Yes, St Peter's Basilica is free to enter without a booking. An optional €7 booking adds a time slot and audio guide. The dome costs €17 by stairs or €22 with the lift.
Updated Rules St Peter's Basilica official site, read ; tour prices read
A paid booking adds a service; everyone still passes through security in the square.
The answer
St Peter's Basilica is free to enter. You do not need a ticket or reservation for a visit on your own. The Vatican Grottoes beneath the church are free too.
For entry, join the security checks on the right of St Peter's Square. That is the right side as you face the Basilica. A booking does not remove these checks.
Wear long trousers or a skirt below the knee and cover your shoulders. Hats are not allowed inside. Bring only what you can carry during your visit; the Basilica has no cloakroom.
What to do: If your timing is flexible, walk in free. Choose the €7 booking if you want a set time and audio guide; security checks still apply.
What costs money
| Ticket | Adult price |
|---|---|
| Basilica entry without a bookingFree entry after security checks | Free |
| Basilica time slot and audio guide1 hour with the Digital Audio Guide | |
| Dome by stairs551 steps; online ticket includes a Basilica visit and audio guide | |
| Basilica guided tour1 hour with an accredited guide; reduced ticket €12 | |
| Vatican Necropolis guided visit1 hour by request; separate from the free Grottoes | |
| Dome with the lift320 steps after the lift; online ticket includes a Basilica visit and audio guide |
Official adult prices, read
The €7 booking gives you a time slot and Digital Audio Guide. The official guided tour costs €18 for 1 hour. If you only want to enter the church, you can do that free.
The dome costs €17 by stairs or €22 with the lift. Both online tickets include a Basilica visit and its audio guide. If you book either, a separate €7 Basilica slot would duplicate that access.
Opening times
St Peter's Basilica7:00 to 19:00. Every day, current season
St Peter's dome7:30 to 17:00. Every day, current season
The Basilica is free and opens from 7:00 to 19:00 in winter. Allow 1 to 2 hours inside. Major services can limit access, so opening hours do not guarantee entry throughout the day.
The paid dome opens from 7:30 to 17:00 in winter. If you want to climb, leave time before its earlier closing. A church-only visit gives you until 19:00.
Wednesday and Sunday are the Basilica's busiest days. The Papal Audience usually falls on Wednesday. If your dates are flexible, choose another day; the published hours still apply subject to services.
No ticket or booking is needed for free entry. The optional €7 booking adds a time slot and Digital Audio Guide.
Yes, after security checks in the square. Join them on the right as you face the Basilica, and follow the dress rules.
The official shop is booking.basilicasanpietro.va. A Basilica time slot costs €7; dome tickets cost €17 by stairs or €22 with the lift. Entry to the church itself is free.
You cannot avoid the security checks. A €7 booking gives you a set time with an audio guide, but queues can still form at security.
No, dome entry costs €17 by stairs or €22 with the lift. The lift leaves 320 steps to climb. Both online tickets include a Basilica visit and its audio guide.
Yes, while places remain at the Portico Desk and souvenir-shop ticket offices. If the climb is central to your plans, book ahead; buying on site depends on availability.
Tours
Basilica tours add a guide to a church you can enter free. The official guided visit costs €18 for 1 hour. These options differ in length and whether they include the dome.
What to do: If you want someone to explain the church, compare each tour with the official €18 visit. Walk in free if you prefer to look around on your own.
St Peter's Basilica and Vatican Grottoes
This 90-minute tour includes the Pietà and Grottoes with a licensed guide and headsets. From €22 against €18 for the official 1-hour tour; dome entry is excluded.
from €22 per adult
See the tourSt Peter's Basilica and papal tombs
The 9:00 or 14:00 English tour lasts 90 minutes and leaves out the dome. From €25 against €18 for the official 1-hour visit.
from €25 per adult
See the tourSt Peter's Basilica, crypt and dome
From €50 for a 2-hour visit with a guide and reserved dome entry. If you prefer to climb independently, official dome tickets cost €17 or €22.
from €50 per adult
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.
Read next
What to see inside and how long to allow
The official shop and what each ticket adds
Stairs or lift, and the climb after it
