Exploring the Vatican with Kids: A Family-Friendly Guide to the City
The Vatican is one most people’s itineraries when they visit Rome, but is it sensible to visit the Vatican with kids? We managed to do it with our then 11 month old in tow and found it to be pleasingly family friendly and a great day trip from Rome.
What is the Vatican?
The Vatican is the home of the Catholic Church. It is the smallest independent state in the entire world, so, similar to the principality of Monaco, it is technically a country in its own right despite being located within Rome. The Pope resides here when he is not travelling and the country is home to the incredible wonders of the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica.
Where to stay to visit the Vatican with kids?
We loved staying in the Trastevere area of Rome. Whilst you can stay in the Vatican itself, we planned on visiting the Vatican with kids on a day trip and spent the rest of our trip exploring the charming neighbourhoods and history of the Eternal City. Because we were travelling with a baby, we found our apartment accommodation at the Be Mate Trastevere II to be perfect. There were three bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a washing machine which saved us the hassle of trying to find a laundromat.
The Trastevere neighbourhood is also fabulous for food with hundreds of al fresco dining options with high chairs for little people available. Our bub consistently fell asleep as her pram bumped along the cobblestones, so we spent plenty of time hopping around the various piazzas stopping in for a few spritz on the way.
How to get to the Vatican with kids?
Walk
From Trastevere, the Vatican is around 45 minutes walk which might sound like quite a trek. However, when that 45 minutes is spent strolling along next to the River Tiber towards the ever looming dome of St Peter’s Basilica in the distance then it isn’t so much of a chore. It’s a lovely way to start your day trip to the Vatican with kids in tow – particularly when they’re young enough to still be happy in the pram. From around the Pantheon or the Trevi Fountain the distance is similar, but from the Colosseum or beyond then the walk will take over an hour.
Take the bus
The buses in Rome are really excellent and a bus will get you from just about anywhere in Rome to the wonders of Vatican City. There is a bus stop right at St Peter’s Basilica making it a nice, easy and inexpensive way to travel. Be warned, though, crowded buses can be havens for pickpockets and can be tricky to board with a pram.
What to do when visiting the Vatican with kids?
Experience the grandeur of St Peter’s Basilica
No trip to the Vatican is complete without seeing the incredible St Peter’s Basilica. This stunning home of the Catholic Church is free to enter and explore, however you do need to be prepared to queue. However, as we found out, visitors travelling with very small children can walk up to the security guards at the entrance and in some lucky cases they will let you through rather than force you to wait for hours in line.
The line has no shade, so do bring a hat and sunscreen and a bottle of water. It may even be worthwhile having one of you queue whilst the others wrangle the kiddos in the shade. I know my baby wouldn’t have lasted in the 30 degree heat for a couple of hours, so fortunately were were plucked out of the line and permitted to queue jump.
You will need to leave your stroller outside the Basilica, so if you have a little one who can’t walk yet, then be sure to bring your baby carrier along to explore. Near where you leave your stroller, there is also a corridor that has a large area for toilets and baby change facilities. if your little person needs a nappy change then that is the place to do it as there are no facilities to do this within the Basilica itself.
When you get inside St Peter’s Basilica, you’ll immediately be amazed by the spectacular architecture and artwork that surrounds you. The golden arched ceiling will have you craning your neck looking upwards to marvel at the beautiful designs. Take your time exploring every corner of the Basilica as there are some very famous artworks, tombs and sculptures such as Michelangelo’s Pieta and the tomb of St John Paul II, one of the church’s most well known Popes of recent times.
Continue exploring on the level below ground and you’ll come across the tomb of St Peter himself. Whilst the ground floor of the Basilica was actually really easy for my toddler to walk herself around a bit, the next level down is a bit more narrow and crowded so down here, you’ll probably need to carry your toddler so they don’t get themselves into mischief or hold up the people wandering through.
Explore the wonders of the Vatican Museum
The Vatican Museum is another must visit experience when you visit the Vatican with kids. This is a ticketed museum costing around 20 euros but it is full to the brim of priceless artifacts and treasures, so it is certainly 20 euros well spent. Babies, toddlers and kids up to 6 years old are granted free admission.
I’d recommend you book your ticket for the Vatican Museum in advance otherwise you face another large queue. Fortunately, we were spotted in the long line and sent straight to the front of the queue despite having no pre-booked ticket as we were travelling with our baby, so the museum is certainly very family friendly in terms of admissions. Strollers are permitted within the museum, however it does get very crowded so we found it better to have our kiddo in a carrier rather than wheel a stroller through.
The Vatican Museum follows a straightforward path through gilded halls and incredible frescos but one of the main drawcards, no doubt, is the breathtaking Sistine Chapel. We were ushered in and offered a seat along the wall so we could comfortably admire Michelangelo’s stunning artwork with our baby on our lap.
Other don’t miss experiences in the Vatican Museum include the Raphael rooms, which join the museum to the Pope’s living quarters and feature works by both Raphael and Michelangelo. For Egypt-lovers like myself, you’ll love the huge collection in the Gregorian Egyptian museum. I also absolutely loved the Gallery of Maps which is a walk-through gallery containing maps of the Italian peninsula including an ancient Italy and a modern Italy. Our eleven month old loved staring at all the colours in the artworks
Where to eat at the Vatican with kids?
The Vatican and surrounds has plenty of restaurants and cafes to eat with your kids. We found a great casual porchetta cafe called Angrypig Biretta e Porchetta that was a fabulous cheap and casual option to escape the Italian heat and relax over a delicious sandwich.
Other nearby kid-friendly options include Scialla which serves great pizza in a relaxed atmoshphere or if you really need a sweet treat, try the gelato from Hedera.
Is the Vatican kid friendly to visit?
In a word, yes! Most of the Vatican is lovely to wander around with your kids and for those with very young children, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that you barely ever have to wait in a line and can go straight to the front of the queues. Both St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums have baby change facilities and you can even take your stroller into the Vatican Museum. The one exception is the Vatican Gardens, where only kids 6 and over are allowed to visit.
FAQs about visiting the Vatican
Is there a dress code?
To enter many areas of the Vatican including St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum you will need to dress respectfully. Usually this means no shorts or skirts above the knee and no sleeveless tops. Hats also need to be removed to enter.
Do you need a passport to visit the Vatican?
As the Vatican is wholly located within Italy, there is no need to show a passport to enter. You simply walk straight in – there is nobody checking identity at the boundary to the Vatican.
Are there baby change facilities in the Vatican?
Yes, there is a fabulous baby change room located right next to St Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican Museum also has baby change tables in some of the bathrooms throughout the museum.
Is the Vatican stroller-friendly?
No strollers are permitted in St Peter’s Basilica, but I found no restrictions anywhere else in the Vatican. I would recommend bringing a carrier, though, as navigating the Vatican Museum with a pram is challenging when it is crowded.
Is there a way to avoid waiting in long lines at the Vatican?
Visitors travelling with young children or babies may find that you are able to skip the line and walk straight into both St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum. We travelled with an 11 month old and at both attractions we were waved straight through by security who advised us that babies don’t wait in line.
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