Rome
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Between Holy Doors

Badge of ExcellenceRoma, Italy
Between Holy Doors

From $53.20

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Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
Rome Tours
All Rome Tours
Audio Guides
Kid-Friendly
Likely To Sell Out
Unique Experiences
  • 3 to 4 hours
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Most visitors to Rome never get past St. Peter’s Basilica, but the city is thick with important churches that are rich in art and history. With this unique tour, discover Rome’s landmark sacred sites from the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore to the Holy Stairs near the Basilica of Saint John Lateran. Delve into religious and art history as you admire holy relics and spectacular masterpieces by Michelangelo and others.
  • Get off the tourist track and explore historic, art-filled Roman churches
  • A guide for insights into the city’s top churches and their highlights
  • Visit up to seven basilicas, churches, and chapels in just a few hours
  • A private tour for time to ask your guide questions and set your own pace

What's Included

  • Tour Guide

    Meeting And Pickup

    Meeting point

    • Statue of Saint John Paul II
      Piazza dei Cinquecento, 62, 00185 Roma RM, Italy

      Statue of Saint John Paul II

    Start time

    09:00 AM

    End point

    • Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
      P.za di S. Giovanni in Laterano, 4, 00184 Roma RM, Italy

      Close to the metro station "Linea A - San Giovanni"

    What To Expect

    Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

    40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Basilica di Santa Prassede

    20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    San Pietro in Vincoli

    20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Colosseum (Pass By)

    Basilica of San Clemente

    20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Ss. Quattro Coronati

    20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Arcibasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano

    40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Scala Santa and Chapel of San Lorenzo

    20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

    Additional Info

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Near public transportation
    • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
    • Most travelers can participate
    • To enter the Churches, shoulders, back and knees have to be covered.
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 5 travelers

    Cancellation Policy

    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

    • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
    • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
    • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
    • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

    Traveler Photos

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    Traveler Tips

    I recommend to book Roberto's tours because his tours are not standard or routine, you will explore new things you did not even know existed.

