What to See and Do in Vatican City and the Vatican

The Vatican is the smallest country in the world, and it is located in the city of Rome, Italy. The Vatican City is home to the Pope, and it is also the headquarters of the Catholic Church. Visitors can explore the Vatican Museums, see the Sistine Chapel, and attend mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican is a fascinating place to visit, and it is full of history and culture.

First and foremost consider yourself warned. Plan ahead! Pre-arrange tickets! And get there early! Luckily for us, we did all of the above and had a great time visiting the Vatican without issue. We finished up the main interior part before the masses below showed up. I can only imagine how long they had to wait.

There are tons to see in Vatican City, and between it and the castle down the road, it easily took a full day to experience it. We were lucky that we visited Rome twice during our cruise and were and to dedicate a day to Rome and a day to Vatican City.

Be sure to take a break. We sat in the main square to rest our legs. It was also a great place to people-watch, and apparently give a back scratch 🙂

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is a world-renowned masterpiece of Renaissance art. Located in the Vatican Palace in Rome, the chapel is decorated with some of the most famous paintings in history, including Michelangelo’s iconic frescoes on the ceiling and his Last Judgment on the altar wall which is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of art ever created.

St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the largest churches in the world, and it is located within the Vatican City in Rome, Italy. The basilica is home to many important religious artifacts, including the tomb of St. Peter. Visitors can also see the Papal Altar, the Sistine Chapel, and the Michelangelo Pieta. St. Peter’s Basilica is a truly breathtaking sight.

Castel Sant’Angelo

While not a part of Vatican City, Castel Sant’Angelo was originally built as a mausoleum for the Roman emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD and later used as a fortress and a prison, it is also a great picture stop of Rom overall, and just down the street is Vatican City.

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