Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica

Vatican City, an independent state inside Rome, holds two of the city's essential sights. The Vatican Museums wind through papal palaces full of classical sculpture and Raphael's frescoed rooms, ending in the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo painted the ceiling and the Last Judgement.

Next door, St Peter's Basilica is one of the largest churches in the world. Look for Michelangelo's Pietà just inside the entrance, and climb to the dome for a view over St Peter's Square and the city.

Shoulders and knees must be covered. The museums are closed on most Sundays and the queues are long without a reservation, so we book a timed guided entry, ideally early in the morning. Allow at least three hours, as the route through the museums is long and largely one-way.