Tourist Attractions in Vatican City

The most interesting and beautiful tourist sites in Vatican City

Photos, reviews, descriptions, and links to maps

About Vatican City

Vatican City is a unique “”state within a state””, a popular tourist centre and a religious shrine for millions of Catholics from all over the world. It has its own government, bank and armed forces, and all subjects of this enclave state have a passport.

You can get to the Vatican from almost anywhere in Rome by public transport. Walkers will enjoy the walking route from the centre of Rome or Piazza Venezia to the enclave.

Tourists from all over the world come to the Vatican to see for themselves the unique frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, visit St Peter’s Cathedral or visit the Vatican Gardens. Other Vatican attractions include Raphael’s Stans, the Vatican Library, the Egyptian and Etruscan Museums, and the Pinacotheca.

Pilgrims most often visit their shrine during the election of a new pope, as well as at Christmas and Easter. The Vatican offers many souvenirs for its visitors – stamps, money with local symbols, tourist albums, postcards and magnets.

Top-20 Tourist Attractions in Vatican City

Saint Peter's Square

 0/5

One of the most famous landmarks of the Vatican. St Peter’s Square, built in the XVII century, is located in front of the cathedral of the same name. The line visually continuing the symmetrical semicircles of colonnades forming the square is the external border of the Vatican. The square is decorated with two fountains and an Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome by Caligula.

Apostolic Palace

 4.6/5

810 reviews

The official residence of the Pope consists of a collection of palaces, galleries and halls connected by passages. The Apostolic Palace houses the Pontifical Apartments, several chapels, the Roman Catholic Church’s offices, as well as the Vatican Museums and Library. Here you can visit the Pinacoteca, the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Stanzas.

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St. Peter's Basilica

 4.8/5

139768 reviews

St Peter’s Basilica is the real heart of the Vatican. In the IV century a small basilica was built over the supposed tomb of the Apostle Peter, which in the XVI century it was decided to rebuild into a grandiose cathedral. The building was consecrated in 1626. Such great masters as Raphael, Michelangelo and Bernini worked on the creation of St Peter’s Cathedral.

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Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes

 5/5

2 reviews

The artificial cave of Grotta di Lourdes, located in the Vatican Gardens, is a smaller replica of the French Lourdes Grotto. The reason for the construction of the Grotta di Lourdes was the Pope’s dogma of 1854. Construction of the cave began in 1902, and its consecration by Pope Pius X took place on 28 March 1905.

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Sistine Chapel

 4.7/5

73758 reviews

The Sistine Chapel is a unique religious and cultural monument of the Renaissance. Not too remarkable in appearance, the Sistine Chapel became world-famous for its frescoes. Works by Botticelli, Rosselli and Perugino were complemented by Michelangelo’s grandiose “Last Judgement” between 1536 and 1541. The Sistine Chapel is currently used for conclaves.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday: Closed

Paintings Gallery of the Vatican Museums

 4.7/5

453 reviews

The Vatican Pinacoteca was founded in the 18th century by Pope Pius VI and received its own building in 1932. This art gallery, open to all who wish to visit, consists of 18 rooms, in which more than 400 paintings are exhibited in chronological order from XII to XIX centuries. You can see works by Caravaggio, Raphael, Giotto, Perugino, Titian and other famous masters.

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Gardens of Vatican City

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2278 reviews

The famous Vatican Gardens were first mentioned back in the 13th century, when their main use was to grow vegetables, fruit and medicinal plants. Now over 20 hectares in size, the Vatican Gardens are ornamental and can only be visited with a guide. There is a heliport here for connections to Rome’s airports.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: Closed

Raphael's stanzas

Raphael’s stanzas are four small rooms in the Papal Palace decorated with frescoes by the great painter. The work in these rooms was carried out from 1508 to 1517. Some of the frescoes decorating, in particular, the Hall of Constantine, were executed after Raphael’s death by his pupils.

Casina Pio IV

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62 reviews

The Villa of Pope Pius IV, also known as the Casino of Pius, was built in the mid-16th century. The building currently houses the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The Villa Pius consists of two pavilions and two covered passages. All the rooms are decorated with frescoes and statues, and the floors are tiled with majolica tiles.

