The Churches of Rome & the Catacombs

Highlights

• St. Mary Major
• St. John in Lateran
• Scala Sancta (the Holy Stairs)
• the Appian Way
• the Catacombs

Itinerary

After passing through Piazza Barberini, home of Bernini's Triton Fountain, the tour begins at St. Mary Major, the beautiful basilica dedicated to Mary, the mother of Christ, with gorgeous mosaics and the relics of Jesus' crib. St. John of Lateran, the cathedral of Rome, is the next stop.

The first Papal residence, St. John's is filled with masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the Baroque as well as the Scala Sancta (the Holy Stairs). Following the old Appian Way past the Church of Domine Quo Vadis, the tour arrives at the Catacombs of St. Domitilla, St. Calixtus, and St. Sebastian.

These ancient underground tunnels were once the burial places for Jews and Christians. A panoramic view of the Baths of Caracalla ends the tour.

Route

Time

Three hours.

Price Tours

€ 40,00 per person.

Schedule

Daily in the afternoon. Departs from the Vastours Terminal at 3:00pm; free pick-up at hotels from 2:15-2:45pm. From Nov. 1 to Feb. 28, departures will be thirty minutes earlier.

Note

Shorts and uncovered shoulders may not be admitted to the churches. This tour is offered with the Vatican Museum tour as a combination tour.