-Europe.VaticanCity-
The Vatican city is a country within another country – Italy. When there is a visit to Rome, often everyone includes visiting for 3 main reasons – St. Peter’s Square/Basilica, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. It is the smallest state in the world from its size and population. Euro is used here and the Italian phone net as well. The city is very green , half being beautiful gardens and parks – seen here from the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.
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Table of Contents
What to see and do in Vatican City
Attend Sunday Mass at the Vatican
Fancy seeing the Pope ? I have seen him – it is a bucket list item checked which I didn’t know I had before this. The sight of Pope Benedict at the time newly appointed – at the Vatican, in St. Peter’s Square – but wait! I only saw his arm waving from a window. Hmm, maybe it was a stand-in, or a mechanical arm set to a timer to wave. It’s really hard to tell when there are thousands of people at the Sunday mass. At the time I thought the mass was held at the Square but it was actually held inside the Basilica. You would need a ticket for getting in. It’s free and you can check out this link for the papal schedules and getting a ticket.
St Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro)
I want to highlight the Square because it is one of the most awe-inspiring I have ever had the privilege to see. It is a Bernini architectural masterpiece – the semi-circular colonnades with statues of religious figures adorning the top complete with an ancient Egyptian obelisk in the center.
One of the most amazing views you get of the square is from the top of the Basilica
*Tip On the ground to the left and right of the Egyptian obelisk is a marble plate – if you stand on it, you will see a perfectly aligned row of the column. You see one instead of four columns for the entire section of the semi-circle! Talk about architectural genius.
Below is a picture from my POV (point of view) from the marble plate. In front , is one of two symmetrical fountains on the Piazza San Pietro
St Peter's Basilica (Vatican City)
St. Peter’s Square provides a grand preview to the Basilica. There is often a long queue here as entrance is FREE as it is an active functioning Church – masses are held here as normal churches do. However St. Peter’s Basilica is anything BUT normal. Traditionally St. Peter is regarded as the very first Pope in Roman Catholicism. Additionally there are many great pieces of artwork by the old Renaissance masters on display inside.
The architectural design of the Basilica itself went through many creative hands – one of them was the great Michaelangelo himself. The design of the Dome was by him although he did not live to see it completed. The Dome is considered one of the great creations of the Renaissance.
Getting inside St Peter's Basilica
Tip: Be Aware that a dress code is strictly imposed in the Basilica and at the Vatican museums – no bare shoulders or knees allowed. It doesn’t matter how long you have queued – I witnessed a mini-skirted girl being refused entry, crying did not work either. There is a mandatory security check before being allowed entry, therefore I would leave what I can at the Hotel to avoid problems.
Option 1 Do-It-Yourself-Free Entry:
I have read that going there in the late afternoon around 16:00 there are practically no queues but nothing is for sure. However the crypts are closed at 16:00. I would check the website for any religious events or scheduled mass because then you will not be able to enter . Check here
Option 2 Skip the Queue:
*Update 2024: This option is currently not available
Previously it was possible to have a fast track into the Basilica when purchasing an audio guide, there is at the moment in 2024 no special line for this. The guided tour (Option 3 is the best bet to beat a long queue) Still I would highly recommend to get an audio guide if you decide to do it independently.
The official download you can purchase from the voxmundi site for a few Euros.
*Tip: Get the digital audio where you can download onto your phone and do not use those that has you going somewhere else to get the physical audio guide as that is another step you don’t need.
Option 3 Get a guided tour:
The official tours from the Vatican is normally found at the voxmundi site (link at option 2) but there are other options too where a local guide provides you with more insight and information of the sights. Check it out at Get your Guide
Option 4 Combine with other attractions
If you are seeing other attractions in Rome additionally, then consider buying an Omnia card which includes skip the queue , entry to the Vatican Museums with a Hop-on, Hop-Off bus to get you there.
The Basilica itself houses many pieces of priceless sculptures and art, however not all of them are the real deal. There are often replicas of artworks. Having a guidebook / map helps with the navigation. Some highlights are the “Pieta” by Michaelangelo. Bernini’s columned-baldacchino and also holy relics like the handkerchief that was used to wipe the face of Christ, the lance which pierced Him and a piece of the Cross.
Vatican Grottoes
If you like to see tombs of dead people (popes and royalty) – you can head down to the Vatican Grottoes. The entrance is free and is located inside the Basilica along the aisle by the statue of St Helen and St Andrew is a door leading to the Grottoes.
Tip: Do take note though -that the exit of the Grottoes already bring you outside of the Basilica – so you should only visit the Grottoes once you are done seeing the Basilica. The exit is to a courtyard with a ticket line up to the Michaelangelo’s Dome.
