Tag: Itinerary

Vatican City is the smallest country in the world both by area and population, covering an area of 49 hectares (121 acres). This place (religious superpower) have guided millions of people across the globe.

Home of the Roman Catholic Church and its spiritual leader – the Pope, Vatican City was granted a country status to enable the pope to exercise his universal authority.

The euro is the official currency of the Vatican City, although Vatican City is not a member of the Eurozone or the European Union. The euro has been the official currency of Vatican City since 2002.

This country have a population of around 764 (as of 2023) residents, and has its own flag. For many travellers, visiting this religious hub is a bucket list item. Visiting the Vatican is an unforgettable experience not only for lovers of art but also of history, culture, and architecture. 

There are multiple ways to reach here:

• Metro –> Line A (There are two metro stops located near the Vatican Museums entrance: Ottaviano and Cipro)
• Bus –>  Numbers 492, 990 (Via Degli scipioni); 32, 81, 982 (Risorgimento stop)
• 49 (Viale Vaticano / Musei Vaticani stop)
• Tram –> Number 19 (Risorgimento / San Pietro stop)
• Taxi –> Taxi Station Viale Vaticano (in front of the Museum)
• Car –> Payment Parks in Viale Vaticano

Vatican city Trip planning:

Entry to the Vatican City and St. Peter’s Square is free, but to enter the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel you need to take tickets, except on certain occasions.

Vatican Museum:

Keep in mind, that the best time to visit the Vatican Museums is in the morning, as queues begin to form as early as 07:30 am despite the museums opening at 09:00 am. Do not leave this for later in the day as museums close at 6:30 pm hrs and visitors are obligated to leave the premises thirty minutes before closing time.

Book your tours and tickets for Vatican Museum, well in advance as the lines get very very long and it can take hours to get in. Without a skip-the-entrance-line ticket expect the line to be up to 1 to 2 km long (even starting well before 8:30 am)

We did the following to book our tickets:
1) Link : https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en.html#lnav_shop
2) Once you click the link, you will have to book the tour (We had selected ‘Museums and Vatican collections’).
3) Select the date of your choice and click confirm (you will have to give number of Visitors).
4) The next screen will show all the available ticket types. We had selected
‘Guided Tours for Individuals – Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel’.
5) Select the ticket type of your choice and click ‘Book’.
6) The next screen will show you the price distribution (like Full Ticket, Reduced Ticket (6-18 years including 18 years and students). You also have a option to select ‘Visit Language’ (This is for the earphones, as we had selected Guided Tours).
7) In the same screen, you will get to see the different timings and the corresponding availability. Select your convinient time.
8) If you are happy with all the provided details, click to proceed.
NOTE: In the tour that we seleted, the Guide fees is also included when you see the final ticket price.
9) In the next screen, you can provide your personal details (like name and so on) and proceed to Buy for Payments.
10) You will get the confirmation ticket / voucher in your email. You will have to show that ticket (better to keep a hard copy handy in case if somebody says softcopy is not allowed), when you reach the entrance. NOTE: Good to scroll through the Q&A : https://tickets.museivaticani.va/support

Steps to follow on the day of your visit:

There is a line reserved for the visitors with the booking. Visitors are asked to present themselves 15 minutes before the tour start time. The voucher is Non Transfereble and is valid only for the date / time that is reserved. Online booking allows you to skip the museum entrance line. Simply proceed to the entrance gate to scan your ticket. (NOTE: We somehow reached the entrance gate 15 minutes late, but still they allowed us to join the group tour that we booked online, but try to reach early). There are multiple security checks before entering the Museum.

This Museum is the home to some of the most priceless art collections (around 70,000+) accumulated by the Pope over the centuries.

The Vatican Museums are made up of 26 museums (about 5 miles of wall space) in all and display some dazzling exhibits.

The one thing that can’t be avoided is the crowds. You will be moving as one large mass, from museum to museum spread over two floors to get to the Sistine Chapel.

