*👉🏻 Best Tours & Experiences in Rome:* ✝ Vatican Museums tour + Saint Peter's Basilica w/tour - tinyurl.com/a9th8bch ✝ Vatican Museums tour + Saint Peter's Basilica no tour - gyg.me/eLh4H9hi ✝ Vatican dome climb and Vatican grottoes - tinyurl.com/yatn9wb3 🏛 Colosseum Arena & Forum Tour - gyg.me/byJoOmzG
Thank you so much for this video! I felt it was made just for us, because it came out right before our trip to Rome. Climbing the dome was a highlight of our trip, and we felt prepared thanks to you! I highly recommend watching your videos to be prepared for Rome!!!
I’ve always wanted to go up the Dome. I’ve run out of superlatives to describe the videos that she and her husband post. Therefore, I’m just going to say, thank you very much!
future video: Day trips from Rome? We rented a car and the manager told us we MUSt see Orvieto and we loved it. Also hear great things about Tivoli. LOVE Siena but deserves 2 days Caio!
Ahhh you read my mind! I JUST went to Tivoli the other day and will be getting that video out in the next few weeks! Orvieto is also on my list. A good "Day Trips from Rome" roundup would work too. In the meantime, I have a page about it on my website: www.romewise.com/day-trips-from-rome.html
Thanks as always for all your support! Ahhh best, gelato, yes, you're right, that would be fun! In the meantime, I do have these pages on the website: www.romewise.com/best-gelato-in-rome.html
Hi! Just wanted to say thanks for the advice! We finished our trip a while back. When in Florence, we bought the hop on and off bus round trip, but didn’t even go because our guide offered a walked experience for our 4 hours in Florence. Then we went to the uffizi for 1.5 hours, then the gelato place with the chocolate fountain wall, then the jewelry store, then it was a 35 minute quick walk through a rain downpour. back to the bus station where our tour bus headed back. In Rome we went to the Trevor fountain, then Roman forum, then inside colluseum basic view (no arena floor) then went to domo artist to buy a mosaic with gold on the painting/art. It was a lot of fun. Thanks again!
Thank you for letting me know you found my content helpful with your trip planning. And thanks for sharing your experience! It sounds like you had a wonderful time!
This is a great tour Elyssa, we did this one last year, we booked it through the link on your great website and it was fantastic. Views inside and out of the dome are spectacular. Everyone should try this but be sure you are reasonably fit as it is a good climb but oh so worth it. Thanks again.
Hi Peter! Thanks for letting me know you booked this tour thanks to my website - it helps keep me in business! I appreciate it! Also, I'm glad you did the tour. I think it's a great experience. And you are right, people should know they need to be in fairly reasonable shape to do this, especially the climb to the lantern. I love how there are so many options along the way to stop and sit. That makes a difference!
It's crazy how the crowd in June compares to even September. Last September, we spent no time in line for the ticket and the elevator right before 11am.
Thank you Elyssa😃so you were at the dome around 12:30? Wanted to go early in the morning to avoid waiting in that scary long line but the light at sundown is so beautiful🥺
Thanks for watching! yes, I was up at around midday in June, and the sun was directly overhead. If you decide to go super early, just know that while the Basilica opens at 7am, the dome opens at 7:30. And yes, if you go that early, you will have the sun directly in front of you because the basilica faces east. For me, evening, no matter the time of year, has the prettiest light.
I'm too scared of heights to do the dome. Even though there is a barrier, it is a perception thing. Thank you for the video. It's good to know the updated entrances. I may get a boost of courage .
I completely understand! This climb is not for everyone. You might take the lift (or stairs) to just the first level. You can still see the inside and the outside of the dome up close. On the inside, there is a really tall plexiglass barrier, but I get it that that might not be sufficient.
Thank you. I talk specifically about this at the beginning of the video. You can watch it at 00:58. Please note that according to the Vatican: "Due to maintenance work in the archaeological area under St. Peter's Basilica, guided tours of the necropolis and tomb of St. Peter will be suspended from 17 August 2024 to 3 November 2024."
