All you have to know to plan your tour to Saint Peter's Basilica: useful tips!
Are you planning to visit Rome? Here are all the tips to organize your visit to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican, a must for those who decide to visit the Eternal City.
St. Peter’s Basilica is the universal and undisputed symbol of Christianity, as well as being one of the largest and most majestic religious buildings in the world and a treasure trove of masterpieces of great masters.
St. Peter’s Basilica is located at the end of Via della Conciliazione, a large avenue leading to St. Peter's Square. The square marks the boundaries of the Vatican City and is bordered by the imposing Colonnade built by Bernini.
The colonnade symbolizes the Catholic Church that embraces its faithful often gathered in the square to attend the religious celebrations of the Holy Father, bishop of Rome.
Already from the bottom of Via della Conciliazione, you can admire the impressive Basilica and its iconic dome created by the magnificent, Michelangelo.
St. Peter’s Basilica, as we can see it today, was built between 1508 under the papacy of Pope Julius II, and 1926, midway between Renaissance and Baroque art.
Great artists such as Bramante, Raffaello, Pirro Ligorio, Michelangelo and Bernini participated in the project and the realization of the huge basilica.
St. Peter’s Basilica Entry without waiting
The entrance into St. Peter is free, but often the Basilica is extremely crowded with pilgrims and tourists. Especially between March and October, and during the Christmas holidays, entering the St. Peter’s Basilica can take hours of waiting standing in the crowded square. Therefore, here are some useful tips to visit St. Peter’s Basilica by limiting waiting time to a minimum.
St. Peter’s Basilica Entrance from the Vatican Museums
For those who have decided to visit both the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, the advice is to book tickets for the Vatican Museums and then access in St. Peter’s through the internal passage that connects the Vatican Palace to the Basilica located behind the Sistine Chapel.
This passage named Scala del Sacramento is usually open to visitors who have concluded their visit to Vatican Museums. As soon as the visit inside the Sistine Chapel is over, visitors can descend to the Basilica along this staircase, without having to make long waits which are usually in the Square.
But be careful, this step is not always open and is not an acquired right of visitors who have paid the ticket for the Vatican Museums. It is more simply a concession from the Vatican Museums to their guests. However, if the passage was unused or closed for the decision of the direction of the Vatican Museums or even more of the Holy Father, visitors wishing to access and visit the Basilica must exit the museums. At this point they will have to walk up to St. Peter’s Square and access the basilica from the main gates, standing in line. Nothing can be claimed for not having access the basilica.
St. Peter’s Basilica Entry with Audio guide
If you want to be 100% sure to avoid the queue at the entrance to St Peter, then better not to rely on the good heart of the direction of Vatican Museums and go on the safe booking entrance with the audio guide. In this case, in fact, visitors holding this reservation, can enter the Basilica from a reserved access and limit waiting times.
But exactly what is it and how does it work?
By booking the entrance with audio guide in St. Peter the visitor can enter the Basilica in a few minutes, choosing a convenient time slot of two hours by which he can freely present himself at the entry point reported. The staff will then invite visitors to perform the normal check procedures to metal detectors. Once entered, you will be given the code to put the audio guide into use. This audio guide includes an exhaustive explanation on the entire architectural St. Peter’s complex.
Once entered, you will be given the code to put the audio guide into use. This audio guide includes an exhaustive explanation on the entire architectural St. Peter’s complex. The audio guide has been created ad hoc by art historians directly appointed by the Vatican to guide the visitor inside the monumental complex and help him discover magnificent treasures in it. The audio guide can be heard directly on your mobile device (smartphone or tablet). You can easily download the app from home once you have completed your online booking and be ready for your visit! DOWNLOAD instructions now!
The staff that will welcome you in the Basilica is usually very friendly and helpful and will be at your disposal to help you activate the device. For all visitors who, due to technical problems, are unable to complete the activation, or if you do not have a latest generation device, you will be provided with a traditional audio guide that will allow you to visit the Basilica in complete freedom.
St Peter’s Entrances: some rules to be respected
Being a religious building, there are of course simple rules to be respected common to all the realities of this type. In particular, you must have appropriate clothing, so no shorts for men and not too low-cut women, preferably the shoulders must be covered. You will have to observe silence or speak in a low voice. You cannot introduce animals, nor consume food or drinks. Lastly, access to visitors on a tourist visit with an audio guide is not allowed during Holy Mass.
St. Peter's Basilica Entrances with Authorized Guide
Another way to visit the Basilica by avoiding the queues is to organize a tour with an authorized guide. Our guided is available either with private guide, so with exclusive guide just for you, or by joining a group. In both cases the tour is strictly managed in a single language of your choice among those available. The main differences between the two solutions are the price (more expensive for the tour with private guide) and the duration: the private one lasts about two hours, the group one hour and 15 minutes.
In addition, if you decide for the private guided tour, you can ask the guide to customize your itinerary and then linger more on the works of your greatest interest. Regarding the group tour, the itinerary is standard, but still includes all the salient aspects of the architectural complex, its history and the works kept inside. Once the tour is over, you can stay in the Basilica at your leisure until the closing time.
St Peter’s Entrances: Does it include the Dome and the Tombs of the Popes?
This is one of the most frequent questions that is often asked by tourists who plan a visit to the Basilica. The answer is no. The audio guide entry, the simple free entry, in the same way of the guided tours of which I have spoken in this article, do not include the climb of the Dome, nor the visit to the underground part where are the tombs of the pontiffs. For these particular sections, it is necessary to make an ad hoc reservation.
To find out more I leave you the contact number +39 055/2670402.