NOTE: Please note that Museum is not open on all Sundays. Please check the below link for the timings: https://www.thevaticantickets.com/timings/

Sistine Chapel:

This is one of the most famous and beautiful chapels in the world. The most famous part of the Sistine Chapel is, of course, the ceiling, which was painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. One of the most interesting things about the Sistine Chapel is that it’s still in use today. The chapel is used for important religious ceremonies and events, including the election of new popes.

Don’t forget that it’s forbidden to film and/or photograph inside the Sistine Chapel (with or without flash)!  I managed a sneaky one (no flash) on my iPhone (OK, am not such a bad guy who breaks rules and regluations all the time, but somehow I couldn’t resist taking a picture)

The Sistine Chapel is located right on the other end of the Vatican Museums and you will have to walk through all the museums and exhibitions before you get to see the masterpiece.

Spiral Staircase:

Every photographer will want to capture the famous and most beautiful spiral staircase. You can find this famous staircase at the very end of the visit as you exit the Vatican Museums. It’s one of the most photographed staircases in the world.

St. Peters Square:

The square is also known as Piazza San Pietro and is located right in front of the basilica.

The square has hundreds of statues. One of the first things you’ll notice about St. Peter’s Square is its size. It’s one of the largest public squares in the world, spanning over 5 hectares (12.5 acres) and capable of holding over 300,000 people.

There are 2 fountains in the square. Located in front of St Peter’s Basilica and the charming Bernini colonnade, the Vatican Obelisk is one of the 13 antique obelisks of Rome.

It is free to visit but the lines might be veeeeery verrrrrrry long, so a skip-the-line ticket is worth getting (there are few different options like guided tours, small group tours and so on).

When the Pope is at home in Vatican City, he gives an audience each Wednesday morning in St. Peter’s Square that is open to anyone who would like to join.

More details here: https://www.vatican.va/various/prefettura/index_en.html

St. Peter’s Basilica:

St Peter’s Basilica is one of the largest amd most famous churches in the world.  It is not a part of the Vatican Museums.  Entry is free but you will have to get through the security, which can take hours. You’ll pass through a metal detector and will have your bags checked when you reach the front.

NOTE: There are some skip the line tickets available in ‘Get Your Guide’, ‘Viator’ and  other websites.

One of the most striking features of St. Paul’s Basilica is the massive 80-metre-long nave, which is one of the largest in the world. The nave is lined with marble columns and features beautiful mosaics and frescoes on the ceiling.

St. Peter’s Basilica was completed after 120+ years of construction.

St. Peters Dome is the tallest in the world and the entrance to the dome is on the right side of the basilica, above the visitor center. Climb the steps for a view of Vatican City (as it was very crowded, we did not do that and hence I don’t have a photo of how it will look like). Please note that you need to take a ticket to get to the top of Basilica. However, it is highly recommended to visit the Dome.

Dressed in their iconic yellow, red and blue uniforms (outside the Basilica), the Vatican’s Swiss Guard might remind you of jesters from Renaissance times.

Other places to see:

• Vatican Gardens
• Castel Sant’Angelo
• Pont Sant’Angelo
• Send a postcard from Vatican City:
• If you want a memento of your travels, sending a postcard from the Vatican post office is not only fun but a cost-effective activity to enjoy. This unique opportunity of mailing a postcard from an independent country to yourself or even friends and families is a novel way to send greetings. The Vatican Post office lies at the exit gate of St Peter’s Basilica to the right.

Important point to note:

• The Vatican has an open-border policy with Italy, so if you have a visa or the right to enter Italy, you can enter the Vatican City too. We had used our Schengen visa to get into Vatican city. Even though it is a country, there’s no need to carry your passport when visiting the Vatican.
• When in Rome make sure to add Vatican City to your itinerary.
• Always budget an extra 20 to 30 minutes if you have a scheduled event like a Guided Tour. This way you don’t have to rush and it’ll give you time.
• The Vatican Museum is immense and full of so many incredible things that booking a tour guide or using an audio guide is strongly recommended. With just a day in Vatican City, you must budget the available time in such a manner to see the best attractions. A typical guided Vatican tour lasts only two to three hours which barely scratches the surface. 
• The Vatican has a strict dress code that requires shoulders and knees to be covered. Avoid shorts, skirts above the knee, and sleeveless tops.
• Like all great Italian museums, you can get coffee and food inside the Vatican Museums.
• Wear comfortable shoes. If you have any issues with walking for a sustained period of time, rent a wheelchair (for free). The Vatican Museums have very few benches where you can rest.
• Pack light, you will not be allowed to take bigger bags with you and have to go through security. The less you carry with you, the better. Food and metal tools (scissors and knives) are not allowed.
• With breaks, some stamina, and the right strategy, a one day visit to Vatican City can certainly be done and enjoyed. Don’t forget to schedule enough free time between sightseeing so you can get a bit of rest and have some food.
• If you know in advance that you are going to travel to both Rome & Vatican City, you should consider getting the Omnia Rome & Vatican Card. It will pay for itself in no time!                      More Details here  –> https://www.omniavaticanrome.org/en

Interesting facts about Vatican city:

• Smallest country in the world.
• One of the countries that is surrounded by a city (in this case, its Rome).
• You can just walk into Vatican City from Rome and you won’t even notice a major difference between when you’re in Rome or Vatican City.
• Latin and Italian are widely spoken.
• Vatican city has its own flag.
• One of the most visited tourist attractions in the world.
• Mondays, Wednesdays and weekends tends to be the busiest.
• Vatican Museums are the second oldest museum in the world.
• Vatican City doesn’t offer passport stamps.
• The Sistine Chapel is one of the final stops when touring the Vatican Museums and can’t be seen without visiting the museums.
• Vatican City ATM’s give you a choice of instructions in Latin.
• The Vatican city is NOT part of the European Union.
• Make sure to pack some snacks and water, especially when visiting with kids. You can easil spend the whole day here and it’s best to be prepared.

As a part of my business trip, I got a chance to visit Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2023 . I tried to sneak in some time to visit a couple of major attractions in Copenhagen.

Copenghagen constantly ranks one among the happiest cities in the world. There are many attractions to explore here in Copenhagen, ideal place for a 2-3 days itinerary.

Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup:

Its is an international airport serving Copenhagen, Denmark. The airport is the largest airport in the Nordic countries. I flew from Dublin to Copenhagen. The outside view from plane was really superb.  If you’re lucky you’ll get a fabulous view of Øresund Bridge (Architectural Masterpiece, bridge between Copenhagen and Sweden) as you fly into Copenhagen.

It’s a nice and modern airport, which is located just eight kilometres from the city centre.

The airport is well connected with lots of international destinations.

One strange thing that I observed in the terminal was the lack of multiple food outlets. I just saw a ‘Burger King’ outlet and its indeed a big one.

Its quite easy to find the Train, Metro, Taxi and Bus Terminals. There are lots of display boards available everywhere.

If you are looking for Train tickets, you will find the DSB ticket machine / Kiosks (quite near to the Burger King outlet). Please note that such tickets are available in 7/11 shops aswell.

DSB, an abbreviation of Danske Statsbaner (Danish State Railways), is the largest Danish train operating company, and the largest in Scandinavia.

NOTE: You can also use sites like OMIO, for booking trains.

You can also use mobile app Viggo, if you are looking for taxis.

The kiosk is quite easy to navigate. English display is also available. Normally, you will also find a DSB employee near the Kiosk to support you (in case if you are confused how to operate the Kiosk).

There are lots of trains (ex: To Lund, Malmo, Stockholm and so on) from the airport. You will see tracks / platforms clearly indicated.

If you are looking for metro, you will see that also, clearly indicated.

The Metro is well connected to different parts of Copenhagen.

By chance if you want to drop off your luggage in the Airport, there is a self service facility available just outside the terminal building (very easy to use).

If you plan to cover a lot of places within Copenhagen, I strongly suggest to take a City pass (I had personally taken a 24 hours city pass large) .

