hours for every month are on the Opening hours page.
Checked against the official website on 31 October 2026 · Official source
In short
- Entry to the Basilica is free. The dome, the Treasury Museum, the necropolis, guided visits and audio guides are paid, and the tickets below cover the dome, the entry with audio guide and the guided tours.
- From 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027 the Basilica is open from 7:00 to 19:00. In winter the dome is open from 7:30 to 17:00. In summer the Basilica stays open longer.
- Dress for a place of worship: sleeveless tops, excessively short clothing and hats are not allowed. You cannot eat, drink or smoke inside, and the Basilica asks visitors to refrain from taking photos. At the entrance there is a security check by the Italian police.
- The Holy Door is closed: the Jubilee ended on 6 January 2026. On 18 November 2026 the Basilica marks 400 years since it was consecrated in 1626.
- Short on time? Walk in from the square and look for the Pietà. Want the view? Choose the dome ticket. Want the story? Choose the guided tour.
The square and Bernini's colonnade
You see the square before the church. Bernini's colonnade curves out like two arms, with columns and statues of saints, and an Egyptian obelisk stands at the centre. The obelisk was raised there in 1586 under Pope Sixtus V by Domenico Fontana.
The colonnade was built in the 1600s, and it is meant to feel like the Church welcoming you in.
Michelangelo's Pietà
The Pietà stands in the first chapel on the right, as you come in. Michelangelo made it in 1499 for a French cardinal, Jean de Villiers, who was France's ambassador in Rome.
It is small compared with the church around it, and that is what makes you stay: a mother holding her son after the crucifixion.
Bernini's bronze canopy over the altar
Under the dome stands the papal altar, and over it Bernini's baldachin, a bronze canopy built in 1633 under Pope Urban VIII. It is about 29 metres high.
Beyond it, at the far end of the nave, stands the altar of the Chair.
The dome
Michelangelo directed the work from 1547. When he died in 1564 the drum was finished, and Giacomo della Porta completed the dome between 1588 and 1590. From the floor to the lantern it is about 123 metres, and across it measures about 42 metres.
From the top, you look down over the square and the colonnade, and out over Rome. Going up is a separate ticket.
The Grottoes and the tomb of St. Peter
Under the Basilica lie the Grottoes and the necropolis. Excavations began in 1939 under Pius XII, and the discovery of what is said to be the tomb of St. Peter was announced on 23 December 1950.
The necropolis is visited by reservation, and the dome ticket and some guided tours also take you underground.