Join an official guided tour of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Admire the Loggia delle Benedizioni, Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Staircase, the Hall of the Popes, and the Liberian Historical Museum.

About this activity

Cancellation policy: This activity is non-refundable
Duration 1 hour: Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the ticket line
Live tour guide: Spanish, English

Highlights

Marvel at the 5th-century mosaics of Santa Maria Maggiore
Learn which famous Catholics are buried here
Admire the 14th-century bell tower, the highest bell tower in Rome

Full description

Join a walking tour of the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore, located on Esquiline Hill. Discover the secrets of this impressive monument, one of the four papal basilicas in Rome.

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore was built on the site where the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream of pope Liberius. This is also where a blanket of snow appeared on the hill in the middle of summer. Find out how the locals commemorate this miracle every year with white flower petals.

See the 14th-century bell tower, the highest bell tower in Rome standing tall at 75 meters. It is said that there are pieces of wood from Jesus' crib underneath the altar (Sacra Culla).

Visit the patriarchal basilica, which contains the funerary monuments of Pope Clement IX, Paul V, and Nicolas IV. Discover a number of other famous Catholics who are buried here as well, including saint Jerome and the artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Includes

Official guided tour of the Basilica
Entrance to the Loggia delle Benedizioni, La Scala di Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the Pope's staircase, and the Storico Liberiano Museum

Not suitable for

Wheelchair users

Meeting point

Go to the entrance of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore on Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore and show your e-voucher to the reception staff at the Portico.

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Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 33 reviews

Review summary

Value for money
4.7/5

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Our guide was fantastic and we learned a lot about the church. You would have to do a lot of research to gain that knowledge. It's so much more practical to have a knowledgeable guide explain things to you as you're seeing them. The Basilica is huge, beautiful, and culturally rich, yet doesn't have the crowds and noise of St Peter's.

December 18, 2022

This was one of our favorite tours in Rome. Roberta, our guide, was excellent! She was very informative, and answered all of our questions. Paying the little bit of extra for the guide is totally worth it. We would have missed out on so much if we would have tried to tour the church on our own. I would rate this tour as a top 3 things to do in Rome!

November 23, 2022

Rome: Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica Guided Tour

Rome: Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica Guided Tour

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