Vatican City

Day-by-Day Travel Plan

14-Day Vatican City Itinerary

14 days
6 cities — St. Peter's Basilica → Sistine Chapel → Vatican Museums → St. Peter's Square → Vatican Gardens → Swiss Guard
Best in Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct

The ultimate two-week journey through Vatican City. Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world by both area and population — an independent enclave of just 44 hectares entirely surrounded by Rome. This itinerary takes you through the highlights — from iconic landmarks to local experiences.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

1

Day 1 — Arrive in St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

  • ▸ St. Peter's Basilica

The largest church in the world and Vatican City's defining landmark, designed with major contributions from Bramante, Michelangelo, and Bernini

2

Day 2 — Explore St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

  • ▸ St. Peter's Basilica
3

Day 3 — Explore St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

  • ▸ St. Peter's Basilica
4

Day 4 — Arrive in Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel

  • ▸ Sistine Chapel

Home to Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes and The Last Judgment, one of the most significant artworks in human history and the site where the College of Cardinals elects each new Pope

5

Day 5 — Explore Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel

  • ▸ Sistine Chapel
6

Day 6 — Explore Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel

  • ▸ Sistine Chapel
7

Day 7 — Arrive in Vatican Museums

Vatican Museums

  • ▸ Vatican Museums

One of the world's greatest museum complexes, holding centuries of papal art collections including the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, and Egyptian and classical antiquities, culminating in the Sistine Chapel

8

Day 8 — Explore Vatican Museums

Vatican Museums

  • ▸ Vatican Museums
9

Day 9 — Arrive in St. Peter's Square

St. Peter's Square

  • ▸ St. Peter's Square

Bernini's iconic colonnaded square in front of the basilica, embraced by 284 columns arranged in a symbolic welcoming embrace, and the gathering point for papal blessings and audiences

10

Day 10 — Explore St. Peter's Square

St. Peter's Square

  • ▸ St. Peter's Square
11

Day 11 — Arrive in Vatican Gardens

Vatican Gardens

  • ▸ Vatican Gardens

Manicured gardens covering roughly half of Vatican City's territory, featuring fountains, grottoes, and sculptures, visitable only by guided tour booked in advance

12

Day 12 — Explore Vatican Gardens

Vatican Gardens

  • ▸ Vatican Gardens
13

Day 13 — Arrive in Swiss Guard

Swiss Guard

  • ▸ Swiss Guard

The world's smallest and oldest standing army, guarding the Pope in colorful Renaissance-era uniforms since 1506 — a genuinely unique sight and one of the most photographed curiosities in Vatican City

14

Day 14 — Explore Swiss Guard

Swiss Guard

  • ▸ Swiss Guard