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Pio-Clementine Museum

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159 reviews

The Pio Clementino Museum of Ancient Art was commissioned by Pope Clement XIV and Pius VI, for which it was named. This vast museum was founded in the 18th century in the Belvedere Palace. It contains sculptures depicting humans and animals, several mosaics and sarcophagi, and many Roman busts.

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Chiesa di Santo Stefano degli Abissini

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112 reviews

The Church of Santo Stefano degli Abissini is considered one of the oldest churches in the Vatican. It was built back in the 5th century, but after a while it was destroyed. In 1159 the church was rebuilt again, after which it underwent several reconstructions. Now Santo Stefano degli Abissini is a functioning church decorated with a unique fresco from the 15th century.

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Borgia Suites

 4.6/5

7 reviews

One floor below the Raphael Stanza are the Borgia apartments. These rooms were the private quarters of Pope Alexander VI at the end of the 15th century. The apartments consist of five rooms decorated with frescoes. Pope Alexander VI personally chose the subjects for the frescoes. In addition to the rooms, the Borgia Apartments also include the treasury and the Pope’s bedroom.

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Guardia Svizzera Arco delle Campane

 4.6/5

80 reviews

The Swiss Guard was created in 1506 and is currently the only armed force in the Vatican. The Swiss Guards take part in masses and diplomatic receptions, guard the Pope’s and the Secretary of State’s quarters, and guard the entrance to the Vatican and all floors of the Apostolic Palace.

Open time

Monday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Niccolina Chapel

 4.6/5

8 reviews

The very modest room of the Niccolina Chapel (only 6.6 × 4 metres) consists of two tiers. It is one of the oldest rooms in the Apostolic Palace. The walls of the Niccolina Chapel are decorated with unusually beautiful frescoes on the lives of St Stephen and St Lawrence. The frescoes were painted by the famous Italian artist Fra Beato Angelico.

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Gregorian Etruscan Museum

 4.5/5

17 reviews

Since 1828, traces of ancient settlements have been discovered in Southern Etruria. It was decided to collect all the finds discovered during these excavations into one exhibition. This is how the Etruscan Museum was created and opened in 1837. It exhibits various household items, a bronze statue of Mars and a marble portrait of Athena.

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Pigna Courtyard

 4.7/5

658 reviews

The Courtyard of the Pine cone, also known as the Courtyard of Pinia, is one of the landmarks of the Vatican. It was named after the bronze pine cone in front of the Bolvedere Palace. In 1990, the Courtyard of Pinia was further decorated with a huge spinning golden ball about 4 metres in diameter.

Open time

Monday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: Closed

Vatican Apostolic Library

 4.6/5

67 reviews

The unique Vatican Library began to be collected in the 15th century. Nowadays it includes a huge number of books (including Latin and Greek) manuscripts, engravings, maps and coins. The halls of the library are decorated with frescoes on religious themes.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:20 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:20 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:20 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:20 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Gregorian Egyptian Museum

 4.7/5

120 reviews

Founded in 1839, the Gregorian Egyptian Museum contains various art objects from Egyptian dynasties. The museum consists of 9 halls displaying ancient Egyptian sarcophagi, mummies, statues and steles, ancient Egyptian household items, as well as Christian and Islamic ceramics.

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Chiaramonti Museum

 4.7/5

94 reviews

Chiaramonti is an antique museum of classical sculpture created between 1805 and 1807. The museum consists of a large arched gallery, called the Corridor, and two halls. Chiaramonti houses sculptures from the Roman era, art objects dedicated to Roman and Greek mythology, and more than 3,000 fragments of unique inscriptions.

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Sistine Chapel

 4.7/5

73758 reviews

The medieval fortification, called the Leonine Wall, surrounds the Borgo neighbourhood in addition to the Vatican. After Rome was attacked by the Saracens in 846, it was decided to start building a defence wall. The Leonine Wall, designed to protect the Vatican from Muslim attacks, was built from 848 to 852.

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