I am Muslim, from Bangladesh, and the Vatican is not my faith’s holy site.

That is the honest starting point for this guide.

I had no particular religious connection to the place. I was visiting because it is one of the most significant sites on earth — because the art inside is among the greatest ever made and because Vatican City is, technically, its own country, which meant it would become my 45th.

I collect countries. I am not ashamed of this.

What I did not expect was how much the place would affect me. The Vatican Museums turned out to be overwhelming in the best possible sense. The Sistine Chapel — which you cannot photograph, so you will have to take my word for it — was amazing. I absolutely loved it. And St Peter’s Basilica, which I walked into with no particular expectations, turned out to be one of the most extraordinary buildings I have ever stood inside.

This is my honest account of what visiting the Vatican for the first time is actually like.

Quick Facts

Getting to the Vatican from Rome

Vatican City sits on the west bank of the Tiber, about a 30-minute walk from the historic centre or a short metro ride. Take Line A to Ottaviano — the walk from there to St Peter’s Square takes around ten minutes through a pleasant neighbourhood of trattorias and souvenir shops.

If you are coming from the Colosseum area, allow at least 45 minutes by metro (change at Termini). From the Spanish Steps or Trevi Fountain, Ottaviano is a direct 4–5 stops.

Alternatively, the Rome Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Tour stops near the Vatican and is worth considering if you are combining it with other major sites — it takes the metro logistics out of a heavy sightseeing day.

The Route I Took

The sequence that made the most sense — and the one I followed — was:

Vatican Museums → Sistine Chapel → St Peter’s Square → St Peter’s Basilica

This is the standard entry route when you book through the Museums. You enter from the Museums side on Viale Vaticano (a 10-minute walk north of St Peter’s Square), move through the galleries and Raphael Rooms, reach the Sistine Chapel, then exit directly into St Peter’s Square from a side door — at which point the Basilica is right in front of you.

It works well. The Museums build up to the Sistine Chapel as a crescendo, and the Square and Basilica feel like a natural exhale after the intensity of everything that came before.

Part One: The Vatican Museums

Wooden architectural scale model of Vatican City on display inside the Vatican Museums, showing St Peter’s Basilica, Bernini’s colonnades, the Vatican gardens and surrounding buildings, visitors and Rome rooftops visible through windows behind

The Vatican Museums are not one museum. They are a labyrinth — a sequence of galleries, corridors, courtyards, and halls that took centuries to accumulate and would take days to see properly. Most visitors see a fraction and still come away with more than they can process.

I booked my entry ticket in advance. This is not optional advice — it is essential. The queue for walk-in tickets wraps around the exterior walls of the Vatican and can take two to three hours. On the day I visited, the line stretched the entire length of Viale Vaticano — easily two hours of waiting in the open sun. Book online and you enter through a separate, much faster lane. It takes about ten minutes versus potentially a morning.

→ Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance Ticket

If you prefer a guided experience — and for a first visit there is a strong argument for this, given how much context the rooms require — I would suggest the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Tour, which covers all three in a single guided session with skip-the-line access.

The first thing that struck me inside the Museums was the sheer density. Every surface — ceiling, wall, floor — is decorated. There is no breathing space, no blank wall, no corridor that has been left plain. After ten minutes, you start to understand why people describe the Vatican as overwhelming.

The Vatican Museums ceiling where even the ceiling above you is a masterpiece

The galleries move through Egyptian antiquities, Greek and Roman sculpture, tapestries, maps, and then — for most visitors — the Raphael Rooms, which are the highlight before the Sistine Chapel.

The Raphael Rooms

Raphael’s ceiling in the Stanza della Segnatura, every inch deliberate

The Raphael Rooms – four rooms painted by Raphael and his workshop in the early 16th century are where the Vatican Museums reach their first peak. The Stanza della Segnatura contains the School of Athens — a vast fresco depicting Plato, Aristotle, and the great thinkers of antiquity gathered together in an imagined classical hall, painted in 1511 and widely considered one of the defining works of the Renaissance.

I am not an art historian. I did not know most of what I was looking at. But the Raphael Rooms do not require knowledge — they require only eyes. The ceilings alone are extraordinary.

