How to Visit Vatican City: Best Tours, Tickets, & Insider Tips
When visiting Rome, a visit to Vatican City is an absolute must. The Vatican City is stunning, historical, and important but it also felt overwhelming.
Between the crowds, long security lines, and sheer size of the Vatican Museums, I realized this isn’t an attraction you just “wing it,” if you want to appreciate the art, learn about the history, and get a sense of the iconic sites.
Before my visit to the Vatican City, I debated whether to book a guided Vatican tour or to do it on my own. In the end, I am glad I decided to book a tour. The tour was a skip-the-line type tour and the guide explained everything thoroughly.
In this post, I’m sharing what tours to book to get the most out of your Vatican City visit, whether it’s worth even booking a tour, the highlights included in the Vatican City tour, and some general tips and information.
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I visited Rome and right away, I wanted to visit the Vatican City. For several reasons, It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a sovereign city-state, and I’ve always been interested in the history of the Vatican and events that take place there.
I spent some time researching, prior to my trip to Rome and decided it was best to take a guided tour. I figured I’d get more out of the tour then doing in on my own. Plus, the skip-the-line was a major selling point for me.
In the end, I am glad I went with a Vatican tour. The tour guide was able to explain nearly everything and answer any questions I had. If I were to visit the Vatican on my own, I definitely would have missed a few important features and descriptions.
After taking the Vatican City tour, I was amazed by how easy it was for us to enter the museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Reasons Booking a Vatican City Tour is Worth Considering
You can certainly visit the Vatican City on your own. I was considering it but ended up booking a guided tour of the Vatican. I read online that lines can be long and you might miss out on important details.
The Guided Tours I found and booked, claimed to skip-the-line (which they did) but also explained a lot of information and detail. I’d say, if you want to maximized your time at the Vatican without feeling overwhelmed, book a tour!
If you are considering booking a Vatican City Tour, I’ve outline a few reasons below why a tour is well worth it.
✅ Skip the ticket line to access the Vatican Museums.
✅ Skip the line to access the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.
✅ Tickets for certain sites can sell out.
✅ The Vatican Museum is overwhelming. A guided tour guarantees the most important details and information.
✅ The Vatican City guided tour includes the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica.
👉 Check availability for Vatican City tours here.
The Tour I Booked
My goal was to see as much of the Vatican as I could in a half day. This Vatican tour I booked online through Get Your Guide offered everything I had included on my Vatican itinerary with skip the line access.
The Vatican City tour included a visit to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica.
The tour consisted of a knowledgeable guide, headsets, and skip the line access to the attractions and ticket line.
Although some lines were unavoidable, due to the amount of visitors, we managed to save a lot of time with the skip the line access to the Sistine Chapel and ST. Peter’s Basilica.
When booking this tour, just make sure to pay attention to the Meeting Point.
Attractions and Sites Inside the Vatican
Most tours that visit the Vatican will provide a similar itinerary, a visit to the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and finish at St. Peter’s Basilica.
After taking a tour and visiting the main attractions within the Vatican City, these are must-see sites and I highly recommend not missing out on any of these sites. Below you can find more information on each site.
The Vatican Museums
I didn’t know what to expect when visiting the Vatican Museums but it was like stepping into one of the most impressive art collections I’ve ever been to.
There were galleries, famous sculptures, beautiful rooms, and one of my favorites as a geographer, historical maps of the area.
The Vatican Museums are definitely overwhelming. Having a guided tour helped navigate the highlights efficiently and I was able to understand and appreciate what I was looking at.
The Sistine Chapel
In my opinion, visiting the Sistine Chapel was the highlight just because how familiar I am with Michelangelo’s famous painted ceiling at the Sistine Chapel and seeing the Last Judgement and The Creation of Adam in person was powerful.
The Sistine Chapel was very crowded and you cannot take photos inside. There are guards here and people monitoring the area. I saw quite a few visitors try and snap a photo and were quickly withheld from doing so. Don’t be that guy!
St. Peter's Basilica
The grand finale of our Vatican City tour was going inside St. Peter’s Basilica. St. Peter’s Basilica is considered one of the largest churches in the world and it’s impressive. I felt like I walked around the inside with my jaw open in awe.
Every corner within the Basilica reflects centuries of history and beautiful art. I spent easily an hour inside St. Peter’s Basilica. I even got to walk through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica as it was during a Jubilee year.
Additional Tips and Information
Below you can find a few helpful tips and additional information for visiting the Vatican City.
✅ Book Your Tickets or Tours in Advance
Vatican City is one of the most visited places in the world. Tickets to certain attractions within the Vatican can sell out.
✅ Book Skip-the-Line Tours
Lines at the Vatican can be very long, although you will still find yourself in some lines, a skip-the-line Vatican Tour will save a lot of time.
✅ Go Early
I think morning is the best time to visit the Vatican. There will be less crowds and the experience will feel a bit more relaxed.
✅ Dress Appropiately
Remember where you are. The Vatican City is a religious site. Cover up and make sure the shoulders and knees are covered.
✅ Expect Security Checks
There was at least one airport-style security check I went through at the entrance.
✅ Plan at least 2-4 hours minimum
The Vatican City is huge, the Museums alone can take a few hours to cover. Between getting there and seeing the sites, plan for a half day.
✅ Sundays are Limited
Parts of the Vatican are closed Sundays. St. Peter’s Basilica and the Square are open but the Vatican Museums are closed, except for the last Sunday of the month.
✅ Vatican Post Office
Don’t forget to visit the Vatican Post Office and send out a post card to friends and family. It’s a unique experience, you can purchase a post card, get as stamp, and drop it in the yellow Poste Vaticane bins outside.
Conclusion
Visiting Vatican City was easily one of my highlights from my time in Rome, Italy. I am glad I went with booking a Vatican Highlights tour as it’s not a place you want to approach without a plan because of the crowds and sheer size of the Vatican.
It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity being able to stand inside the Sistine Chapel and see St. Peter’s Basilica, booking this tour definitely made all the difference for me.
If you are looking to skip the long lines, better understand what you are seeing, and want to make the most of your limited time in Rome, I highly recommend reserving your Vatican tour in advance.
If you’ve been to the Vatican City and have other tour recommendations or personal experiences, let me know so we can all learn on our next experience, safe travels!
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