NOTE:

1) City pass is available in different variants like 24, 48, 72,120 hours. The city pass comes with 2 options Small and Large.
The City Pass Small gives you unlimited access to buses, trains, metro and harbour buses in zones 1 – 4, which includes the center of Copenhagen and to and from the airport.
Meanwhile, the City Pass Large let you travel unlimited in zones 1 – 99, which includes Roskilde, Elsinore and other destinations in Northern Zealand.
A more convenient way to buy the City Pass is by getting the “DOT Tickets” app.
Get more information here : https://www.publictransport.dk/tickets/city-pass

2) There is also a Copenhagen Card worth exploring. See the link : https://www.copenhagencard.com/
COPENHAGEN CARD – DISCOVER is a ‘all-inclusive’ card that covers admission to 80+ attractions, includes public transportation including to and from the Airport.
COPENHAGEN CARD – HOP covers admission to 40+ attractions in the city center and Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing buses in Copenhagen.

Central Station:

The first destination I wanted to cover was the ‘Central Station’. It  is quite a big one with lots of platforms.

Both the metro and normal trains run from Copenhagen Airport to the central station. There are direct trains from airport to the copennhagen Central Station (around 15+ minutes). If you are taking Metro, you will have to get down at Kongens Nytorv and connect another Blue/red lines metro to reach the central station. So its obvious that taking a train would be easy/faster, if your destination is central station.

I had taken a train to reach the central station. Cycles play a major role in the life of locals here. You will see dedicated space for cycles in trains and stations. You will also find a lot of bike lanes all over the city. So be careful, while walking and crossing in the roads. You are not expected to walk in the cycle lanes. Copenhagen was ranked as one of the top Bike-Friendly Cities on the Planet. Bycyklen is a good mobile app for the bikes.

In case of you wish to keep your luggage in the Central station, you have self servcie options available.

STROGET Shopping (Walking street)

Once you come out of the central station, walk straight till the main road and turn to right side. If you follow that road (you will pass in front of Tivoli gate), you will get into the walking street which will take you till the famous canals.

If you are going in the corerct direction, you will see Scandic palace hotel on your right.

It’s a very nice walking street (approx 1.1 Kms I guess, It is one of the world’s longest pedestrian street) with lots of shops in both sides. There are lot of souvenir shops (try to get a souvenir from this street) and eateries in both sides. The entire street is also packed with a number of interesting shops, restaurants, and street performers. One of the highlights is Lego’s flagship store which is an excellent place to browse for both the young and young at heart. It is nice to see how many cool Lego structures are available these days in the place where they were invented.

I had tried some Belgian Chips from a shop and it was really tasty.

You will also find lot of important buildings in that road.

After covering some distance, you will start seeing the glimps of Canal.

This Canal and the buildings nearby are famous photography spots, which you would have seen in many wallpapers. There are lots of bars and restaurants here, so it’s a great place to hang out.

Nyvahn Waterfront and Boat ride:

Copenhagen is a waterfront city, and there’s no argument that the most photogenic waterfront spot in the city is Nyhavn. It is the classic picture postcard view that helps everyone recognise Copenhagen. If you are in Copenhagen and would like to cover 1 or 2 main things here, this canal boat ride should be in the Top part of your priority list. I could see 2 companies operating the canal tour (not sure if there are any other companies).

You will find ticket counters in the end part.

The boat jouney is around 45min-1 hour. The boats can acccomodate lot of people and there is also adjustable roof (in case if want to save youself from getting wet during rains). Since the roofs are adjustable and transparent, don’t worry even if you failed to get a window seat.

Onboard, there will be a guide giving you the history and small bits of information about everything you pass by.  It’s a great way to get a feel for the city and to get a general overview. Its quite a relaxing journey and you will love every moment of that.

NOTE: You will get to see lot of important attractions / buildings like Frederik’s Church, Little Mermaid Statue, Church of Our Saviour in Christianshavn, the imposing Kastellet fortress, royal palace, Opera house and so on during this boat trip.

Streets of Copenhagen:

After getting down the boat, I spend some time exploring the beautiful city of Copenhagen. It is considered to be an expensive city to visit but you can cover a lot of places on foot (the main sights of the city centre are all quite close to each other) . Also as discussed earlier, its good to grab a 24/48 hours ticket, so that you can hop-on and hop-off in public transport. Ofcourse you can also hire a bicycle aswell.

