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Offered languages
- German
- Portuguese
- English
- Italian
- French
- Spanish
Explore the spiritual core of Catholicism with a self-guided visit to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Grottoes. Upon arrival near St. Peter’s Square, receive on-site host assistance to set up your multilingual audio guide app. Enjoy smooth entrance access to discover the grandeur of the world's largest church featuring masterpieces by Michelangelo and Bernini while uncovering its rich history. Then, descend into the serene Vatican Grottoes, where over 90 popes, including Pope Benedict XVI, are laid to rest. Enjoy full freedom to navigate at your own pace for an educational and memorable experience.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Meet the Viprometours staff near the entrance borders of St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro, 00120). Look for our person holding a flag/sign with our logo outside the security lines. Arrive 20 mins early We will hand over tickets and set up your audio guide
Itinerary
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1St. Peter's Basilica
Once through security, step into the world’s largest church and begin your self-guided exploration. Using your interactive audio guide, navigate through grand marble naves, past soaring coffered ceilings, and amidst colossal marble columns adorned with intricate gold leaf work. As you walk through the Basilica, your audio guide will direct you to famous masterpieces, beginning with Michelangelo’s breathtaking marble Pietà near the entrance. Marvel at Bernini’s monumental bronze Baldacchino towering over the papal altar, and look up into the immense central dome designed by Michelangelo, framed by colossal mosaics of the Evangelists. Discover historic papal monuments including the Tomb of Pope Alexander VII with its dramatic bronze drapery and skeleton hour glass and stand before the famed bronze statue of St. Peter, whose right foot has been worn smooth by centuries of pilgrim touches.
1 hour • Admission ticket included -
2The Vatican Grottoes
Descend below the main church floor into the solemn Vatican Grottoes, an extraordinary subterranean network of chapels, vaulted halls, and papal tombs. Walk through quiet, softly lit stone corridors to view the final resting places of over 90 popes, including marble sarcophagi, intricate reliefs, and solemn burial niches of historical figures such as Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Paul VI, and John Paul I, alongside honored historical royals like Queen Christina of Sweden.As you explore the underground complex, your audio guide will point out surviving architectural fragments, early Christian inscriptions, and vibrant 4th-century frescoes preserved from Emperor Constantine’s original old basilica. At the subterranean heart of the grottoes, pause before the sacred Confessio niche, looking directly through protective glass toward the traditional burial site and relic shrine of Saint Peter, situated directly under Bernini’s Papal Altar above.
30 minutes • Admission ticket included
Additional info
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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