    Reviews

    5.0
    45 reviews
    Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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    Reviews by Viator travelers.
    Showing 1-10 of 45 reviews
    Simply divine
    Angelina_R, Sep 2023
    This was an insightful, informative, beautiful, and respectful tour! Please wear something over your shoulders and below the knees. It is evident that (y)our guide has a lot of love for the sites, which is a great touch to the otherwise awesome experience.
    Don’t miss this tour when in Rome
    Susan_B, Aug 2023
    San Giovanni Lateran was most remarkable because of its history with forming the church. Our guide Roberto was very knowledgeable of Christian and political history articulating information in a pace we could process.
    Enriching historical pilgrimage tour
    Robert_T, Jul 2023
    The guide was so knowledgeable and answered all our questions. Watching the time, he was able to add items of interest which enriched the experience. It felt truly like a pilgrimage.
    Excellent!
    Cindy_C, Jul 2023
    The absolute BEST tour in ROME! Roberto is extremely knowledgeable and takes you to churches you would never know to go to. It does involve a ton of walking… wear comfortable shoes and be ready to move!
    One of the Best Tours Around
    Michelle_R, Jun 2023
    Excellent tour. One of the best we have ever had. Roberto is amazingly knowledgeable. Be prepared to walk. We do a lot of walking and each step here is all worth it. We took way more pictures than posted. We learned so much more than if we didn't have Roberto (the walking encyclopedia). Very highly recommended and we would definitely do another tour with him!
    Wonderful experience
    KHRISELLA_V, May 2023
    This tour is just AMAZING!!! I did a similar tour in the past but this particular one is on a different level. The tidbits about history and Catholisism is just wonderful. Will do this again with Roberto when we come back. He is such a great story teller. Will even reco this tour to our friends and family
    Between Holy Doors: Our best tour while in Rome
    John_S, May 2023
    Best tour! Holy Doors was our best Roman tour. Roberto was extremely knowledgeable and very professional. We had already visited a few sites on our own, but Roberto's reverent commentary was priceless. We finished at St John Lateran and he then courteously escorted us to a very good restaurant. Afterwards, as we continued our Rome visit I realized I was missing so much and found myself wishing I could have Roberto by my side, quietly pointing out some hidden significance of a statue or fresco or architectural item.
    Not your ordinary Rome tour- fabulous!!
    Rhonda_E, Apr 2023
    Roberto's knowledge of Rome and world history and the connections between them as seen through touring the basilicas was amazing. Our youngest group member was 20 and our oldest was 76 and we all thoroughly enjoyed this tour. It was unlike all our other tours in Rome. Absolutely wonderful!!!
    A must do tour to learn about Rome’s ancient Christian churches!!!
    rp8q6zsc79, Nov 2022
    Roberto was the best guide! We was the best. Extremely knowledgeable about the ancient Christian churches. When we come back to Rome we will definitely book this again!!!
    Exceptional!!!!!!
    Daniel_S, Oct 2022
    This was an excellent experience. We were with our brother/sister-in-law. We have discussed what an excellent tour this was. Our guide was exceptional and his knowledge was too.
    Wonderful Tour, Highly Recommended
    Jeffrey_B, Oct 2022
    Roberto is an excellent guide. The tour was very informative and well thought out. I would highly recommend this tour for a more in depth view on the history of the church. I was not expecting a private tour which made the experience all the more rewarding.
    Absolutely Fantastic Tour!
    Rebecca_J, Oct 2022
    Roberto was extremely knowledgeable, professional and all-around fantastic!!! This is a must-do for those wanting to go beyond St Peter’s Basilica and gain understanding of st John Lateran, the Holy Steps,, St Mary Major, St. Clement Basilicas and more! It is a great value for the money and we thoroughly enjoyed Roberto’s tour! Do yourself a favor and book it.
    Highly recommend!
    Tiffany_L, Sep 2022
    Absolutely loved this experience. As an active young couple, this matched our expectations. It was about 6 miles (10km) with varying elevation. The tour guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the history. We did the Vatican that afternoon and felt like the experience was richer because we did this tour first. (Honestly, this was better than the Vatican tour.)
    DON'T MISS THIS TOUR. No matter how many times you have been to Rome.
    Tim_D, Aug 2022
    It's difficult to convey how meaningful a day we spent with Roberto. I have visited Rome dozens of times, visited the basilicas several times, and this tour was mind-bending and soul-filling! Roberto is the kindest, mist knowledgeable, and most genuine guide I have ever shared time with, anywhere in the world. The stories he shares, and the graciousness with the way he reveals the facts about the sites is inspiring. He is emotionally engaged with us, and his sense of wonder is infectious. It's like he is just discovering for the first time, the magnitude of what he just shared with us. The sites, the basilicas themselves are impressive. We took a 5 week trip through the UK and Europe, with tours every day, and this is the tour, and Roberto the guide, we still talk about every day. Don't miss a chance to share this tour with Roberto. The experience is extraordinary.
    Wonderful tour
    Katie_P, Jun 2022
    Wonderful tour. Our group only consisted of my mom, myself and our guide Roberto. He did an amazing job showing us everything from the major basilicas to hidden gems that I don't think any other tours would cover. Roberto's love for Rome and his explanation of the paintings, relics and historical and religious significance gave such meaning to everything we saw that you would not get on other tours and definitely not on your own.
