Entry is free. You can walk into St Peter's without a reservation, through the ordinary entrance in St Peter's Square. The basilica's official site, basilicasanpietro.va, also sells an optional €7 timed booking that includes its digital audio guide (on your own phone, with your own earphones) and takes about an hour. It's non-refundable and in your name. You don't need it to get in; it buys a chosen time and the commentary.
The security check. Every visitor goes through checks run by the Italian State Police before entering. The checkpoints are in the right-hand semicircle of St Peter's Square as you face the basilica, and visitors queue along that side, with at least four extra gates for the police checks. The security wait comes on top of any booked time, so arrive early for a timed slot.
Hours. From 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027 the basilica is open every day, 7am to 7pm. From 1 June to 25 October 2026 it was open 7am to 8pm, with last entry by 7.15pm depending on the security queues. Masses and papal events take priority, and the basilica can close areas or cancel bookings at short notice; booked visitors are refunded in that case.
Best time to go. Early, from the 7am opening, or late in the afternoon. Check the Vatican's calendar before you go: on Wednesday mornings when a General Audience is held in the square, and around big celebrations, the square fills up. If you're also doing the Vatican Museums, one simple plan is the museums in the morning and the basilica afterwards; you'll walk round between them and queue again here.
Dress code. Covered shoulders for everyone, and trousers or skirts at or below the knee. Very short clothing, sleeveless tops and hats aren't allowed inside. You also can't eat or drink, smoke, make phone calls or bring animals or bulky objects.
No luggage, no cloakroom. There's currently no cloakroom at the basilica. The basilica strongly advises against bulky luggage like trolleys and suitcases, and suggests only a small backpack or personal bag. There's a pushchair parking area under the portico.
Photos. The basilica's 'rules for the common good' ask visitors not to take photographs, even for personal use, so as not to disturb celebrations or other visitors. Filming in the liturgical spaces is prohibited, and bulky or professional equipment needs authorisation. It's a place of prayer first: keep your voice low and your phone on silent.
The Pietà. Michelangelo carved it in 1498, aged 23, from a single block of Carrara marble in about nine months, for the tomb of the French cardinal Jean de Bilhères Lagraulas. It's the only work he signed: his name runs across the sash over the Virgin's breast.
Under the dome. Bernini's bronze baldachin stands over the papal altar, and beneath it is the tomb of St Peter, the reason the basilica is here. Beyond it is the Cathedra (Chair) of St Peter.
The Vatican Grottoes. The lower level of the basilica, built in 1590-91 to support the Renaissance floor, holds the tombs of many popes, including Pius XII, around the tomb of St Peter. They're one of the sites open to pilgrims and visitors; note that they're not accessible on the 6pm timed bookings.
Guided tours. The basilica's own trained guides can be booked at the Tour Desk in the Welcome Area, or online on the official site in English and Italian. If you bring your own guide, groups of more than four must register at the Tour Desk in the portico, at €1.50 per person for a radio headset, with up to 30 people per guide, Monday to Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm (last registration 5pm) and on Sunday afternoons. The Treasury Museum is temporarily closed while it's being rearranged.
The dome. Michelangelo designed it and built it up to the drum; after his death Giacomo della Porta, working with Domenico Fontana, raised it in 22 months between 1588 and 1590. The cross on top stands more than 133 metres high. There are two official tickets, both sold on basilicasanpietro.va and both including a timed visit to the basilica with the audio guide, scheduled an hour before or after your dome time:
Dome with stairs, €17. You climb 231 steps to the terrace on the basilica roof, then 320 more to the top: 551 in all.
Dome with lift, €22. The lift takes you to the terrace level, then you climb the last 320 steps to the top. The lift doesn't save you the hardest part: the final stretch is the same on both tickets.
Both take you round the inner ring, looking down into the basilica past the mosaics, and the outer ring at the top. Allow about two and a half hours for the dome and the basilica together. In winter the dome is open 7.30am to 5pm. Neither ticket is suitable for wheelchair users, and the basilica recommends them from age six; under-18s must be with an adult. Tickets are in your name, non-refundable, and the date can't be changed. In extraordinary circumstances the inner ring may be closed.
St Peter's Square. Bernini designed the square for Pope Alexander VII and finished it in 1667, after eleven years' work: an oval about 196 by 149 metres, enclosed by colonnades of 284 columns in four rows, with 140 statues on top. The obelisk in the middle came from the circus of Caligula and Nero, close to where Peter was crucified. It's free and open to walk through, and it's where you queue for the basilica.