NOTE: Renting a car isn’t practical in Copenhagen, because parking is limited and might be expensive aswell.

Copenhagen’s public transportation system is efficient and clean and can take you just about anywhere you need to go in the city. Switching from one form of transport to another is very seamless.

Tivoli Gardens:

Later in the evening, I decided to explore Tivoli. It is an amusement park (Did you know that Walt Disney came to Tivoli to get inspiration for Disneyland?) and pleasure garden, operating since 1843. There are 30+ rides and open-air concerts in the summer.

If you’re visiting Copenhagen with kids, it’s a brilliant place to visit. They’ll love all the various rides and attractions. Everyone will enjoy it too, especially on a warm summer’s day. It’s the ideal place to relax or enjoy the rides.

If you visit in the evening, you’ll be treated to a dazzling light display. Thousands of lights adorn the various rides at night creating a sight that is fairytale-like!

Located in the centre of the city (one gate is opposite to Central Station), Tivoli Gardens is one of the top attractions in the city and it is the third-oldest amusement park in the world.

Tivoli Gardens is the fifth most visited amusement park in all of Europe. The 20-acre property is known for its rollercoasters. The most famous of which is the wooden Rollercoast Rutschebanen, which was built in 1914.

People say it takes 4-6 hours to cover full place. As I dint had much intention to explore all the rides, I was able to cover in 2+ hours.

But it’s a interesting place to visit. When I visisted, there were lot of Halloween decorations (additional lights and pumpkins) aswell.

NOTE: https://www.tivoli.dk/en –> Check website for opening date/time.

It opens in 3 seasons (Ex: 2024 timings below) :

1. 22 March – 22 September (Summer)
2. 10 October – 3 November (Halloween)
3. 15 November – 5 January (Christmas)

Worth Noting:

1. What I dicussed so far is just a 1 day itinenary for Copenhagen. It’s a place worth 3 days, for sure.
2. Copenhagen can be very cold in winter, so prepare yourself by packing a warm coat, hat, scarf and gloves.
3. Check opening times before visiting any attractions. In the winter it’s common for some venues to close a little earlier, so make sure to double check their websites so you don’t miss out.
4. If you want the highest chances of sunny weather, blue skies, and white clouds, aim for visiting in May-September.
5. Don’t foregt to try Danish hotdogs, Waffles and so on.
6. You can also find lot of LEGO stores which usually has a Denmark-specific set or two, since Denmark is where LEGO was created and is still headquartered.

Copenhagen has plenty to offer, you will not run out of idea.

Some other places/options worth exploring (in and around Copenhagen):

Amalienborg Palace (changing guards ceremony aswell)
Copenhagen Zoo
Botanical Gardens
Round Tower (climb the tower)
Aquarium (Den Bla Planet)
Frederiks Kirken – Marble Church
The Forest Tower – Camp Adventure
Kronborg Castle
Canal Tour
Christian’s Harbor (Painted Buildings)
Christiansborg Palace
Frederiksberg Palace
Statens Museum for Kunsk
Gefion Fountain
Walk up the Copenhill
Torvehallerne Market (food market)
Kastellet Fortress
Kronberg Slot (Hamlet’s castle)
Freetown Christiania
National Museum of Denmark
Louisiana Museum of Art
Church of Our Saviour
Reffen Market (street food)
Rosenborg Castle
Amager Strandpark
Roskilde
City Hall Square
Gråbrødretorv Square
Kultorvet Square
Illums Bolighus –Stylish Department Store
Free Walking Tours
Copenhagen Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
Malmo (Sweden) : Since you can actually see Sweden from Copenhagen, the temptation to visit a new country is hard to ignore. This is easy to do with a day trip over the Øresund Bridge to Malmö. This Swedish city is full of history and character, and you can see quite a bit of it in just a day. (2 countries in a single trip, who won’t love it). Please note that there are high chances (but not always) that id/passport might get verified.

Best time to visit:

Summer in Copenhagen (June to August) is the best season for good weather and endlessly long evenings, but prepare for the city to be busy with visitors. Spring is also fine.