A quick guide to visiting Vatican City

VATICAN CITY

Population: 825

Time zone: UTC +1

Closest airports: Rome Fiumicino (FCO), Roma Ciampino (CIA)

A little bit about Vatican City

The walls of Vatican City as seen from the streets of Rome.

At just 0.17 square miles, Vatican City is the world’s smallest country. A United Nations Observer and entirely surrounded 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 1,000, is almost entirely 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 should I go?

Sphere Within Sphere is an art installation in the Vatican Museums’ Pine Cone Courtyard.

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

St Peter’s Basilica

My first visit to St Peter’s Basilica was definitely a memorable one.

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.

Vatican Museums

Art and architecture - two of the Vatican Museum’s biggest draws.

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’d need multiple trips to get around everything.

Sistine Chapel

I was told off for taking this photo inside the Sistine Chapel - well worth it, though!

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.

Vatican Post Office

Why not send a letter home from the post office of the world’s smallest country?

It sounds obscure that a Post Office would be an attraction, but people flock to send Vatican-stamped postcards back home. The Vatican’s postal service is described as one of the world’s best, with more letters sent each year from its postcode than anywhere else on Earth. Don’t pass up the opportunity to deposit your mail into a bright yellow postbox!

St Peter’s Square

St Peter’s Square as seen from the top of St Peter’s Basilica.

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.

Getting 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, 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.

Getting around

Walking around Vatican City is the way to go.

Vatican City is tiny, so everywhere is navigable on food. For those with accessible needs, there are ramps and entrances which allow for wheelchair access. Unfortunately, the platform on top of the Basilica is only reachable via stairway and will obviously limit access to some people. It is also possible to tour the Vatican Gardens by open-top bus, which you can book online.

Where to stay

As far as I am aware, there are no hotels or accommodations open to the public inside the Vatican’s borders. Fortunately, it is surrounded by a major European city with plenty of options.

The two times I have been to Rome I stayed at both Hotel Chicago and Hostel Beauty, which were both close to Roma Termini, the central station. They were both cheap and cheerful but were decently located and, most importantly, did the job. Booking.com is a great place to search for hotels, hostels and apartments, with a wide selection available for Rome.

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Eat and drink

The Vatican Museums’ cafeteria.

Much like with the hotels, there are no restaurants inside Vatican City with the exception of the dining rooms at the museum. Honestly, the food is mediocre and overpriced and is designed to feed tourists on the cheap. You can grab things like hotdogs and salads here, or simply stop off for a drink if you’re feeling parched.

My advice would be to try a restaurant a bit away from the immediate tourist traps. You’ll certainly find somewhere as Rome is one of the best cities in the world for food, and nice wine bars can be found around every corner.

Five observations

It feels good to be in the world’s smallest country

As a bit of a geography geek, it was so cool to visit Vatican City. For me, the novelty alone was enough to make a trip there worthwhile, but I also revelled in the attractions, too.

Purchase tickets in advance

Book tickets in advance or expect queues like this.

If you want to visit the Vatican Museums, then make sure to buy a ticket in advance from their official website. It may not save you money, but it will save you a lot of time. Queues for purchasing tickets can be ridiculously long but with a pre-purchased ticket you can simply rock up to the Vatican and enter without much hassle.

The Sistine Chapel? Overrated.

The Gallery of Maps is far superior to the Sistine Chapel, in my opinion.

The Sistine Chapel is one of the world’s most renowned places of worship with its famous interior partially painted by Michelangelo. If you’re not the first one in at the beginning of the day, you’ll join a sea of people inside, looking up at the ceilings and the walls. What’s inside is striking, but I thought that the Gallery of Maps hallway which leads up to the chapel is by far more impressive.

The world’s most beautiful building

St Peter’s Basilica is nothing short of a masterpiece.

I’ve seen almost all of Europe and over a quarter of the world’s countries and as of the time of writing I am 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.

With around 65% of countries left to visit, I may well see a more remarkable building on my travels. But as it stands, St Peter’s Basilica is head and shoulders above the rest.

Did you know?

A Swiss Guard on post inside Vatican City.

Vatican City is protected by Swiss Guards, who wear a distinctive blue and yellow uniform and are instantly recognisable.

The origins of the Swiss Guards date back over 500 years to the Middle Ages, when young Swiss men, known for their military prowess and professionalism, left Switzerland to find employment elsewhere as a mercenary. It is a tradition which has carried on to this day.

They are responsible for the Pope’s safety and recruits have to be over 5’8” tall and between the ages of 19 and 30. The Swiss Guards are expected to be ready to lay down their lives in defence of the Pope and are equipped with modern firearms – the same handguns and machine guns which the Swiss army use.