Visiting the Vatican City: How to Enhance Your Experience, Rome, Italy

Despite being the smallest country in the world, Vatican City (or ‘the Vatican’) is actually one of the most sacred places in the worldwide society of Christianity. It not only houses the residence of the Pope (i.e. leader of the Roman Catholic Church), it also boasts the largest church in the world. Its Vatican Museums is also the second most visited museum in the world after the Louvre! A typical visit to Vatican City includes the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Square as well as St Peter’s Basilica.

And with the ongoing Jubilee 2025 and recent public interest in the election of the new Pope, expect the Vatican City to welcome even more tourists! Let’s look at how you can enjoy Vatican City despite its rising tourism.

For more background information about Vatican City, refer to Vatican City: Smallest Country in the World.

Firstly, the Vatican Museums boasts 70,000 sculptures and Renaissance paintings collected by the Catholic Church over the past centuries. Additionally, they are organised and displayed in many different impressive rooms, all of them beautifully and lavishly decorated. Also included in your ticket to the Vatican Museums is a visit to the Sistine Chapel, the chapel of the Pope’s residence and also the location of the ‘conclave’ (a closed door election of a Pope). ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).