Destination
Rome & Vatican City
Rome holds the tomb of St. Peter, the four major basilicas, and the resting places of saints from every age of the Church. With a few days and comfortable shoes, you can pray at the heart of the Catholic world and walk where the early martyrs walked.
- Saints & Tombs
- Shrine & Basilica
How long to stay
Suggested lengths of stay
2 days
Spend day one at St. Peter's Basilica and the tomb of St. John Paul II, and add the Scavi tour if you have tickets. On day two, visit the other three major basilicas: St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, where Pope Francis is buried, and St. Paul Outside the Walls.
4 days
Add the Catacomb of Callixtus on the Appian Way, the layered church of San Clemente, and the saints' tombs in the historic center: St. Catherine of Siena at Santa Maria sopra Minerva, St. Ignatius at the Gesù, and St. Monica at Sant'Agostino. On a Wednesday, try to attend the papal audience.
1 week
Walk the Seven Churches route made popular by St. Philip Neri, which adds San Lorenzo and San Sebastiano to the major basilicas. Leave time for Santa Cecilia in Trastevere and Chiesa Nuova, and take a day trip by train to Assisi or Orvieto.
In Rome & Vatican City
Major sacred sites
- Shrine & Basilica St. Peter's Basilica The great basilica over the tomb of St. Peter and the center of Catholic pilgrimage in Rome.
- Saints & Tombs Tomb of St. John Paul II (St. Peter's Basilica) The tomb of Pope St. John Paul II within St. Peter's Basilica.
- Shrine & Basilica Basilica of St. John Lateran The cathedral of Rome and 'mother of all churches,' the pope's cathedral church.
- Shrine & Basilica Basilica of St. Mary Major The largest Marian church in Rome and one of the four papal major basilicas.
- Shrine & Basilica Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls Built over the burial place of St. Paul the Apostle; one of the four papal major basilicas.
- Saints & Tombs Catacomb of Callixtus (Relics of St. Cornelius) A church holding relics of St. Cornelius.
- Saints & Tombs Basilica of San Clemente A church holding relics of St. Clement of Rome.
- Saints & Tombs Tomb of St. Catherine of Siena (Santa Maria sopra Minerva) The Roman basilica holding the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church.
- Saints & Tombs Church of the Gesu (Tomb of St. Ignatius of Loyola) The tomb of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.
- Saints & Tombs Basilica of Sant'Agostino (Tomb of St. Monica) The resting place of St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine.
- Saints & Tombs Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere The burial place of St. Cecilia.
- Saints & Tombs Chiesa Nuova (Santa Maria in Vallicella) (Tomb of St. Philip Neri) The burial place of St. Philip Neri.
Worth combining
Day trips from Rome & Vatican City
- Basilica of St. Francis, Assisi Pray at the tomb of St. Francis in the hill town where he lived. about 2 h train
- Orvieto See the corporal from the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena in Orvieto Cathedral. about 1 h 15 train
- Nettuno Visit the shrine of the young martyr St. Maria Goretti by the sea. about 1 h 15 train
- Monte Cassino Abbey The mountaintop abbey founded by St. Benedict, rebuilt after World War II. about 1 h 30 drive
Getting around
Local travel
- From Fiumicino Airport, the Leonardo Express runs nonstop to Termini station in about 32 minutes.
- Metro Line A stops at Ottaviano, a short walk from St. Peter's. Lines A and C meet at San Giovanni, near St. John Lateran. Most churches in the historic center are easiest on foot.
- Cover shoulders and knees for St. Peter's and most Roman churches.
- The Scavi tour to St. Peter's tomb must be requested ahead through the Basilica's official booking site, and only visitors age 10 and up are admitted. Request early and give flexible dates.
- Wednesday papal audiences are free but need tickets, requested from the Prefecture of the Papal Household at least two weeks ahead. Audiences usually pause in July.
Go deeper
Saints, routes and group trips
Saints
Blessed Virgin Mary · St. Achilleus · St. Agnes · St. Bartholomew · St. Camillus of Lellis · St. Catherine of Siena · St. Cecilia · St. Clement of Rome · St. Cornelius · St. Damasus · St. Frances of Rome · St. Gregory the Great · St. Ignatius of Loyola · St. Jerome · St. John Paul II · St. Josemaría Escrivá · St. Lawrence · St. Monica · St. Paul · St. Paul of the Cross · St. Peter · St. Philip Neri · St. Robert Bellarmine · St. Sebastian · Sts. Cosmas and Damian