Full Day Tour: Vatican Museums, St. Peter's and the Most Important Basilicas of Rome

Your first call is the Vatican Museums, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the holiest spots in Christendom through the years. 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.