The Battle of Milvian Bridge where Constantine changed the course of history

The Sala di Costantino, the largest of the four rooms contains a massive depiction of the Battle of Milvian Bridge, where Constantine defeated his rival Maxentius in 312 AD, the battle that effectively began Christianity’s rise as the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. Standing in front of it, knowing what that moment set in motion, is one of those rare instances where history feels genuinely close.

The Sistine Chapel

I cannot show you photographs of the Sistine Chapel. Photography is strictly forbidden inside, and the guards enforce it — regularly and firmly. This is one place where you simply have to go.

What I can tell you is this: it is smaller than you expect from the photographs. And Michelangelo’s ceiling is more detailed, more emotionally forceful, and more technically astonishing than any reproduction prepared me for. I stood with my head tilted back for a long time. Everyone around me did the same.

The Creation of Adam is in the centre. The Last Judgement covers the entire altar wall. The room is full of people and yet somehow, for a moment, you feel alone with it.

I am not religious. But I understood, standing in that room, why this building mattered so much to so many people for so long.

After I came home, I read Angels & Demons by Dan Brown — which is set, in large part, in the Vatican. The novel moves through locations you will have just walked — the Vatican Museums corridors, the hidden passages of Castel Sant’Angelo across the river, the four churches of Rome that form the book’s trail. Reading it after visiting made every scene feel immediate in a way it simply cannot before you have been there. If you have not read it, read it after your visit. It adds a whole second layer to everything you saw.

Practical Sistine Chapel tips:

• No photography — enforceable and enforced
• Silence is requested — the guards remind people regularly
• It fills up quickly in the morning; try to be in the Museums queue when they open
• You cannot linger indefinitely — the flow of visitors keeps moving
• Exit from the Sistine Chapel leads directly into St Peter’s Square (through a side door — a pleasant shortcut that bypasses the museum exit queue)

Part Two: St Peter’s Square

St Peter’s Square, Vatican City — the obelisk has stood here since 1586

Emerging from the Sistine Chapel exit into St Peter’s Square is one of the better surprises a first-time visitor can have. One moment you are inside a packed gallery. The next, you are standing in open air with one of the world’s great public spaces spreading out in front of you.

The square is enormous. The numbers are almost comical — it holds up to 300,000 people for major events. On a regular day, it simply feels vast and open, with the colonnade curving around you like arms.

Bernini’s colonnade – 284 columns, 140 saints, one breathtaking curve

The colonnade was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 17th century — 284 columns arranged in a sweeping ellipse, topped by 140 statues of saints. Bernini described it as the arms of the Church reaching out to embrace the faithful. Whether or not you share that faith, the architecture works. It is designed to make you feel held.

The square at a quieter moment – Roman pines marking the horizon

At the centre stands an Egyptian obelisk — brought to Rome by Caligula, moved to its current position in 1586. It predates Christianity, predates the Basilica, predates almost everything around it by centuries. Standing next to it and thinking about how many people have stood in roughly this same spot, looking at roughly this same stone, is the kind of thought that makes travel worth the effort.

The Swiss Guard

The Swiss Guard, the world’s smallest army, and possibly its most photogenic

You will encounter the Swiss Guard at various points around the Vatican — at doorways, at the entrance to the Basilica, at restricted areas. They wear the orange, blue, and yellow striped uniform that has remained essentially unchanged since the 16th century, and they carry halberds.

They look theatrical, but they are a functioning military force — the world’s oldest and smallest. Recruitment requires Swiss citizenship, Catholic faith, and unmarried status. They are not decorative.

I photographed one through a doorway at night, with the yellow lanterns stretching away behind him. It is one of my favourite shots from the entire trip.

Part Three: St Peter’s Basilica

Chairs set up in the square, the Vatican runs on ceremony

Entry to St Peter’s Basilica is free. This surprises many visitors who have just paid for Vatican Museums tickets. You simply join the queue at the Basilica entrance — there is a security check, and your shoulders and knees must be covered. If you are not dressed appropriately, they will not let you in. This is not a suggestion.

