If you want to explore somewhere rich in history and culture, you might think you need to take days and spend hundreds to get the full experience. However, this is not always the case.

While some locations do require a little more time, there is one tiny city that you can explore in a single day. Even better, it’s the cheapest place to visit in the world. According to research from Safari company Go2Africa, the Vatican City is one of the least expensive places to explore in the world. They analysed different countries’ total tourism receipts for the year and compared this figure with the total number of international visitors to find out where  it was cheapest.

They found out that visitors to the Vatican have an average spend of £11 per visitor – the lowest in the world.

This is likely because Vatican City is so small that most of its sites can be seen within a few short hours, without the need for overnight accommodation.

Vatican City is not only Europe’s smallest country but the smallest in the world by size and population.

Just 501 people call this country home but it attracts millions of visitors every year. 

If you want to be one of them, there are some must-sees during your visit.

One of the most famous is St Peter’s Basilica. Construction was started in 1506 and completed in 1615, and is one of the most renowned works of Renaissance architecture.

The basilica is a major pilgrimage site and draws crowds of tens of thousands. It is also filled with beautiful works of art and fascinating religious relics. 

For art lovers, Vatican City is also home to  Michelangelo’s famous La Pietà sculpture, which is considered by many to be the most moving piece of sculpture ever created.

This marble sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Christ after he was taken down from the cross. It sits in the entrance to the basilica and is one of the most famous works of art in the world.