Inside the walls
St Peter's Basilica and Square is the heart of the Vatican and of the Catholic Church: Bernini's colonnade, the Pietà, the papal altar and the climb up Michelangelo's dome. Entry to the basilica itself is free, and the square is where the Pope leads the Sunday Angelus and many Wednesday audiences.
The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are a separate visit with a separate entrance on Viale Vaticano, around a fifteen minute walk from the square along the walls. Allow at least three hours, book a timed ticket on the official site and save energy for the Sistine Chapel at the end.
The Vatican Gardens fill much of the country's territory behind the basilica. They can only be seen on guided tours booked through the museums, and they are one of the calmest experiences in Rome.
Beyond the walls
Castel Gandolfo is a hill town above Lake Albano where the popes spent their summers for centuries. The Pontifical Villas there belong to the Holy See, and the old papal palace and the Barberini Gardens are now open as museums, an easy half day or day trip from Rome by regional train.
Borgo and Prati are the Roman neighbourhoods that wrap around the Vatican walls. Borgo is the old pilgrims' quarter between St Peter's and Castel Sant'Angelo; Prati is a grid of elegant streets, markets and trattorias to the north. Together they make the most convenient base for a Vatican focused trip.
How to fit it together
Most visitors need one full day: museums in the morning, lunch in Borgo or Prati, basilica and dome in the afternoon. A second half day lets you add the gardens, the Scavi tour of the necropolis or a papal audience, and a third gives you Castel Gandolfo. Browse our places to visit or use the free trip planner to shape your days.