The facade itself — designed by Carlo Maderno and completed in 1612 — is imposing rather than beautiful. It is very wide, slightly plain compared to the Baroque richness inside. The Latin inscription running across the top dedicates the building to the Apostle Peter. You read it without being able to translate it and still understand what it says.

Inside the largest church in the world and somehow it still surprises you.

Inside, your first impression is of scale. St Peter’s Basilica is the largest church in the world — it covers more than 15,000 square metres. The nave stretches 186 metres from the entrance to the apse. The columns flanking it are 28 metres high. None of these numbers prepare you. The building is simply, unexpectedly, larger than you thought it would be.

Bernini’s baldachin beneath Michelangelo’s dome, two Renaissance giants in one frame

At the centre stands Bernini’s baldachin — a bronze canopy 29 metres tall, built over the tomb of St Peter. It took eleven years to construct and required so much bronze that some of it was stripped from the Pantheon’s portico, an act that prompted the Roman satirist Pasquino to write: quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini — “what the barbarians did not do, the Barberini did.” (Pope Urban VIII, who commissioned it, was from the Barberini family.)

The dome above it was designed by Michelangelo — his last great work, completed after his death by Giacomo della Porta. Looking straight up into it, with the Latin inscription band running around the drum and the light filtering through the sixteen windows, is one of those moments that makes you stop moving entirely.

Latin carved in marble – the Vatican speaks in centuries, not years

Scattered throughout the Basilica are papal tombs, chapels, and monuments spanning nearly two thousand years. The Latin inscriptions are everywhere — carved into marble, inlaid in gold, embedded in mosaic. You do not need to read Latin to feel their weight. The building speaks in a register that does not require translation.

Practical Information

Tickets and booking: Book Vatican Museums tickets well in advance — weeks ahead during peak season, days ahead in shoulder season. Walk-in queues are genuinely punishing. The Basilica is free but has its own security queue; arrive early or expect to wait.

→ Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Entrance Ticket

→ Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour

→ St. Peter’s Basilica with Optional Dome Ticket

Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered — for everyone, regardless of gender. Bring a scarf or lightweight layer if you are visiting in summer. They will turn you away at the door without one.

What to skip if time is short: If you have only half a day, go directly to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. The Basilica can be visited separately — it is open longer and free. The dome climb (which I did not do) requires a separate ticket and significant physical effort; it rewards you with views over Rome, but it is not essential for a first visit.

Wednesday crowds: Avoid Wednesday mornings if possible. The Papal Audience takes place in St Peter’s Square, which dramatically increases crowds across the entire Vatican area.

How many hours: Allow a full day. Vatican Museums alone can absorb 3–4 hours if you move at pace. The Basilica needs at least an hour to feel like you have actually seen it. Add travel time, queues, and the Square, and a full day is not an exaggeration.

Getting there: Metro Line A, Ottaviano stop. From there, walk south along Via della Conciliazione toward the Square, or north on Viale Vaticano toward the Museums entrance. They are different entrances, do not confuse them.

Where to Stay Near the Vatican

The Prati neighbourhood, directly across from the Vatican, is the most convenient base — quiet, residential, full of good restaurants and cafes, and an easy walk to both the Museums entrance and St Peter’s Square.

Recommended hotels near the Vatican:

• Hotel dei Consoli — Boutique hotel in Prati, comfortable rooms, well located for the Museums
• Residenza Paolo VI — Directly on Via della Conciliazione, overlooks St Peter’s Square; book a room with a view
• NH Collection Roma Palazzo Cinquecento — Near Termini, slightly further but good value with easy metro access to Ottaviano
• Hotel Bramante — Small historic hotel immediately next to the Vatican walls; one of the closest hotels to the site
• Generator Rome — Budget option for solo travellers, well-connected by metro

Search for the best rates:

Where to Eat Near the Vatican

The streets immediately around the Vatican — especially Via della Conciliazione — are tourist-trap territory. Walk two streets back into Prati for significantly better food at lower prices.

Recommendations:

• Pizzarium Bonci (Via della Meloria) — Rome’s most famous pizza al taglio, just ten minutes from the Museums. Worth the detour.
• Sciascia Caffè (Via Fabio Massimo) — A historic coffee bar in Prati; they have been making the same espresso recipe since 1919.
• Osteria dell’Angelo (Via G. Bettolo) — Classic Roman trattoria, cacio e pepe and carbonara done properly, reasonable prices.
• Mercato Trionfale — Covered market a short walk from the Vatican, good for a cheap lunch among locals.

