Vatican City
The State of Vatican City, in the centre of Rome, is the smallest state in Europe, both in population and expanse. It's the head of the Catholic Church and also one of the main tourist sites of interest in the whole of Rome.
Vatican City (Città del Vaticano in Italian) is an independent city-state located in the heart of Rome, ruled by the Pope (Bishop of Rome). It is the centre of authority over the Roman Catholic Church.
The Vatican is the smallest state in Europe. It has a total area of 0,44 km² and inside its wall live approximately 1000 people.
In this small state lives the Pope, in the Apostolic palace surrounded by beautiful gardens. The palace is open to the public, but visitors have to book in advance.
The Vatican City was declared independent from the rest of Italy on 11 February 1929, with the signing of the Lateran Treaty between Pope Pius XI and Mussolini.
Top attraction in Vatican City
There are three main attractions in Vatican City: St. Peter’s Square (Piazza San Pietro), St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, where the Sistine Chapel is located.
St. Peter's Square
St. Peter's Basilica
Vatican Museums
Sistine Chapel
How much time is needed to visit the Vatican?
If you want to visit the Vatican and enjoy everything it has to offer, you need to spend at least a full morning. To avoid wasting time queuing, it is best to buy your Vatican tickets in advance.
Buy tickets for the Vatican
If you want to visit the Vatican without missing any details, discover amazing stories and also skip the endless queues (up to 4 hours for the Vatican Museums), it's best to buy your Vatican tickets in advance.
If you want to book a skip-the-line Vatican tour in English, we recommend our guided tour of the Vatican. It includes an English-speaking guided tour and skip-the-line entry to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.