Loved every minute of it, would definitely recommend to a friend. ……………………………………………………………………………………..
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Expert local guide
- Entry to each site included in the tour
Excludes
- Some temporary exhibitions and special events may be excluded
- Food and Drink
- Gratuities
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- We will meet at the fountain in the piazza in front of the entrance to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Your guide will be holding an orange sign with a lion head on it.
Itinerary
We begin our tour with a visit to one of the oldest Churches dedicated to Theotokos (Mother of God) in Rome - the Basilica of St Mary Major - containing, beneath its main altar, wood from the manger in which the baby Jesus once lay. The church adorned by every era of Italian art history even holds the body of the devout baroque master artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini
We then walk over to the Basilica of Santa Prassede, with its fabulous 9th century mosaics and most importantly the stone pillar on which Jesus was scourged brought from the Praetorium in Jerusalem to Rome in the 13th century.
Continue on to the Holy Steps on which Jesus was judged by Pontius Pilate, transported to Rome in the 4th century by St Helena. Although we won't have time to ascend the stairs on our knees according to the pilgrim tradition, we will also peer into the Holy of Holies at the top to see the icon painted by the Gospel writer, St Luke.
We visit the Cathedral of Rome, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran (San Giovanni Laterano) to marvel at the architectural design of Borromini and understand the symbolism and history of the stunning mosaic. Your expert guide will then point out the place above the high altar where the skulls of Saints Peter and Paul rest.
From there you will continue to the climax of the tour and one of the most holy places in the world - the Basilica of the Holy Cross - built on earth brought from Calvary in the 4th century. Learn the history about the artifacts of Jesus' passion and death that were brought to Rome and finally enter to see fragments of the Holy Sepulcher and the Cave of Bethlehem, a Nail of The Crucifixion, a 2 Thorns of The Crown Thorns, the small walnut board reading Jesus the Nazarene king of the Jews and the wood of the Cross Jesus was crucified on
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Additional Info
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Reviews
What an amazing experience?! We saw so many relics that I didn’t even know still existed like the table from the last supper, wood from Jesus’ manger, and more! Daniel was an amazing guide - he is so passionate about the subject matter. The tour was longer than advertised, but that was because Daniel included bonus material (he checked with all of the participants first). There is a lot of walking on this tour, so be prepared for that.
Daniel was amazing! We had the best tour. We learned so much through his knowledge and the relics on the tour are just incredible. Well worth the booking!! Highly recommend!
Guide was very knowledgeable. Unfortunately a few of the churches were closed so we didn't get to actually see some of the relics. He shared pictures with us.
Daniel was great and very knowledgable. Golf cart tour nice. If you seeing churches go with a guide.
Daniel was great knew lots of amazing things, great sense of humor. However our last stop didn’t have any relics available- we were kinda sad about that
My husband and I attended this tour for our honeymoon, wanting to learn more about the Passion of the Christ and the rich history and artifacts that exist in this city. We are not fans of big crowds or large tourist attractions, lines, etc. so that led us to select this experience. Daniel was such an amazing tour guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable on a vast amount of topics, and exceeded our expectations. This tour felt off the beaten path and a unique way to experience Rome and the history of Christianity. It truly felt sacred and special, and we learned so much and left inspired to discover more. The churches were INCREDIBLY beautiful and breathtaking. Highly recommend experiencing this tour!
A thorough and fascinating tour! We saw so much in a relatively short amount of time and our guide was so full of knowledge (and humor). Highly recommend!
Our guide, Daniel, was fantastic! The tour was a highlight of our trip to Rome! Daniel knew all of the history and backstories of the relics, the churches, the surrounding areas! Unfortunately, none of the relics at Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme were available. We wish Viator had alerted Daniel/us to this so we could have adjusted our expectations before we started the tour.
Really wonderful tour. Paul is such a knowledgeable guide. It was very much the highlight of our trip to Rome.
We enjoyed seeing all of the relics but climbing the Scala Santa was especially memorable and humbling. Our guide, John, was so personable and informative. It's very obvious he is passionate about history and this makes him a great guide!
Wonderful experience! Daniel was so informative and the basilicas toured and relics experienced were simply amazing.
We had no idea that these churches and relics of Christ existed. It’s the tour that every Catholic person should take.
Daniel was an incredible tour guide - extremely knowledgeable and informative. This was a once in a lifetime experience and very highly recommended!
Our tour guide was Daniel. We loved this tour. We were able to see all of the relics from Jesus’s life. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and overall it was a pleasant experience!
Daniel was a great tour guide walking us through the churches. We were able to pass through 2 of the holy doors while on the tour. Daniel was able to tell the history and also answer the questions we had.
10/10 with tour guide Paul. He is a history professor and answered every single question asked of him with no difficulty. Enthusiastic, detail oriented, generous with his time, and excited to share about Italy/Rome!
Daniel was a passionate tour guide who had such a knowledge of the relics of Christ. We could not have asked for a better guide. This tour is a must for all to submerge yourself in history of Christianity. We were in awe of the amount of relics found in these small churches in Rome . The Passion should never be forgotten .
Our tour guide, Daniel, is very knowledgeable and polite. There were only me and my husband, and he gave us a one-on-one historical narrative of each site and relic we went to. However, this is a walking tour approximately 3-4 hrs.
Great tour!! I feel like we got a lot more out of the churches and different relics because of this tour! Our guide was excellent, he made the tour very interesting and provided more information about different aspects of the churches in addition to the relics! I would recommend!!
This is a must do tour in Rome!! We expected a group but it was only two of us. Daniel was an incredible tour guide. His presentation as we visited each church without giving away the key relic to be discovered until we saw it made the tour amazing. The history of each church and how the relic was brought over from Jerusalem was incredible. Very moving and spiritual. Every Christian should do this tour while in Rome and get away from the crowded tourist spots for a few hours. Be prepared to walk a lot, but well worth it.
This was our life changing experience. Our guide Paul was kind, polite and very knowledgeable. and patiently explained the minute details. Thank you Paul for such an amazing and heart touching tour. We will highly recommend Paul to everyone,
The physical tour itself was beyond what we expected, but the knowledge and reality of our tour guide brought it all to life. I have never had such an in depth experience during the entire tour and wished it was even longer. Do yourself a favor and book this tour if you are really interested in the history of the church, apostles and the Lord.
The guide was very well read and gave insight into Christian history. A review of Jesus Christ relics and historical sites.
Saya sangat senang mengikuti tour seperti private dan tour guide nya memiliki pengetahuan yang luas dan lengkap
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