Hi Elyssa! I've commented on a video of yours before but I want to reiterate how helpful you've been throughout my process of planning a Rome vacation this summer! I love receiving notifications when you post a new video because I know I'll learn something that will help my travels come August! I have a few questions about visiting Saint Peter's Basilica. My partner and I got tickets to just visit the Vatican Museums. We'd like to also visit Saint Peter's but don't really understand how to get entry tickets to it. We aren't planning on going up to the dome or the tomb, just inside of Saint Peter's! Is admission free? We understand that we'll need to wait in the security line just to get into Saint Peter's but didn't know if we need to have tickets for when we enter it? Also, I looked on Saint Peter's website and saw that for guided tours, they say, "All tickets for guided tours are available from the Tour Desk, located in the portico of Saint Peter’s Basilica. The Fabric of Saint Peter provides specially trained guides at the Basilica for pilgrims and visitors. The guided tour service of the Basilica may be requested only at the Tour Desk, located in the portico of Saint Peter’s Basilica." So this cannot be booked in advance, correct? Do you happen to know if they sell out very quickly? Thank you for your patience and your next-level expertise!
Thanks so much for your kind comments! I'm so glad you enjoy my videos and find them helpful. In answer to your question, Saint Peter's Basilica is free. There are no entry tickets. The line is due to security. If you want a tour of the basilica, you can ask for one once you go inside. You can book tours of the basilica with an outside tour company, which will cost more. But if you just want the one that the Vatican offers, you can only get it after you enter the basilica. I don't think they sell out but I can't guarantee it!
Great video, thaks so much for the valuable new information regarding the entance to the Cupola that has changed place. Also, before they only accepted cash to buy the elevator ticket, it seems that now they are accepting credit cards. Really nice!!! I've herad that nowadays, Pietá and also the Baldachino are unavailable to see due to reconstructions, Is that true? Do you know when they will be available again? I'm going to Vatican next november and eager to see Pietá and the Baldachino uncovered. It´ll be much appreciated if you have this information. Thanks in advance, and thaks again for the great job you've been doing spreading Rome and Italy beauties. 🙂🙂🙂
Thanks for watching. Yes, it's good to know about some of these changes. I think the new ticketing area is much better than the old one. Also it's great that you can pay with credit card. Yes, you are right, the Pietà and the Baldachino (along with many monuments and fountains in Rome right now) are behind scaffolding. There are huge preparations all over the city, and certainly at the Vatican, for the 2025 Jubilee. The city will be sparkling and beautiful then but in the meantime, unfortunately for those visiting this year, there are some things people won't get to see in all their glory. Please stay tuned as I'm preparing a video all about this!
@@Romewise Thanks for your kind reply!!! Bad news a lot of monuments will be hidden from my craving eyes!!! I'll be anxiously waiting for your video about this!!! 🙂🙂🙂
Hi, i love your videos. Im going in late august. I read that you can’t carry a bag bigger than 45 x 35 x15cm in the church. My bag is slightly bigger. How strict are they with this rule? Do you think they will let me carry it in or will i have to leave it in the cloak room?
Thank you for your kind comments! I can't really say how strict they are because often, this depends on the guard. Many people enter with school backpacks, like the kind you'd get to put textbooks in. Anything much bigger than that will likely be declined. I would try to stick to their rules if you can.
Where is the line to climb to the dome? Is it inside the Basilica or outside somewhere? My plan is to go into the Basilica right at 7 (line up outside 30 min before) and then go to the dome right at 8.
I show this in the video. I walk you through the whole thing from walking up the steps to the basilica, to buying my ticket, to entering to wait in the line to Saint Peter's basilica. You can see what it looks like at 05:25.
Question: When coming down from the dome, can I stop again at the 1st level? The reason I ask, my wife may wait for me at the 1st level while I go to the top as she is more claustrophobic. I want to know if we can meet again at the first level on the way down and take the elevator or we have to plan to meet at the ground? Love your videos and all the great info. Thank you.
Yes, absolutely. I didn't show that part in the video but it's the same as going up. You come up to the first level and can stay there, walk around, go to the café, etc and then either climb to the lantern or not. And many people have similar situations as you do - one person wants to the the climb and the other does not, so your wife can absolutely wait for you on the first level. There are some seats inside the café. Then you can go back down together to the basilica.
Hi, I was finally able to book tickets for the museum. But it is at 8 am in the morning. So visiting Basilica in the morning is not possible. So what is the best time in the evening to queue up for it? I am visiting 12th September.
