Italy for me From Italy with love
For the first few years after moving to Rome, the idea of climbing the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica was always on my mind but kept being postponed. My Instagram followers know that I conduct individual tours at dawn to enjoy Rome without the crowds of tourists, as there are always plenty in the main square of the Vatican.
Our walks in Rome usually start at 6 am, depending on the time of year, and by ten o’clock, when the main mass of tours begins, we are already far away from the main attractions, enjoying the atmosphere of the Eternal City, for example, at Villa Borghese.
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Our First Ascent to Rome’s Highest Observation Point
However, you have a chance to comfortably enjoy Rome from the “roof of the world” if you are ready to come to Vatican among the first. In 2014, when our parents were visiting us, we decided to check this experience off our Roman biography.
The reason I delayed visiting the dome right after moving to Rome was somewhat incorrect (outdated) information on most websites about the opening time of the dome. Actually, as of April 2024, the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica practically opens for visits at 07:30 am, not at 8. This information can always be easily verified on the official Vatican website. The Basilica itself opens at 07:00 and strategically, if you want to enjoy its beauty almost alone and avoid at least an hour-long queue, it’s crucial to come about 10-15 minutes before opening. After passing through the security system in one minute, you will comfortably walk around the Basilica for an hour, and can be among the first to ascend to the highest point of Rome.
My Instagram followers know that in 2024 year, I climbed the dome 250 times.
The first time, we arrived at the Vatican around 7 am, and after a short 5-minute queue, we found ourselves at the ticket counters. Keep in mind that you will need good old cash to buy a ticket – no credit cards, student discounts, or tourist cards like Roma Pass are accepted.
Tickets for the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in 2024
So, you have a choice to either take the elevator for 10 euros and climb 320 steps or save 2 euros and experience 231 more steps. Prices are current for 2024 year.
We consciously chose the “on foot” option, as we wanted to personally test how challenging it was and to get a bit of a workout for the hamstrings. A special guard controlled whether we would take the elevator or go on foot. For the other 250 times, I took the elevator, as it’s important to save energy for other attractions – there’s a lot to see in Rome.
What It’s Like to Climb the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica
Initially, the steps are quite low and easy to ascend. The only issue is a bit of dizziness due to constantly going around in circles.
Tip: Be sure to bring a bottle of water with you, as you’ll likely get thirsty. There are no shops inside the Basilica.
Along the way, you can peek out of one of the few windows to view the Vatican territory.
The first ascent – 231 steps – took us about 10 minutes. The sun is already quite high at half-past eight, but still not as hot as at noon.
Inside the Dome
This is how the dome looks from its lower part. This area sometimes attracts various activists who, wishing to draw attention to themselves, climb the walls or domes of the Basilica . Fortunately, crossing the barriers with a particular skill and desire is not too difficult.
And this is St. Peter’s Basilica if you are about 2 meters tall. If not, you’ll have to look at all this beauty through bars. Safety first.
Then begins the most exciting part – the ascent to the dome.
Each new flight makes the steps smaller, steeper, and narrower. And in the end, you even have to lean to the right as the wall looms over you.
Be extremely careful on these small spiral staircases.
If you have vast shoulders or a large belly, you must squeeze in, take a deep breath, and go sideways. Otherwise, the crowd will need to push you through.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend climbing the dome for guys with shoulder sizes 54 or more (I personally wear size 52) and those suffering from obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
Views from the Observation Deck
After such an endeavor, you are rewarded! The best view of Rome opens exactly from the roof of St. Peter’s Basilica!
Enjoying the view from the dome, it becomes obvious what colors dominate the architecture of the Eternal City. There’s not much to write here; see it all with your eyes.
In this wagon is the Vatican post office, where you can send a postcard with greetings to yourself or friends. The idea is that the postcard will bear the stamp of the Vatican City state. Two more post office branches are in the left and right colonnades.
The Vatican Railway is the shortest railway branch in the world.
Read also: How to buy tickets to the Vatican Museums?
Tips for Visiting the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica
In my opinion, climbing the dome towards the end of your vacation is best. Or, if you’re confident of a return visit, save it for the second or third trip.
As mentioned earlier, I never ventured to climb the “top of the world” for dozens of visits due to work, and even a year after moving, possibly subconsciously looking for reasons to postpone the most inspiring experience.
Admittedly, it’s far more intriguing to enjoy the city when you’re not just observing buildings from above, but actually recognizing streets, places, and landmarks you’ve wandered through. Everything falls into place, the picture becomes more apparent, and maps from Google are loaded not just into your iPhone but also into your brain. It’s a moment of Zen-like enlightenment. And Castel Sant’Angelo seems almost toy-like, and Via della Conciliazione not as wide as it appears.
We spent about half an hour on the observation deck, and as more and more tourists arrived, we decided to descend. On the Basilica’s roof, you can get up close to the statues of the apostles. Interestingly, they are almost flat from behind, indicating more meticulous work on the “facade” part.
This is how the main observation platform in Rome looks – tourists in a cage.
The descent is via a different staircase, so you won’t cross paths with those ascending.
Once you’ve descended, you find yourself inside the Basilica again, with another chance to marvel at its grandeur and enjoy a different perspective of the dome.
I hope you enjoyed this photo report and that it helped you decide whether to climb the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. If you’re too lazy to wake up at 6 am, and for most, even after reading this article, it’s still not feasible, then I don’t recommend spending your energy and time climbing during the day with thousands of other tourists. As for me, I’ll definitely return, at dawn, in good company.