Rome of the Popes: Explore Historic Basilicas

Embark on a Roman Papal Tour and uncover the secrets of ancient churches, Holy Doors, and hidden wonders. Immerse yourself in the rich history of Rome guided by passionate local experts.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore - It is the biggest church for Saint Mary, has the highest bell tower of the city, a holy door, and some of the most impressive chapels in the world.
What's Included
  • Entrance fees
  • Tour Guide
Additional Information

What can this tour offer you?
Dive into the Pope’s Rome, a place where stories, marvels, myths, and reality merge and synchronize with the Rome of today.
You’ll be led by one of our local, certified tour guides. Their deep love for Rome sets our guides apart, and they’re eager to share it with you.
Tour Highlights:
On this journey, you’ll get to explore…

Location
Statua di San Giovanni Paolo II
Look for the green statue of Saint John Paul II. Please arrive 15 minutes early for check-in.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(153 Ratings)
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Julie_r
Jan 23, 2026
Rome: Holy Doors small group tour is a must! - The tour of the Holy Doors was amazing. I've been to Rome before, but never took this tour! It really gives you a lot of knowledge of the religious side of Rome! All the different churches and Basillicas were stunning! Roberto was an excellent guide and added so much more depth to what we were seeing! I highly recommend you add this tour to your itinerary!
Review provided by Viator
Brendabg1992ft
Jan 5, 2026
Highly recommend! - We originally took this tour in December 2025 and decided to repeat on our December 2026 trip to Rome. Much of the credit goes to our guide, Roberto, and his deep knowledge of the history of the Church. As 2025 is Jubilee year, we also wanted the opportunity to walk through the Holy Doors which we were able to do at two Basilicas on this tour: Santa Maria Maggiore and San Giovanni in Laterano. Highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting an immersive journey into the heart of the Catholic Church’s sacred traditions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yessica_t
Dec 4, 2025
Amazing Experience - I was lucky enough to do this tour on my own. Roberto., the guide is very knowledgeable, patient and truly loves his job. I thought I was going to see some Basílicas and Holy Doors but I ended up having an amazing experience, finding places I didn't know existed and that I could have never gone without this tour and guide. I was deeply emotional through the duration of it. Tour requires a bit of walking, but most of the places are within 5 or 10 mins from each other so it's not that hard to complete. If you are a religious person or simply love amazing structures and history you would love this. Roberto also gave me tips of places nearby to go at the end of the tour that made my experience even more magic. I hope I can come back to Rome with friends and family and be able to do this tour again. Gracias Roberto.!
Review provided by Viator
Colinm2014
Nov 24, 2025
Outstanding tour of Romes basilicas - Truly brilliant tour of all them major basilicas in Rome. Insightful, intelligent and incredibly informative guide. Don’t hesitate to take this amazing tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Duke_s
Nov 22, 2025
5-Star Holy Doors Guide - Roberto is a competent and knowledgeable guide, who navigates expertly through and between the Holy Door sites. He is very responsive to questions. 5-star guide. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Carl_b
Nov 15, 2025
Wonderful experience with... - Wonderful experience with Roberto!! Very knowledgeable and provided insight that we don’t think we would have gotten with another tour guide. He provided different aspects and history of the buildings that we toured. Highly recommend!!!
Review provided by Viator
Voyage764980
Nov 13, 2025
A MUST FOR TRAVELLERS TO ROME. - This was a fantastic tour. Roberto was extremely knowledgeable and very thorogh. We appreciated all of his insights and tips.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elizabeth_c
Nov 10, 2025
Informed, Inspired to Learn More - So fortunate to join Roberto’s tour! His in-depth knowledge of religion and church history came to life through captivating stories at every site we visited. He introduced every church, fresco, statue, painting and relic with fascinating context and engaging detail. I highly recommend Roberto’s tour - you’ll leave informed, inspired and motivated to learn more.
Review provided by Viator
Anthonyalvarez72
Nov 8, 2025
Great experience - An amazing experience definitely better to do a small group and be able to get one on one conversation with the tour guide. We will definitely be booking again in the future for the rest of the tours.
Review provided by Viator
Julie_n
Nov 24, 2025
Not what we expected.... - Not what we expected. We’re first timers and knew nothing about Rome.. For small group of 4 people only, we should have been informed ahead of where we going or have printed information about it. It was quite a bit of walking and the distances between buildings was long.
Review provided by Viator
From $81
up to 5 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).