Michaelangelo's Dome / St Peter's Dome
To get to Michaelangelo’s Dome , you can take either the stairs (Cost: 8 Euros) or the elevator (Cost: 10 Euros). Be forewarned : we are talking about lots of climbing here – the elevator does not take you all the way up – It is to a roof terrace that you can look back down to the altar inside the Basilica. There are still over 300 steps up a narrow spiral staircase – to get to the top of the Dome. It can get really stuffy and claustrophobic with sweaty people around. But the views are well worth it. So comfortable shoes are highly recommended here.
There is a small ticket kiosk to get the tickets right before going up. If you want to pre-book online , you can do so by way of taking a tour.
The Scavi tour
This is a 90-minute tour to see the Necropolis and St. Peter’s tomb. This requires special permissions and limited to 250 persons/day. At the moment it costs 13 Euros and a request form has to be filled with personal information and date and time of your planned visit at least 3 weeks before the actual visit. Here is the link.
Meet the Pope at a Papal Audience
Held on Wednesdays if the Pope is in – tickets can be picked up the day before on the day of the audience itself. Entrance is free. This is of course subject to availability and for less than 10 tickets. For more information or for ticket reservation check this link.
The Vatican Museums
The same rules apply for seeing the Vatican Museums as St. Peter’s Basilica except the entrance is not for free with the exception of the last Sunday of the month. Use this helpful link for finding out entrance fees and opening times.
You can expect a lot of people having the same idea to get into the museum for free then, you can skip the queue by taking a tour which will then be 50% off the normal price.
The entrance to the museum is a 10-15 min walk from St. Peter’s Basilica. It is located somewhere to the east of the Basilica. If you see the Basilica in front of you – before going into the semi-circle of the Square – turn right and you will see some signs saying “Mvsei” – follow the walled section for some ways until you come to the entrance as in the picture below. Be prepared to go through the security check line before being able to enter.
Inside the grounds of the Vatican museum
Then there is the beautiful art all around : the ceiling, walls, roomful of art. Check out the Raphael rooms with the famous frescoes by the master himself. Impressive, impressive stuff.
The Sisteen Chapel
The pictures on the internet shows some real fine art by the Masters, the complete ceiling showcases paintings by Michaelangelo, with the central part depicting Genesis in the Old Testament and the most famous of it all is “The Creation of Adam”. The other masterpiece from Michaelangelo “The Last Judgement” hangs over the high altar. Besides there are also tapestries designed by Raphael and so many other great frescoes on the walls by Boticelli, Luca, Perugino.
I have mixed feelings when actually inside – the chapel is filled with so many people that it feels more like being shoved in a sardine can, albeit with all these great art around. I could not help but feel disappointed that instead of being overwhelmed by the Art, I got overwhelmed by the incredible amount of people. Trying to admire the paintings is virtually impossible. The ones on the ceiling feels so far away. It is not allowed to take photos in the Chapel and the Guards are constantly reminding visitors about it and to be quiet.
Even so, I think this should not be missed. It’s true that you can see more details from photos on the internet, however it is not everyday one gets to sit in a room where papal decisions are being made and when a pope is elected, white smoke emerges from the chimney of the Sisteen Chapel itself.
Momo Staircase
Tip: Do not miss the other masterpiece in the Museum which is the much-photographed spiral staircase created by Giuseppe Momo, otherwise known as theMomo Staircase. Its location is at the exit where the gift shops are located.
Finally, you have a wonderful view of the St. Peter’s Dome as you exit. Take a moment to take in the view.
The Vatican Swiss Guards
So… even if you manage to get past the crowd and see the Pope – you would still need to get past these strikingly dressed in pantaloon guys, to get anywhere near him. They are the Swiss Guards who are the Pope’s bodyguards. Don’t underestimate them, as they are highly trained in the Swiss Armed Forces.
Other useful information for Vatican City
Toilets
I find this really important because of the inevitability of spending a lot of time here. Inside the attractions themselves, you can find toilets easily enough. However if you have not paid or are waiting in queue, you can find toilets at the left side of the Basilica, near the Poste Vaticana (Post office)
Sustenance
Nearby to the Vatican are mostly tourist traps with expensive and not tasty food. I would go further away to grab better stuff. I also did not trust the water quality enough to drink from the taps. So best would be to bring your own bottled water as you wait.
A Summary of Vatican City
I found that with proper planning it is possible to make full use of the day in Vatican City, seeing everything important. An early start makes a lot of sense to beat the queue at the Basilica. After seeing the Basilica go down to the Grottoes and after the exit go to the Dome. After that check out the Square and head on to the Vatican Museums and the Sisteen Chapel. I hope this post helps when planning a trip to the Vatican.
