Vatican City - Rome - Things To Do Reviews

You have many many things to see in Rome.First..you have to go to Vatican city,where you can visit S.Peter church,Bernini's colonnade(barocco style)egyptian obeliscus of 1 century(situated in the middle of the square).Near the obeliscus there is the point called"eclipse fire"from that the colonnade appears formed with only one order of columns,not four. Conciliazione street(all free) and also Vatican Museum(with one of the most wonderful things in the world..Sistina chapelle).For Vatican museum i thin there's always a que(maybe you must book the tickets,sorry but i don't know!).Nera vatican city,passed trough Conciliazione street you can arrive to S.Angelo Castle(pope's residence),where you can find also a beautiful bridge with many statues on the Tevere river(where you can see s.peter roof like mirror in the water),and you can visit also interior,where there is a museum of art.

St. Peter’s basilica as well as the cupola and tombs are must-sees in Rome. The lines look intimidating but going at certain hours can alleviate that distress. I went to St. Peter’s at 7 o’clock in the morning on a Sunday. You would expect more people to be there but surprisingly it was empty!
St. Peter’s opens at 7, the cupola at 8, and the tombs at 9. This gave us the perfect time frame to see each section of the Vatican. We were one of the only people in the basilica. There was not the usual mob that constantly surrounds the Pieta. Although the treasury was not open we got to see the basilica that was even more impressive without people bumping into you every time you turn around.
The cupola has a 5 euro entrance fee for walking and 7 euro for elevator. It is worth it to save 2 euro, the elevator doesn’t even take you half way up. As you near the top the stairs get trickier and trickier as the walls slant in setting you off balance and the stairs are smaller and winding. It is all worth it to see the top and the spectacular view of Rome and Bernini’s square.
The catacombs don’t require too much time, most people are through in 10 minutes. It is difficult to stay and see any particular thing because of the general current towards the exit.
The Vatican has some of the most memorable sights and art works in Rome. To see both the basilica and the museums I would recommend an entire day.

A truly religous experience. From the tombs to the top of St. Peters it is amazing. The walk to the top can be tough for some, but it is worth it. The view is amazing even if it is very crowded. The inside is ornamentally awesome. It is the most decorated building ever. When you go to the Vatican museum take your time and don't rush to the Sistine Chapel, it's not going anywhere.
Many books say that there is a strict dress code, but I didn't see it enforced.

I really enjoyed the Vatican City and spent an entire day at/in the Vatican City. I suggest taking a small tour. We went with about 10-12 people on a tour given by an american girl who studied history in Rome. I don't remember the company because we kinda just found it by the church store outside St. Peters Square. It was about $50.00 which included the entrance fee. It was a 6 hour tour of the Vatican City and then St. Peters Basillica which was optional. Check out my Travel Journal for more information. It made the waiting in line to enter the vatican interesting as well since our tour guide provided a lot of information before we entered and answered questions we had about other sites in Rome. I also agree with going to the top of the dome!

If you decide not to take the tour... there is a outside portion within the vatican that has pictures of the sistene chapel with information you can read before entering, so you know what to look for.

A couple of pieces of advice.

They are VERY serious about having your knees and shoulders covered in St. Peters. Don't argue, don't get offended, just do it. A long-enough skirt and a scarf over your shoulders work well.

The Sistine Chapel will be packed. You can't sit down. You can't lean on anything. You're not even supposed to talk. If you really want to appreciate the ceiling and paintings, take (1) a friend you can lean against :) and (2) a pair of binoculars. We found the binoculars very helpful in Vatican City.

St. Peters also has the "no sitting, no leaning" rule (though you can talk). The binoculars were very helpful here since it can be tricky to get close to things like the Pieta and the altar.

If you are going to be there in summer, take a hat because it is sunny and HOT and you may have to stand in line outside before getting into the museum or St. Peters. There is ZERO shade in the plaza. I saw people standing in the shadow of the obelisk just to have some shade.

There is a fee to get into the Vatican Museum (sooooooo worth it!) but St. Peters is free.