Some of the world’s most iconic works of art are in Vatican City, the independent city state surrounded by Rome. The Sistine Chapel, one of the most celebrated artworks in history; St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world; and the Vatican Museums, full of Renaissance masterpieces and Roman sculptures, are all there. But seeing them was akin to a nightmare. In fact, I hated Vatican City thanks to a few key factors. So I’m here to tell you the five worst things about Vatican City.

I should preface this with a disclaimer that I am not religious whatsoever. So Vatican City didn’t have any significance besides being another tourist attraction in Rome. But as an art lover, I had high hopes for the Vatican Museums. So I took a small group, skip the line tour of Vatican City that included the gardens, museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica.

The 5 Worst Things About Vatican City

First, it’s worth noting that Vatican City is an independent city state, meaning it’s a different country than Italy. It has its own police, license plates, citizenship, everything. (The euro is used even though it’s not a member of the European Union.) It’s the smallest country in the world by both area (110 acres) and population (about 1,000). That’s kind of fun, right?

Another fun fact is the Swiss Guard protect the Pope. Their uniforms are straight out of the Renaissance period, with puffy pants in bright stripes. The handmade uniforms take 32 hours each to make! The Swiss Guard, who are trained to use a halberd (a medieval spear-like weapon) are stationed all over Vatican City, especially near St. Peter’s Basilica.

Those two things were cool, but here are the five worst things about Vatican City (and why I hated it).

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1. It’s complete chaos from start to finish.

I arrived at Vatican City to complete chaos. Originally I signed up for a self-guided tour that said to meet at a shop front nearby, which was full of frantic tourists attempting to make their tours. (They threatened to not let people in if they missed their time slot, then didn’t provide information on where to go.) The clerk convinced me to upgrade my tour to include St. Peter’s Basilica and the gardens, and though I didn’t care to see the gardens, I agreed.

The chaos continued as I joined one of the many lines outside the Vatican City gates, then one of the many lines going through security. There were hundreds of people and dozens of tour guides holding up decorated sticks to distinguish themselves from far away. My guide kept frantically counting our group, then running to buy tickets, then ushering us through turnstiles. This would continue for the rest of the day.

2. The gardens are a complete waste of time.

The tour started in the Vatican Gardens, which cover more than half of the country’s 110 acres. Owned by the Pope, they are full of pathways and sculptures, marble benches and fountains. A few buildings are scattered throughout them: The Governor’s Palace, Radio Vatican (where the Vatican’s radio station broadcasts), a convent, and a former monastery where former Pope Benedict lives.

I expected the gardens to be similar to those I’ve seen in other palaces, like the impressive gardens at the Palace of Versailles. But the Vatican gardens are more like a giant woodsy backyard, except we only saw a tiny portion of it. To make matters worse, our guide spent close to two hours talking in there, even though we’d only walked a few hundred feet.

On the upside they were quiet and hardly anyone else was there. So I should have cherished the peacefulness much more.

3. The Vatican Museums are grossly overcrowded.

Next we went inside the Vatican Museums, where 20,000 objects are displayed in 54 galleries. It’s one of the largest museums in the world, containing some of the best sculptures, paintings, and historic relics in history. Opened in 1506, the Vatican Museums consist of long corridors lined with Roman sculptures salvaged from historical sites (like the Colosseum), ancient Egyptian treasures, and Medieval maps drawn to incredible detail.

But there is no cap on how many people are allowed inside the Vatican Museums. According to my guide, between 40,000 and 45,000 people visit them each day. The amount of people is easily at the top of the worst things about Vatican City. And majority of the crowd crams into one mile-long corridor leading to the Sistine Chapel, creating a claustrophobic nightmare.

The crowd is so dense it’s impossible to enjoy the objects on display. You can’t really stop walking because the wall-to-wall crowd is constantly moving. And you’re pretty much stuck walking at whatever pace the masses around you are moving. Only part of the museums have air conditioning and there are only two exits along the mile-long route. (Apparently people have been known to faint and have panic attacks, which I nearly did.)

4. The Sistine Chapel is impossible to enjoy.

After what seemed like forever, we finally reached the Sistine Chapel. It took Michelangelo four years to complete the painting of The Last Judgement on the ceiling and it is truly a masterpiece. The amount of detail, the colors, the lifelike three-dimensional perspective; it’s all incredible.

But you are only allowed to spend a few minutes inside so that the rest of the 45,000 people can see it, so security is constantly moving the crowd along. And of course you’re crammed in there with hundreds of other people.

Talking and taking pictures isn’t allowed. But few people follow the rules so security guards routinely scream SILENCE! NO PICTURES! while you’re taking it all in. Not exactly the scenario to appreciate art. Luckily my tour group was given a few extra minutes to observe the ceiling, but honestly I was so ready to get away from the crowd I couldn’t wait to leave.

5. Each part of Vatican City has its own (long) line and separate payment.

Then we moved on to St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world. Built over 120 years, the basilica is monumentally massive and stunningly beautiful. It was my favorite part of Vatican City. Inside, the basilica is stunning. I was fascinated to learn the artwork on the walls are not paintings; they are mosaics! And it’s so huge you hardly notice the other people inside.

But before we could enter the basilica, we had to wait while our guide purchased tickets to enter. Luckily it only took a few minutes, but I noticed the winding line outside the door to go in. Turns out each section of the Vatican requires an individual ticket and entrance line, some hundreds of people deep. Again, I was thankful the guided tour took care of that and allowed us to skip the line.

You can also go to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica for a bird’s eye view of Vatican City and Rome. But the line was so long that I couldn’t fathom waiting another hour surrounded by crowds, so I went outside to St. Peter’s Square instead.

Luckily not far from Vatican City is a cute restaurant serving spectacular pasta at La Zanzara. There I enjoyed a quiet, long lunch of carbonara and Roman wine. And it completely redeemed my day!

But here’s what to know if you go.

Just because I hated Vatican City doesn’t mean that you will too. Maybe the worst things about Vatican City won’t even phase you. If you adore massively dense crowds in small places, it’s the perfect place for you! So if you go, I recommend a guided skip the line tour like I took. Except skip the gardens, if possible. And really consider if a few minutes inside the Sistine Chapel is worth hours crammed in crowds. Better yet, take an early morning tour of Vatican City before the crowds arrive.

If I had to do it over, I’d skip the Vatican Museums and go straight to St. Peter’s Basilica. Then I’d still have the patience to trek to the top of the dome to see a panorama of Rome. Or better yet, I’d stick to staying outside in St. Peter’s Square and call it a day.

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Related :: What to See & What to Skip in Rome, What to Eat in Rome, and a Day Trip to Pompeii … Plus Why I Hated Geneva, Paris, and San Francisco.