8 Reasons Why Visit The Vatican For Your Next Vacation

If you are planning a holiday and want it to be as memorable, beautiful, cultural, and historical as it can be, you cannot do better than Vatican City. We love Italy, and in this guide, you will discover all the reasons to visit Vatican City.

This city-state is surrounded by the city of Rome in Italy but is officially the smallest independent country in the world. Ruled by the Pope as its monarch, Vatican City is steeped in Catholic history, fine art, and incredible architecture, and it is surrounded by one of Europe’s most incredible cities.

From famous sites in Vatican City, such as St. Peter’s Basilica and The Sistine Chapel, to Roman attractions, like the Colosseum and the food, this vacation will be one to write home about.

St. Peter’s Basilica

This Renaissance-style church, built between 1506 and 1626, is located in the Vatican and is the largest church in the world by interior measures. It was primarily designed by High Renaissance and Baroque icons Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

St. Peter’s tomb is supposedly directly below the altar of the Basilica, hence its name. St. Peter was one of Jesus’ most beloved Apostles and the first Pope of Rome. This Basilica has long been a religious pilgrimage site and has even been called the “greatest of all churches of Christendom.” When people talk of the majesty and splendour of Rome, they never fail to mention St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City and the Pope’s official residence. Perhaps one of the world’s most iconic and recognisable images is located on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, namely the fresco by Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, 1508–12.

To see this incredible painting in person, you can purchase Vatican Sistine Chapel tickets online before your visit. It is said that creating this fresco took Michelangelo four years to complete as it was so physically taxing. It even caused him to have permanently damaged sight.

While the Sistine Chapel is just one of many incredibly famous, beautiful, and historically rich attractions in the Vatican, you will notice that it gathers the largest crowds. This is because everyone who visits is drawn to stop and contemplate the splendour of the room and the intricacy of the ceiling design. For many, the Sistine Chapel highlights their entire Rome trip.

The Vatican museums

The Vatican City is home to 54 galleries, with 1,400 rooms, that make up the Vatican Museums. These galleries boasted an array of splendid and ancient arts and came into being following Pope Julius II’s purchase of a marble sculpture known as Laocoön and His Sons. Thus began the collection that today has reached over 70,000 pieces. Around 20,000 artworks are displayed in the Vatican Museums, with the other 50,000 remaining safely kept in storage.

Two of these galleries include St. Peter’s Basilica and The Sistine Chapel; however, there are 52 more to visit, so for the art lovers among us, the Vatican is a dream holiday destination. In the Raphael rooms, you can visit the spectacular The School of Athens painting by Raphael, in which Plato and Aristotle discussed the philosophy surrounding their students.

See if you can spot where Raphael painted Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donato Bramante (the architect), and himself in the painting. You can also book private tours of Vatican City.

The catacombs

The Vatican Grottoes are a large complex of Papal tombs that lie directly below St. Peter’s Basilica. Inside the Grottoes are the tombs of Popes, as well as church dignitaries, monarchs, and other significant individuals from the history of Rome. There are more than one hundred tombs inside the Basilica, most of which lie within the Vatican Grottoes. However, you can also view some of the other preserved Popes lying in glass coffins in the main part of the Basilica.

The catacombs are also home to ancient artworks and relics preserved over centuries. You can visit the necropolis under the Basilica and see the supposed tomb of St. Peter himself. This is an eerie but intriguing experience and puts you face-to-face with an ancient and incredible history.

Get a glimpse of the Pope

When visiting the Vatican, you might be lucky enough to see the Pope in the flesh, especially if you are there around 1 pm on a Sunday, when he often comes to his window to address the crows and wave. This is such an iconic sight; you will hardly believe you see it for real. If this is something you want to experience, check online for the date and time he is next expected to appear and make sure to have any tickets you may need.

If it has been your life-long dream to see the Pope with your own two eyes, you should try to get tickets to the Papal Audience, which is held every Wednesday in the Vatican at around 10 am. Why leave it up to chance when you can plan ahead?

Seeing the Pope in the Vatican in his fine robes addressing a massive, loving crowd is a momentous occasion. Whether or not you are a practising Catholic, this is an impressive sight to behold.

Learn the rich history

Rome was not always a site of Christian worship, and the history that led to this point was not always bright and beautiful. Rome was destroyed in The Great Fire of Rome in A.D. 64; the cruel and debaucherous Emperor Nero executed St. Peter and other Christian scapegoats at the base of Vatican Hill, where they were buried in a necropolis and left for centuries.

It was not until A.D. 324 that a Roman emperor, Emperor Constantine I, converted to Christianity and began constructing a basilica over St. Peter’s tomb to commemorate this great injustice. This began the Vatican’s role as the seat of the Catholic Church in the 4th century A.D.

In 1377, the Apostolic Palace, the Sistine Chapel and the new St. Peter’s Basilica were erected. You can learn more of the fascinating and bloody history at the Vatican and walk where these ancient figures once stood.

Visiting the Vatican Museums, the Basilica and Sistine Chapel will help to paint a picture of the lives and actions of many significant Christian figures of the past.

Stay in Rome

Nobody but the clergy (those who contribute to the operation of the Vatican City religiously) and its Swiss Guards are allowed to reside inside the Vatican City, and there are no hotels. The state’s entire population is around 1000 people, and its border with Rome is just 2 miles around. This makes it the smallest state in the world. So, when visiting the Vatican, you will have the opportunity to visit and stay in beautiful Rome.

This is an excellent opportunity to wander the incredible historic streets of Rome and take in the ancient wonders of the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain. Watch as old ruins sprout modern buildings from their shoulders and marvel at the ever-evolving but always stunning city around you.

Rome is home to incredible restaurants, great shopping opportunities, street music, and a fascinating Capuchin Monk Crypt in which the remains of around 4000 people have been turned into weird and beautiful displays. The city is a must-see, so add a few days of exploring Rome to your Vatican schedule.

The food

One of the best reasons why visit Vatican City is for its food.  When in Rome, you must try as much of the delicious Italian cuisine as is humanly possible. From crispy pizzas to succulent osso buco, warm, salty focaccia, and freshly-made tagliatelle. Italian food is world-renowned for a reason, and until you have tasted it in Italy, you cannot fully appreciate how incredible it can be.

After sampling a fine Italian dinner, don’t forget to make your way over to a local gelateria for a Stracciatella ice cream and an espresso to close your stomach. You can even pair the coffee with one of Italy’s many liqueurs if you want to go all out.

If this last point alone hasn’t convinced you to take this trip of a lifetime, then surely nothing will! There is nothing better than tasting the city with some local food; I mean, for an authentic experience, you should take a day trip to Naples and try the world’s best pizza ever.

Final thoughts about why visit Vatican City

This has been a list of 8 reasons why you should pick Vatican City as your next vacation destination. Starting with some of the historical and cultural highlights of the city-state, we have listed St. Peter’s Basilica, The Sistine Chapel, home to Michelangelo’s world-famous ceiling painting, the Vatican Museum, and the Catacombs below the Basilica.

These highlights of the Vatican are indescribable and must be witnessed in person to fully appreciate their splendour.

On top of these sites, there is the potential to see the Pope in person, learn some world-changing Catholic history, visit Rome and sample real Italian food. In one short trip to the Vatican, all of this is possible. So what are you waiting for?

Q&A Why visit Vatican City

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Travel with us, and get some inspiration through the gorgeous Italian landscape. See more in Italy Travel Guide.

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