How do you get a tour of the Vatican?
The Vatican City is the stunning centre of the Catholic world. With ornate cathedrals, grand plazas, lush gardens and some of history’s most famous masterpieces, there is nowhere on Earth like the gloriously impressive Vatican City!
The great thing about visiting the Vatican is that it’s uber easy to get yourself a tour, with companies (including this one!) offering guided walks around this incredible microstate (almost) every day of the year.
There are multiple ways you can go about touring the Vatican, with small and large group tours as well as private tours allowing you to tailor your very own Vatican experience!
Once you get there, expect to have your devout side wowed with these unforgettable sights:
St. Peter’s Basilica
Possibly the grandest Catholic church in the world, St. Peter’s Basilica is the ultimate testament to the religion’s love for all things grand and opulent. And sure, its luxuriously ornate detailing on the facade might be spectacular, but it’s what awaits you inside that is the most stunning of all.
Inside St. Peter’s Basilica you will find some of the most impressive artefacts in the Catholic world, with the likes of Bernini’s Baldachin welcoming you into the stunning building.
Then there is the necropolis, a submerged tomb where St. Peter himself is buried (among other legends of the religion).
Sistine Chapel
Another truly magical structure, the Sistine Chapel is perhaps more renowned for its artwork as opposed to its religious capacities, as it is home to Michelangelo’s unmistakable The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgement, with both miraculous works sprawling across the Sistine Chapel’s most enriching ceiling, providing a pretty good reason to want to crane your head upwards.
Vatican Museums
The Vatican City has a few prized possessions in its confines, not least the estimated 70,000 masterpieces that comprise the Vatican Museums. With grand works from the likes of da Vinci, Carravagio, Raphael and the aforementioned Michelangelo, you will be delighted to marvel upon some of the instantly recognisable pieces that line its walls.
Vatican Gardens
The Vatican Gardens are lush, really lush. After all, it’s not as if they can’t afford a good greenskeeper, right? That works well for visitors, who love to step out into its peace and serenity after a near-overwhelming sensory experience that is visiting the Vatican City and its incredible masterpieces!