Vatican City as a Country

I collect countries. At the time of this visit, the Vatican became one of my 45th — my fifth continent ticked off in the process.

It is the smallest internationally recognised country in the world — 44 hectares, a population of around 800, its own postal service, its own radio station, its own newspaper. It issues its own passports (though only to citizens, which means the Pope and the Swiss Guard). It has its own bank. It even has its own football team! The Vatican City national team plays in an internal league, which is a remarkable thing for a state covering less than half a square kilometre.

Getting a Vatican stamp in your passport requires visiting the post office inside the Vatican and buying a stamp there — the postal service is separate from Italy’s, and the postmark is Vatican City. It is a small thing, but if you are a country collector, do not miss it.

Italy Series: What to Read Next

The Vatican sits inside Rome — and Rome deserves far more than a day. I spent two full days walking the ancient city before adding the Vatican, and it was still not enough. Read my full Rome in March guide for the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Testaccio, and everything else the ancient city holds.

If you are continuing north after Rome, Venice is 3.5 hours by high-speed train — and worth every minute. And from Venice, the day trip to Burano — the island of colour — makes a perfect contrast to everything ancient and marble-white you have been looking at.

FAQ: Visiting the Vatican for the First Time

Do I need to book Vatican tickets in advance?

Yes, strongly. Walk-in queues at the Vatican Museums can be 2–3 hours long even outside peak season. Book online at least a few days ahead; in summer, book weeks ahead.

Is the Sistine Chapel included in the Vatican Museums ticket?

Yes — the Sistine Chapel is the final room of the Vatican Museums route. One ticket covers both.

Is St Peter’s Basilica free?

Yes. Entry to the Basilica is free. The dome climb requires a separate ticket (€8 on foot, €10 by lift). The Vatican Museums ticket does not cover Basilica entry — they are separate sites with separate queues.

Can I visit the Vatican if I am not Christian?

Absolutely. The Vatican Museums are a secular cultural attraction as much as a religious one. The art, architecture, and history are for everyone. I visited as a Muslim from Bangladesh and found it one of the most extraordinary cultural experiences of my travels.

What should I wear to the Vatican?

Shoulders and knees must be covered — for all genders. Bring a scarf or light layer if visiting in summer. This is enforced at the Basilica entrance and at the Museums. They will not let you in without it.

Is photography allowed in the Sistine Chapel?

No. Photography is strictly forbidden. Guards enforce this actively. Everything else in the Vatican Museums and the Basilica can be photographed.

How long does the Vatican take?

Plan a full day. The Museums alone can take 3–4 hours at a reasonable pace. The Basilica needs at least an hour. Add the Square, travel time, and queuing, and a comfortable visit is 6–8 hours.

Can I climb the dome?

Yes, with a separate ticket. It involves 551 steps (or 320 if you take the lift partway). The views over Rome are excellent. I did not climb it on this visit — it is on the list for next time.

What is the best time to visit the Vatican?

Weekday mornings, arriving when the Museums open. Avoid Wednesday (Papal Audience), holidays, and July–August peak season if possible.

Does Vatican City count as a separate country?

Yes — Vatican City is a fully sovereign independent state, recognised internationally. It has its own government, currency (Euro), postal service, and military (the Swiss Guard). Country collectors: it counts.

Final Thoughts

I went to the Vatican because it was there, because it was significant, because it added a country to my list. I left having understood something I had not expected to, that even from the outside, even without shared faith, places built with this much intention and this much accumulated meaning have a way of getting through.

The Sistine Chapel was the moment I did not expect. Standing in that room, looking at what one person made on a ceiling five centuries ago — it does not matter what you believe or where you are from. Some things simply work.

Book your tickets before you go. Arrive early. And allow yourself more time than you think you need.

Also in the Italy series: Rome in March — Walking Ancient Rome on Foot | Venice Travel Guide | Day Trip to Burano from Venice

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