Washington DC Catholic Heritage Architecture Tour

Take in breathtaking architecture as you explore legendary places of worship and experience Catholic Heritage. Your trip will include the Chapel of Immaculate Conception, the Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception, and much more!

What's included:

• Licensed Tour Guide

Not included:

• Driver and Guide gratuities

What to expect:

Duration: 7 hours

St. Patrick Catholic Church

619 10th St NW, Washington, DC 20001, USA

A Roman Catholic parish in Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America. Established in 1794, it is the oldest Catholic parish in the city of Washington.

Pass by without stopping

U.S. Capitol

Washington DC, 20510, District of Columbia

Atop Capitol Hill, a cast iron dome towers the skyline where our Representatives and Senators legislate the people's business. Does not include entering the building at this time.

10 minutes

Gonzaga College High School

19 I St NW, Washington, DC 20001, USA

A private Catholic college-preparatory high school for boys in Washington, D.C. Founded by the Jesuits in 1821 as the Washington Seminary, Gonzaga is named in honor of Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16th century. Gonzaga is the oldest boys' high school in Washington, D.C.

Pass by without stopping

The Catholic University of America

620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20064, USA

A private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is the only pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Established in 1887 as a graduate and research center following approval by Pope Leo XIII

Pass by without stopping

Saint John Paul II National Shrine

3900 Harewood Rd NE, , Washington DC, 20017-1505, District of Columbia

A national shrine in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. It is a place of prayer for Catholics and welcomes people of all faiths. The Shrine houses a permanent exhibit called A Gift of Love: the Life of Saint John Paul II.
Lunch at the cafeteria following tour.

2 hours

Franciscan Monastery Of The Holy Land

1400 Quincy St NE, , Washington DC, 20017-3041, District of Columbia

A Franciscan complex at 14th and Quincy Streets in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C. Located on a hill called Mount Saint Sepulcher, and anchored by the Memorial Church of the Holy Sepulcher, it includes gardens, replicas of various shrines throughout Israel, a replica of the catacombs in Rome, an archive, a library, as well as bones of Saint Benignus of Armagh, brought from the Roman catacombs and originally in the cathedral of Narni, Italy.

1 hour

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

400 Michigan Ave. NE, , Washington DC, 20017-1566, District of Columbia

A Catholic minor basilica and national shrine in Washington D.C. It is the largest Catholic church building in North America and is also the tallest habitable building in Washington, D.C. Its construction of Byzantine and Romanesque Revival architecture began on 23 September 1920.
The basilica is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Immaculate Conception, designated as the principal Patroness accorded by Pope Pius IX on February 7, 1847. Pope Pius XI donated a mosaic rendition of the image in 1923. It serves as the patronal church of the Catholic Church in the United States.

1 hour

Embassy Row

, , Washington DC, District of Columbia

The informal name for a section of Northwest Washington, D.C., with a high concentration of embassies, diplomatic missions, and diplomatic residences. It spans Massachusetts Avenue N.W. between 18th and 35th street, bounded by Scott Circle to the south and the United States Naval Observatory to the north; the term is often applied to nearby streets and neighborhoods that also host diplomatic buildings

Pass by without stopping

Apostolic Nunciature Of The United States Of America

3339 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC, 20008-3610, District of Columbia

Sometimes referred to as the Vatican Embassy, is the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to the United States. It is located at 3339 Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Embassy Row neighborhood. Since 2016, the papal nuncio has been Cardinal Christophe Pierre.
The Apostolic Nunciature to the United States is an ecclesiastical office of the Catholic Church in the United States, with the rank of an embassy. The nuncio serves both as the ambassador of the Holy See to the government of the United States and as delegate and point-of-contact between the Catholic hierarchy in America and the pope.

Pass by without stopping

Georgetown University

37th and O Sts., Washington DC, 20057, District of Columbia

A private Jesuit research university in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic institution of higher education in the United States and the nation's first federally chartered university.
Photo stop

10 minutes

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

2700 F St. NW, , Washington DC, 20566-0002, District of Columbia

The United States National Cultural Center, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. It was named in 1964 as a memorial to assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Opened on September 8, 1971, the center hosts many different genres of performance art, such as theater, dance, orchestras, jazz, pop, psychedelic, and folk music.

1 hour

St Augustine Church

1419 V St NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA

A Catholic parish in Washington, D.C. It is considered by many to be the "Mother Church of Black Catholics", as the first Black parish in the district and the administrator of DC's oldest surviving Black school.

Pass by without stopping

Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle

1725 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC, 20036-3001, District of Columbia

The seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. As St. Matthew's Cathedral and Rectory, it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974.
President John Kennedy's mass took place here in 1963 and a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II during his 1979 visit to Washington, D.C.

1 hour