Tour Details
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
-
- Santa Maria Maggiore
- Monti Neighborhood
- San Pietro in Vincoli
Photos & Highlights
- Discover the rich heritage of Rome’s Basilicas through the stunning mosaics of Santa Maria Maggiore and the iconic Michelangelo’s Moses at San Pietro in Vincoli
- Led by experienced art historians or archeologists
Select a date
Tour Description
Take a deep dive into Rome’s spiritual and artistic heritage as you explore some of the city's most significant churches, including the breathtaking Santa Maria Maggiore Papal Basilica, in this 3-hour tour led by an expert guide.
Experts
Your tour will begin at the magnificent Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome’s four papal basilicas. Your expert guide, an experienced art historian or archeologist, will point out the stunning mosaics, and beautifully adorned chapels, explaining its rich history, and its centuries-old spiritual and artistic legacy.
Then, you’ll make your way to San Pietro in Vincoli, home to Michelangelo’s famous statue of Moses. This church, often overlooked by visitors, holds the relic of Saint Peter’s chains and boasts an atmosphere of deep reverence and artistic brilliance.
Along the way, you may visit another hidden gem of Roman spirituality: possibly Santa Prassede, known for its dazzling Byzantine mosaics, San Cosma e Damiano, a historic church built within an ancient Roman temple, or another remarkable site chosen by your guide to best fit your interests.
Throughout the tour, your guide will share insights into the cultural, artistic, and religious significance of these landmarks, weaving together the stories of devotion, history, and craftsmanship that have shaped the Eternal City over the centuries.
- You would like an expert to guide you through the wonderful Santa Maria Maggiore Papal Basilica and its wonders.
- You’d like to explore lesser-known sites and neighborhoods for a more intimate and locally connected experience.
- You want to gain insight into San Pietro in Vincoli and Michelangelo’s Moses.
- You want to experience the vibrant community spirit and unique charm of one of Rome’s most beloved neighborhoods.
- Santa Maria Maggiore
- San Pietro in Vincoli
- Michelangelo’s Moses
- Monti Neighborhood
Tickets
This tour does not include any advance admission ticket costs. Note there may be nominal site entrance costs or other fees that are not included in the price of the tour. It is a good idea to have some local currency on hand for these.
Dress Code
The venues you are visiting are religious sites and therefore have strict dress code requirements. Please dress modestly for your tour, covering shoulders and knees. You may be asked to remove hats inside churches.
Additional Resources
For additional information on planning your visit to Italy, explore our Context Stories.
Is this tour suitable for children? Yes, although the tour isn’t part of our family program, it can be adjusted to accommodate families with children. Please be sure to include the ages of children when booking and we will assign a family-friendly guide.
We understand that some of our valued guests may have mobility concerns, and we want to ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience throughout your tour. If there are any accessibility concerns that your tour guide will need to be aware of, please let our team know at the time of booking.
Is this tour accessible for those with mobility issues?
This tour involves moderate walking of around 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) and along uneven cobbled streets. Clients with mobility concerns should contact us and we can create a custom tour adapted to their mobility concerns.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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21 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
Chiara was friendly and a wealth of knowledge about the city, the basilicas and churches, and pointed out spots along the way. Our walk to each nativity scene was interesting and at a comfortable pace. At our request we made a detour for cappuccino and a small bite. She led us to a lovely shop for the best coffee with baked goods to match, which we could not have found on our own. Our entire tour felt very personalized and rich with time in each setting. The basilicas and churches were stunning and special and we loved hearing the history of each nativity scene. Chiara speaks English well (and taught us a bit of Italian!) She was special and our time with her unforgettable. (We also took her advice for a dinner spot and had an extraordinary dinner!) Thank you, Chiara!
Sher
Dec 18, 2019
Chiara was so very responsive to our every need and question.
Spectacular way to start our week in Rome.
Barbara
Dec 15, 2019
All info was excellent as usual. Docent was very caring for me on back streets and ways to go up hills. Once again at end of tour I was too tired to spend more time at Aracoeli whre we ended. I had planned to go back there and to SS Cosmas and Damian, but trip was cut short when I got the flu in Florence and while making it back to Rome was not able to build up my strength to stay so came home two weeks early.
As usual Context was excellent.
Joan
Feb 5, 2018
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