Vatican City Travel Guide

The story

The smallest country you can walk into

Vatican City is an enclave inside Rome with an area of about 0.49 km², or 44 hectares. That makes it the smallest sovereign state in the world. About 882 people lived there in 2024, the only country with fewer than 1,000 residents.

It became independent through the Lateran Treaty, signed on 11 February 1929 between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy. It took effect on 7 June 1929 and ended the dispute that followed the loss of the Papal States in 1870.

The pope’s personal bodyguard, the Swiss Guard, was founded on 22 January 1506 by Pope Julius II. It had 134 members in 2005. Recruits must be unmarried Catholic Swiss men aged 19 to 30, at least 174 cm tall, who have completed Swiss military basic training.

The obelisk in St. Peter’s Square was moved to its current position in 1586 by Pope Sixtus V. Italian police patrol the square up to the steps of the basilica, which is why visitors cross the “border” without noticing it.

Nobody is a citizen by birth. Citizenship is granted by office, meaning an appointment to a service role for the Holy See, and it usually ends when the appointment ends. Spouses and children who live with a citizen can also be citizens.

0.49 km²the smallest sovereign state by area

~882residents in 2024

6.8 millionvisitors to the Vatican Museums in 2024

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Practical guide

Plan your Vatican City trip

Check before you go: there is no passport control for visitors who enter from Italian territory, but entry to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums involves security checks and a dress code. Check the official Vatican pages for hours, tickets and closures before you go.

Getting there

Vatican City is a landlocked enclave within Rome, so you arrive through the city. There are no passport controls for visitors entering from surrounding Italian territory.
The Vatican Museums are at Viale Vaticano 6, and the Rome metro stop for them is Ottaviano – San Pietro – Musei Vaticani on Line A.
Rome’s airports are Fiumicino, with the Leonardo Express train, and Ciampino, which has no direct train connection.

What is free and what is not

Entry to St. Peter’s Square and St. Peter’s Basilica is free. Tickets are needed for papal general audiences and major ceremonies.
The Vatican Museums, which include the Sistine Chapel, usually charge an entrance fee.
There is no general public access to the Vatican Gardens. Small guided tours can be arranged.

St. Peter’s Basilica

The basilica is about 220 m long and 150 m wide. Michelangelo redesigned the dome in 1547, and it reaches 136.57 m including the cross.
Michelangelo’s Pietà, dated 1498 to 1499, is in the first chapel of the north aisle.
Under the basilica, the Vatican Grottoes hold more than 100 tombs, including 91 popes.

Vatican Museums

The collection has about 70,000 works, with about 20,000 on display, in 24 galleries or rooms.
Highlights include the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps and the Sistine Chapel, which is the last room on the route.
The museums received 6,825,436 visitors in 2024, so book ahead for a specific time instead of queuing.

Seasons and crowds

Rome receives 7 to 10 million tourists a year, and more in holy years. The Vatican is crowded year-round.
Plan the museums for the first slot of the day or a late slot, and the basilica for a different half-day.
We have not verified opening hours or ticket prices for this page, so use the official sites.

Swiss Guard and citizenship

The Swiss Guard has been the pope’s bodyguard since 22 January 1506. Commands are given in Swiss German.
Citizens are people appointed to a service role for the Holy See, such as cardinals and diplomats. About 372 Vatican citizens live elsewhere.
Anyone who loses Vatican citizenship without another nationality becomes an Italian citizen.

Money, language and rules

The euro is used under a special agreement with the EU. Italian is the everyday language.
The Vatican has its own post office. Check the current rules for sending mail from there.
Rome charges a tourist tax of €3 to €7 per person per night, depending on the accommodation type.

Details come from Wikipedia and the official Vatican Museums site, which may not show the latest hours or prices. We checked on November 1, 2026. Entry rules, fees and prices change, so confirm them with official sources before you reserve.

Vatican City: the smallest country on Earth, where citizenship comes with a job