Is that a Wednesday? If the 12th is a Wednesday, then you are correct, the basilica will be closed until after the papal audience. It reopens after the audience, around 1pm. In this video, I did exactly what you describe. I got 8:30am tickets with a TOUR that allowed me to take the shortcut to the basilica, and I was in the basilica at around 12pm. As you might have seen in the video, if you go first thing in the morning, the sun is right in front of you and if you go in later afternoon, the sun is behind you.
@@Romewise Hi 12th is a Thursday. My Tickets are directly purchased from the Vatican Museum. No tours :( In that case, how long roughly have to stay in the queue to access to Basilica? Even if I come at 6 in the morning since Basilica opens at 7am I may not have enough time to visit it as I like to climb the dome as well.
@@Fernando_Bro You won't make it for an 8am Vatican Museums visit if you try to visit the basilica first. If you just booked a single visit to the museums without a tour, I suggest you follow this trick: ua-cam.com/video/5ac7cvBH0iY/v-deo.html Then, either head to the basilica after your visit and stand in line or come another day if you want to visit the basilica when it opens at 7am. FYI I show in this video that if you climb the dome in the morning, you will get washed out photos as the sun will be directly in front of you.
*👉🏻 Best Tours & Experiences in Rome:*
✝ Vatican Museums tour + Saint Peter's Basilica w/tour - tinyurl.com/a9th8bch
✝ Vatican Museums tour + Saint Peter's Basilica no tour - gyg.me/eLh4H9hi
✝ Vatican dome climb and Vatican grottoes - tinyurl.com/yatn9wb3
🏛 Colosseum Arena & Forum Tour - gyg.me/byJoOmzG
Thank you so much for this video! I felt it was made just for us, because it came out right before our trip to Rome. Climbing the dome was a highlight of our trip, and we felt prepared thanks to you! I highly recommend watching your videos to be prepared for Rome!!!
Glad you enjoyed it! Great to hear that you found my video helpful and that you felt prepared for your Rome visit. I hope you loved the dome climb!
I’ve always wanted to go up the Dome. I’ve run out of superlatives to describe the videos that she and her husband post. Therefore, I’m just going to say, thank you very much!
THANK YOU as always, Ralph! I'm so grateful! I do hope you'll get to climb the dome - the views are just amazing!
future video: Day trips from Rome? We rented a car and the manager told us we MUSt see Orvieto and we loved it. Also hear great things about Tivoli. LOVE Siena but deserves 2 days Caio!
Ahhh you read my mind! I JUST went to Tivoli the other day and will be getting that video out in the next few weeks! Orvieto is also on my list. A good "Day Trips from Rome" roundup would work too.
In the meantime, I have a page about it on my website:
www.romewise.com/day-trips-from-rome.html
Thanks Elyssa for excellent tips and making the most of ones Roman experience. Best gelato in Rome would be a fun video!
Thanks as always for all your support! Ahhh best, gelato, yes, you're right, that would be fun! In the meantime, I do have these pages on the website:
www.romewise.com/best-gelato-in-rome.html
Thank you very much.
Thanks for watching!
Great. I've done that twice.😊
I love it! It's always different depending on the time of day/year, and the sky :)
Hi! Just wanted to say thanks for the advice! We finished our trip a while back. When in Florence, we bought the hop on and off bus round trip, but didn’t even go because our guide offered a walked experience for our 4 hours in Florence. Then we went to the uffizi for 1.5 hours, then the gelato place with the chocolate fountain wall, then the jewelry store, then it was a 35 minute quick walk through a rain downpour. back to the bus station where our tour bus headed back.
In Rome we went to the Trevor fountain, then Roman forum, then inside colluseum basic view (no arena floor) then went to domo artist to buy a mosaic with gold on the painting/art. It was a lot of fun. Thanks again!
Thank you for letting me know you found my content helpful with your trip planning. And thanks for sharing your experience! It sounds like you had a wonderful time!
Always great Information. Love watching your videos and I look forward to getting back Roma soon..
Thank you as always for your kind support!
This is a great tour Elyssa, we did this one last year, we booked it through the link on your great website and it was fantastic. Views inside and out of the dome are spectacular. Everyone should try this but be sure you are reasonably fit as it is a good climb but oh so worth it. Thanks again.
