St John Lateran & Holy Stairs Tour

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• Catholic Tours in Rome
• Italy

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.

For Catholic pilgrims, St John Lateran is especially valuable because it brings together the Pope’s cathedral, apostolic relics, the public worship of the Church and the devotional world of the Holy Stairs within one compact visit. It offers a coherent introduction to the Lateran as a place of living faith, not merely an architectural monument.

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.

Read the Catholic pilgrim’s guide to the four Major Basilicas

Understand how the four churches belong together in the Catholic life of Rome with the Crucis guide to the four Major Basilicas of Rome.

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