Tourists who come to the capital of Italy should definitely visit the Vatican. In this enclave state you can see many interesting sights. And of course, many travelers would like to know whether it is possible to get to the Vatican on their own and how to do it correctly.
Where is
Currently, the Vatican is the smallest officially recognized state in the world. It is located in the north-west of Rome, almost on the banks of the Tiber. On all sides, this city-state is surrounded by Italian territory. To get to this place, the most revered by Catholics around the world, you need to climb the Vatican Hill.
The border of this city almost completely coincides with the ancient defensive wall. Only in one place - in front of the Cathedral of St. Petra - she is indicated by a row of white stones.
How to get to the Vatican: route
The easiest way to get to the Vatican is for tourists who come to Rome by metro. You need to sit on the train, following the red branch. The stations closest to the Vatican are Ottaviano-San Pietro and Cihro. Those tourists who wondered how to get to the Vatican in the Cathedral of St. Peter and go to the enclave through him, you need to go to the first station. If you want to first visit the Vatican Museum from the metro to the surface, you should climb Cihro.
How to choose the time?
So, we figured out how to get to the Vatican in Rome. The easiest way is by public transport. But in order to be able to comfortably explore the sights of this city, you should also choose the right time to visit it.
Despite the fact that the Vatican is officially a separate state, tourists who come to Rome do not need to receive any additional documents on the right to be on its territory. You can go to see the sights of this place, in principle, at any convenient time. But experienced tourists are still advised to go to the Vatican in the morning. In the afternoon, there are simply huge crowds of people, and near the entrance to museums and cathedrals long lines form.
The busiest day of the week in the Vatican is Wednesday. At this time, here on Sq. St. Peter speaks pope. Wednesday to go to the Vatican is only for those tourists who want to see including the head of the Catholic Church. The freest days in this state are Tuesday and Sunday. On the seventh day of the week, however, most Vatican museums are closed.
Before you go to this mini-state, among other things, it is worth visiting its official website. Sometimes the Vatican is completely closed to tourists. This is usually connected with the arrival of high-ranking guests or with some internal church events.
Of course, tourists go to the Vatican primarily to visit the local museums. Most of these establishments work 6 days a week from 9am to 6pm. At the same time, tickets at the ticket office for visiting exhibits can be purchased only until 16:00.
You can get to the Vatican museums not only during the day, but also at night. In this mode, they work on Fridays from May 6 to July 29 and from September 2 to November 28.
Do I have to pay?
Free in the Vatican, tourists have the opportunity to see only the Cathedral of St. Petra, as well as the square in front of it. When visiting a temple, you need to buy a ticket only if you want to climb the dome.
Entrance to all museums operating in the Vatican is paid. If desired, the exposure can be viewed using an audio guide. This service in state museums is provided to tourists, including in Russian. Of course, you will have to pay for the audio guide separately.
Unfortunately, the queues at the box office of the Vatican Museums are almost always formed. In order not to waste time, booking tickets for visiting the exhibitions is in advance. Entrance to the territory of this state is free only through the building of the Cathedral of St. Petra.
An excellent answer to the question of how to get to the Vatican without waiting in line is to visit its official website for the purpose of booking. Euros are accepted as payment for museums in this state. The Vatican's own currency is available in very limited quantities and is of interest mainly only to collectors.
Worth visiting the Vatican museums is relatively inexpensive. For inspection of most expositions you will have to pay no more than 1000-1200 rubles. (15-17 euros).
What is worth knowing?
In principle, the answers to questions about how to get to the Vatican and what time to choose to visit it are not difficult. But a tourist who wants to see this attraction, among other things, is well prepared for the trip.
Security at the Vatican, for example, is taken seriously. Therefore, a trip to this interesting historical place should not be taken with you:
Such things will have to be left in a storage room before entering the Vatican.
Clothing for visiting this state should also be chosen correctly. In the Cathedral of St. Petra, among other things, has a religious dress code. You cannot enter this temple with bare shoulders and knees.
Useful tips for tourists
The answer to the question of how to get to the Vatican on your own without a queue is a recommendation to visit the official website of this state. But tourists who want to see the sights of this mini-country should also know about how to behave properly on its territory.
Travelers will have to travel around the Vatican in a special way. At the entrance to the city you will need to see where the crowd is moving, and think out the procedure for visiting museums. People in the Vatican move in a circle in a circle in one direction. Returning through a museum, in this way, may not work.
Climb the dome of the Cathedral of St. Petra in hot weather, and especially people with heart problems, experienced tourists do not advise. A very large number of people usually gather at the observation deck in the Vatican. And many visitors here in the stuffiness and the crowd often feel bad. Before visiting the dome, you should definitely buy a bottle of cool mineral water.
What to see?
The answer to the question of how to get to the Vatican on your own is thus extremely simple. But what can be seen in this historically significant place? One of the most famous sights of the mini-state is, of course, the Cathedral of St. Petra. This magnificent building dates back to 326 and is currently the largest Catholic historical church. Over the centuries, this building has been rebuilt several times. The height of the facades of the modern cathedral of St. Petra is 48 m. Inside the temple is striking in the huge size of the halls and rich decoration.
At the entrance to the cathedral, a security guard may suggest that tourists remove the camera. However, most visitors to this temple without any problems conducts both video and photography. There are no special prohibitions on such actions in the cathedral, as in many other Catholic churches.
There are many museums in the Vatican. Their expositions are so vast and varied that it is most likely that a tourist will not be able to see them all even for a whole day. The question of how to get to the Vatican Museums is not likely to arise for travelers who have arrived on its territory. As already mentioned, a cash desk works in each of these institutions.
In the palace complex of the Vatican, travelers, among other things, have the opportunity to explore the famous stanza of Raphael. The rooms themselves painted by the great artist existed already in the 15th century. Stanzas appeared on their walls in the 16th century.
In addition to museums and the Cathedral of St. Petra, tourists arriving in the smallest state in the world should definitely visit the Vatican Grottoes. Pope and crowned persons of different years are buried here. In the same place is the burial place of St. Petra.
Should I buy a guided tour?
People who wondered how to get to the Vatican and decided to explore the sights of this mini-state on their own, the trip can ultimately seem very exciting and informative. A particularly interesting trip around this city will be in the presence of an audio guide. Experienced tourists in this city do not advise buying regular excursions. It will cost more than an audio guide, and the amount of information the traveler will receive is almost the same.
Where can not you go on your own?
You will only need to buy an excursion in this state to visit the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Gardens. Individual viewing of these attractions in the city is not provided. An excursion to the Vatican Gardens costs about 2500 rubles.
Tourists are allowed into the Sistine Chapel by strictly organized groups. There are always a lot of people who want to see this attraction. Therefore, excursions in the chapel in most cases do not last long. Unfortunately, taking photos and filming here is prohibited.