Hi Peter! Thanks for letting me know you booked this tour thanks to my website - it helps keep me in business! I appreciate it! Also, I'm glad you did the tour. I think it's a great experience. And you are right, people should know they need to be in fairly reasonable shape to do this, especially the climb to the lantern. I love how there are so many options along the way to stop and sit. That makes a difference!
Very cool! 👏 👏
Thank you!
@@Romewise you always have excellent video content! 👏 👏 👏
@@goodrich06 THanks so much! So nice of you!
It's crazy how the crowd in June compares to even September. Last September, we spent no time in line for the ticket and the elevator right before 11am.
September is typically peak season, even busier than June! Glad you were able to experience this without too long a line.
Thank you Elyssa😃so you were at the dome around 12:30?
Wanted to go early in the morning to avoid waiting in that scary long line but the light at sundown is so beautiful🥺
Thanks for watching! yes, I was up at around midday in June, and the sun was directly overhead. If you decide to go super early, just know that while the Basilica opens at 7am, the dome opens at 7:30. And yes, if you go that early, you will have the sun directly in front of you because the basilica faces east. For me, evening, no matter the time of year, has the prettiest light.
I'm too scared of heights to do the dome. Even though there is a barrier, it is a perception thing.
Thank you for the video. It's good to know the updated entrances. I may get a boost of courage .
I completely understand! This climb is not for everyone. You might take the lift (or stairs) to just the first level. You can still see the inside and the outside of the dome up close. On the inside, there is a really tall plexiglass barrier, but I get it that that might not be sufficient.
@@Romewise I tried it in St Paul's in London. Was clinging to the wall like Spiderman. 😆 🤣
@@lornamorgan3575 Ha ha what a great mental image!!!
I climb this too and I remember it was so claustrophobic and it smelt with BO too
But it was all worth it when I got to the top
Yes it can be a little claustrophobic but there are windows at intervals throughout the climb so you can always look out and even sit at them.
Thank you for a helpful video.
Can I ask if the tour for Saint Peter’s tomb finishes at the church?
Does that mean we skip the line?
Thank you. I talk specifically about this at the beginning of the video. You can watch it at 00:58.
Please note that according to the Vatican:
"Due to maintenance work in the archaeological area under St. Peter's Basilica, guided tours of the necropolis and tomb of St. Peter will be suspended from 17 August 2024 to 3 November 2024."
Hi Elyssa! I've commented on a video of yours before but I want to reiterate how helpful you've been throughout my process of planning a Rome vacation this summer! I love receiving notifications when you post a new video because I know I'll learn something that will help my travels come August! I have a few questions about visiting Saint Peter's Basilica. My partner and I got tickets to just visit the Vatican Museums. We'd like to also visit Saint Peter's but don't really understand how to get entry tickets to it. We aren't planning on going up to the dome or the tomb, just inside of Saint Peter's! Is admission free? We understand that we'll need to wait in the security line just to get into Saint Peter's but didn't know if we need to have tickets for when we enter it? Also, I looked on Saint Peter's website and saw that for guided tours, they say, "All tickets for guided tours are available from the Tour Desk, located in the portico of Saint Peter’s Basilica. The Fabric of Saint Peter provides specially trained guides at the Basilica for pilgrims and visitors. The guided tour service of the Basilica may be requested only at the Tour Desk, located in the portico of Saint Peter’s Basilica." So this cannot be booked in advance, correct? Do you happen to know if they sell out very quickly? Thank you for your patience and your next-level expertise!
Thanks so much for your kind comments! I'm so glad you enjoy my videos and find them helpful. In answer to your question, Saint Peter's Basilica is free. There are no entry tickets. The line is due to security.
If you want a tour of the basilica, you can ask for one once you go inside. You can book tours of the basilica with an outside tour company, which will cost more. But if you just want the one that the Vatican offers, you can only get it after you enter the basilica. I don't think they sell out but I can't guarantee it!
Great video, thaks so much for the valuable new information regarding the entance to the Cupola that has changed place. Also, before they only accepted cash to buy the elevator ticket, it seems that now they are accepting credit cards. Really nice!!! I've herad that nowadays, Pietá and also the Baldachino are unavailable to see due to reconstructions, Is that true? Do you know when they will be available again? I'm going to Vatican next november and eager to see Pietá and the Baldachino uncovered. It´ll be much appreciated if you have this information. Thanks in advance, and thaks again for the great job you've been doing spreading Rome and Italy beauties. 🙂🙂🙂
Thanks for watching. Yes, it's good to know about some of these changes. I think the new ticketing area is much better than the old one. Also it's great that you can pay with credit card.
