TourTruth score 9.4 out of 10
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Rome Basilica Tour, Dome & Underground
TourTruth score 7.1 out of 10
AverageTop 48% in Rome
1 review · Rated on 1 provider · How we score
- Rome, Italy
- Updated November 2, 2026
Explore St. Mary Major’s dome, artistic treasures and ancient underground rooms on a guided tour in the heart of Rome.
About this tour
Discover Rome’s Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, a landmark of art and devotion that has stood on the Esquiline Hill for sixteen centuries. This guided Rome Basilica Tour, Dome & Underground brings you inside one of the city’s four papal basilicas, where history unfolds in richly layered spaces.
With your guide, explore the basilica’s treasures, including the Bernini family tomb, the Baptistery and the Holy Door. Continue to the dome for a closer look at the church, then descend into the archaeological area beneath it. Here, rooms arranged around a vast Imperial-era hall reveal the underground world of this important Marian shrine. The tour also offers a chance to learn about the basilica’s connection to the Salus Populi Romani, an image Pope Francis visited before and after apostolic journeys.
Meet Touristation staff at the fountain in front of the main entrance and exchange your voucher before the tour. Explore the dome, basilica and archaeological remains on this Rome Basilica Tour, Dome & Underground, and experience a remarkable meeting of art, history and spirituality.
Highlights
- Admire the basilica’s artistic and spiritual treasures
- Explore the archaeological area beneath the basilica
- Visit the dome and discover the underground rooms
- See the Bernini family tomb, Baptistery and Holy Door
What's included
Included
- Access to the Dome of the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major
- Access to the archaeological area beneath the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major
- Free entrance to the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major
- Guided tour of the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major
- Welcome and assistance from Touristation staff at the meeting point in Piazza dell’Esquilino
Not included
- Transportation to and from the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major
Ratings on each provider
The ratings and review counts each booking site shows for this tour.
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View on ViatorViator
5.00 / 5 · 1 review
Important information
- Children under 7 cannot participate for safety reasons
- The meeting point is at the fountain in front of the basilica’s main entrance
- Exchange your voucher at the meeting point; it is not your ticket
- Look for Touristation staff wearing a red T-shirt and carrying a bag, orange umbrella, or Touristation sign
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How this score is calculated
This score is based on one provider. Viator rates it 5.00 from 1 review. We place that rating among all Viator ratings and weight it by its review count. If the tour is found on another provider later, both ratings are combined.
How the score works and rating distribution in Rome
- Each provider rating is turned into a percentile: the share of that provider's ratings it beats, weighted by review counts.
- Listings on different providers are combined in proportion to their review counts.
- Tours with few reviews are pulled toward the average until more reviews come in, so a handful of perfect reviews can't top the list.
- The result is shown from 0 to 10: this tour scores 7.1. Top 48% in Rome means it ranks in the top 48% of tours in Rome by this score.
Provider rating distribution in Rome
How many tours in Rome have a provider rating at or below each value. The dashed line is this tour.
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- Viator
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