Entrance to Vatican Museums

Vatican City, Borgo & Prati


The entrance to the Vatican Museums.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Vatican City, Borgo & Prati attractions

1. Vatican Museums

0.05 MILES

Founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century and enlarged by successive pontiffs, the Vatican Museums boast one of the world's greatest art…

2. Necropoli Via Triumphalis

0.19 MILES

Not to be confused with the Tomb of St Peter, this ancient Roman cemetery extends beneath the Vatican hill. Guided tours, which must be pre-booked, take…

3. Vatican Gardens

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The Vatican stands atop the low-lying Vatican hill, just west of the Tiber. Much of its 109 acres are covered by the perfectly manicured Vatican Gardens.

4. Sistine Chapel

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The Sistine Chapel is the one part of the Vatican Museums that everyone wants to see, and for good reason.

5. St Peter’s Basilica Dome

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Entry to the dome is to the far right of the basilica's main portico, where you also buy your ticket. A small lift can take you halfway up, but it’s still…

6. St Peter's Basilica

0.32 MILES

In the city of outstanding churches, none can hold a candle to St Peter's, Italy’s largest, richest and most spectacular basilica. Built atop a 4th…

7. Tomb of St Peter

0.32 MILES

Excavations beneath St Peter's Basilica have uncovered part of the original church and a necropolis with what is held to be the Tomb of St Peter. In 1942,…

8. Vatican Grottoes

0.34 MILES

Extending beneath St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Grottoes contain the tombs and sarcophagi of numerous popes, as well as several huge columns from the…