Yes, you are right, the Pietà and the Baldachino (along with many monuments and fountains in Rome right now) are behind scaffolding. There are huge preparations all over the city, and certainly at the Vatican, for the 2025 Jubilee. The city will be sparkling and beautiful then but in the meantime, unfortunately for those visiting this year, there are some things people won't get to see in all their glory.
Please stay tuned as I'm preparing a video all about this!
@@Romewise Thanks for your kind reply!!! Bad news a lot of monuments will be hidden from my craving eyes!!! I'll be anxiously waiting for your video about this!!! 🙂🙂🙂
@@andrewilner Sorry to share this disappointing news! Stay tuned, my video will be out soon!
Hi, i love your videos. Im going in late august. I read that you can’t carry a bag bigger than 45 x 35 x15cm in the church. My bag is slightly bigger. How strict are they with this rule? Do you think they will let me carry it in or will i have to leave it in the cloak room?
Thank you for your kind comments!
I can't really say how strict they are because often, this depends on the guard. Many people enter with school backpacks, like the kind you'd get to put textbooks in. Anything much bigger than that will likely be declined. I would try to stick to their rules if you can.
Where is the line to climb to the dome? Is it inside the Basilica or outside somewhere? My plan is to go into the Basilica right at 7 (line up outside 30 min before) and then go to the dome right at 8.
I show this in the video. I walk you through the whole thing from walking up the steps to the basilica, to buying my ticket, to entering to wait in the line to Saint Peter's basilica. You can see what it looks like at 05:25.
Question: When coming down from the dome, can I stop again at the 1st level? The reason I ask, my wife may wait for me at the 1st level while I go to the top as she is more claustrophobic. I want to know if we can meet again at the first level on the way down and take the elevator or we have to plan to meet at the ground? Love your videos and all the great info. Thank you.
Yes, absolutely. I didn't show that part in the video but it's the same as going up. You come up to the first level and can stay there, walk around, go to the café, etc and then either climb to the lantern or not. And many people have similar situations as you do - one person wants to the the climb and the other does not, so your wife can absolutely wait for you on the first level. There are some seats inside the café.
Then you can go back down together to the basilica.
@@RomewiseThank you so much for your quick reply. We'll be there in 2 weeks and cannot wait to enjoy your amazing recommendations.
@@rkassam1 Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you and your wife have a wonderful time!
Hi, I was finally able to book tickets for the museum. But it is at 8 am in the morning. So visiting Basilica in the morning is not possible. So what is the best time in the evening to queue up for it? I am visiting 12th September.
Is that a Wednesday? If the 12th is a Wednesday, then you are correct, the basilica will be closed until after the papal audience.
It reopens after the audience, around 1pm.
In this video, I did exactly what you describe. I got 8:30am tickets with a TOUR that allowed me to take the shortcut to the basilica, and I was in the basilica at around 12pm. As you might have seen in the video, if you go first thing in the morning, the sun is right in front of you and if you go in later afternoon, the sun is behind you.
@@Romewise Hi 12th is a Thursday. My Tickets are directly purchased from the Vatican Museum. No tours :( In that case, how long roughly have to stay in the queue to access to Basilica? Even if I come at 6 in the morning since Basilica opens at 7am I may not have enough time to visit it as I like to climb the dome as well.
@@Fernando_Bro You won't make it for an 8am Vatican Museums visit if you try to visit the basilica first. If you just booked a single visit to the museums without a tour, I suggest you follow this trick:
ua-cam.com/video/5ac7cvBH0iY/v-deo.html
Then, either head to the basilica after your visit and stand in line or come another day if you want to visit the basilica when it opens at 7am. FYI I show in this video that if you climb the dome in the morning, you will get washed out photos as the sun will be directly in front of you.
Where to buy the dome ticket, since the basilica tickets are free.
This is what I show in the video. I walk you through exactly where to purchase tickets once past security to Saint Peter's Basilica. It's at 05:25.