Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Understanding local customs is where a journey begins. Find the topics that matter to you and feel at ease wherever you go.

Vatican City

0 rules found

No rules for this combination yet.

Site-specific notes 2

Taken from the "don'ts" on each site page here. Open a site for its full etiquette and background.

St Peter's Basilica

  • Bare chests and backs, shorts and flip-flops are banned in the basilica
  • don't use flash during mass or cross in front of clergy
  • don't trust 'skip-the-line' touts around the square.

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

  • Absolutely no photography inside the Sistine Chapel (including surreptitious phone shots) — if caught you will be asked to delete the photos and leave
  • do not lean or sit on gallery railings and statue bases, and do not touch frescoes or tapestries
  • do not bring water bottles or food into the galleries to eat
  • eating and drinking are permitted only in the designated catering areas