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Very interesting, great pictures!
Thanks for the memories of our visit to the Vatican. Great photos. We booked in advance as it was the peak of summer and we are so glad that we did. Also you do have to allow a lot of time to visit. Thanks for the article.
It was really fun to read about your Vatican experience. I visited back in 2015 and it was a really nice experience. I wish I knew some of the tips you discussed here before I went tho 🙂 Thank you for sharing this, it brought back some nice memories.
The Vatican is really amazing. Reading your post brought back wonderful memories of our visit there a few years ago. I really love the aerial pictures which are so stunning. Our favourite here was the Sistine Chapel.
I’ve been super interested in visiting the Vatican for some time now. One of my favorite books is “Angels and Demons,” and in it the author describes quite a bit about Vatican City. I’d love to be able to go see it myself someday. Thanks for the tips about timing and tours!
I love how green the city is! Your tips for each place are invaluable-thanks for sharing them! I love that Momo staircase and will be thrilled to join the masses and photograph it some day (hopefully soon!).
This post brought back loads of memories as I have visited the Vatican on 2 occasions and loved it. However both times I have missed out on seeing the Pope sadly and would have loved to see him. The architecture and the solemn feel inside the church is just unreal and I wouldn’t mind going again. Must say the sixteenth chapel is must if you go to the Vatican. thanks for sharing
I am a Catholic and never been to Vatican and hope I could realized a trip soon. Watching many movies about it makes me so curious (if those stories are true of not), and also feel amazed how this small country is the most powerful worldwide.
Glad you had a fantastic time!
This post brought up such great memories of my visit to the Vatican nearly 10 years ago! It’s such a spectacular site to visit. I kind of wish I had taken your advice and done a guided tour!
Thanks for tips of visiting Vatican City! My husband traveled there before we were together and has been wanting to return ever since. We hope to go as a family next year. Thanks for the dress code info – it would be such a disappoint time wait that long to see the pope and then get turned away. I’ve heard that the Sistine Chapel is crowded, like you mentioned, but it would be a must-see for me.
oh you would definitely enjoy the visit. i hope the tips are useful for you that you can fully enjoy vatican city.
Your post reminded me that we are overdue to return to Rome. On our first visit to Vatican City we were force marched around on a tour and I really did not get enough time. We too found the Swiss Guards to be well dressed. But we never tested their skills. We would definitely go to the top of St Peter’s Basilica on a return trip. Your view looks amazing. Just not sure I could then manage the climb to see Michaelangelo’s Dome. A great reference for when we plan our return to Rome and Vatican City.
I hope you get back there – its always a wonder to visit rome and vatican city.
Visiting the Vatican is a bucket-list item for me. I have family who has visited and told me about their journey, but I enjoyed seeing your photos to really understand the area. Your description of the crowds is very helpful. The artwork sounds amazing!
Yes, it was also a bucket list item for me. time to start planning your visit Laura!
I’m sure it must have been quite an experience seeing the Pope! It’s not often that he appears in public. However, I don’t think I would have enjoyed being part of that huge crowd in St. Peter’s Square. I would love however to go back to the Vatican City someday. I truly enjoyed visiting it, especially the Sistine Chapel. Great advice for skipping the lines. They are always huge at the Vatican.
I just viewed a blog post about a place i had no interest visiting. But Vatican, yes please! Id love to meet Pope Benedict. Its a bucketlist of mine. Glad they maintain a strict dresscode, the story about the girl wearing a miniskirt was hilarious.
Thanks for the tip. I hope one day i will have the opportunity to visit the city
I was born Catholic and the idea of going to Vatican for a week would be awesome. I would like to visit more known sites, and see all those Renaissance arts. Italy travel might not be complete without spending time in Vatican.
Great tips for visiting the Vatican and the Basilica – I especially liked the skip the queue tips. Seems paying a small fee or booking a tour is the way to go. Also great tips regarding the dress code. Nothing worse than waiting for hours and then not being let in because you wore the wrong clothing. Hopefully next time I visit I get to see the pope like you did
Firstly, I’m loving the outfits of the Swiss Armed Forces, you really would underestimate them! The tips on dxress code are super helpful and the views from the top of St. Peter’s Basilica are amazing. I would just be in awe of all the art and architecture. What an experience!
Vatican is on top of our bucket list and yes, I would love to see the Pope. Happy to know they have a ticketing system which makes it a bit orderly. We really hope to visit by 2021 during our 10th wedding anniversary. For now, I am saving your post for future reference. It’s the most detailed post that I have read. Thank you for the heads up about the dress code. I usual forget about it.