St Peter's Basilica Dome: Steps, Elevator, Price and Hours

To climb St Peter’s Basilica dome you have two options: the elevator to the terrace for 22 € or the whole way on foot for 17 €, and both include a visit to the basilica. With the elevator, about 320 narrow, spiraling steps remain from the terrace to the top. From 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027 the dome is open from 7:30 to 17:00. Tickets are booked at booking.basilicasanpietro.va. It is not a climb for small children, pregnant women or people with vertigo, claustrophobia or heart problems.

How many steps does St Peter’s dome have, and which part has an elevator?

The elevator only goes as far as the terrace, on the basilica’s roof. From there about 320 steps remain to the top, according to the guided tours that climb the dome. The last stretch is narrow and spirals, and there is no alternative elevator.

This is how the two options compare:

Option	Price	How you climb	Includes
With elevator	22 €	Elevator to the terrace and about 320 steps on foot	Basilica visit
By the stairs	17 €	All on foot, including the stretch to the terrace	Basilica visit

If you choose the stairs, you also walk up the first stretch the elevator covers, so you save 5 € in exchange for more effort. With both options the end is the same: the same narrow steps to the top.

How much does it cost to climb St Peter’s dome, and what are the hours?

The climb costs 22 € with the elevator and 17 € by the stairs, basilica included. You book on the official website, booking.basilicasanpietro.va.

Rate	Who qualifies
Free	Children up to 6; people with a disability above 74 % and one companion
Reduced	Young people aged 7 to 17 and groups
Full price	22 € with the elevator; 17 € by the stairs

Hours change with the season:

• From 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027: 7:30 to 17:00.
• From 29 March to 25 October 2026: 7:00 to 18:00.

The basilica opens earlier and closes later than the dome: 7:00 to 19:00 in fall and winter. It can close without notice for ceremonies; operators also warn that it closes on Wednesday mornings for the papal audience.

To get in you go through the Italian State Police security check in the right-hand colonnade of St Peter’s Square. The basilica’s dress code also applies to the dome: shoulders covered and pants or skirts below the knee. The basilica has no cloakroom, so climb with as little as possible.

If you would rather go with a guide and the ticket already sorted, the St Peter’s dome ticket we link to is a guided tour of the basilica and the grottoes, with the option to climb the dome. It costs from $33 (partner price converted from euros at 1 EUR = 1.115 USD, ECB, 27 Oct 2026), lasts 1.5 to 2.5 hours and is rated 4.8 out of 5 in 6,363 reviews of this tour on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. When booking, check that you pick the option with the dome.

What can you see from St Peter’s dome?

There are two viewpoints: the terrace, halfway up, and the very top of the dome.

• From the terrace and the inside of the dome: guided tours highlight the views of the basilica’s interior from above. Below you is Bernini’s baldachin, over the papal altar, and around you the dome’s mosaics, by Giuseppe Cesari, with the saints in glory and God the Father in the lantern. A Latin inscription with letters 2 meters tall runs around the inner rim.
• From the top: panoramic views over Vatican City and Rome, according to the tour listings. Below you lies St Peter’s Square, Bernini’s square with its colonnade.

Inside the church the basilica asks visitors not to take photos; always follow the staff’s instructions.

Who should not climb the dome?

Guided tours warn that the climb is not suitable for:

• children under 6;
• pregnant women;
• people with heart or breathing problems;
• people with vertigo or claustrophobia;
• people with reduced mobility or low fitness.

The reason is those final 320 or so narrow, spiraling steps, which you have to climb even if you take the elevator. If you are traveling with someone who cannot climb, the basilica is still free and can be seen in full from below; they can wait there while the others go up.

As a time guide: a 3-hour guided tour of the Museums, the Sistine Chapel and the basilica estimates about 4 hours in total when the dome is added, so allow around one extra hour.

Who designed St Peter’s dome?

It was designed by Michelangelo, who led work on the basilica from 1546, and finished by Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana. Michelangelo revived Bramante’s Greek-cross plan and conceived the great dome directly above the high altar and the spot where tradition places the tomb of St Peter. He died before seeing it: the dome was completed twenty-four years after his death, following the final design by Fontana and Della Porta, who barely changed his plans.

Fact	St Peter’s dome
Design	Michelangelo
Construction	1547–1590
Finished by	Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana
Height to the cross	136.57 m
Inner diameter	41.47 m
Interior mosaics	Giuseppe Cesari

According to Wikipedia it is the tallest dome in the world. Its inner diameter is slightly smaller than those of two earlier domes that inspired its architects: Agrippa’s Pantheon, at 43.3 m, and Florence Cathedral, at 44 m.

A note in case you are searching for the “Sistine Chapel dome”: the chapel has no dome, but a barrel vault, the one Michelangelo painted. The dome you climb is that of St Peter’s Basilica. The other visits are in Vatican Museums tickets.