{"id":29777,"date":"2021-02-15T00:16:02","date_gmt":"2021-02-15T00:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/?p=29777"},"modified":"2025-12-18T18:58:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T18:58:15","slug":"vatican-city-a-first-timers-guide-for-what-to-see-and-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/vatican-city-a-first-timers-guide-for-what-to-see-and-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Vatican City: A First-Timer\u2019s Guide for What To See and Do"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Your trip to Rome won\u2019t be complete without a visit to Vatican City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Home of St. Peter\u2019s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, Vatican City is the seat of the Holy See, or the Roman Catholic papacy. But you don\u2019t have to be Catholic \u2014 or even religious \u2014 to visit and appreciate Vatican City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the world\u2019s largest church, one of the world\u2019s oldest and largest museums of art (including the Sistine Chapel), and the massive, grand St. Peter\u2019s Square, Vatican City is one of the top visitor destinations in Rome and an essential part of any visit, especially for first-timers to Rome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s what you need to know before you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is Vatican City?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At less than 0.5 square kilometers, or 0.19 square miles, Vatican City is the smallest country in the world. Here\u2019s what it includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
St. Peter\u2019s Basilica and Square<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Vatican Museums<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Vatican Gardens<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Apostolic Palace (the Pope\u2019s residence)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Church administrative offices<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Vatican Necropolis (tomb of St. Peter)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Vatican Post Office<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The Vatican: From 1929 to today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Although the Vatican has been central to the Catholic Church since the earliest days of Christianity in Rome, the Vatican City State has only existed independently from the rest of Rome since the 1929 signing of the Lateran Treaty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Vatican City is entirely contained within the borders of the city of Rome. However, it functions as an independent city-state with its own government, laws, administration, and infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As head of the Catholic Church, the sitting pope \u2014 currently Pope Francis \u2014 is the Vatican\u2019s head of state. The pope lives here in the Papal Apartments. Other residents of Vatican City total just over 800 and are composed of members of the Swiss Guard (the pope\u2019s private security force) and members of the clergy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vatican City location and getting there<\/h2>\n\n\n\nVia della Conciliazione leading to St. Peter\u2019s Square in Vatican City<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re looking to visit the Vatican, it\u2019s easy to include on your trip to Rome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vatican City sits west-northwest of Rome\u2019s centro storico, or historic center. It\u2019s on the other side of the Tiber River from Rome\u2019s famous sites such as the Colosseum and Forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro tip: <\/strong>The only public entrances to the city-state are on St. Peter\u2019s Square and at the visitor\u2019s entrance to the Vatican Museums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To reach Vatican City on foot from central Rome, most people cross the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II bridge or the prettier, pedestrian-only Ponte Sant\u2019 Angelo bridge. I recommend the latter, since it was designed by Bernini and is lined with gorgeous 17th-century statues. From there, they walk up Via della Conciliazione, a wide avenue that opens onto St. Peter\u2019s Square. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Public transit to the Vatican<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Vatican City is also served by busses and the Rome Metro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For visiting the Vatican Museums, the closest Metro stop is Ottaviano, about a 7-minute walk to the museum entrance. Several city bus lines stop at Piazza del Risorgimento, which is just a couple minutes\u2019 walk to the museum entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"St.](\"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/St.-Peters-Square-Vatican-City-Rome-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"St.](\"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/St.-Peters-piazza-in-Vatican-City-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"Interior](\"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/St.-Peters-Basilica-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Vatican](\"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Vatican-Museums-in-Rome-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Vatican](\"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/02\/Vatican-Museums-spiral-staircase-one-of-the-things-to-see-and-do-in-the-Vatican-1024x682.jpg\")