Vatican City is tiny. It's a walled enclave within Rome. You can walk around the entire country in about 40 minutes.

St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world. It's free to enter (long lines, dress modestly). The interior is massive with Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's Baldachin. You can climb the dome (551 steps or elevator + 320 steps) for views over Rome. It's exhausting but worth it.

The Sistine Chapel (where the Pope is elected) has Michelangelo's famous ceiling (The Creation of Adam). To see it, you have to go through the Vatican Museums (which have an enormous collection of art, maps, and sculptures). The museums are massive, crowded, and expensive ($20+). Book tickets online in advance or you'll wait hours. The museums end at the Sistine Chapel. No photos allowed inside the chapel, and guards will shush you if you talk.

St. Peter's Square is free and open. The Pope gives a blessing from his window on Sundays at noon.

Vatican City has its own post office, stamps, and even a train station (though it's not used for public transport).

There are no restaurants or hotels inside Vatican City. Everything is in Rome.

When to go: Early morning (8am) to avoid the worst crowds. Avoid Wednesdays (when the Pope holds public audiences) and Sundays (when the Pope gives blessings).

Vatican City is crowded, expensive to enter, and requires modest dress. But if you're in Rome, it's worth seeing St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.