A mama’s guide to visiting the Vatican with teens: best things to see, how to plan your day, best family tours and where to eat in the area. Tips for a stress free visit to the Vatican with teenagers.
One of the questions I receive most often from parents planning a visit to the Vatican is how to make the visit more appealing to teenagers.
The web is full of tips and tours for families with younger kids. When I first wrote about visiting the Vatican with kids, I myself wrote it mostly thinking of parents with little ones or catering to primary school age, a notorious difficult bunch to engage in sightseeing.
But now that I have teens myself, I realized things don’t magically become easy once the kids are a little older and visiting big attraction with teens can also pose challenges. Different from the ones you deal with when you have little ones, but challenges nonetheless.
When the kids are little, the main struggle is logistics: can I bring a stroller, can I change a diaper, will they make a scene if bored and overwhelmed?
With teens, you don’t have to negotiate this, but I promise you: a hangry teenager rolling their eyes as you and making you feel like you are the worst parent ever for dragging them to boring museums instead of letting them be with their friends, is no fun either – not for you and not for them!
Of course, not all teens are like these, I am generalising. Many will be super appreciative of the chance to being in such a special place and may even find the place of actual interest. Yet, if they are not of this inclination, there are some tips that that can help!
I have two teens and we visit historic sites and museums often, including the Vatican.
I am happy to report that a visit with teens can be done and can even be fun: the key is to know what to visit, what they are likely to enjoy most and what they may need a little extra support to appreciate.
So today I thought I’d share my tips for visiting the Vatican with teens. I will focus on the main attractions most visitors want to see, my teen’s highlights and tips that worked for us. I hope they help!
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What teens will enjoy at the Vatican. the best Vatican experiences for teenagers TL:DR
The Vatican is not one attraction but a City-State with several sites and things to see. My top recommendations for kids are:
If you teen likes activity / ‘adventure‘ >>> Basilica + Dome climb (opt for the one with elevator)
If your teen is not a museum person >>> Basilica + Dome, same as above!
If you teens likes museums but only with an engaging guide >>> Private Vatican Tour
If your teen likes museums but can’t t stand a structured tour >>> Self guided tour of the museums and Sistine Chapel with audioguide
If you want a truly special experience TOP OF THE TOP >>> Turning on the lights at the Vatican: the Key master tour
Good to know: While it is possible to visit the Vatican Museums without any sort of guide / audioguide, I recommend against it, especially with teens, but not only. If you are happy to go with tickets only, you can get them here or from the Vatican Museums Website directly.
How to visit St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican with teens – the easy win
The easiest way to make a teen visit to the Vatican enjoyable is to focus on the two easiest attraction: the basilica and the dome.
St Peter’s Basilica is one of the most sacred places in the world for Catholics and a stunning examples of Baroque art, worth visiting no matter your religious background or lack thereof).
The basilica as we see it today is a very large and very ornate building with an elaborate facade and an impressive dome and an interior that is nothing less than jaw-dropping: the space inside is immense and it is so decorated, there is not corner that doesn’t have noticeable marbles, statues, paintings, golden decorations or carvings worth seeing.
Some of its treasures are world famous, for instance Michelangelo’s Pieta’ or Bernini’s Baldaquin, while others are part of the architecture and less known individually, yet all contribute to the richness and opulence of the place. Worth seeing is the main floor and also the Papal Tombs just one floor down, that include the tomb of St Peter’s.
The basilica is also where you access the dome climb.
St Peter’s Dome is massive and climbing it is worth or teens on two accounts: they way up feels a little adventurers, as it has spiral staircases and corridors that make you feel a little like an explorer on a mission (this is not lost on adults either!) and the views from the top are incredible! This is always my kids’ highlights and always a worthy effort.
I recommend taking the elevator/lift to the first floor, the basilica roof, so you ‘only’ have a few hundred steps ahead of you to get to the top of the climb. While not strenuous, you need some level of fitness to handle the steps and must not be afraid of heights. You can read here >> my full guide to climbing St Peter’s Dome.
Visiting the basilica with teens is easy, and there are a few ways to go about it:
A self guided visit – I am a strong believer that you don’t need to transform every single visit into a lesson and if this is you, then you’ll be happy you know is very possible to literally just go into the basilica to see it and marvel art it.
St Peter’s Basilica is free to visit and you do not even need to make a booking to access it. If you just want to wander in and admire it, you can very much do so just by showing up.
Due to the special nature of the place, there are security checks outside and due to the volume of visitors often they mean there is a long line; however, potential line aside, there is no booking to be made or money to be spent to visit this way. The only planning needed is about clothing, since the place has a dress code: see below acceptable attire to visit the basilica. For a chance of a shoerter line, it is possible to book ticket ahead of time here.
