Continuing the theme of leisure in Rome, BlogoItaliano could not get past the excursions around the Vatican. Many travelers, arriving in Rome, plan to visit the capital of the Catholic Church on their own. As a result, most of them lose sight of the most significant and interesting places, limiting themselves to what lies on the surface. To prevent this from happening to you, we asked a friend of the guide to Rome to tell you what the most interesting excursions to the Vatican exist and give an idea of the contents of each of them.
| Vatican City Tour | ||
 | A classic route around the Vatican with visits to the most interesting museums of the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Suitable for those who arrived in the Vatican for the first time. More details ...  | |
Excursion to the Vatican Museums | ||
 | As part of the tour, you can visit the Museum of Carriages, the Egyptian and Etruscan Museums, the Museum of Pius Clement and the Hall of the Immaculate Conception, the Pinakothek, Gallery of Tapestries, Candelabra and Geographical Maps, Rafael Stanza and the Sistine Chapel. More details ...
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Excursion to St. Peter's Basilica | ||
 | A wonderful tour of the main cathedral of the Catholic Church - St. Peter's Basilica. All of his secrets, treasures and legends will be revealed to you. The statue of the Apostle, the famous “Pieta”, the spear of Longin are just a few exhibits to be seen. More details ...
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Excursion to the Vatican Museums after closing | ||
 | Take a look at the masterpieces of classical Italian art without a crowd of visitors around, stay alone with the beautiful. Is this not a dream? It is quite feasible with a guided tour of the Vatican Museums after closing. More details ...
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Excursion to the Vatican Gardens | ||
 | A quiet, cozy, green park was the favorite brainchild of many popes, starting from the XV century. The best landscape designers of their time worked to create this beauty. You can take a look at the Papal Gardens as part of this excursion. More details ...
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Vatican City Tour
Sightseeing tour of the Vatican best suited for those travelers who have arrived in Rome for a few days and whose time is limited.
This route, although it is designed for several hours, comprehensively and comprehensively covers the main attractions of the city-state, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in its history and traditions, as well as get acquainted with the rich cultural heritage of the capital of the Catholic Church.
The calm and majestic Vatican
There are several options for organizing a sightseeing tour in the Vatican:
1. Classic route
Tour Duration: 3 hours
As part of a classic sightseeing tour, you can visit some of the Vatican's most interesting museums - the Candelabra, Tapestries and Geographic Maps, the Pius Clement Museum with its delightful collection of ancient Greek and Roman works of art, as well as the Courtyard of the Cones.
In addition to museums, the cost of the tour includes a visit to the Sistine Chapel, where travelers will see Michelangelo’s famous Last Judgment fresco and St. Peter's Basilica.
The Sistine Chapel
The tour ends on the main Vatican square in front of the Cathedral.
2. Sightseeing tour in the Vatican. Extended program
Tour Duration: 4-5 hours
For those travelers who are unaware of fatigue, there is a more extended program of sightseeing tours in the Vatican for 4 and 5 hours, respectively.
Rafael's stanzas at the Papal Palace
The 4-hour program additionally includes visits to the famous Rafael Stanzas in the Papal Palace, and the 5-hour program also includes the Vatican Pinacoteca, which contains a rich collection of paintings by famous Italian masters.
Excursion to the Vatican Museums
The collection of works of art collected in the Vatican Museums brought them worldwide fame. Art lovers - the Pope - for many centuries contributed to the expansion of the exhibition, which can be compared to only a few of the most famous museums in the world.
Moreover, the collection of museums is not only unique, but also extremely diverse. Here, the works of the Italian geniuses Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Raphael, Giotto, and the masterpieces of ancient sculpture, and the incredible expositions dedicated to Ancient Egypt and the Etruscan civilization cannot be listed. You can get acquainted with the collection of museums for weeks, or even months.
The collection of works of art collected in the Vatican Museums brought them world fame
This tour of the Vatican Museums within one day it will cover all the main "pearls" of an extremely rich exposure. Together with the guide, travelers visit the Museum of Carriages, the Egyptian and Etruscan Museums, the Museum of Pius Clement and the Hall of the Immaculate Conception, the Pinakothek, Gallery of Tapestries, Candelabra and Geographical Maps, Rafael Stanza and the Sistine Chapel.
The sculpture "Laocoon and his sons" in the museum of Pius Clement
Impressions from visiting museums are extremely many. This tour is often chosen by families with teenage children who want to instill a sense of beauty in their children.
Please note that museums are not always open. On Sundays and days of major religious holidays, they are closed to the public. Also, there are days when admission to museums is free. As a rule, they fall on the last Sunday of the month. There are a lot of people who want to visit museums on this day. You can spend the whole day in lines and never see anything. Therefore, an excursion to the Vatican Museums should be planned in advance.
Vatican Museums Schedule
It is important to remember that getting into museums without a ticket will fail. The price of admission to the Vatican Museums is already included in the price of this tour. For those who want to visit the Vatican Museums and buy tickets on their own, BlogoItaliano has published detailed instructions.
