Skip the Line: Vatican City Day Trip from Florence by High-Speed Train
Florence, Italy
Rating: 
Trip Type: Day Trips
Duration: 14 hours
Swap the sights of Florence for Vatican City on a day trip by high-speed train. After traveling to the capital, meet a local guide for a skip-the-line tour of the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica, two UNESCO World Heritage sites that many believe to be the holiest spots in Christendom. Learn about its impressive trove of art, including Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam,’ and visit the Sistine Chapel and Museo Pio-Clementino among other highlights. In the afternoon, make use of a metro ticket to explore and discover Trastevere, the Trevi Fountain and more.
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Swap the sights of Florence for Vatican City on a day trip by high-speed train. After traveling to the capital, meet a local guide for a skip-the-line tour of the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica, two UNESCO World Heritage sites that many believe to be the holiest spots in Christendom. Learn about its impressive trove of art, including Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam,’ and visit the Sistine Chapel and Museo Pio-Clementino among other highlights. In the afternoon, make use of a metro ticket to explore and discover Trastevere, the Trevi Fountain and more.
Rise early and ride by train from Santa Maria Novella station in central Florence to Rome. In roughly 1.5 hours, arrive in Italy’s capital. Take the subway to nearby Vatican City, perhaps grabbing an on-the-go breakfast at your own expense on route, and then meet your guide for your tour of the Vatican. Lines to enter the museums are long, but your skip-the-line ticket ensures you bypass the queues to head straight inside.
One of the largest museum complexes in the world, the Vatican Museums is home to vast quantities of art that the popes amassed over centuries; Renaissance art, Etruscan relics and classical sculptures are just a few of examples of the treasure inside the holy Aladdin’s Cave.
Step inside the Sistine Chapel to see the Creation of Adam and The Last Judgement, the two famous Michelangelo masterpieces. Learn about the acclaimed Renaissance artist and discover fun facts about the frescoes that adorn the ceiling and wall of the holy chapel.
Continue through Museo Pio-Clementino to see the Laocoon and Apollo Belvedere sculptures, and gain insight into the stories behind these must-see classical monuments. Pass through the Gallery of the Candelabra and Gallery of Tapestries, and stop to admire some intriguing topographical maps from the 16th century in the Gallery of Maps.
With the Vatican Museums’ highlights seen, step inside the Vatican church: St Peter’s Basilica. The spectacular place of worship is noted as much for its art as its jaw-dropping architecture, so pay attention to your guide’s commentary to see the best bits. Michelangelo’s La Pietà and Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s baldachin altar are both on your list.
When your tour finishes, the rest of the day is free time to do as much (or as little) as you want. Explore with your included metro ticket, and perhaps take lunch in Trastevere. Wander the squares of Piazza Navona and Piazza di Spagna, or throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain.
When you are ready to leave, simply make your way back to Rome Tiburtina station, from where your train departs to Florence approx. at 8pm.
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