Unlike the basilica, access to the dome is ticketed and I recommend you book it ahead of time as it does sell out. You can buy tickets to the dome here or also here (this last one has an easier interface and often has additional availability, so it is worth to know both.
A self guided visit with allocated time slot to skip the line, audioguide and optional dome climb – if you do want to learn something about the basilica but you think a tour may be too much, a lovely way to visit the basilica is to book timed entrance, an option which comes with included audioguide you access on your phone.
This option is available from the St Peter’s Basilica website and official third parties and comes with and without the option to also climb the dome.
My two enjoyed this approach. The audioguide is easy to follow and allowed them to focus only on the things that caught their attention, fast forwarding on those that didn’t resonated with them. The visit doesn’t take long this way and you can be in and out or ir and up to the dome in about 30 minutes, which I find was the right length to keep their attention yet still give a decent overview of the place.
Visit the basilica with a tour – If have teens with a big interest in art, you can also visit the basilica with a tour like this one. However, if they are art lovers, a better way is a tour that also includes the wonderful Vatican Museums, which I discuss in the next paragraph.
How to visit the Vatican Museums with teens – Why the Vatican Museums and teens may not be a perfect match
The Vatican Museum are a big traditional museum with traditional art. Like in all museums of this type, you cannot touch anything, there are no video effects, immersive experience and any of the things kids today associate with the idea of a ‘museum’. The Vatican Museums are like the museums of when we were kids, not them!
The museums are huge so if you want even just a quick glance at them, you will need at least a couple of hours, which while not many in absolute terms, can feel long for a reluctant teenagers.
Last but not least, or even first in line as an issue really: the museums are super busy. The demand from visitors is immense and since they all tend to be in the most popular parts, the famous bits are genuinely like a can of sardines: at most times, being in the Vatican Museums means
That said, it is possible to visit them with teens and have a good time. It helps, however, to have some tips.
The best ways to visit the Vatican Museum with teenagers
The best way to visit the Vatican with teens is with a guide.
The Vatican Museums are massive, the info panels scarce to non existent and if you don’t know what to look for or what may be worth seeking out, they easily become a blend of corridor after corridor after corridor of art you may not be able to interpret or enjoy. The best tours of the Vatican for teens are:
KeyMasterVatican Tour – high budget, top of the top – The Keymaster tour of the Vatican Museum is a once in a lifetime type of experience, one of those things teens and adults alike will never forget, if lucky enough to go on it.
The Vatican Museum Keymaster tour get you to go to the museum before opening time and literally walk around them with the key master to open them up: you and 19 more people walk around the still empty museums and open doors, turn on the lights and set the museums ready for the day.
The tour include the Sistine Chapel which means you literally are the one opening it for the first time that day!
I was the lucky one in the group who got to do it and stepped in the still dark chapel first… an incredible experience. The tour is hard to get as only offered on specific dates but if you can get it, there is no better way to see the museums and tees will be flooded by hoe beautiful the places is and how unique the opportunity to open them up is.
I is also a very expensive tour so while I open this list with it, please don’t be discouraged: there’s other excellent ways!
Private tour with a guide with or without basilica – this is a fantastic option and, after the key master tour, my favorite, especially with teens.
A private tour is ideal for families who want to have personalised attention and a guide who can tailor the tour exactly to the needs of your teen, from pace to topic to style of delivery.
The company I recommend is called LivTours: they are a family friendly company I first got to know for their kids tours but I am also delighted to report is excellent for teens to: when you book with them, make sure you type in the relevant box your wishes for the tour: for instance ‘my teens go to Catholic school’ or ‘kids have never been to a museum like this, we’d like a tour as interactive as possible’ or similar. They will match you with the most suitable guide. They have several tours (with or without the basilica) and one I really like for teens is this one which is only 2h long but comprehensive.
Self guided visit with audioguide – of course, you can also opt to visit with an audioguide.
This is a great for visitors who love doing things in their own time or visitors on a budget as it come with official entry tickets and audioguide you can use to at your own leisure. This option works well with teens who like to be in charge of their own time and allows them to pick and choose what items they want to learn about and what to skip – of course, this may mean they skip something of particular value without realising it, but overall, it can work really well.
Additional tips to visit the Vatican Museums with teens
Tip 1 – Feed them first
This is a trick I learned when my kids were little – never do anything when they are hungry- and very much works with my teens too espally before tackling a place as vast and as tiring as the Vatican Museums.
