20 Nov 2024
When in Rome, the Vatican and Sistine Chapel are a must and they are best made with a small-group tour. I went with my adult children and I got the mid-afternoon to evening schedule. We had lunch first at the Prati neighborhood then walked to the meeting place just across the Vatican entrance. Do remember that the St Peter's Basilica is a church and it's completely free to come inside. There is no fee for going inside the Basilica. Our tour ended at the front of the Basilica and we simply went inside to light candles, to pray, and then we had the good fortune of being able to attend mass that, although said in Italian, was completely solemn and heartwarming. From the Basilica, there are taxis that are very costly (It was 7PM already and we were already too tired to figure out how to get to the metro), so we simply walked for a few meters until we got to the bridge that separates The Vatican from Rome, walked across (the view and sculpture on the bridge are amazing) and then got a cab in Rome to our hotel, which was way cheaper.