Practical, tested advice for visiting Vatican City. Tickets, itineraries, dress code, and everything you need before you go.
When to visit the Vatican for the thinnest crowds, best weather, and calmest galleries. Month-by-month breakdown with seasonal pricing, liturgical calendar traps, and the quiet windows most visitors miss.
Realistic time estimates for every type of Vatican visit - from a 1-hour basilica stop to a full immersive day. Security queues, museum pacing, dome climb timing, and how to avoid wasting hours.
What's free at the Vatican and what isn't. St. Peter's Basilica is always free. The Museums are free on the last Sunday of each month - but the crowds are brutal. Here's how to plan either option.
An honest guide to the Sistine Chapel - how to get there, what you're looking at, why the Last Judgment matters more than the ceiling, and how to experience it as a story rather than a selfie opportunity.
Everything you need to visit St. Peter's Basilica - free entry, security queues, what to see inside, the dome climb, the Grottoes, and the Sistine Chapel shortcut. Practical, honest, from someone who keeps coming back.
Everything you need to know about climbing St. Peter's dome - cost, fitness level, claustrophobia factor, the view from the top, and the best time to go. Honest assessment from someone who's done it.
A guide to St. Peter's Square - Bernini's colonnade, the Egyptian obelisk, the perspective trick, the security entrances, and how the square fits into your Vatican day.
The honest comparison: guided Vatican tour vs going it alone. What you gain with a guide (context, shortcuts, crowd management), what you lose (pace, cost, flexibility), and who should choose what.
A focused 3-hour Vatican itinerary for visitors with limited time. Museums highlights, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica in one efficient morning. What to prioritise and what to skip.
An honest assessment of the Vatican Gardens tour - what you actually see, the bus-tour reality, who benefits most, and whether the EUR33-40 premium over a standard museum ticket is justified.
A practical, honest guide to visiting the Vatican Museums. Gallery-by-gallery route, Friday evening tips, what to skip, and how to avoid burnout. From someone who's been visiting since 1997.
The five most common Vatican mistakes - from arriving without tickets to treating St. Peter's as an afterthought. Practical fixes for each, from someone who's watched thousands of visitors get it wrong.
Current Vatican opening hours for 2026 - Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica, dome climb, Grottoes, and Vatican Gardens. Includes closure dates, seasonal variations, and the times that actually matter for beating queues.
A 3-day itinerary splitting Vatican and Rome into manageable days. Day 1: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's. Day 2: Ancient Rome. Day 3: Papal audience, gardens, or deeper dives.
An honest breakdown of whether skip-the-line Vatican tickets are worth EUR31+. What you actually skip, what you don't, and the four scenarios where the premium makes sense.
Everything you need for a self-guided Vatican visit: timed tickets, the route that works, dress code, the Sistine-to-Basilica shortcut truth, and when going it alone makes sense vs. hiring a guide.
The Vatican is not a district of Rome - it's a separate country. What that means for your visit: different rules, different tickets, different expectations. The practical and historical differences explained.
A timed Vatican itinerary from 6:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Covers museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, dome climb, and where to eat in Prati. Realistic pacing for first-time visitors.
The complete Vatican planning guide. Tickets, timing, dress code, what to see, how to avoid mistakes, and links to every detailed guide you need. Your single starting point for planning a Vatican visit.
The Vatican dress code is real and enforced. Here is exactly what is allowed, what gets you turned away, and the simple workaround.
Yes, Muslims can visit the Vatican. Here is what to know about dress code, access, prayer spaces, and what to expect as a non-Christian visitor.