St Peter's Basilica and the Dome with Castel Sant'Angelo Private Tour

Experience the Vatican and Castel Sant’Angelo: A Journey Through History and Heights

Begin your morning in Vatican City with early access to St Peter’s Basilica, when the space feels calm and almost contemplative. Meet your expert guide near St Peter’s Square and enjoy a tranquil start, before the larger crowds arrive.

Your visit starts with an ascent to the first level of the dome, stepping out onto the interior balcony for an incomparable view of Michelangelo’s dome from within and Bernini’s Baldachin far below. Continue upwards via the narrow spiral stair to reach the very top of the dome, where 360-degree panoramas reward the climb: the Vatican Gardens, the Tiber and the distant Roman hills spread out beneath you.

Back at ground level, enter the Basilica to take in its spiritual artworks and monumental architecture. Stand before Michelangelo’s Pietà, wander the vast nave and listen to stories that illuminate centuries of papal patronage and artistic mastery. Descend into the Vatican Grottoes to see the Tomb of Saint Peter and the burial sites of former popes, a humbling and historic subterranean space.

Later, cross to the fortified bulk of Castel Sant’Angelo, where the guide will trace the building’s dramatic transformations—from imperial mausoleum to papal refuge and defensive stronghold. Explore its halls and corridors, ending on the castle’s panoramic terraces where St Peter’s dome, the Tiber and Rome’s rooftops unfold in timeless light.