Vatican City Tour: St. Peter's Basilica
This tour of the Vatican entirely devoted to St. Peter's Basilica. In contrast to the sightseeing tour route, travelers will become very familiar with the history and architecture of the main Cathedral of the Catholic Church, its relics, secrets and legends associated with it.
St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican
Many visitors to the Cathedral, even having a Guide in their hands, lose sight of its main treasures: Michelangelo's “Pietu”, the canopy above the Papal altar and the Cathedral of St. Peter Bernini, the statue of the Apostle, according to legend, healing diseases and fulfilling wishes, Longin’s spear, etc.
Michelangelo, 24, created Pieta in 1499
Finally, travelers will find the Museum of Treasures of St. Peter, which will take a closer look at the role, life and significance of the Pope for believers.
Interior of St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica also has the opportunity to visit the grottoes with the burial places of the popes or climb to the observation deck on the dome of the temple.
The cost of a ticket that allows you to climb the dome is not included in the price of the tour and is agreed with the guide in advance.
Excursion to the Vatican Museums after closing
An excursion to the Vatican Museums after closing is not a cheap pleasure, but it's worth it.
The main feature of the tour is a visit to the Vatican Museums at those times when the doors will be closed for ordinary visitors. Thus, in Museums, usually crowded with visitors, you will only be left alone with the art, and the guide will not only tell you about the most interesting exhibits, but also tell you that from the exposition you can also see something that is not available to ordinary tourists.
Vatican Guards
The fact is that as part of this excursion you can visit the rooms of the residence of the Roman popes usually closed to visitors in the Apostolic Palace. Among such rooms are the Chapel of Niccolin, the Loggias of Raphael, the Stairs of Bramante, the Gallery of Statues, the Hall of Masks and others.
In one of the Vatican Museums
Unlike the excursions listed above, the price of this tour bites, but it is ideal in order to surprise the variety of cultural programs of important business partners or when traveling to Italy with a large company (up to 20 people can enter with a guide).
Excursion to the Vatican Gardens
The famous Vatican Gardens occupy more than half the area of the entire Vatican and are one of its main highlights. They are considered the oldest in Europe and one of the most famous in the world.
Vatican Gardens
Many popes had a hand in the modern look of the gardens. Carried away by the park economy, from the 15th century onwards, the Pope invited the best landscape designers of his time, perfecting the Gardens for centuries. In addition, there are many significant buildings on the territory of the Vatican Gardens, including the Tower of John, the Ethiopian College, the Governor's Palace, the Palazzo San Carlo, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Vatican Station and others.
Many popes had a hand in the modern look of the Vatican Gardens
Sightseeing tours of the Vatican often go around the gardens, because you can spend many hours here, but to get to know them superficially will not work. In addition, an excursion to the Vatican Gardens is allowed only by prior arrangement and accompanied by a guide, which further complicates the task of visiting. But to visit here is definitely worth it. Already at least in order to see the Vatican from the inside - calm and majestic, so different from its main entrance - the eternally crowded St. Peter's Square.
What should I remember when planning a trip to the Vatican? Visiting Rules
When planning an excursion to the Vatican, it should be remembered that it is a religious state. And as in any sacred place, it is worth observing certain rules and visiting rules:
- the Vatican has a strict dress code. Care should be taken in advance to ensure that the shoulders and knees of both women and men are covered;
- it is forbidden to bring liquids in glass bottles, alcoholic beverages, pricking and cutting objects into the territory of the state;
- It is not recommended to take large carry-on baggage with you.
However, despite the strictness of the rules, it is definitely worth a visit.
How to book a tour of the Vatican
Getting the details and current prices of any of the excursions described in the article is easy. To do this, write a request to Lele, the guide who wrote this article, by email protected or via the feedback form below.
If it will be difficult for you to decide which of the excursions to prefer, ask Lela for advice. As a guide to the Vatican with many years of experience, she will be able to suggest which excursions will be more interesting in your individual case.
Candelabra Gallery
At one time, BlogoItaliano also used the services of Lela, after which he described his personal experience of meeting her in the article Guide to Rome: His Man in the Eternal City. In addition, we also appealed to Lele with a request to orientate on cultural activities in the capital of Italy, after which we had the article Excursions in Rome in Russian: 5 most popular.
When going to Rome, remember that this is one of the most popular cities in the world, and many days with a guide can be booked several months in advance. Therefore, when planning a visit to the Vatican, it is better to write Lele in advance and book the dates you need in advance. This is especially true for trips to the capital of Italy for the May and New Year holidays, and in the case of the Vatican, also for Catholic Christmas and Easter.
Write to Lele right now to find out what days the excursions are in the Vatican and find out their current prices for the dates of your trip. A letter to the guide does not oblige you to anything.
Mail to Lela:
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Video Bonus: About the Vatican
Photos by: Joao Maximo, Luigi Strano, Storm Crypt, MAMJODH, Mark Leicester, Walter Parenteau, Neil Howard, Randy OHC, Russian Sparrow, azar2007, Steven Zucker
