From Europe to the South Pacific, these are the smallest countries around the world to visit.
Vatican City (0.19 square miles - Population: 800)
Vatican City, a city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy, is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. It's home to the Pope and a trove of iconic art and architecture. Its Vatican Museums house ancient Roman sculptures such as the famed “Laocoön and His Sons” as well as Renaissance frescoes in the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling. The nearest airport to Vatican City is Rome (FCO), 13 miles away. Where to Stay: Villa Agrippina Gran Melia
Monaco (0.78 square miles - Population: 36,297)
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometers west of the Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by France to the north, east and west. Monte Carlo is officially an administrative area of Monaco, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. The nearest airport is Nice (NCE), 14 miles away. Where to Stay: Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo
San Marino (24 square miles - Population: 33,745)
San Marino is a mountainous micro-state surrounded by north-central Italy. Among the world’s oldest republics, it retains much of its historic architecture. On the slopes of Monte Titano sits the capital, also called San Marino, known for its medieval walled old town and narrow cobblestone streets. The Three Towers, castle-like citadels dating to the 11th century, sit atop Titano’s neighboring peaks. Rimini Airport (RMI), which is also called Rimini-Miramare Airport or Federico Fellini Airport, is 10 miles from the heart of the San Marino City. It serves both the Italian coastal resort town of Rimini, and the Republic of San Marino. Where to Stay: Titano Suites
Liechtenstein (62 square miles - Population: 39,039)
Liechtenstein is a German-speaking, 25km-long principality between Austria and Switzerland. It’s known for its medieval castles, alpine landscapes and villages linked by a network of trails. The capital, Vaduz, a cultural and financial center, is home to Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, with galleries of modern and contemporary art. The Postmuseum displays Liechtenstein’s postage stamps. The nearest major airport to Liechtenstein is Zurich (ZRH), 51 miles away. Where to Stay: Park Hotel Sonnenhof
Saint Kitts and Nevis (101 square miles - Population: 54,331)
Saint Kitts and Nevis is a dual-island nation situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It's known for cloud-shrouded mountains and beaches. Many of its former sugar plantations are now inns or atmospheric ruins. The larger of the 2 islands, Saint Kitts, is dominated by the dormant Mount Liamuiga volcano, home to a crater lake, green vervet monkeys and rainforest crisscrossed with hiking trails. The Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw International Airport (SKB), located just northeast of the capital city of Basseterre, serves St. Kitts and its sister island, Nevis. Where to Stay: Nisbet Plantation Beach Club
St Vincent and the Grenadines (108 square miles - Population: 104,332)
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a southern Caribbean nation comprising a main island, St. Vincent, and a chain of smaller islands. With yacht-filled harbors, chic private isles and volcanic landscapes, it’s known for its major sailing destinations such as reef-lined Bequia Island off Admiralty Bay, bordered by white-sand beaches like Princess Margaret. The main island is home to the capital, Kingstown. Where to Stay: Petit St. Vincent Resort
The Maldives (120 square miles - Population: 522,600)
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an archipelagic state and country in South Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres from the Asian continent's mainland. Male Velana International Airport (MLE) is the main international airport in the Maldives. It is located on Hulhule Island in the North Male Atoll. Where to Stay: One&Only Reethi Rah
Malta (122 square miles - Population: 535,064)
Malta is an archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. It's a nation known for historic sites related to a succession of rulers including the Romans, Moors, Knights of Saint John, French and British. It has numerous fortresses, megalithic temples and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, a subterranean complex of halls and burial chambers dating to circa 4000 B.C. Malta International Airport (MLA) is the only airport in Malta, located southwest of the Maltese capital, Valletta, in the town of Luqa. Where to Stay: The Xara Palace Relais & Chateaux
Grenada (133 square miles - Population: 126,183)
Grenada is an island country located between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located at 12°07′N 61°40′W. There are no large inland bodies of water on the island, which consists entirely of the state of Grenada. The coastline is 121 km long. Where to Stay: Spice Island Beach Resort
Barbados (166 square miles - Population: 281,995)
Barbados is an eastern Caribbean island and an independent British Commonwealth nation. Bridgetown, the capital, is a cruise-ship port with colonial buildings and Nidhe Israel, a synagogue founded in 1654. Around the island are beaches, botanical gardens, the Harrison’s Cave formation, and 17th-century plantation houses like St. Nicholas Abbey. Local traditions include afternoon tea and cricket, the national sport. Where to Stay: Sandy Lane
Antigua & Barbuda (170 square miles - Population: 94,298)
Antigua and Barbuda is an independent Commonwealth country comprising its 2 namesake islands and several smaller ones. Positioned where the Atlantic and Caribbean meet, it's known for reef-lined beaches, rainforests and resorts. Its English Harbour is a yachting hub and the site of historic Nelson's Dockyard. In the capital, St. John's, the national museum displays indigenous and colonial artefacts. Where to Stay: Hermitage Bay
The Seychelles (174 square miles - Population: 107,400)
The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa. It's home to numerous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as giant Aldabra tortoises. Mahé, a hub for visiting the other islands, is home to capital Victoria. It also has the mountain rainforests of Morne Seychellois National Park and beaches, including Beau Vallon and Anse Takamaka. Where to Stay: Six Senses Zil Pasyon
Palau (177 square miles - Population: 18,058)
Palau is an archipelago of over 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean. Koror Island is home to the former capital, also named Koror, and is the islands’ commercial center. The larger Babeldaob has the present capital, Ngerulmud, plus mountains and sandy beaches on its east coast. In its north, ancient basalt monoliths known as Badrulchau lie in grassy fields surrounded by palm trees. Where to Stay: Palau Pacific Resort
Andorra (180 square miles - Population: 80,000)
Andorra is a tiny, independent principality situated between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. It’s known for its ski resorts and a tax-haven status that encourages duty-free shopping. Capital Andorra la Vella has boutiques and jewelers on Meritxell Avenue and several shopping centers. The old quarter, Barri Antic, houses Romanesque Santa Coloma Church, with a circular bell tower. Where to Stay: Serras Andorra
Saint Lucia (238 square miles - Population: 185,982)
Saint Lucia is an Eastern Caribbean island nation with a pair of dramatically tapered mountains, the Pitons, on its west coast. Its coast is home to volcanic beaches, reef-diving sites, luxury resorts and fishing villages. Trails in the interior rainforest lead to waterfalls like the 15m-high Toraille, which pours over a cliff into a garden. The capital, Castries, is a popular cruise port. Where to Stay: Jade Mountain
Micronesia (271 square miles - Population: 114,700)
The Federated States of Micronesia is a country spread across the western Pacific Ocean comprising more than 600 islands including Guam. The country is known for palm-shaded beaches, wreck-filled dives and ancient ruins, including Nan Madol, sunken basalt temples and burial vaults that extend out of a lagoon on Pohnpei. Where to Stay: Dusit Thani Guam Resort
Singapore (274 square miles - Population: 6,177,793)
Singapore is located about one degree of latitude north of the Equator. Besides the stunning architecture that makes up its iconic skyline, the city-state is home to museums that boast a range of collections, colorful street murals, and public art installations. Where to Stay: Marina Bay Sands