Feeding them before prevents ‘hanger’ and since there are many lovely places to eat near the Vatican, it is a simple enough task to achieve too. You can find here >> my guide where to eat near the Vatican
Tip 2 – Make sure you’re all dressed appropriately
The Vatican Museums include the Sistine Chapel, one of the holiest places for Catholics and therefore demand abiding a modest dress code to allow entrance (see below). Make sure you familiarize yourself with is as it does apply also to teens and also when temps are hot. Not abiding by it is disrespectful and also comes with the practical risk of being denied entry so it is not a risk worth taking.
Tip 3 – Go early morning or later afternoon
The Vatican Museums are always very busy but early morning and mid to late afternoon are quieter time. While still very busy, these times are not suitable to day trippers and cruisers so they end up being a little less overrun than mid morning. If your teens can take an early start, early morning before opening is the best of the best but later afternoon is good for late risers too – don’t fight them too hard if morning is a no- no for them.
Tip 4 – Expect heat in summer
The Vatican Museums do not have air conditioning in summer. This has to do with the nature of the architecture of the place and while very inconvenient, very much just the way it is.
In summer, when heat it intense, I recommend avoiding the hottest hours of the day and I do recommend bring a fan. A little help, but a help nonetheless.
Tip 5 – Familiarize yourself with actual entrance location and where the Sistine Chapel is
This may sound obvious but something people get confused about often: the entrance to the Vatican Museums is NOT the same as the entrance to the Basilica and it is about 15 mins walk from it. Also: the Sistine Chapel is NOT in the basilica but in the Museums! This is confusing for many but it is important to not get this wrong: if you want to see the Sistine Chapel, you MUST got through the museums.
Tip 6 – Get a guide or at least an audioguide
As said above, the only way to know what you are looking at if you are not familiar with the pieces already.
Tip 7 – Info your teens of phone and photo rules
Inside the Sistine Chapels photos are strictly forbidden. A good thing to tell teens hoping for a once in a lifetime reel: the Chapel is not the place for it, while other parts of the museums and the basilica do allow photography.
Vatican Dress Code for teens: what to wear for a Vatican Visit
The Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are sacred spaces to the Catholic Church and require abiding to a specific dress code to be allowed in.
The dress code can be summarised in the word ‘modest’ but since this can be interpreted in many different ways, it can be handy to have some cleared indications on what is expected. The dress code also applies to teens and to all genders.
The Vatican dress code requires:
Skirts or trousers below the knee – so, no mini skirts, short shorts. Also, since the spirit of the rule is modesty, avoid workarounds such as see though items that do not actually cover much at all: you basically want the legs above the knee to be fully covered.
Tops that cover your shoulders and armpits – t-shirts are not an issue, you can show arms no problem, but you should cover shoulders and armpits
Cover belly, mid rift and back – again, in the spirit of modesty, you want to avoid skimpy and see though clothing
When seeing this dress code, I know the reactions are mixed, especially by visitors who come to visit in summer, when temperatures are so hot, having long pants seem unthinkable.
Thing is: this is very much a ‘their home, their rule’ type of scenario and since they consider certain outfits disrespectful, if you want to enter, you need to abide.
In practical terms, they are not asking anything crazy and working around this is easier than in seems: for skirts, it is sufficient to wear one that hits below the knee. It doesn’t have to be ugly, boring or formal, it just needs to cover knees.
For shorts, it is again sufficient to opt for slightly longer ones; also, pants that zip off at the bottom are a good option of light lined or even light tracksuit bottoms can be good – there is no need to dress up, they just want an attire that is modest by conservative standards, for all genders.
There is no rules about shoes, you can wear any style you like including sandals. For comfort, I recommend good walking ones as the museums requite a lot f walking!
How long it takes to visit the Vatican with teens
All times are approximate:
| Basilica only | 30 min/ 1h |
| Basilica and Dome | 1h / 1.5h |
| Vatican Museums | 1.5 – 3h + |
| Vatican Museums + Basilica + dome | 3h+ |
Ideal Vatican visit with teens samples itinerary
When planning a day at the Vatican, my tips are:
If your kids are museum averse: Basilica + dome, plan a morning around it with local food stop etc. For instance, you could have breakfast in Cresci or pizza afterwards in Forno Feliciani or carbonara in Romane’.
If you have art loving kids who do well on tours > Early morning private Vatican museum tour + basilica >> private tours can make you enter the basilica form inside the museums, without having to queue separately, so I recommend this order and doing all together. This is a pretty intense morning so I recommend then planning down time for instance shopping or on a vespa sidecar tour anyway something that doesn’t keep them indoors again or requires sustained attention. Please note that tours don’t usually include dome climb and you need to book that separately.
If you have a generous budget >>> Keymaster tour, then breakfast in the museums (they have a lovely cafe) and them basilica and dome climb (book separately), so you then have the rest of the day free.
I hope this quick guide to visiting the Vatican with teens was useful. Safe travels to Rome!