Vatican City

Whether you’re Catholic or not, the home of the Pope is a great destination to explore. There are numerous museums, artifacts and chapels to discover, as well as an endless line of shops to spend your money.

The trick to having the best time is to go on the last Sunday of the month, when entrance to the museums is free. You can also catch a short sermon from the Pope himself every Wednesday when he’s in town, though the vantage point isn’t the best. He typically delivers his speech from a room high up from St. Peter’s Basilica and it’s difficult to see without the aid of a teleprompter.

Saint Peter’s Basilica © Luca Roggero | Dreamstime

The Basilica itself is enormous and grandiose — it’s certainly not to be missed. The architecture is extravagant and absolutely stunning. The line to get in can take up to an hour of standing in the hot sun, which was kind of a downer, but you can avoid the lines by heading over in the early afternoon.

The real highlight of the Vatican is the museums. Endless corridors of paintings and sculptures lead you through the halls of Vatican City all the way into the famed Sistine Chapel. Now, truth be told, Michelangelo’s masterpiece is a beautiful work of art, but the experience does leave a bit to be desired. Throngs of people are shuffled into a chapel that’s likely smaller than you imagined and are constantly yelled at to not take pictures or make noise. It’s packed, and at certain times it can be difficult to even walk.

The Vatican Museums © Roland Nagy | Dreamstime

However, it’s definitely worth a trip to see one of the world’s most famous paintings. The artworks leading up to the Sistine Chapel and after it are spectacular in their own right, and there were other ceilings that were just as extraordinary as the most popular of them all.

If you’re in Rome, Vatican City should definitely be a top priority and given at least a full day to explore.