The Vatican City, also known in Italian as Città del Vaticano, is an independent city-state located in the northwest part of Rome.
Even though ‘Vatican City’ has the term ‘city’ in its name, it’s actually not a city but a whole country.
Spanning 40 hectares, Vatican City is the smallest country in the world.
The Vatican City has significant historical and cultural significance. As the home of the Pope’s seat, it has great religious value.
Housing attractions like St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, the city receives over 7 million visitors annually.
So, if you are planning to visit such an important attraction, famous enough to attract almost 25,000 visitors daily, it’s better to equip yourself with some insider tips to minimize the hassles and get the most out of your trip to the Vatican.
In this article, we’ll share some of the best Vatican ticket options and most useful tips and tricks gathered from our personal experiences. We have tried and tested them many times, and they always work.
- Reach the Vatican City before 7 am.
To make the most of your trip to Vatican City, timing is everything.
We recommend arriving before 7 am. Yes, it’s early, but trust us, it’s worth it!
Most visitors plan to beat the crowd by arriving at the Vatican Museums when they open at 8 am.
However, we have a better plan to help you avoid the crowds and enjoy a more leisurely experience.
Here’s the plan:
Arrive before 7 am: St. Peter’s Basilica opens at 7 am daily. While others are still planning to arrive by 8 am to beat the museum crowds, you’ll be one step ahead.
Start with St. Peter’s Basilica: At 7 am, St. Peter’s Basilica is almost empty. You’ll have a peaceful and uncrowded visit, which should take about an hour.
Head to the Vatican Museums: By 8 am, you’ll be done with St. Peter’s Basilica and ready to enter the Vatican Museums as they open. You’ll be among the first visitors, making your tour much more enjoyable.
By following this plan, you’ll optimize your Vatican visit, avoiding the usual crowds and having a more relaxed experience. So, set that alarm and get to Vatican City early – you won’t regret it!
- Eat your fill before your visit.
For first-time visitors and budget travelers, it’s best to start your day with a full stomach so that you won’t have to eat at Vatican City.
The reason we say this is because eating at the Vatican can quite literally put a hole in your pocket.
Water, food, and souvenirs within Vatican City are significantly more expensive compared to nearby shops in central Rome.
For example, a small bottle of water inside the Vatican costs around 2 euros, while you can find the same for half the price just a short walk away.
When it comes to food and coffee, the price difference is even more striking; you might pay up to ten times more within Vatican City than at a café just 100 meters outside its walls.
Save money by filling up on snacks and drinks before you enter the Vatican.
- Do Not Bring Your Personal Vehicle. Use Public Transportation.
Any kind of personal vehicle is not allowed inside the Vatican City unless you are there for official business and have permission in advance.
So, if you are planning to visit the Vatican in your car or bike, drop that idea; it’s not the right thing to do.
What you should do with the transportation is get a bus ride from central Rome or any part of Rome that will drop you right at the Vatican City’s entrance.
You can also take a train ride to the Ottaviano station, but after exiting the station, you will have to take a 10-15-minute walk, which you can eliminate by using the buses or taxis available.
- Visit on Wednesdays only if you plan to attend the Papal Audience.
Papal Audience is a ceremony that takes place in St. Peter’s Square every Wednesday.
In this ceremony, the Pope greets the crowd, gives a speech, offers blessings, and sometimes interacts with visitors.
A lot of people attend this ceremony to get a chance to pray with the pope and get his blessings.
So, unless you really want to visit the Vatican just for the Papal Audience, we suggest you avoid visiting on Wednesdays.
And if you really have no other choice but still want to have a crowd-free visit, you should visit after 3 pm when most of the visitors who are there for the papal audience are done with their tour.
- Dress Respectfully. Cover Shoulders, Knees and Midriff.
Many visitors remain unaware that Vatican City follows a strict dress code until they are pointed out by the Swiss guards for their attire that does not comply with the city’s dressing guidelines.
So, don’t be that visitor; do your research thoroughly and dress modestly and respectfully before you leave your hotel or stay for the Vatican.
Irrespective of your gender, make sure you wear clothes that cover your shoulders, knees and Midriff completely.
In addition to paying attention to how you dress, make sure your clothes do not have any offensive images or graphics.
Wearing a full-sleeved top and bottoms that cover your knees properly is advised.
- Never Visit On Free Sundays!
Vatican City is home to the Vatican Museums, the second oldest and fifth largest museum in the world, which attracts over 7 million visitors annually.
To give every visitor a fair chance to visit, the Vatican Museum offers free entry on the last Sunday of every month. It opens between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., with the last entry at 12.30 p.m.
As compelling and budget-friendly as it may sound, it’s surely not a good idea to visit on this day unless you are prepared to face an ocean of crowds and people pushing you around the museum’s galleries.
The last Sunday is the most crowded day at the Vatican museums, so it’s best to avoid it.
Instead, visits on Weekdays, especially on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, are considered to be the ideal visiting days to avoid crowds.
We suggest planning a visit early in the morning on Tuesday with a skip-the-line entry ticket so that you can beat whatever crowd there might be.
- If you are a first-time visitor or are on a time crunch, get a guided tour.
Vatican Museums is one of the largest museums in the world. It has an extensive collection of 70,000 artefacts, of which only 25,000 are on display.
But to explore even these 25,000 artefacts, it would take a lot of time for a new person to decide which ones to view first and which ones are the most significant not to miss.
You might even waste hours and hours in the galleries just trying to find your way.
So, unless you have a PhD in history and art or have visited the Vatican more than once to familiarize yourself with the galleries, we suggest you get a guided tour.
Guided tours usually last three hours; during these three hours, they ensure you have seen every important artwork inside the museum.
With an expert and knowledgeable guide by your side, you will also learn many interesting details about the museum’s history and the art stored there.
We suggest you extend your guided tour to St. Peter’s Basilica. It was really beneficial for us, as we toured in the afternoon, and it was too crowded to get inside the Basilica.
However, guided tours usually come with skip-the-line access, and we got instant admission directly to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums.
- Do not rush to the Sistine Chapel.
The Vatican Museums has 54 museums; the Sistine Chapel is the last room on the visiting route.
But many people are so mesmerized by the idea of visiting the chapel that from the moment they enter the museum, they want to be in the Sistine Chapel.
And as someone who has travelled to the Vatican so many times and has seen all the beauty and art that place offers, we advise you not to rush directly to the Chapel.
Enjoy your journey before you enter the last room of the Vatican Museum.
Explore as many rooms and galleries as you can before making the end of your museum visit at the Sistine Chapel.
Don’t forget to visit the highlights, such as the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art, Raphael’s Rooms, the Gregorian Egyptian Museum, the Pio Clementino Museum, and the Lapidary Gallery.
