Vatican City Complete Guide 2026: St Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums and World's Smallest Sovereign State
Browse more guides: Vatican City travel | Europe destinations Vatican City Complete Guide 2026: St Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums and World's Smallest Sovereign State I still remember the first time I crossed the white travertine line that marks the border between Italy and Vatican City. In the span of a single footstep I left the Italian Republic and entered the smallest sovereign country on earth, the spiritual capital of 1.3 billion Roman Catholics, and one of the densest concentrations of Renaissance art on the planet. This guide is the honest version of everything I wish I had known before that first visit, updated for 2026 and for the new pontificate of Pope Leo XIV. Why visit Vatican City in 2026 There are five practical reasons that 2026 is one of the strongest years on record to plan a trip to Vatican City. First, the Holy Year Jubilee that opened on Christmas Eve 2024 continues through January 6, 2026, and the Vatican is preparing for an esti...