St Peter's Square is in front of the Basilica, where entry is free. Bernini's colonnade has 284 columns and 140 statues. Tickets for the Pope's Wednesday General Audience are free by request.
Updated History and tickets St Peter's Basilica and Holy See official sites, read ; tour prices read
If you want to enter the Basilica, its security queue starts on your right as you face the church.
The square
St Peter's Square is in Vatican City, in front of the Basilica. The oval measures 196 by 149 metres. You enter the Basilica through security on the right as you face the church.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the square for Pope Alexander VII. It was completed in 1667. Look up for 140 statues of saints above the colonnade's 284 columns and 88 pillars.
The columns stand in four rows around the oval. The obelisk at the centre came from the circus of Caligula and Nero. A trapezoid links the oval to the Basilica's facade.
Free audience tickets
Papal General Audience tickets are always free. You request them through the Prefecture of the Papal Household. Tickets for the Pope's liturgical celebrations are free too.
The Wednesday General Audience takes place in the square or the Paul VI Hall. The Pope's other commitments can change the schedule for your visit. The Sunday Angelus is at 12:00.
What to do: If you only want to attend the audience, request the free ticket. A tour can suit you if you want company or a private pickup.
Basilica entry
St Peter's Basilica is free without a reservation, with winter hours of 7:00 to 19:00. Security checks start on your right as you face the church. The ramp entrance is on the same side.
Wednesday and Sunday are the Basilica's busiest days. The Wednesday audience brings visitors to the area. On Sunday the Pope recites the Angelus at 12:00. Queues form at the Basilica security checks when it is busy.
St Peter's requires covered shoulders and long trousers or a skirt below the knee. Hats and sleeveless tops are not allowed inside. You will find no cloakroom for bags at the Basilica.
Metro line A stops at Ottaviano-San Pietro. Parking near the Basilica is limited. The Museums have a different entrance on Viale Vaticano, 00165 Rome, if your visit starts there.
Yes, you can request free audience tickets through the Prefecture of the Papal Household. The paid tours below charge for services around the General Audience.
The General Audience is usually on Wednesday, unless the Pope has other commitments. It takes place in St Peter's Square or the Paul VI Hall.
No, this option provides a private tour leader and pickup for the General Audience. Return transport is excluded.
You can enter St Peter's Basilica free without a ticket or reservation. The optional €7 booking adds a time slot and Digital Audio Guide.
The €7 booking gives you a time slot and dedicated entrance route. Everyone still goes through security, including visitors who choose free entry.
Wednesday and Sunday are the busiest days for St Peter's Basilica. Choose another day if fewer crowds matter more than the audience or Angelus.
Tours
These prices cover the service around the free General Audience ticket. The private option adds a tour leader and chauffeured pickup. You arrange your own return to the hotel.
An audience ticket requested through the Prefecture is free.
Papal General Audience
An English group that meets at 7:05 on Wednesday. Your audience ticket is free if you request it yourself, so the price pays for the company and the early start.
from €37 per adult
See the tourPapal General Audience
The same Wednesday plan, with headsets for the guide's talk before the audience. Choose between the two on your date.
from €37 per adult
See the tourPapal General Audience with pickup
A chauffeur collects you at about 6:00 and a private leader stays with you. The return to your hotel is not included.
from €480 per adult, party of two
See the tourPrices in euro per adult, read : the usual lowest price of each option, without short sales. The booking page shows the price for your date. We add no fee.
Nearby
Free Basilica entry and the optional booking with an audio guide
Paid dome entry and the stairs left after the lift
Routes to St Peter's Square and the Museums entrance
