Rome Papal Basilicas Tour with Santa Maria Maggiore 3 hr - Image 1
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Rome Papal Basilicas Tour with Santa Maria Maggiore 3 hr

TourTruth score 8.8 out of 10

Very goodTop 5% in Rome

63 reviews · Rated on 1 provider · How we score

  • Rome, Italy
  • 3 hrs
  • Updated November 2, 2026

Explore three of Rome’s papal basilicas with a private guide, special loggia access at Santa Maria Maggiore, and private transportation.

About this tour

Discover Rome’s spiritual history on a private tour of three papal basilicas, each with its own atmosphere, art, and architectural character. Your 3-hour journey begins at St. John Lateran, where you’ll meet your guide before traveling by private transportation between sites.

Explore Santa Maria Maggiore and enjoy special loggia access, then visit St. Paul Outside the Walls, including the Tomb of Saint Paul. Along the way, your expert private guide brings centuries of papal tradition and religious heritage into focus. The tour offers a close look at Rome’s sacred landmarks without including Saint Peter’s Basilica.

This Rome Papal Basilicas Tour pairs private transport with guided visits to three remarkable places of worship. Wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees, and note that access to some areas may change during religious ceremonies. Join the tour to experience a quieter, more personal side of Rome’s history.

Highlights

  • Explore three of Rome’s papal basilicas with a private guide
  • Admire the sacred art and architecture of Santa Maria Maggiore
  • Visit St. John Lateran and St. Paul Outside the Walls
  • Access a special loggia at Santa Maria Maggiore

What's included

Included

  • Private transportation
  • Special loggia access at Santa Maria Maggiore
  • Expert private guide
  • Visit to the Basilica of St. John in Lateran
  • Visit to the Basilica of St. Mary Major
  • Visit to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
  • Visit to the Tomb of Saint Paul

Not included

  • Entry to Saint Peter’s Basilica
  • Tips and gratuities

Ratings on each provider

The ratings and review counts each booking site shows for this tour.

Important information

  • Meet at the main entrance of St. John Lateran Basilica, by the white security-check tents, Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, 00184 Rome
  • Cover shoulders and knees to enter places of worship; tank tops and short dresses are not permitted
  • Access to some church areas may be limited during religious ceremonies
  • Infants must sit on an adult’s lap
  • The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Public transportation is available nearby

How this score is calculated

This score is based on one provider. Viator rates it 5.00 from 63 reviews. 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 8.8. Top 5% in Rome means it ranks in the top 5% 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.

  • Viator

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