Interactive Tourist Maps and Guides: Vatican City

Explore St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel

Vatican City is an enclave city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy. It is the official residence of the Pope and under full control of the Holy See and ruled by the Catholic Church. It contains the religious and cultural sites, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums. It also features some of the world’s most famous paintings and sculptures.

Tips for transportation using the Rome Metro or taxi

As a tourist visiting the Vatican City, you have a couple of options for getting transportation. One, is to book a taxi, Uber, or ridesharing service. Depending on what part of the city you are traveling from, the time of day, and traffic conditions, most short trips from within central Rome will be expected to take under 20 minutes, and cost you between 15 and 25 EUR. For example, a trip from Roma Termini, across the city, will be expected to cost you under 20 EUR with a travel time of approximately 15-minutes.

Another option is to take the Rome Metro. The nearest metro stop to Vatican City is Ottaviano station. From Ottaviano station to reach Vatican City, it is a 12-minute walk south. The station sits on the Rome Metro Line A (red line). The transit time between Ottaviano station and Roma Termini is close to 25 minutes. Roma Termini provides connections between the metro Line A (red line) and the Line B (blue line). Roma Termini also offers connections outside the city and to select major cities in Europe. Rome Metro passes include unlimited system transfers between all buses, metros and trams, for the first 100 minutes. A single-ride ticket can usually be purchased for under 2 EUR.

Visit Castel Sant'Angelo and the Trastevere district

Popular tourist attractions near Vatican City include Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant'Angelo and the Trastevere district. The museum at Castel Sant’Angelo is only a 10-minute walk east from the entrance to Vatican City. If you cross the St. Angelo Bridge, you can also reach Piazza Navona and the Stadium of Domitian within about a 10-minute walk. The Pantheon and Trevi Fontain, also popular attractions, are only a short walking distance from Piazza Navona.

South of Vatican City, you will find the district of Trastevere, on the west side of River Tiber. This part of Rome is known for its narrow and winding streets featuring medieval era houses and architecture. It also has restaurants and bars that become busy at night, with locals and tourists. If you are visiting Trastevere, Janiculum Hill is a popular spot, for its views of ancient Rome.

Stay at one of these highly-rated hotels near the Vatican

There are many highly rated hotel accommodations close to Vatican City. This is especially true on the north side of Vatican City, on the opposite side of Via Cipro. Here you will find Marcantonio Home Rome, Mama Shelter Roma, Grand Hotel Tiberio, and Vatican Rome Apartments. To the south side, you will also find Hotel Villa Pamphili Roma, Unicum Roma Suites, A.Roma Lifestyle Hotel, and Crowne Plaza Rome – St. Peter’s. There are also many suitable accommodations in the nearby Trastevere district.

The Vatican City is centrally located within Rome and easy to reach by public transit, so it is a convenient place to visit it no matter where you are staying.