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Travelling to Vatikanstadt: what to know before you go

Vatican City is the world's smallest independent state, an enclave within Rome that is the seat of the Pope and home to St Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and one of the world's greatest art collections. You enter it on foot from Rome, it uses the euro and Italy's mobile networks, and most visitors see it as a day, or part of a day, during a trip to the Italian capital.

Where to go

• St Peter's Basilica. One of the largest churches in the world, built over the traditional burial place of Saint Peter.
• Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Kilometres of galleries hold classical sculpture, Egyptian artefacts, the Raphael Rooms and the Gallery of Maps, leading to the Sistine Chapel, with Michelangelo's ceiling and his Last Judgement.
• St Peter's Square. Bernini's oval piazza is embraced by curved colonnades topped with statues of saints.
• The dome. Climb, or take a lift part of the way, up Michelangelo's dome for a walk around the inside gallery and then out onto the lantern, with views over the square, the Vatican Gardens and the rooftops of Rome.

Best time to visit

The Vatican is open year-round, but crowds are heaviest from Easter to October and during Christian holidays, when papal ceremonies draw large numbers of pilgrims. November to February, excluding the Christmas period, is quieter.

Staying online in Vatikanstadt

Vatican City does not have a separate public mobile network for visitors; phones connect to Italy's networks, and coverage in and around St Peter's Square is the same as in central Rome, generally strong with 4G and 5G. Signal can be weaker deep inside the basilica, the Museums and the underground areas. Phones must be silenced in the Sistine Chapel, where photography is not allowed. An eSIM that covers Italy will normally connect here too. Install it before you fly and switch it on when you land in Rome.