St John Lateran: The Cathedral of Rome & Holy Stairs
The St John Lateran & Holy Stairs Tour explores the cathedral of Rome and the nearby Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs. In approximately one hour, an expert Catholic guide reveals why St John Lateran is the highest-ranking church in the Catholic world before explaining the Scala Santa, Sancta Sanctorum and their traditions concerning the Passion of Christ.
The Cathedral of Rome and Mother of All Churches
Although St Peter’s is the most famous church in Rome, St John Lateran is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome—the Pope—and therefore holds the title of Mother and Head of all the churches in the city and the world. Your guide explains its foundation under the Emperor Constantine, its dedication in the fourth century and its central role in the history of the papacy.
Architecture, Apostles and Sacred Relics
Inside the Archbasilica, discover the monumental nave and the great statues of the Twelve Apostles set within Francesco Borromini’s architectural transformation. Your guide interprets the apse mosaics and explains the papal altar and Gothic ciborium, traditionally associated with relics of the heads of St Peter and St Paul.
You will also learn about the ancient wooden altar traditionally associated with St Peter and the relic traditionally identified as part of the table used at the Last Supper.
The Holy Door and Jubilee 2033
St John Lateran contains one of the Holy Doors of Rome’s four Major Basilicas. The door is now closed following the Jubilee Year of 2025, but remains visible to visitors. It is expected to reopen for the Jubilee of Redemption in 2033.
The Holy Stairs and Sancta Sanctorum
The tour returns to the Scala Santa, traditionally believed to be the steps from the praetorium of Pontius Pilate that Christ ascended during His Passion. Your guide explains their history and the Catholic devotion of ascending them on one’s knees.
Using a parallel staircase, the guided visit continues towards the Sancta Sanctorum, the former private chapel of the popes. Here you will learn about the celebrated Acheropita icon of Christ—its name meaning “not made by human hands”. The image is traditionally attributed to St Luke. Your guide explains its tradition and the chapel’s place in medieval papal Rome.
The itinerary does not include time to ascend the Holy Stairs on one’s knees, a devotion that can take up to 45 minutes. Pilgrims may undertake it privately after the tour.
Continue Your Catholic Pilgrimage through Rome
This tour forms part of our longer Via Crucis – Relics of Christ Tour. To visit Rome’s other papal basilicas, explore our 4 Major Basilicas tours and pilgrimage packages. For other individual experiences, browse our Catholic Tours.
Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours before the tour.
| MEETING POINT | Meet our Christian guide at the bottom of the stairs to the left of the entrance of the Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs (Scala Santa). The link below shows the precise location to 3 square metres. Google Map What3Words: https://what3words.com/update.sisters.against | ||||
| FINISHING LOCATION | Outside the Holy Steps | ||||
| DEPARTURE TIME | 3pm Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Fridays 2:45 pm on Saturdays | ||||
| DURATION | Approx. 1 hour | ||||
| DRESS CODE | Comfortable clothing, covering shoulders and knees | ||||
| INCLUDED |
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| NOT INCLUDED |
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Additional information
| Ticket Type | Adult (16+), Student ID, Child (under 16) |
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| Day of the Week | Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday |
Meet at the Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs
Meet your Catholic guide outside the Scala Santa. After an introduction to the Holy Stairs and the surrounding Lateran complex, the group walks to the nearby Archbasilica of St John Lateran.
The Cathedral of Rome
Discover why St John Lateran is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome and the highest-ranking church in the Catholic world. Your guide explains its foundation under Constantine and its long association with the papacy.
The Holy Door
See the Holy Door and learn about its role in Catholic Jubilee years. The door is now closed following the Jubilee of 2025 and is expected to reopen for the Jubilee of Redemption in 2033.
The Apostles, Mosaics and Sacred Relics
Explore the monumental nave, Borromini’s architectural setting for the statues of the Twelve Apostles and the apse mosaics. Your guide explains the papal altar, the relics traditionally associated with Sts Peter and Paul, and other important traditions preserved within the Archbasilica.
The Holy Stairs
Return to the Holy Stairs, traditionally identified with the steps Christ ascended in the praetorium of Pontius Pilate. Your guide explains their history and the devotion of ascending them on one’s knees.
The Sancta Sanctorum and Acheropita
Using a parallel staircase, approach the Sancta Sanctorum, the former private chapel of the popes, and learn about its celebrated Acheropita icon of Christ, traditionally attributed to St Luke. The guided tour then concludes so pilgrims may undertake the longer devotion of ascending the Holy Stairs privately if they wish.
Meet our Christian guide at the bottom of the stairs to the left of the entrance of the Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs (Scala Santa). The link below shows the precise location to 3 square metres.
Google Map
What3Words: https://what3words.com/update.sisters.against
Tour Reviews
Our tour guide Tom was very knowledgeable and created a personal experience that made us wanting more!
Truly the best tour we took in Rome. The way the guide explained Romes history with the Bible was wonderful. His explanation of the art really brought so much meaning. As a Christian the way he told the history showed God’s sovereignty. He was so passionate and easy to understand. Highly recommend and wish we could’ve had more tours with him in our time in Rome.
Our tour guide was absolutely amazing, he was so knowledgeable and explained everything in such great detail. He went above and beyond to make sure we understood the history of the Catholic Church in Rome. We would highly recommend Crucis tours, it was one of the major highlights of our trip to Rome. ☆☆☆☆☆
This was one of our favorite things in Rome!! Thank you so much for supplying such a fry tour guide! Highly recommend!
Daniel was a perfect guide – very knowledgeable
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