From Rome: Full-Day Best of Christian Rome Tour with Lunch

Your experience

Highlights

• Here you will be introduced to the most famous sites of the Catholic Church in Rome and have history encompassing 17 centuries summed up into one single tour. "You see more than Rome when you are in Rome," as Horace (65-8 BC) wrote. Choose a standard tour or select an itinerary that reflects your personal preferences with a customized tour where you can visit the Christian Rome sites you would like to discover.

Full description

This trip will commence once you have been collected from your accommodation in Rome. The service includes a driver conversant in English and a modern air-conditioned minivan at your disposal throughout the day. While it is not easy to encapsulate 17 centuries within one tour, it is certainly achievable. Seeing Vatican City can’t be done without also going to see some of the most important Catholic Church sites in Rome.The local tour operator is an excellent resource to arrange for licensed guides when needed. Meanwhile, enjoy a leisurely lunch at a charming Roman restaurant; it will definitely give you fuel to continue exploring!For maximum availability during the high season (April to October), it is recommended that you secure a booking for the tour with a guide no less than 30 days prior to your arrival. During your private journey, you will have the opportunity to visit Christian treasures of Rome such as St. John Lateran, The Holy Stairs, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Paul Outside the Walls, as well as the Christian Catacombs along the Ancient Appian Way, and if it is open, also St. Peter's Basilica. It is officially dedicated to both Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist, being one of the four major basilicas in Rome, also known by its full name, Papal Archbasilica of Saint John in Laterano.It is from the Roman bishop’s cathedral that the pope rules, but it is also an important church for all other cities of the world. The Stairs of Salvation or Holy Stairs, as this sanctuary is named, are a 28-step marble staircase. The name comes from a Christian tradition saying that Helena (†335), Constantine’s mother, took them to Rome from Pilate’s palace in Jerusalem.In other words, Scala Pilati or Scala Sancta denotes the Holy Stairs or Pilate’s Stairs, which are traditionally accepted as being ascended by Jesus Christ himself while he was being sentenced to death on his day of judgment. Its marvelous collections testify to the role played by this church in nourishing Rome as the cradle of Christian art civilization. Christians commemorate Saint Paul the Apostle, who was decapitated under Nero around 65-67 AD, and his veneration is at Saint Paul Outside the Walls.One of the major Roman Catholic churches, the basilica was built by Emperor Constantine on the Ostiense Way at a spot considered to be Apostle Peter’s tomb. Christian catacombs were first established in Rome at the end of the 2nd century and the early years of the third century. The Vatican City is an independent city-state enclave within the city limits of Rome; Saint Peter’s Basilica is a part of it, a papal enclave in Rome.Renaissance architecture has four major exponents: Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno, and Bernini. St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the most remarkable Renaissance art pieces that the latter contributed to because he was its main designer. Being also the largest church on earth, it attracts millions of tourists every year. In terms of exploration opportunities, there are The Catacombs of St. Domitilla, Catacombs of St. Sebastian, and the Catacombs of San Callixtus, from which you can choose the one that best matches your preferences. Rome also has some burial networks underground called The Catacombs of St. Domitilla, which you should not miss out on since they have been recently discovered but are even more well-preserved and larger than other such systems in Rome.Within the catacombs, you’ll find a 2nd-century fresco that illustrates The Last Supper and other relics. More than four million bodies have been laid to rest here, making it the only catacombs in existence that include an underground basilica. On the other hand, Saint Sebastian’s Catacombs are among the smaller Christian cemeteries with high accessibility but low preservation – not a trace of the first of four original floors remains visible today.On the right side of the nave and at the far end wall, on a site above ruins of an ancient early basilica, the pointed arches of a building constructed in the 13th century, which is halfway along the existing nave, contain one or two full tombs and fragments of other sarcophagi unearthed during excavations near the apse outside the chapel. At about this time, San Callisto or the Popes' Crypts were also built.The name of the basilica was given by Pope Zephyrinus, who was once a deacon and managed the same cemetery. As pope, he enlarged it further, so that it rapidly became an official Roman church burial place. The arches under which about fifty martyrs and sixteen pontiffs were interred are part of a labyrinthine burial ground occupying 15 hectares with passageways reaching almost 20 kilometers in length. As soon as you arrive at the catacombs, you can purchase your tickets (8 EUR/person not included) on-site.A driver will help you make all necessary arrangements, after which you will have a guided tour in your language with the staff of the catacombs for a small group. After the tour, you will be dropped off at your accommodation in Rome by the driver. This whole excursion takes eight hours and starts at 9:00 am.

Includes

• If booked, the guide option includes a tour guide, private air-conditioned transportation service, a tour including a professional English-speaking chauffeur, a luxury vehicle, hotel, and then to the airport. In case of lunch provision, door-to-door transfer.

Not includes

• To ensure that your visit to the Christian Catacombs is paid for, be aware that the entry fee remains at 8 Euros per person, a fixed price when planning your visit to this extraordinary landmark.
• Gratuities

Know before you go

• You won’t need any guide service on this tour. Throughout the tour, you’ll have your own vehicle and driver at your disposal, who will take you to places where large buses are not able to go. By doing so, your legs won’t get exhausted and in return, you’ll be able to see more attractions during your trip. Every single trip can be modified or even changed while on a tour if it would make you feel fully satisfied. In the car, before you walk about yourself, your English-speaking driver will offer general commentary about the area’s history.
• Given time by him, you can move about and have sufficient opportunity for sightseeing at your leisure. It is against the law to be escorted while visiting museums, monuments, and so on in this way, and hence he cannot walk with you.
• The places where you would be required to observe a dress code are temples and specific museums. Shorts and sleeveless tops would bar you from accessing such places; for men as well as women, their knees and shoulders must also be covered if they want to visit them. Failure to adhere to the stipulated dress codes could lead to denial of entry into such places.