Climbing the Dome • St. Peter's Basilica • Vatican City

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St. Peter's Basilica is amongst the most stunning and revered landmarks of art and religion in the world. The St. Peter's Basilica Dome is easily one of the most fascinating parts of the iconic structure. It is known worldwide as the symbol of the Church of Rome and a beacon that invites pilgrims from around the world to the heart of Christianity. The St. Peter's Basilica Dome is an architectural marvel that offers breathtaking views of Vatican City and Rome.
St. Peter’s Dome has a height of 136 meters and an internal diameter of 42 meters, making it one of the largest domes in the world.
Climbing to the First Level
The first level of the dome is up 231 steps. Sounds exhausting? Well, you can skip the climb and take the elevator. You wind up on the inside of Michelangelo's dome, and from here, you can enjoy the views of the interiors of the basilica from above, explore the mosaics up close, and also explore the roof of the basilica, which houses the statues of Jesus and the Apostles that you can see from the square.

Climbing to the Top of The Dome
This part of the climb is optional. There is no elevator for this part, but climbing the next 320 steps will take you to the absolute top of the Basilica's dome. However, this part of the climb can be tricky. The single-file staircase spirals up, and the roof tends to slant in as you go up. As you keep climbing the staircase gets narrower, and on the last steps, you will only have a rope to hang on to.
While there are windows along the way, if you are claustrophobic or acrophobic, this climb can prove to be difficult. However, the climb will prove to be worthwhile once you are at the top. You can enjoy spectacular views of the city from here.

00:00 Intro
00:28 First Level - the roof of the basilica
01:08 The Apostles on the roof
01:45 inside of Michelangelo's dome
04:04 the Top of The Dome