St Peter's Square: A Self-Guided Vatican Walking Tour

In evidenza

Incluso

Itinerario

1. Stroll into St. Peter's Square, Bernini's grand oval piazza framing the basilica. Admire the sweeping colonnades, obelisk, and statues of saints, imagining crowds gathered here for papal blessings. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.

   Si passa davanti

2. Pass by St. Peter's Basilica, the monumental church built over Saint Peter's tomb. See Maderno's facade, five bronze doors, and Michelangelo's dome, and learn about centuries of Renaissance and Baroque history. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.

   Si passa davanti

3. Stroll past the Vatican Obelisk, an ancient Egyptian monument brought to Rome by Caligula and re-erected here in 1586. Learn about its solar symbolism and role as Bernini's central focal point. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.

   Si passa davanti

4. Pass by the Sistine Chapel, part of the Vatican Museums, famous for Michelangelo's ceiling and Last Judgment frescoes. Look for its rooftop chimney, where smoke signals announce the election of a new pope. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.

   Si passa davanti

5. Pass by the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence. Spot the window where the pope delivers the Sunday Angelus blessing, a tradition established in 1954 under Pope Pius XII. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.

   Si passa davanti

6. Walk along the edge of Vatican City, the world's smallest independent state and center of the Catholic Church, home to St. Peter's Basilica, the Apostolic Palace, and centuries of papal history. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.

   Si passa davanti

7. Stroll past Castel Sant'Angelo, a fortress built as Hadrian's mausoleum and later used as a papal refuge. Explore its blend of ancient Roman engineering, medieval defense, and Renaissance history along the Tiber. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.

   Si passa davanti

Cancellazione

Cancellazione gratuita fino a 24 ore prima dell’inizio, con rimborso totale.

Da sapere prima di partire

How it compares in Vatican City

• Its from-price is 88% below the median of the 244 experiences we list in Vatican City.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Vatican City

Vatican City is a tiny independent state inside Rome, home of St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.

Vatican City is an independent state of less than half a square kilometre, enclosed by walls inside Rome on the west bank of the Tiber, and the smallest country in the world. It is the seat of the Catholic Church and the home of the pope. St Peter's Square, framed by Bernini's curving colonnades, leads to St Peter's Basilica, built over the traditional tomb of the apostle Peter, with Michelangelo's dome rising above and his Pietà inside.

Top-ranked sights in Vatican City: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica.

See all 244 experiences in Vatican City