St. Peter's Baldachin (Baldacchino di San Pietro) Tours
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The monumental bronze canopy of St. Peter's Baldachin (Baldacchino di San Pietro), set beneath Michelangelo’s dome, is a centerpiece of St. Peter's Basilica. Bernini’s stunning bronze masterpiece soars as high as a 9-story building above the basilica's high altar, protecting the spot where St. Peter is said to be buried.
The Basics
To view St. Peter’s Basilica, an important repository of art and sculpture, opt for a guided tour to learn about the baldachin and other works, including Michelangelo’s Pietà, Bernini’s equestrian statue of Constantine, and the ubiquitous mosaics. Book an early or evening entrance or skip-the-line tour to avoid a wait to enter this popular Rome attraction. Combine a visit with St. Peter’s Dome above and the Vatacombs (papal tombs) below, or join an extended Vatican tour.
Things to Know Before You Go
How to Get There
St. Peter’s Basilica is located on St. Peter’s Square (Piazza San Pietro) in Vatican City. The closest metro station is Ottaviano.
When to Get There
St. Peter’s Basilica is open to the public daily. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to visit, when the crowds are thinner and wait times to enter shorter.
The Inauspicious Beginnings of St. Peter’s Baldachin
Bernini’s design for St. Peter’s Baldachin (Baldacchino di San Pietro), commissioned by Pope Urban VIII, called for so much bronze that the Pantheon’s beams were melted down—upsetting the Romans. It spurred the pun "Quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini," or "What the barbarians didn’t do, the Barberini did," an allusion to the pope’s family name of Barberini. The 24-year-old sculptor’s project eventually proved a success, even with the Romans.
The Basics
To view St. Peter’s Basilica, an important repository of art and sculpture, opt for a guided tour to learn about the baldachin and other works, including Michelangelo’s Pietà, Bernini’s equestrian statue of Constantine, and the ubiquitous mosaics. Book an early or evening entrance or skip-the-line tour to avoid a wait to enter this popular Rome attraction. Combine a visit with St. Peter’s Dome above and the Vatacombs (papal tombs) below, or join an extended Vatican tour.
Things to Know Before You Go
- You must pass through a security check to access the basilica—banned items include pocketknives, corkscrews, and umbrellas.
- Your shoulders and knees must be covered to enter St. Peter’s Basilica.
- The basilica’s interiors and St. Peter’s Baldachin are accessible to wheelchair users.
- Photography without flash is allowed inside the basilica.
How to Get There
St. Peter’s Basilica is located on St. Peter’s Square (Piazza San Pietro) in Vatican City. The closest metro station is Ottaviano.
When to Get There
St. Peter’s Basilica is open to the public daily. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to visit, when the crowds are thinner and wait times to enter shorter.
The Inauspicious Beginnings of St. Peter’s Baldachin
Bernini’s design for St. Peter’s Baldachin (Baldacchino di San Pietro), commissioned by Pope Urban VIII, called for so much bronze that the Pantheon’s beams were melted down—upsetting the Romans. It spurred the pun "Quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini," or "What the barbarians didn’t do, the Barberini did," an allusion to the pope’s family name of Barberini. The 24-year-old sculptor’s project eventually proved a success, even with the Romans.
Address: Piazza San Pietro, Vatican City, Rome, Italy
Admission Tickets (1)
Fast Track Access Vatican Museums Sistine Chapel & St Peters Basilica Tour
Save time, and head straight to the Vatican’s most popular sights and attractions, on this seamless and speedy tour. Pick from morning or afternoon departure times, and meet your guide. With skip-the-line tickets, you’ll beat the crowds and head straight into the Vatican Museums. Discover the Sistine Chapel at your own pace, and follow your guide directly to the museums’ other highlights. Your final stop is at the neighboring St. Peter’s Basilica.
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From
$72.91
Price varies by group size
From
$72.91
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
12 Tours and Activities to Experience St. Peter's Baldachin (Baldacchino di San Pietro)
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Fast Track Access Vatican Museums Sistine Chapel & St Peters Basilica Tour
Save time, and head straight to the Vatican’s most popular sights and attractions, on this seamless and speedy tour. Pick from morning or afternoon departure times, and meet your guide. With skip-the-line tickets, you’ll beat the crowds and head straight into the Vatican Museums. Discover the Sistine Chapel at your own pace, and follow your guide directly to the museums’ other highlights. Your final stop is at the neighboring St. Peter’s Basilica.
…More
From
$72.91
Price varies by group size
From
$72.91
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
St. Peter's Basilica : Fast Entry Guided Tour with Vatican official guides
To dig deep into the history and art of St Peter’s Basilica, explore the church on a walking tour with a Vatican guide. From St Peter’s Square, walk to the basilica, jumping past the entrance queue with your No Wait Access Ticket. Inside, listen to stories about the popes, pilgrims and Renaissance art masters who have left their marks on this iconic Catholic site, whose Michelangelo-designed dome dominates the Rome skyline.
