Ultimate Pilgrimage – 5 Day Rome Pilgrimage
The Ultimate 5 Day Rome Pilgrimage combines St Philip Neri’s 7 Pilgrim Churches, Rome’s four Major Basilicas, sacred relics, the Catacombs of St Sebastian and a final day devoted to St Francis in Assisi. Across five days, expert Catholic guides connect the history of Rome and Assisi with catechesis, prayer and the lives of the saints. The package is designed for pilgrims who want the fullest Crucis itinerary without having to assemble the individual tours themselves. The standard small-group programme begins at 3:30pm on Tuesday and concludes in Assisi on Saturday. Private packages can begin on any day, with the same experiences reordered around church schedules and the operating days of the individual tours.
What is included in the five-day pilgrimage?
The standard programme includes:
The first four Rome days include all seven churches of St Philip Neri’s traditional route. The Assisi day then adds the life, tomb and spiritual legacy of St Francis.
Rome’s 7 Pilgrim Churches
The seven churches are St Peter’s Basilica, St Paul Outside the Walls, St John Lateran, St Mary Major, St Lawrence Outside the Walls, St Sebastian Outside the Walls and the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. St Peter’s, St Paul Outside the Walls, St Mary Major and St John Lateran are the four Major Basilicas. The other three preserve important connections with the martyrs, relics and ancient pilgrimage traditions of Rome. St Philip Neri revived the seven-church route in the sixteenth century as a joyful pilgrimage of prayer, fellowship and catechesis. Read more in our guide to the 7 Pilgrim Churches of Rome and St Philip Neri. Pilgrims who want to book the churches separately can browse the 7 Pilgrim Churches standalone tours.
Major Basilicas and Holy Doors
Each of the four Major Basilicas has a Holy Door. The doors opened for the Jubilee Year of 2025 are now closed, but they remain visible and your guides explain their history, symbolism and place within a Holy Year. The next anticipated Jubilee of the Redemption is in 2033, marking 2,000 years since the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This pilgrimage does not promise entry through closed Holy Doors.
Relics, martyrs and religious life
The Via Crucis – Relics of Christ Tour follows sacred places associated with relics of the Passion, from St Mary Major to the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. Thursday’s tours focus on St Peter and St Paul, their lives in Rome, their martyrdoms and the basilicas built over their tombs. On Friday, you visit St Lawrence Outside the Walls before continuing to St Sebastian Outside the Walls and its catacombs. Tuesday’s opening tour traces the development of religious life from monasticism to the friars and mendicant orders through the churches and communities of medieval Rome.
Day five: pilgrimage to Assisi
The final day is devoted to St Francis of Assisi. Make your own way from Rome to the medieval Umbrian city, where your guide leads the St Francis of Assisi Pilgrim Tour. The route centres on the Basilica of St Francis and other places connected with the saint’s life and vocation. Transport between Rome and Assisi is not included. Pilgrims may travel by train or arrange a private car and driver separately. The guided Assisi tour begins at 2:00pm, allowing time to travel from Rome that morning. The package concludes in Assisi, so you may either return to Rome or continue your journey from there.
Departure and practical arrangements
The booking form lists the standard small-group departure at 3:30pm on Tuesday. Private packages are available on any day and the order of the experiences is adjusted accordingly. The meeting time for St Peter’s may be brought forward when seasonal queues require it. Accommodation is not included. Transport between the Friday basilicas is included, while travel to daily meeting points and the Rome–Assisi journey are not included. For the Rome itinerary without Assisi, choose the 7 Pilgrim Churches – 4-Day Rome Pilgrimage. You can also explore our other Catholic pilgrimage packages.
| MEETING POINT |
Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, to the left of the famous keyhole: Location on Google Maps What3Words: risks.voucher.lights |
| START |
3.15pm meet for 3:30pm start |
| END |
Approximately 6:30 pm at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere |
| DURATION |
3 hours depending on queues |
| DRESS CODE |
Comfortable clothing, covering shoulders and knees |
| INCLUDED |
| Expert Catholic Guide |
All tickets |
| Taxes |
|
|
| NOT INCLUDED |
| Accommodation |
| Guide tip |
| Transport to/from the pilgrim experience |
|
| MEETING POINT |
Fountain in front of the entrance to the Basilica of St Mary Major. Location on Google Maps What3Words: chemistry.ember.braked. |
| START |
8.45 am meet 15 mins earlier |
| END |
Approximately 12:15 pm at the Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem |
| DURATION |
3-3.5 hours depending on queues |
| DRESS CODE |
Comfortable clothing, covering shoulders and knees |
| INCLUDED |
| Expert Catholic Guide |
Visit to and explanation of the Holy Door |
| Taxes |
|
|
| NOT INCLUDED |
| Accommodation |
| Guide tip |
| Transport to/from the pilgrim experience |
|
| MEETING POINT |
Outside Radio Vaticana, Piazza Pia, 3 Location on Google Maps What3Words: adopting.visual.caravan |
| START |
8.45am meet 15 mins earlier |
| END |
Approximately 11.00 outside the basilica |
| DURATION |
2 hours depending on queues |
| DRESS CODE |
Comfortable clothing, covering shoulders and knees |
| INCLUDED |
| Expert Catholic Guide |
Visit to and explanation of the Holy Door |
| Taxes |
|
|
| NOT INCLUDED |
| Accommodation |
| Guide tip |
| Transport to/from the pilgrim experience |
|
| MEETING POINT |
To the right of the main entrance of the Basilica of St Peter in Chains (San Pietro in Vincoli), by the statue of Jesus depicted as a beggar.
Location on Google Maps What3Words: lizards.washing.nuns |
| START POINT |
2.45pm meet for 3.00pm start |
| END POINT |
Approximately 6.00pm at the Major Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls |
| DURATION |
3 hours depending on traffic |
| DRESS CODE |
Comfortable clothing, covering shoulders and knees |
| INCLUDED |
| Expert Catholic Guide |
Visit to and explanation of the Holy Door |
| Taxes |
Transport between locations |
|
| NOT INCLUDED |
| Accommodation |
| Guide tip |
| Transport to/from the pilgrim experience |
|
| MEETING POINT |
In front of the entrance to the Basilica of St Sebastian |
| START |
2.45 pm meet 15 mins earlier |
| END |
Approximately 6 pm in the city centre |
| DURATION |
3 hours |
| DRESS CODE |
Comfortable clothing, covering shoulders and knees |
| INCLUDED |
| Expert Catholic Guide |
Transport between locations |
| Taxes |
Entry ticket to Catacombs |
|
| NOT INCLUDED |
| Accommodation |
| Guide tip |
| Transport to/from the pilgrim experience |
|
| MEETING POINT |
Ristorante Bar San Francesco, Via San Francesco 52, 06081 Assisi Location on Google Maps What3words: talker.riot.shopper |
| START |
1.45pm meet for 2.00pm start |
| END |
Approximately 6.00pm |
| DURATION |
4 hours |
| DRESS CODE |
Comfortable clothing, covering shoulders and knees |
| INCLUDED |
| Expert Catholic Guide |
|
| Taxes |
|
|
| NOT INCLUDED |
| Accommodation |
| Guide tip |
| Transport to/from the pilgrim experience (to be arranged) |
|
Plan the full pilgrimage with Crucis guides to the four Major Basilicas of Rome, Catholic pilgrimage in Assisi and the Rome pilgrimage planner for one to four days.
Additional information
| Ticket Type | Adult (16+), Student ID, Child (under 16) |
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