Vatican and Papal Basilicas Jubilee Tour in Rome
Rome, Italy
Rating: 
Trip Type: Cultural Tours
Duration: 9 hours
Mark the Papal Jubilee with a special tour of the Vatican and Rome’s patriarchal basilicas. After a skip-the-line tour of the Vatican Museums, step inside the Sistine Chapel and then behold your first major basilica of the day: St Peter’s Basilica. In the afternoon, visit the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. See Bernini’s tomb, the Santa Scala, and learn all about the jubilee and its significance in Rome. Small-group tour limited to 12 people in the morning and 25 in the afternoon.
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Mark the Papal Jubilee with a special tour of the Vatican and Rome’s patriarchal basilicas. After a skip-the-line tour of the Vatican Museums, step inside the Sistine Chapel and then behold your first major basilica of the day: St Peter’s Basilica. In the afternoon, visit the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. See Bernini’s tomb, the Santa Scala, and learn all about the jubilee and its significance in Rome. Small-group tour limited to 12 people in the morning and 25 in the afternoon.
Your walking tour is themed around the Holy Year of Mercy, an event considered an Extraordinary Jubilee as it takes place outside of the normal 25-year cycle of papal jubilees. After meeting your guide, hear all about the event and learn about the churches that have special significance during the jubilee years.
Your first call is the Vatican Museums, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the holiest spots in Christendom through the year. Walk past the main entry lines and step straight inside with your skip-the-line ticket. With your guide, you’ll explore incredible galleries of art including Raphael’s Rooms as well as the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica — the first patriarchal basilica visited on your tour.
When your time at the Vatican ends, enjoy a lengthy break (2.5 hours) for lunch and perhaps some independent sightseeing. Later, meet back up with your guide and travel into central Rome by coach. Your afternoon’s mission is to check off the remaining patriarchal basilicas of Rome.
Head to the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where 5th-century mosaics await. Next is the pope’s traditional seat at the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano. Visit the nearby Scala Santa, the white marble steps that are believed to have been climbed by Christ himself, and then continue to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Hear how the church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and learn of the Christian legends that surround the peaceful place of worship.
After admiring the basilica’s frescoes, mosaics and, of course, Bernini’s tomb, bid your guide goodbye. Your tour finishes near Rome Termini.
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