Perfect Day Trip to Vatican City: What You Need To Know
Vatican City, an independent city-state within the city of Rome, is home to some of the most iconic religious and cultural landmarks in the world. With its rich history and breathtaking beauty, it’s no wonder that Vatican City is a must-visit for travelers from all over the globe. If you are considering making a day trip to Vatican City, there are some things to know.
About Vatican City
While called Vatican City, it is NOT really a city or a town, but a city-state with nearly 600 citizens, most of whom live abroad as diplomats in other parts of the world.
The Vatican City is governed as an absolute monarchy with the Pope at its head.
Even though Vatican City is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, you don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate what this city-state has to offer.
Vatican Itinerary of What to See & Do
- Tour the Vatican Museum
- The Vatican Museum ends with the line going straight into the Sistine Chapel.
- Take a break and grab lunch at Panino Sistino.
- After lunch, head over to St. Peter’s Basilica and climb the steps to the Dome.
- Walk around St. Peter’s Square
Tour the Vatican Museum
The Vatican Museum first opened to the public under Pope Clement XIV.
He began the museum as a way to showcase his collections of sculptures of Julius II.
Over the years, other popes added to the collection, and now you will find sculptures and art from Egypt to the 20th century (most notably works from Michelangelo and Raphael).
The Vatican Museum is open from 8 am-8 pm (last entry is 6 pm) Monday through Saturday. Sunday hours are 9 am- 2 pm (final entry is 12:30 pm).
The full walking distance of seeing everything inside would be like walking 9 miles. You will not be able to see EVERYTHING in one day. Pace yourself.
Photography is permitted throughout the museum, but selfie sticks are not allowed.
Guided vs. Self-Guided Vatican Museum Tour
When you are on a limited-time schedule, you may want to take a guided Vatican Museum Tour so that you see the highlights.
A tour guide can walk you through quickly so that you are able to see the main things most visitors want to see.
The problem with this is that you might miss seeing things YOU really want to see.
When you go to the Vatican without a tour guide, you can use the audio guide that is available.
There is also an Audio Guide Family Tour geared more for kids.
Our kids did it and found it to be fun (but time-consuming).
The kids might have had just as much fun if we had just printed the map ourselves and had them do a seek-and-find without the audio portion.
I think a better option for those traveling with a limited time frame is to download Rick Steves Audio Tour (FOR FREE).
It is a bit more self-paced and allows you to choose what you want to see.
The Sistine Chapel
Built at the end of the 15th century, the Sistine Chapel is most known for its ceiling painted by Michelangelo.
Be sure to also notice the murals painted by Botticelli along the walls.
When you get to the Chapel, it will be crowded, so prepare yourself in advance to not have much space to move around.
There is seating available along the left and back wall.
There is NO PHOTOGRAPHY in the Sistine Chapel.
St. Peter’s Basilica
When visiting the Vatican Museum, don’t forget to stop by St. Peter’s Basilica.
This is one of the largest churches in the world and the most impressive example of Renaissance architecture.
Saint Peter’s is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. This is because it was built upon the grave of the Saint Peter, one of the apostles.
In fact, St. Peter’s tomb sits directly below the high altar of the Basilica.
Visitors enter through the entrance hall. The bronze door to the far right is considered to be the Holy Door and is only opened during the jubilee.
The dome of the Basilica was conceived and partially built by Michelangelo. It was completed after his death by architect Giacomo della Porta.
While you may be able to visit the tomb of St. Peter, the Basilica reserves the right to limit access.
Touring the Basilica is free, but they do charge you if you choose to walk up to the dome:
- You can take the lift plus walk 320 steps: 10 euros.
- Climb all 551 steps: 8 euros.
St. Peter’s Square
Outside the Basilica is St. Peter’s Square.
This large public square is where the Papal Mass is held twice a week.
One of the magnificent features of St. Peter’s Square is the obelisk.
This obelisk was brought to Rome from Egypt by Caligula in 37 AD.
In 1586, Pope Sixtus V gave the order to move the Egyptian Obelisk to the right side of St. Peter’s Square, where it stands now.
Papal Mass
If you want to attend the Papal Mass, it is free. See the Papal Mass schedule for a list of events.
The key to getting a good view of the Pope is to get there EARLY.
When I say early, I mean like 2-3 hours early.
If you do end up going on a day when the Pope is holding mass, allow yourself extra travel time & be prepared for traffic because it is CRAZY.
2025 is the official year of Jubilee and you will find that crowds are at a max and there are more ticket events to see the Pope.
Vatican Dress Code
One thing you want to make sure you do is dress appropriately before going on your day trip to Vatican City!
You need to be covered inside the Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.
Men can get away with knee-length shorts (pants are best), BUT women and girls must cover their shoulders and knees.
If you get in a bind, there are several shops outside the Vatican where you can purchase a scarf for fairly cheap.
Wrap it around your shoulders or turn it into a skirt that covers your knees.
Vatican Tickets
You should purchase your Vatican Museum ticket in advance because it gets quite busy and the lines are long.
The tickets are fairly inexpensive (around €10).
Your entry will be timed, and you are allowed to begin lining up 15 minutes prior to your scheduled entry time.
There are several lines for entrance based on the time of entry.
Find the correct line, or you could stand there far longer than needed.
Your Vatican Museum ticket includes access to The Sistine Chapel.
St. Peter’s Basilica is always free.
Entry to the Vatican Museum is FREE on the last Sunday of the month. It is also crowded.
Be aware that the Vatican Museum does close on occasion, so check the calendar to make sure that you visit on a date when it is open.
How to Make the Day Trip to Vatican City from Rome
One of the great things about making a day trip to Vatican City is that you don’t need a Passport!
There are no gated entrances into Vatican City; you simply walk or take a bus into whatever area you are visiting.
We recommend grabbing a Bus that will take you from Rome to the Vatican.
- Bus 49 stops directly at the square in front of the Vatican Museums
- Bus 40 stops at Piazza Pia next to the Vatican
- Bus 64 stops at Terminal Gianicol, which is about a 10-minute walk to St. Peter’s
If you are visiting on a cruise from the port town of Civitavecchia, you can take the train from Civitavecchia (about 1-2 hours, depending on which train you choose).
Just be sure to check the train schedule and give yourself plenty of time to get back to the port (in the event the train runs late or stops for no apparent reason).
Consider the Omnia: Rome & Vatican Card
If you know in advance that you are going to travel to both Rome & Vatican City, you should consider getting the Omnia Rome & Vatican Card. It will pay for itself in no time!
What’s included on the Omnia Rome & Vatican Card:
- Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
- St. Peter’s Basilica with multilingual audioguide*
- Basilica of St. Giovanni in Laterano and Cloister
- Mamertine Prison with multimedia experience
- Audioguide package
- Open Bus 72h Hop On / Hop Off (Omnia Vatican & Rome and City Sightseeing Rome)
Visiting Italy is an amazing experience and if you know you will be in Rome, then you should spend at least one day in Vatican City!
Have you made the trip from Rome to the Vatican? What was your favorite part of your time in the Vatican?
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