Perhaps naturally, It has always been a curiosity to visit the smallest country in the world, the Vatican City, and for Travelling with Allergies the stars aligned on Good Friday to make this happen.

Through a organised tour company entry into the country via the Vatican Museums was swift as this allowed us to skip past the large crowds that had gathered. Quite unlike most other border crossings, this felt unusual as our passports were not reviewed, however, there was still a security check to pass. That being said, travelling with my allergy medication, the Emerade Adrenaline Auto-Injector, caused no issues at all.

The tour was made up of around 20 people to one guide who explained how the Vatican City became a country, through the power struggle of the Pope and the Crown, and guided us through the chambers of the Vatican Museum covering priceless paintings and maps from a time long passed. We parted ways with the tour group before we were able to enjoy the Sistine Chapel unencumbered to keep up with the rest of the group and enjoy the artwork in relative silence.

Do note, if you are intending to visit St. Pauls Basilica do check possible closing times before. Unfortunately our tour guide provider switched our tour from 09:30 to 12:30 without explaining that this would result in missing out on entering St. Pauls Basilica, which closed for the afternoon on Good Friday.

In terms of food and allergy friendly options, I felt there was a good range of choices available. Being encompassed by the city of Rome, it was no surprise that the food menu items in the Vatican City were similar to that of it’s large neighbour. The food items were very affordable and provided the range to make travelling with allergies that much simpler. In total we saw a cafeteria, pizzeria and food hall; serving common pastries, coffee, pizza and a variety of meal options in the food hall.

Although the official language is Italian, there were no problems at all communicating in English - perhaps not a surprise considering the 20 million visitors the Vatican City attracts each year. All in all I felt this is a very straightforward country for people to visit if they are travelling with allergies.

One thing to note, is that during the Easter Weekend (including Good Friday) meat products are not served in the Food Hall.

Down below you can view images of some available food items in Vatican City as of Good Friday, 2019.