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From
$33.36
From
$33.36
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Rome in a Day Semi-Private Tour: Colosseum, Vatican Museums, and Virtual Reality
See the highlights of the Vatican and Ancient Rome in one history- and art-filled day during this small-group walking tour that includes priority entry to some of the city’s most visited sites. With skip-the-line access to the Colosseum, you’ll jump the queue at this ancient amphitheater, and then visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Pass by the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon, and end your tour in Vatican City for skip-the-line admission to the Vatican Museums, home to the Sistine Chapel and other Renaissance masterpieces. Numbers are limited to just six people.
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From
$264.44
From
$264.44
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Skip the Line: Small Group Stories of the Vatican Tour including St. Peter's Basilica
Experience an insider’s view of the Vatican Museums on this 3.5-hour, small-group tour. First, skip the line at the Vatican Museums’ entrance, and head in to explore its main exhibits. Your guide tells you little-known facts along the way that many other tour guide don’t know. Visit the Hall of Maps, the Belvedere Courtyard, and the Sistine Chapel. Plus afterward, skip the lines at St. Peter’s Basilica, too.
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From
$109.42
From
$109.42
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Roman Countryside villages Vespa tour with driver
Get out of Rome and explore the countryside like a local—on a Vespa. With a helmet provided and a driver at the helm, you'll travel safely and comfortably along the scenic highways, enjoying the ability to focus on the scenery instead of directions and driving. Stops include the Castelli Romani, Frascati, Nemi, Ariccia, and others. Enjoy an included lunch in a typical Italian restaurant midday.
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From
$317.52
From
$317.52
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
VIP Vatican in a Day Tour: Experience Art and History as Never Before
Make the most of your time in Vatican City with this 5.5-hour tour of the Vatican Museums, the incomparable Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. See parts of the Vatican Museums collection that are often overlooked on shorter tours, including the Pinacoteca, and see masterpieces by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo.
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From
$122.34
From
$122.34
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Essential Sistine Chapel Tour, Vatican Museums and St Peter Basilica
The Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica are home to some of the world’s top artistic masterpieces—and this seamless, small-group tour makes it simple to discover the collection highlights. See the Sistine Chapel and then delve deeper into the galleries: works like Raphael’s School of Athens and the ancient Laocoön and His Sons sculpture can be found within its walls. Then, continue to neighboring St. Peter’s Basilica, where you’ll view Michelangelo’s Pieta and other masterworks.
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From
$88.82
From
$88.82
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Private Experience: Sistine Chapel , Vatican Museums & St.Peters Basilica
Discover the figures, the technique and the meaning of the frescoes created in 4 years of Michelangelo's timeless passion on our Sistine Chapel tour. Find out more about Julius II, the pope who commissioned his works. Wander through Raphael's rooms as you let our expert guide reveal the mysteries and insights of the depicted characters. Discover how the church's admiration for art has led to such a vast collection of treasures in the Vatican Museums recovered from underground after years of neglect. Skip the queues and find yourself inside St Peter's Basilica where you will be able to contemplate the long history of Christian faith and be moved by Michelangelo's world famous sculpture, Pietà.
…More
From
$222.05
Price varies by group size
From
$222.05
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Private Vatican Tour: VIP Experience
Discover the figures, the technique and the meaning of the frescoes created in 4 years of Michelangelo's timeless passion on our Sistine Chapel tour. Find out more about Julius II, the pope who commissioned his works. Wander through Raphael's rooms as you let our expert guide reveal the mysteries and insights of the depicted characters. Discover how the church's admiration for art has led to such a vast collection of treasures in the Vatican Museums recovered from underground after years of neglect. Skip the queues and find yourself inside St Peter's Basilica where you will be able to contemplate the long history of Christian faith and be moved by Michelangelo's world famous sculpture, Pietà.
…More
From
$254.23
Price varies by group size
From
$254.23
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Rome in A Day Group Tour with Colosseum & Vatican by Minivan
Rome is so full of world-famous historic sites that it would be tricky to see them all in a lifetime, let alone a single day. This small-group tour, however, ensures that you make the most of your time. You'll see the ruins of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, stroll through city center piazze, and visit the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's Basilica.
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From
$166.06
From
$166.06
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Peter's Tomb: Exclusive Visit of the Basilica & Its Necropolis
St. Peter’s Basilica may grab you with its grandeur, but much of its history lies in its hidden details. Head beneath the famous church and discover the Vatican necropolis, a Roman cemetery that’s said to house the relics of St. Peter the Apostle. Walk amid tombs that trace pagan Rome to the start of Christianity, then return to the basilica for a tour. Michelangelo’s ‘La Pietà’ and Bernini’s bronze baldachin are among the highlights.
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From
$72.91
From
$72.91
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Vatican City Saint Peter Basilica Private visit for your family and friends
St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the world’s great repositories of art and architecture and taking it in on your own can be overwhelming. With this private tour, visit with a guide to learn about this magnificent church’s history and treasures. Save time with priority access and admire the highlights inside at a more relaxed pace while you hear about the popes, saints, and artists who left their mark over the centuries.
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From
$308.93
per group
From
$308.93
per group
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Christian Rome in One Day - Luxury Private Tour
This tour was design to cover, in one day and in a very comfortable way, the main places of Christianity.
We'll discover how martyrs planted a seed for the development of Christian religion in Rome, that quickly started to gain followers over the dominant paganism, up to the conversion of the Emperor Constantine (IV century AD).
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From
$604.13
Price varies by group size
From
$604.13
Price varies by group size
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