Located in the heart of Rome, the Vatican City is the smallest state in Europe, ruled by the Pope.
All Information and prices are updated to 2024.
"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible." - St. Thomas Aquinas
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Top Things to know about the Vatican City
Best time to Visit?: Being the most popular tourist attraction in Rome, the Vatican City gets a lot of visitors all year round.
It is most crowded on Wednesdays, when the Pope holds an audience at St. Peter’s Basilica, and on weekends where people from different parts of Italy and Europe come to visit. Also avoid going around Christmas and New Year’s.
The best time to visit with fewer crowds is from December to February.
But if you are visiting between April to October, be sure to visit Friday nights where it is much less crowded.
Avoid going in the morning. I find the best time of day to visit is just around lunchtime.
Top 4 Things to see and do at the Vatican City
#1: Strolling around St. Peter's Square
St. Peter's Square is one of the most beautiful and largest squares in the world, right at the feet of St. Peter's Basilica.
It is 240 meters wide and 320 meters long, with 284 columns and 88 pilasters. There are 140 statues of saints above the columns. In the middle of the square is a 25meter high obelisk which was carried to Rome from Egypt.
It is truly magical in the evening.
Use the Metro Line A and get out at Ottaviano Station.
Where to eat?
#2: Visiting St. Peter's Basilica
One of the largest churches in the world, St. Peter's Basilica.
It was named after Saint Peter, one of Jesus's disciples and founders of the Catholic Church. He was buried where the Basilica now stands after his execution in Rome.
It is an experience you will never forget, especially if you decide to climb to the top of the dome, where you will see breathtaking views of Rome and St. Peter's Square.
It is free to enter the Basilica, but if you want to climb the dome, you will have to buy a ticket. Furthermore, it costs €8 to take the lift to the terrace plus 320 steps.
If you are fit, take the 550 steps to the top for €6.
The Basilica is open October till March from 7a.m till 6:30p.m and April till September from 7a.m till 7p.m.
The dome is open from 8a.m till one hour before the Basilica closes.
Use the Metro Line A and get out at the Ottaviano Station.
#3: Exploring the Vatican Museums
More than 6 million people visit the Vatican Museums every year, therefor the lines to enter are among the longest in Rome.
To avoid the crowds and the long lines, do not visit on the Sundays of each month when admission is free or during Holy Week, and avoid weekends.
The best time to visit is around lunchtime.
Some of the things you can see in the Museums are the beautiful maps painted in fresco on the walls of the Gallery of Maps or the collection of medieval ceramics in the Apartment of Pius V or the Greek and Roman sculptures in the Gregorian Profane Museum.
The Museums form the entrance to the Sistine Chapel.
Open from Monday to Saturday 9a.m till 6p.m. but closed on Sunday except for the last Sunday of each month when it is open from 9a.m till 2p.m.
They are also closed on the 1st and 6th of January, the 19th, 22nd and 28th of February, the 29th of June, the 15th of August, the 1st of November and the 8th and 26th of December.
Use the Metro Line A and get out at the Cipro-Musei Vaticani Station.
#4: Admire Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel
One of the Vatican City's greatest treasures is the Sistine Chapel.
This is where the popes are chosen and crowned, and it is where you will find some of Michelangelo's masterpieces.
Admire the striking frescoes completely covering the walls and the ceiling and find the best known image inside, the Creation of Adam.
Also, above the high altar, you will see another of Michelangelo's masterpieces, the Final Judgment.
The Sistine Chapel has the same opening times as the Vatican Museums.
Best Hotels near the Vatican City
The Place 217, 4*
A lovely boutique hotel with a very pleasant homely atmosphere in the heart of Rome.
The Vatican is just a 10minute walk away.
A quality 4star Hotel just a few minutes walk to the Vatican City.
Some rooms offer views of the St. Peter's dome.
* We paid for this Rome vacation out of our own pocket. All tips given are our own. Some links are advertising links. This means that, if you book something through these links, we receive a small commission. Every month we donate 20% of our earnings to an animal shelter, animal sanctuary or animal welfare organization around the world.
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