If you’ve been to Rome (or read any of our guidebooks on Italy), you’re probably familiar with the St. Peter’s Basilica caveat.
While every other major attraction in Rome—including the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum, Galleria Borghese, and a host of smaller sites—allow, encourage, or even require advanced online reservations, St. Peter’s has always been the exception. The only way to enter the world's largest church, short of booking a pricey private tour, has been to wait in the long line snaking around St. Peter’s Square.
Often that line can feel downright purgatorial. Depending on the time of year, event schedules, weather, and other factors, the wait might take hours, most of the time without any shelter or shade.
In 2026, though, the Holy See is finally getting with the program.
Improvements to the visitor experience coming soon to St. Peter's
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the “modern” basilica, consecrated in 1626 to replace the 4th-century church built by Constantine, Rome's first Christian emperor.
As part of that milestone, the Vatican announced in mid-February a series of improvements to the St. Peter’s visitor experience, including streamlined entry policies, the opening of previously closed-off areas, expanded access to the basilica terrace, a larger snack bar, multilingual digital translations, and a new pilgrimage route that traces the path of saints Peter and Paul through Rome.
For everyday visitors, the great leap forward among this raft of improvements is the online reservation system, which will allow booking for timed entry—the same “skip-the-line” access offered at Rome’s other big-ticket sights.
The system should minimize wait times, help with crowd control, and allow tourists to organize their days better.
As entrance to the basilica is now free of charge, we’re presuming it will remain so, though a small online booking surcharge may apply.
The other improvements are exciting as well, especially in a church that’s an essential stop for so many visitors to Rome.
Multimedia exhibits will open in the Octagonal Halls—the massive pillars that support Michelangelo’s mighty dome.
The expanded roof terrace will hold displays about the history of the basilica, and, yes, the adjacent snack bar will nearly double in size, providing greater sustenance to pilgrims and tourists alike.
Though there was reportedly some grumbling in the Italian media about the prospect of serving pizza on the roof of the sacred site, Vatican officials shrugged off that criticism. After all, there's already a smaller refreshment area at the church anyway.
Another change that's coming: AI–generated translations of mass will be available in 60 languages, allowing international audiences to follow the service in real time on their smartphones.
Missing from the February announcement were the rollout dates for these initiatives. But hey, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was St. Peter’s. Maybe a little patience is called for.
We’ll be sure to give you an update as soon as the online booking system is up and running.
Frommer's Rome, Florence & Venice 2026
There is no better introduction to Italy than the classic itinerary of Rome, Florence and Venice. But it is not dummy-proof, which is why we enlisted three of Italy’s most knowledgeable experts—Elizabeth Heath, Donald Strachan and Stephen Keeling—to pen this guide. Their helpful advice, and honest, ...
Get the bookFrommer's Rome, Florence & Venice 2026
There is no better introduction to Italy than the classic itinerary of Rome, Florence and Venice. But it is not dummy-proof, which is why we enlisted three of Italy’s most knowledgeable experts—Elizabeth Heath, Donald Strachan and Stephen Keeling—to pen this guide. Their helpful advice, and honest, ...