    Response from Host, Jun 2022
    Thank you for your review! It was a pleasure guiding you. We hope to see you again.
    Beyond the "Between!"
    Barb_S, Apr 2022
    Barb & Bob Smith, Oberlin, Ohio- Perfect way to spend our last full day in Rome! Guide & historian, Roberto Lautenschlager Kung greeted us promptly, @ 9:00 am, on 4/21/22, @ the St. John Paul statue, in front of the Termini Metro Station. We were gratefully surprised to learn upon his kind, and professional introduction, that we were his only guests! With insisting upon taking groups of maximum of 5, Roberto gauges the needs of his guests, to insure imparting much historical information for all to hear. The multitude of miles of walking on cobblestones, up and down stairs, was at times difficult for us, and he walked WITH us, explaining historical sights along the way to each of the magnificent churces/ basilicas we toured. His stories were detailed, lengthy, & informative, the impetus for us to further explore and research the hidden secrets of Rome! Roberto's pious demeanor, and his genuflecting upon entering each church, gave way for Barb to often address him as "Father" throughout our tour. ------------ At the end of his personally designed tour, "Between the Holy Doors," "Father" Roberto joined us for lunch, rode the metro with us to the Crypt of the Capuchins. We gladly purchased a ticket for "Father" Roberto, who continued providing us with yet, MORE information of the contents of the museum, and the Immaculate Conception church above, a museum which we were unable to locate on our own, the day before. "Father" then, rode back to our starting point, the Termini Station, to insure our safe return to our nearby hotel. Roberto shared his contact information with us, hoping that WHEN we return to Rome, we will take advantage of the exclusivity of his other specially designed, private tours. Remember to spell "Father" Roberto Lautenschlager Kung and you are insured to find him online. After the must-do, large group, "Skip the Line," tours of the Sistine Chapel, & the Colosseum, with frustration of security lines, audio head sets, and weaving our way through thousands of other tourists, feeling often like cattle being lead to slaughter, it was REFRESHING to have such a memorable and educational experience of acquiring a bit more knowledge from a guide, so PASSIONATE of all things, ROME! Please make sure to leave, heartfelt positive comments after YOUR tour with Roberto, and generous tipping is muchly appreciated! Thank you, Father Roberto, for the BEST, ROAMIN' HOLY-DAY, ever! VIATOR is LUCKY to have hired such a "gem of a guide" to represent their company! CIAO!
    Response from Host, May 2022
    Thank you for this lovely and detailed review. It was a pleasure meeting you. I Hope to see you again in the future!
    "Between Holy Doors" - non-standard, very informative tour
    Victor_S, Feb 2020
    Each time I am in Rome I concentrate on certain attractions; this time I decided to pay more attention to not so well known churches. There are more than 900 churches in Rome and needless to say, I cannot visit all 900... In my previous visits I went to many churches by myself (without a guide) and it was not good enough because I missed or overlooked lots of highlights and it was due to lack of knowledge. So, this time I decided to book an organized tour "Between Holy Doors" which took place on January 30, 2020. It was memorable, unique, new to me; it was like an eye opener. My opinion is visit to churches has to be done with the guide because so much depends on the guide. My guide was Roberto who was well prepared, detail oriented and for me it was very important - it was a learning experience. Roberto's tour (itinerary) is well designed and certainly off the beaten path. Roberto knows several languages including Latin. It is important because there are many inscriptions in Latin which Roberto can explain. In addition to this tour I booked another one (with Roberto) which was similar to the above-mentioned tour. Its title was "Temples of the Past and Churches of Today". (I participated in this tour on February 3, 2020). These tours were not formal, in a way they were unique. Both tours lasted approximately 3 1/2 hours. I recommend to book Roberto's tours because his tours are not standard or routine, you will explore new things you did not even know existed. I would not mind to repeat again the same tours I took with Roberto. These tours are perfect not for the first time visitors whose stay in Rome is limited to 2 - 3 days (because for them the main attractions will be the Colosseum, The Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica and maybe the Borghese Gallery) but for those who plan to stay in Rome longer than 3 - 4 days."
    Response from Host, Feb 2020
    Thank you for putting so much effort into the review. I'm glad you enjoyed your time with us and I hope to meet you again in the future!
    En los detalles esta la diferencia
    GUMERSINDO_R, Aug 2023
    Roberto estuvo genial! y eso que el español le costó; pero nos enseñó tesoros de Roma que por nuestar cuenta hubiera sido imposible ver, y ademas nos hizo fijarnos en detalles que engrandecieron mas el tour. Excepcional!!
    Entre Puertas Santas es una visita obligada en Roma
    Carmen_R, Aug 2023
    Visitar las iglesias fue una experiencia muy hermosa, así su historia y sus bellezas, creo que no las hubiéramos conocido por nuestra cuenta. La narrativa de Roberto fue muy precisa y amena. Y la ruta que tomamos la disfrutamos mucho.
    Excelente
    celinasz, Apr 2023
    Excelente el guía Todo muy lindo Conocimos lugares increíbles La excursión fue muy amena y aprendimos un montón

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