Things to do in Vatican City

25 things to do in Vatican City

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Admire Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica

  Study the delicate marble folds and serene expression of this Renaissance masterpiece, shielded by bulletproof glass since a 1972 attack.

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• Gaze at the Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo

  Crane your neck to take in the iconic Creation of Adam and Last Judgement frescoes in the papal conclave hall.

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• Climb the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica for a panoramic view

  Wind up 551 steps to the lantern, passing inside the double shell for a jaw‑dropping 360° view over Rome and the Vatican Gardens.

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• Explore the Vatican Museums’ Gallery of Maps

  Walk through a 120‑metre loggia lined with 40 giant, brilliantly colored topographical frescoes of Italy painted in the 16th century.

  Vatican Museums, Vatican City

• Visit the Raphael Rooms in the Apostolic Palace

  Stand in the papal apartments where Raphael’s ‘School of Athens’ and other High Renaissance frescoes adorn the walls of four interconnected chambers.

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• Walk through St. Peter’s Square and see Bernini’s colonnade

  Enter the sweeping ellipse framed by four rows of massive Doric columns, designed to embrace visiting pilgrims like ‘two arms’ of the Church.

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• See the Swiss Guard at the Porta Sant’Anna

  Photograph the world’s smallest army in their colorful Renaissance uniforms at the main entrance to Vatican City, a tradition dating to 1506.

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• Attend a Papal Audience with the Pope

  Join thousands in the Paul VI Hall or St. Peter’s Square for a mid‑week blessing, catechesis, and the rare chance to see the pontiff up close.

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• Descend into the Vatican Necropolis to see St. Peter’s tomb

  Book a special underground tour to walk the ancient Roman street and view the simple tomb believed to hold the bones of the first pope.

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• Tour the Vatican Gardens, a tranquil green oasis

  Stroll among fountains, manicured hedges, and medieval fortifications in this private 57‑acre park that rarely opens to casual visitors.

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• See the Laocoön Group in the Vatican Museums

  Face the snarling, twisting marble sculpture of the Trojan priest and his sons battling sea serpents—a Hellenistic masterpiece from 40 BC.

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• Visit the Vatican Apostolic Library

  Request special access to glimpse illuminated manuscripts, the Codex Vaticanus, and priceless Renaissance holdings in a hall of frescoed splendor.

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• Marvel at Bernini’s Baldacchino inside St. Peter’s

  Stand beneath the towering 29‑metre bronze canopy that marks the high altar, its twisted columns cast from the Pantheon’s ancient bronze.

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• See the Sistine Chapel before the crowds with an early access tour

  Enter the hallowed chapel at dawn via a ‘before opening’ ticket, allowing silent contemplation of Michelangelo’s ceiling without the usual bustle.

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• Admire the frescoes in the Niccoline Chapel

  Gain rare entry to the intimate private chapel of Pope Nicholas V, covered in exquisite Fra Angelico scenes of saints and popes.

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• Browse the Pinacoteca for works by Leonardo and Caravaggio

  Trace the evolution of Western painting through 460 works, including Leonardo’s unfinished ‘St. Jerome’ and Caravaggio’s dramatic ‘Entombment’.

  Vatican Museums, Vatican City

• Climb the Bramante Staircase

  Ascend the spiraling, twin‑pillared ramp that winds upward without overlapping, a feat of Renaissance architecture that inspired similar designs worldwide.

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• Send a postcard from the Vatican Post Office

  Buy a stamp from the world’s smallest postal service and mail a card home bearing the coveted ‘Città del Vaticano’ postmark from the square kiosk.

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• See the historic Papal Altar in St. Peter’s

  Look directly above the tomb of the apostle to the altar used only by the pope—flanked by Bernini’s colossal bronze baldachin and the dove window.

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• Watch the Pope’s Sunday Angelus in St. Peter’s Square

  Gather with the faithful at noon as the pope appears at the window of the Apostolic Palace to deliver a short reflection and the Angelus prayer.

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• Visit the Vatican Ethnological Museum

  Discover over 100,000 ceremonial objects, masks, and costumes from indigenous cultures across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, housed in a quiet wing.

  Vatican Museums, Vatican City

• Touch the Holy Door of St. Peter’s

  In a Jubilee year, the massive bronze door on the basilica’s right flank is opened and pilgrims pass through it for remission of sins.

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• Explore the Egyptian Museum in the Vatican

  Walk among mummies, papyrus scrolls, and statues of pharaohs in a museum founded by Pope Gregory XVI in 1839, long before the Cairo collections.

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• Attend an evening concert at the Paul VI Audience Hall

  Book a seat for sacred music or classical performances in the sleek modern auditorium, whose twisting stage canopy resembles a papal crown.

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• Sip an espresso with a view of St. Peter’s dome from a museum café

  Take a break on the terrace of the Vatican Museums’ cafeteria, where the majestic dome fills the backdrop behind your coffee cup.

  Vatican Museums, Vatican City