Mercedes was a delight and so informative for the first part of our tour through the Basilica. The second part of the tour that took us to the mid-dome ramp and to the top of the dome would have been good with the second guide but for a failure of the audio transmission/reception from our guide's mic. But even if there had been no guide communication at all, the advantage of skipping a mile-long line was worth every penny.

We got there 5 minutes early but our group was already gone, so we could not have a guide- instead they gave us audio-guide!! then we did the guided tour of the Cupola, which I would not recommend. The guide was good but I do not think a guide a required. The only good thing about having a guide was to avoid the line.

Great host, great trip. Heartily recommend it to anyone.

This tour was very good, the guide was excellent, it was shorter than the advertised length. We could have had a little more history of the Basilica in the left over time.

On the day of the tour, we were thrilled to walk past the line that stretched around St Peter's Square to the front of the line where very courteous staff helped check us in and take us to the entry. Mercedes was our guide for St. Peter's. She was easy to understand, demonstrated she loved what she's doing, was entertaining and informative. She was also very willing to answer questions. We were off then to the top of the Cupola with Amil. We booked several tours and had many guides, but Amil was best by far. We loved her straight forward approach - - very entertaining and informative, easy to understand and offered personal insight and experiences. We felt as though we had met an old friend for a stroll around the Cupola. She was amazing!!! I would definitely try to arrange for Amil and Mercedes for English tours if possible. Well worth the cost and great tour!!

We loved it, the views from the top of the Cupola are amazing!
One thing that should be improved was the person whom is waiting at the meeting point was very unfriendly. He took our vouchers and stuck a sticker on us without saying a word, started walking away without giving instructions, we just to amused to follow him. Once inside the Basilica we we're handed over to our guide whom was full of knowledge and charm! We were grateful that he was not taking us around.

This tour was a great way to get into St. Peter's, which is nearly impossible in July! The tour guide was knowledgable and articulate... And VERY patient with some high maintenance participants. The basilica is beautiful, the artwork impressive and the history fascinating. The view of Rome from the cupola is unmatched. I'm so glad we did it! My only criticism is that the tour description should more accurately describe the challenging nature of the climb to the top of the cupola. Yes, it is rigorous, but it is also extremely cramped and anxiety provoking for some. One participant in our group had a full-blown panic attack half way up...and there is no turning back at that point. I felt for her! Our guide stopped and helped her through it. But maybe if the young lady had known how claustrophobic the experience might be, she wouldn't have exposed herself to what was a traumatic experience for her and her family.

Educational I didn't realize that the paintings in the Basilica were all mosaics and worth doing to skip the lines. It is a long way up and down with a very narrow staircase fits only one person at a time to the top of the cupola, but it's worth it at the top to see the views. If you have issues climbing up and down stairs either bad knees or weak heart or are claustrophobic especially with narrow, spiral staircase, don't climb all the way to the top of the cupola.

Excellent tour. Our guide was great -- very informative and attentive the entire group in a very crowded space. The tour is worth the price simply to skip the line which looked to be two-three hours of a wait in the hot sun. We skipped every line and only waited less than three minutes for security and then inside for distribution of headsets and tour logistics five minutes. The trip to the top of the Cupola was worth it as well -- some find the climb long, but it's very interesting -- spiral staircases, seeing the curved walls of the inside of the dome, etc. Again, an excellent guide. Stop looking -- just book this tour.

This tour was excellent, the guide was passionate and knowledgable. Although not for the unfit, the view was so worth the climb.