Vatican City Guide
We will admit, we didn’t know that much about Vatican City besides it being home to the Pope and Michael Angelo’s Sistine Chapel. But after spending a little over three hours exploring the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basicilla, we know without a doubt we wouldn’t want it to be our last trip into the smallest sovereign state of the world.
With a population of just 825 (2019) why wouldn’t you want to visit!?
The guide below will tell you about the history of Vatican City, why you should visit, things to see, and how to book.
Overview
At just 0.17 square miles, Vatican City is the world’s smallest country. A United Nations Observer and surrounded entirely by Rome, the Vatican is the residence of the spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church and its tiny population, which sits at just over 800, is pretty much made up of priests and nuns.
Originally the capital of the Papal States, it was the only one remaining once Italy unified itself in the 19th century, although the Pope’s power was abolished, and the papal territory was confined to the Vatican’s walls. In 1929 the Italian Government negotiated the Lateran Treaty, which created the microstate in its current form.
Today the independent state is home to the Pope and is where head of the Catholic Church exercises his universal power from. Vatican City has its own telephone network, post office, gardens, radio station banking system and even an astronomical observatory. Much of the country’s income is derived from the donations of more than one billion Roman Catholics worldwide, in addition to tourism.
Why Visit Vatican City?
If the pull of being the world’s smallest country alone isn’t enough, then head to Vatican City for incredible architecture, perfectly manicured gardens and sweeping views over the surrounding area and Rome.
If you’re heading to the Italian capital then you can get a two-for-one deal and tick off Italy and Vatican City in one trip, while seeing some of the world’s most beautiful buildings and décor.
The main attractions
Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums have been around since the 16th century and, as its name would suggest, it is a collection of museums featuring over 70,000 object of art and antiquity. From the Vatican Pinacoteca, which includes works by painters such as Leonardo and Carvaggio, and the Missionary-Ethnological Museum, which is a collection of objects from cultures around the world that have been collected by missionaries, there is so much to see here that you would need multiple trips to get around everything.
Sistine Chapel
Although the Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatincan Museums, it is an attraction in its own right that they could easily sell separate tickets to. The Sistine Chapel is more than just a place of prayer, and is known for its painted ceiling – a work of art completed in the 16th century by famous Italian painter Michelangelo. Today, it is the site of the papal conclave – the proves by which a new pope is selected.
It really is a thing of beauty!
Pictures cannot be taken inside the Sistine Chapel! A woman had to delete pictures she had taken!
St Peter’s Basilica
St Peter’s Basilica is one of the biggest churches ever built and one of the holiest sites in Christianity. With its large façade and imposing Dome, it is a key component of the Roman skyline.
Its lavish interior contains spectacular works of art from some of Italy’s most famous sculptors and artists including Michelangelo and Bernini.
While it’s free to enter the church, there is a charge to go up to the viewing platform on top of its dome. Both are well worth doing, especially as St Peter’s is one of the finest tourist attractions in the world.
Heading up to the top of the dome is an experience as you climb up through a tight walk inside the dome roof!
St Peter’s Square
St Peter’s Square is the giant piazza that leads up to St Peter’s Basilica. It is a great place to take a few photos and is also where big events such as public mass, and the Pope’s public speeches take place.
You really feel that you are in a special place when you are at St Peter’s Square.
Opening Hours and Ticket Prices
Always book your tours and tickets in advance!
Vatican Museums are open from 08:30 – 4pm and there are several options for you to choose from.
Don’t forget, St Peter’s Basilica is always free!
Buying Direct
You can buy direct here
Ticket price direct – €17.00 / $20 / £14.50
This ticket includes Vatican Museums entrance and Sistine Chapel (St Peter’s Basilica is always free)
Omnia card
This was the option that we went with as it allows all of the above but also includes free public transport, hop on bus, entrance to the Colosseum etc. It will also allow priority entrance to St Peter’s Basilica.
Price for 72 hour pass: €113.00 / $133 / £96
- Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
- St. Peter’s Basilica with multilingual audio-guide App
- Basilica and Cloister of Saint John in Lateran with audio-guide – The entrance to the Treasure Museum is not available at the moment
- Open Bus Vatican & Rome
- The entrance to Carcer Tullianum
- 2 free entrances to Roman museums or archaeological sites
- Reduced entrance to the successive Roman museums or archaeological sites on the Roma Pass list
- Free access to city public transport (operated by ATAC) for 72 hours
Guided tour
If you wish to have a guided tour so you can learn while you take it all in, we have hand picked this tour for you.
Price: €41.90 / £35 / $49
Highlights:
- Explore the vast galleries of the Vatican Museums with a guide in your chosen language
- Discover Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel
- Skip the ticket lines to enter St. Peter’s Basilica
We recommend using our partner for all the Vatican tours and tickets:
How to get there
There are several ways to get to Vatican City, but to actually get in will be on foot, and there are no border crossings you need to worry about. It is completely open.
To get to the Vatican, you can either walk, get a taxi (expensive), bus, or take the Metro Line A to Ottaviano-S.
Pietro, the number 40 or 64 bus from Roma Termini (which has frequent departures) to the bus stops right outside the city walls or take one of Rome’s white taxis, which are easy to come across and flag down, although more expensive than public transport.
After thoughts
We’v seen almost all of Europe and we are yet to find a building more marvellous than St Peter’s Basilica.
This Vatican icon stands tall over Rome, but it’s inside where it really captures imagination. From the grand, marble floors to the intricacy of its elaborate paintings and frescoes, this church’s décor is nothing short of breathtaking.
More Photo's
We hope you enjoyed this guide to Vatican City. Feel free to leave comments below or to ask us any questions.
We loved Vatican City! Make sure its on your list!
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