St Peter’s Basilica
Vatican City, Lazio, Italy
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The sublime, world-famous basilica built over St Peter’s tomb and crowned by Michelangelo’s heavenly dome.
Best for ages 18+
Travel bucket list idea:
Rome, Lazio, Italy
|Dominating Rome’s skyline, the Dome of St. Peters rises above Vatican City — the world’s smallest sovereign nation-state and Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, within its borders (44 hectares) are St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Apostolic Palace, the Pope’s official residence.
Each Sunday at noon (if he’s in town) the Pope appears at the second window to the right of the Apostolic Palace to bless the crowd. No tickets are required.
On Wednesdays at 10am, the Pope holds a general audience in St. Peter’s Square. Tickets are required and can be obtained through the Papal Event Tickets.
Vatican City, Lazio, Italy
|The sublime, world-famous basilica built over St Peter’s tomb and crowned by Michelangelo’s heavenly dome.
Best for ages 18+
Vatican City, Lazio, Italy
|A mind-bogglingly opulent complex of museums, home to one of the greatest hoards of treasure, antiquities and art anywhere.
Adult price: £15
Best for ages 13+
Vatican City, Lazio, Italy
Beautiful and uncrowded, the Vatican Gardens can be accessed on a walking tour. There are limited places per day, so you’ll need to book in advance on the Vatican website. Ticket includes entry to the Vatican Museums too. Monday to Saturday mornings, around 2 hours.
Adult price: £15
Best for ages 18+
To get to Vatican City, take the Metro Line A (red line) towards Battistini and exit at Ottaviano-S. Pietro or Cipro-Musei Vaticani stops – both are equal walking distance from St. Peter’s Square (approx. 10-15 minutes).
An information office is located at the Charlemagne Wing (west end). An info desk can be found at the east end of the square.
Beware of ‘unofficial’ guides milling around the square pushing ‘Skip the Line’ tickets. The official tour service of the Vatican sells them online.
High summer can be unbearably hot and humid in Rome, when the city throngs with tourists. Queues can be extremely long for the Vatican. If you are visiting then, try to go as early as possible in the morning (from 7am).
Spring or autumn are the best times for weather and less crowds, though the Easter holiday period, when pilgrims and school groups descend on the city, tends to be very busy.
Winter is a charming time to visit, especially around Christmas, and January and February can be mild – and lack the heavy crowds.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Lazio, Italy
The Eternal City – 2,000 extraordinary years of glory, greatness and triumph – and decadence, murder and destruction – evidenced by some of the world’s most iconic, must-see monuments and museums.