samori

Does anyone know when the last entry time is to climb the dome of St. Peter's Basilica on Tuesday, July 31? I know the Basilica itself is open until 7pm.

Grazie!

Pepper_von_snoot

the dome is open eight to five/

don't know what time last entry is/

you can take an elevator up to the dome/

it does cost more but/

you don't have to walk/


razr//

kybourbon

It's listed on the Vatican website.

http://www.vatican.va/various/basili...pola/orari.htm

NeoPatrick

There may be an elevator up TO the dome, but not to the top of the dome. Isn't that what the OP is talking about. That climb inside the dome is a little rough as you lean almost sideways on the narrow stairs. Can't imagine there is an elevator there!

samori

Thank you!

annhig

samori - like NP says, the lift only goes up to the level of the mosaics round the base of the dome.

once up there you can walk across the roof of the Basilica, [unexpectedly interesting] and as well as the entrance to the bottom of the dome, there are toilets and even a cafe! once you are inside, you can inspect the mosaics up close, and then climb up inside the dome, which took me about 10 mins. up at the top there is that little turret that you can see from the bottom, which once you get up there is quite big.

you come back down another way [so no crossing on the stairs!] and once you get back to roof level, you can either go down in the lift or take the stairs. it took us about a hour, all told.

rineurope

Sometimes they will "shut the line down" about 16:30 if it gets too long. As mentioned, you do have two options - walking all the way up OR riding the elevator to the roof and then walking up. The first option costs 5€ and the elevator, 7€.

Trust me, take the elevator option. But yes, even if you do take the elevator, you STILL HAVE about 312 steps from the roof (where the elevator stops) to the top of the cupola. It's 500+ steps if you walk all the up from the ground (I've ALWAYS used the elevator!).

Once at the top, you have great views of St. Peter's Square and Rome - but also of the gardens in the Vatican, a view that many people never see. One day in 2008 we were up in the cupola and helicopters were EVERYWHERE. We saw a crowd in the garden area and did not know until later that President Bush was visiting the Vatican. Take your camera for some amazing pictures!

annhig

the best tactic to beat the queue is to get there early. The day we decided to go, we got to St. Peter's by about 9.15 and there was no wait to get through security. then we went straight to the ticket office for the Dome, and had to wait for about 15 mins for it to open - it was February.

then we got the lift to roof level, climbed the Dome, looked around, came down and had a coffee in the cafe, and then came down and wandered around st. Peter's for a while [we'd been before but i always like to walk round it when i can] and then exited at about 10.30, when the queue to get through security was right across the piazza to the Vatican post office.

cybertraveler

If you're claustrophobic at all, you might want to reconsider climbing all the way up if it's extremely crowded or hot. When I did that climb, I did not really enjoy it, because the stairs seem to go on forever, and get progressively smaller and more enclosed. That said, the view from the turret is amazing.