The Vatican Grottoes are free to visit beneath St Peter's Basilica. About 91 popes are buried across the Basilica and Grottoes. Booked Basilica visits at 18:00 exclude the Grottoes.
Updated Rules and tickets St Peter's Basilica official site, read ; tour prices read
The free Grottoes and the deeper Vatican Necropolis have separate access, with a €20 guided booking required for the Necropolis.
The place
The Grottoes sit beneath the floor of St Peter's Basilica. Their vaults were built in 1590 and 1591 to support the new church. You visit papal tombs here, including the tomb of Pius XII.
The corridors also hold pieces from the old basilica. These include mosaics and inscriptions moved here as that building came down. National chapels were added later, and services still take place in this part of St Peter's.
The visit
Basilica security checks come first in St Peter's Square. They are on your right as you face the church. Both the Basilica and Grottoes are free. No guided tour booking is needed.
The optional €7 Basilica booking adds a time slot and Digital Audio Guide. Bookings at 18:00 exclude the Grottoes. An earlier visit is needed if you want to include this lower level.
Your shoulders must be covered. Wear long trousers or a skirt below the knee. The Basilica has no cloakroom. Singing is forbidden in the Grottoes because services take place in the chapels.
What to do: If the papal tombs are part of your plan, visit before the evening. A later Basilica visit can suit you if you are happy to leave out the Grottoes.
Opening times
St Peter's Basilica7:00 to 19:00. Every day, current season
The Basilica opens from 7:00 to 19:00 until 28 March. The Grottoes have separate access limits. Bookings at 18:00 exclude them, and services can restrict access during the day.
Yes, the Grottoes and St Peter's Basilica are free to enter. A guided tour is optional and charges for the guide's service.
Pius XII is among the popes buried in the Grottoes. The figure of about 91 papal burials covers the Basilica and Grottoes together.
No, the Necropolis is a Roman burial ground below the Grottoes. The Grottoes are free, while the Necropolis requires a guided booking at €20.
Yes, subject to access on the day. The 18:00 booking excludes them, so use an earlier slot if you want the Grottoes.
A tour suits you if you want explanations of the papal tombs and Basilica. You can visit free on your own if you prefer your own pace or want to keep costs down.
Choose an earlier visit if you want the Grottoes, since the 18:00 Basilica booking excludes them. The Basilica stays open until 19:00 if the church alone is enough for you.
Tours
The Basilica and Grottoes have free entry, so a tour pays for a guide. The group options below use the regular queue. The private option includes faster entry, while security checks apply to everyone.
These routes cover the Grottoes. The deeper Necropolis needs a separate €20 booking if you want the Scavi visit.
What to do: Choose a tour if you want the tombs explained and are comfortable with its price. Visit independently if free entry and your own pace matter more.
Basilica and papal Grottoes
About 70 minutes in English, ending in the Grottoes with an official guide. You pay for the explanation, since the church and the tombs are free.
from €20 per adult
See the tourBasilica, Pietà and papal Grottoes
The Pietà first, then the Grottoes, with a licensed guide and headsets for 90 minutes. The regular security queue still applies.
from €22 per adult
See the tourBasilica and Grottoes
A private licensed guide and faster entry for 2.5 hours. The dome costs extra, and you pay much more than on a group tour.
from €130 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 entry and security checks at the Basilica
Roman tombs below the Grottoes, visited by advance booking
Dome tickets and the 551-step climb, with a lift option