Planning for Vatican City:
Most of us are aware of the fact that Vatican City is the smallest sovereign country in the world with just 2 km radius and 876 citizens. It is located within the boundaries of the city of Rome, the Capital of Italy.
I first visited Vatican City in July 2007 and revisited Vatican in July 2023.
Flights into Rome for Vatican City:
After visiting family in India, I flew into Rome from Mumbai. I flew by Qatar Airways flight from Mumbai (BOM), India to Rome (FCO), Italy via Doha (DOH). I reserved my flights with American Airline Points which, I had earned by signing up for AAdvantage Business Credit card. Qatar and American Airlines are in One World Alliance and are partners. In total, I paid 20,000 American Airline Miles +77.75$ in taxes for this flight.
From Rome airport (FCO) I took a SIT Bus that goes to the city center, and it cost me 8€. It took approximately 1 hr. to reach the city center by Bus. Alternately, the train would cost 14€ to go to the City Center.
Accommodation:
I stayed at the Raeli hotel Lux close to the city center, from where all the city tour buses start. I booked this hotel on Capital one travel portal with Capital One Venture X Credit Card for 74.50$, as it gives 10X points on hotel stays. The city Taxes for this hotel reservation was 6€, which was in addition to the booking cost. From the hotel, I was taking either public transit buses or walking to the attractions in Vatican City and Rome.
Map for Places of Interest in Vatican City
Boots on the Ground:
To access the public Transit Bus, the price of the ticket is 1.50€. These tickets could be bought at any newspaper stands on the roadside. This is a one-time use ticket. Alternately, there are City Tour Buses (Hop on -Hop off) like the IOBUS, that charge from 15€-38€ depending on the option you would pick, and they drop you at every must-see attraction in the area.
St. Peter’s Basilica:
This is the Main Church, the largest in the world, that has been built between 16th and 18th centuries. The Nave can hold more than 60,000 people. The Papel Alter is quite grandiose right beneath Michelangelo’s dome. Below the Papel Alter is where the tomb of St. Peter is located. Near the Baptistery are the stairs to the roof of the Dome. I climbed 330 steep steps inside the dome to the lantern for a closer look at the dome’s structure and also enjoyed breathtaking views over St. Peters Square, the Vatican gardens and Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery). This is a must see-must viewpoint of Vatican City. The only way to avoid waiting in lines is to get a guided tour of Basilica and the Dome, which cost upward of 40€.
2. St Peters square:
The Grand St. Peter’s Square was laid out by Bernini between 1656 and 1667 to provide a setting where the faithful from all over the world could gather. Till today it is filled to capacity each Easter Sunday and on other important occasions. In the center of the square is a 25.5-meter Egyptian obelisk. There are around 140 statues of saints that are seen around the oval Square.
3. Sisten Chapel:
Sisten Chapel is covered from walls to ceilings in vibrant frescoes by Michelangelo and other artists. The left-hand wall shows Old Testament scenes, and the right-wall shows New Testament scenes. The frescoes on the ceiling were painted by Michelangelo, almost completely unaided, in the reign of Pope Julius II, between 1508 and 1512. It is better to make advance reservations to get into the Sisten Chapel as the lines are quite long for entry.
4. Vatican Necropolis:
Beneath the church is Vatican Necropolis, the final resting place of several former Popes and is said to house the remains of St. Peter himself. I did not personally make a visit here, but for anyone interested in making a reservation, you can go here to book your tickets.
5. Vatican Gardens:
The Vatican Gardens, first created for Pope Nicholas II is meant to be a space for peaceful reflection. Tickets to visit the gardens must be arranged through Vatican Museum.
6. Vatican Museums:
Museum Pio Ciementino, Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery), Gregorian Etruscan Museum, Egyptian Museum and Museo Chiaramonti could all be visited when in Vatican City depending on your time. Tickets for all the Vatican museums along with Sisten Chapel could be found here
