San Clemente Basilica: Explore Ancient Underground Levels

Uncover centuries of history on the San Clemente Underground & Basilica Tour. Explore the 12th century Basilica, ancient pagan temple, and Roman ruins hidden beneath the surface.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Basilica of San Clemente - Visit of the Basilica of San Clemente in Laterano and the archeological site.
  • Mitreo di San Clemente - Part of the visit of the archeological site under the Basilica of S. Clemente.
What's Included
  • Guidance from an expert English-speaking guide
  • Included entry to the San Clemente Archeological Site (€10 value)
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel Pick-up and Drop-off
Additional Information

A tour of the 12th century Basilica of San Clemente showcases a striking golden mosaic, positioned above the central apse. Saint Clement’s evolution over the ages spans from a private domicile, utilized for covert Christian worship in the first century, to a commanding basilica. The secret of what was buried underneath the Basilica was unveiled in 1860,…

Location
Via di S. Giovanni in Laterano, 126
Via di San Giovanni in Laterano
Meeting point is near St Clemente Basilica on the corner at Via di S. Giovanni in Laterano, 126 Please note the meeting point is an outdoor location and not an office. You guide will be waiting for you holding a sign with the EcoArt logo. The nearest metro stop is Line B ‘Colosseo’.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(130 Ratings)
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Toddpv363gx
Apr 19, 2025
GREAT - Lukah was great to help me a lot. I didn’t know I love you and I got a lot of research. He taught me a lot that I didn’t know about.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Darlene_s
Mar 31, 2025
Outstanding tour guide - Our tour guide was awesome. Such passion for the topic and great sense of humor. We learned so much .
Review provided by Viator
Janet
Mar 22, 2025
A visit not to be missed! - This was one of the highlights of our visit to Rome. A beautiful church with outer courtyard. Then inside, to a fascinating visit underground to step back in time! Down to the 4th century basilica then down again to the first century excavations!! Unbelievable maze of rooms!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tstwofiveeight
Mar 19, 2025
A delicious slice of historical lasagne - San Clemente, a C12th basilica built on top of the original C4th church and ancient Mithraeum, is one of my favourite spots in Rome. I've visited it before, but wished to take a tour to gain a more in-depth understanding of this building's fascinating and multilayered history. Marina from EcoArt did not disappoint. She was very knowledgeable and answered my many questions thoughtfully. Thanks for a great trip through time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heidifis
Feb 25, 2025
San Clemente with the best Guide - This was probably the best tour we took in Rome, and we did many! Mara was a great guide, extremely knowledgeable and welcoming to being asked many questions. She took as long as we needed in each level of the church to make sure all our questions were answered. San Clemente is an incredibly interesting area with many levels. It is not to be missed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kylercook
Feb 21, 2025
Amazing - We loved the tour we took of San Clemente Basilica and the underground ruins below it! We learned so much! It was a beautiful church with so much history hidden. We were a group of 5 so the tour was just us and we all thoroughly enjoyed the personal attention to detail and answerd all our questions. The explanations of what we were seeing and the reasons for the ruins being buried were very interesting. And the religious history of Saint Clement added much to the tour. Immediately after the tour my wife told me "that was my favorite tour!" Thank you for the service!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kyler_c
Feb 16, 2025
My wife's favorite tour - So much history here! We thoroughly enjoyed the experience! Our guide ( I'm sorry but I'm horrible with names of i don't write them down) was a terrific source of information on the not only the history of the building but also the causes that create the multiple layers of structures and how they support each other. This was my wife's favorite tour we've taken of Rome so far!
Review provided by Viator
985rupak
Jan 16, 2025
“Best Tour Experience in Rome – Exploring the Basilica of San Clemente’s Layers of History!” - We had an incredible experience touring the Basilica of San Clemente! Our guide, Mara, was exceptional—extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the site. Her enthusiasm brought the history of the place to life, making the tour both educational and engaging. The highlight was exploring the three distinct layers of history, from the 12th-century basilica to the 4th-century church below and finally the ancient Roman structures at the deepest level. Each floor offered a fascinating glimpse into a different time period, and Mara’s detailed explanations tied everything together beautifully. I highly recommend this tour for history enthusiasts and anyone looking to uncover the rich layers of Rome’s past!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tyler_w
Dec 19, 2024
Took this as our fist... - Took this as our first tour of Rome with my wife and daughter (9). Ursus was our guide and really made the history come alive. There was only 4 of us in our group and there was very few people at the entire site so it felt like we had our own personalized tour. Very cool to go down through 3 layers of history and see incredible works of art up close and personal. Highly recommend
Review provided by Viator
Witold
Feb 1, 2025
Ancient quelle - Three levels of old Rome: baroque, early Christian and ancient. It's worth going underground.At the very bottom you will discover a source of clean water from an ancient Roman aqueduct.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $67
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).