Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore) Tours and Activities

Take a Rome hop-on hop-off tour by open-top bus, and spend time city sightseeing as you travel past attractions such as the Colosseum and Vatican City. Relax aboard the double-decker Rome tour bus, listen to the audio commentary and hop on and off at any of the stops. Select a sightseeing ticket that’s valid for 24 or 48 hours, or pick an upgrade option to include entry to the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Roman Forum and more.

Skip the crowded coach tours and discover the highlights of the Eternal City from a Vespa sidecar. Each motorcycle and sidecar fits two people (plus driver), so you can settle back with a friend or loved one as you cruise by attractions from the Colosseum to the Trevi Fountain. Tours include live narration via convenient headphones for crucial context on each site, plus a traditional Roman breakfast of cappuccino and cornetto.

Explore Rome's museums, architecture and art with this hop-on, hop-off tour. Purchase a ticket and discover the city's charms at your leisure while riding on a cheerful pink double-decker bus. Don the provided headphones and enjoy recorded audio commentary in 13 languages for the 8 stops.

Zip through Rome on a Vespa with this full-day tour, including lunch. Cover ground quickly and see top landmarks such as the Colosseum, Piazza della Repubblica, and Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. Skip the hassle of navigating and follow your guide to see the best of the Eternal City. Helmets and safety locks are included.

Spend a morning or an afternoon at the Vatican with this 2-hour skip-the-line tour of the Vatican Museums (including the Sistine Chapel) and St. Peter's Basilica. Get an up close and personal look at Michelangelo's masterpiece, his murals in the Sistine Chapel that changed the history of painting forever. See Raphael's cherubs. Gawk at the Gallery of Maps. Explore St. Peter's Basilica. And if you want more, upgrade to a full-day tour and visit the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Catacombs and more. Lunch can also be included.

Combine the convenience of a guided tour with the flexibility of independent travel on a 24- or 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour of Rome. Along the way, enjoy a skip-the-line tour of the Colosseum and four optional walking tours, taking in sights such as Castel Sant’Angelo, Capitoline Hill, St. Peter Basilica, the Spanish steps, and the Pantheon.

Take a journey through the history of Catholicism in Rome on this tour to two of Rome's four papal major basilicas and the Catacombs of Rome. See the sacred sites and holy relics of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran and the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, and then descend underground to explore the subterranean tombs of the Catacombs.

Explore the highlights of early Christian Rome with this exciting 3-hour afternoon walking tour via foot and coach.  Led by a knowledgeable driver-guide, get an insider's view of the Eternal City and its Christian history. Stops include the Basilica of Sant Maria Maggiore, the Basilica of St. John Lateran. And then go underground by checking out the intriguing catacombs, an early Christian burial spot just outside of the city at the Appian Way.

What exactly can you expect from this tour? Immerse yourself in the Rome of the Popes, where stories, wonders, legends and reality blur and harmonize with today's Rome. You will be guided by one of our local, certified tour guides. What makes our guides special is their passion for Rome and they want to share it with you. Highlights of the tour: On this tour, you will experience "Santa Maria Maggiore", which contains one of the four Holy Doors. Then we will reveal the hidden basilica "Santa Prasede" and its secrets. Followed by "San Pietro in Vincoli" where you will see the statue of Moses by Michelangelo and the miraculous chains of St. Peter. Then we will visit two of the oldest churches in the city: "Santi Quattro Coronati" with the legend of Pope Sylvester "San Clemente", dedicated to the fourth Pope "Clemens I" The tour culminates in a visit to the arch-basilica of "San Giovanni in Laterano", which contains another of the four Holy Doors.

Explore Rome, including a hop-on hop-off bus tour and tickets to the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican, during this 16-hour day trip from Venice. Board a high speed train bound for Rome, then transfer to a sightseeing bus upon arrival at Rome's Termini station. Take advantage of the flexibility to spend as much time as you like at any of Rome's attractions. See the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with an expert guide who will provide informative commentary about the famous works of art. All entrance fees, bus and train tickets are included.

Step into the early days of Christian history on a private, 6-hour tour of Rome’s holy sites, and experience the city where Constantine, St. Peter and St. Paul lived and preached. Discover the 5th-century Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Basilica of St. John Lateran and Pontius Pilate's steps, an important pilgrimage site. See millennia-old relics treasured by saints and Popes, then head to the below-ground Catacombs for a tour of the tunnels where generations of Christian martyrs were buried and remembered.

The ape calessino tour allows you to visit most of the city comfortably seated on a vintage vehicle, in perfect Made in Italy style. The tour is on a private basis. Most of our drivers are also licensed tour guides. It is suitable for everyone, from 6 years of age.

Explore Rome at your own pace with a 24- or 48-hour hop-on, hop-off bus pass. From the top of the open-air double-decker bus, take in panoramic views of the city missed by most visitors as you enjoy recorded commentary. No need to queue: Breeze past notoriously long lines at the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum, where you enjoy a 3-hour guided tour in one of 6 languages offered.

View items related to the passion and death of Jesus Christ during this 3-hour tour in Rome. Visit the Basilica of St Mary Major to see fragments of the wood from the manger where Jesus was born and explore San Prassede, which features pieces of the pillar upon which Christ was flogged. At the Basilica of Santa Croce, see fragments of the true cross and a nail of the crucifixion. Along the tour, learn about the history of these sacred religious objects from your guide. All entrance fees are included.

Take a day off from Milan and spend the day in Rome, the Eternal City and the capital of Italy. Relax on the train journey and then get ready to explore: see the historical center from a hop-on hop-off bus tour and learn about the history of the city and each place as you ride around on the open-air double-decker bus. Pass by or stop at Piazza Venezia, the Trevi Fountain, and the Colosseum. And if chosen, get a skip-the-line ticket for the Vatican Museums to see world-class art. You can also upgrade to travel business class on the train.

Take a private walking tour in central Rome that reveals the best of Italy's capital. See highlights including the Campo de'Fiori market, the Trastevere neighborhood, and the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica. Along the way, your guide shares the history of the magnificent city, along with customized suggestions of great places to visit on your own.

Explore the sacred Christian sites of Rome with a small-group tour, including the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, and more. Skip the hassle of finding all these sights on your own and hear fun facts and stories about Rome’s early Christian history as you travel from site to site with a guide.

Go behind the scenes to discover the five major basilicas of Rome and learn about the influence of Christianity on the Eternal City during this in-depth private guided tour. Get a peek at priceless relics—believed to be thorns from Jesus’s crown—and marvel at Renaissance artworks and stunning architectural gems. Tours include free time for lunch and comfortable transfers in your own private vehicle—plus the option to explore the mysterious catacombs.

Early Christian history enthusiasts will enjoy this tour of relics from the life of Christ. Visits include the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to view wood believed to be from Jesus’ manger; Santa Prassede, home to a fragment of the pillar on which Christ is said to have been flogged; and the Basilica of Santa Croce, containing what may be pieces of the cross and a nail from the Crucifixion. You can also walk up the Holy Stairs Jesus once descended.

Discover the Eternal City at your own pace on this day trip from Florence to Rome. Climb aboard the high-speed train from Florence and arrive in the Italian capital to enjoy a full-day sightseeing pass on a hop-on hop-off bus. Pass the Vatican, the Colosseum and other top attractions, hopping off to further explore your points of interest. At the end of the day you'll return to Florence on the high-speed train.

Discover the Eternal City at your own pace on this 2-day tour of Rome, departing from Florence. Climb aboard the high-speed train from Florence and arrive in the Italian capital to enjoy a 48-hour sightseeing pass on a hop-on hop-off bus. Pass the Vatican, the Colosseum and other top attractions before returning to your three- or four-star hotel in the evening. Your 2-day independent tour also includes a metro ticket and complimentary breakfast at your hotel.

With your Hop-On Hop-Off Bus tour, you will have 10 stops all around the city centre close to each of the fantastic monuments scattered around the city of Rome. You can use your sightseeing panoramic bus with the Hop-On Hop-Off ticket of either 24 or 48. You will be able to admire great funerary monuments such as the tomb of Cecilia Metella along with your journey at the ancient catacombs of the Appian Way. This underground, characterized by nearly 15 km of tunnels spread over several levels, was the most important in Rome and became the official cemetery of the Church of the city, where popes, martyrs and even apostles were buried. You will cross imposing galleries full of burial niches, admiring spectacular inscriptions, frescoes and the incredible Christian iconography. The guides and drivers are carefully selected for their knowledge, enthusiasm and to share their passion for Rome with you. With this tour, you can maximize your time while enjoying a fantastic experience.

One of Rome’s four major basilicas, Santa Maria Maggiore was among the first churches in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Enjoy an in-depth look at this premier cultural and religious site on this guided tour that takes in its fifth-century mosaics, relic of Christ’s crib, and ancient icon of the Virgin Mary. Learn about its art and architecture while admiring the tombs of greats like St. Jerome and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Discover Rome’s history on a full-day tour to Vatican City and the catacombs. Begin at the Vatican with a skip-the-line ticket to visit the museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica where you can find works of art by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and more. Then head underground to explore the ancient Roman catacombs and other Christian landmarks such as the Cathedral of Rome and the Holy Staircase.