Rome Underground: Catacombs Tour, Aqueducts and Appian Way

Recommended by 96% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Rome, Italy

Trending

Booked 5+ times in 12 hours.

3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Group discounts
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8

· Elizabeth_F ·

Jun 2026

This was a wonderful experience a bit off the beaten path of crazy Rome tourism. We loved seeing the Catacombs, hearing from our guide John Paul about the Appian Way and Aqueducts, and having the transportation to all three sites via small bus with AC. (I think there’s a way to do public transport to the catacombs, but it was nice to not have to deal with that.)

· Carla_T ·

Mar 2026

This was a fabulous well organized tour. Our tour guide, Chiara, was friendly, informative and extremely organized. The tour was approximately 3 hours long and well divided between the aqueducts, catacombs and the Appian way. Transport between the sites was comfortable and high end. I highly recommend this tour. Not to be missed!

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Overview

Immerse yourself in Roman history and learn information you’d unlikely encounter on your own on this small-group tour of Rome’s underground. Discover the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella and learn about its history. Then, visit the Catacombs of San Sebastiano or Domitilla (depending on the day), home to stunning frescoes and thousands of centuries-old bones. Learn about early Christianity from your guide while meandering the endless darkened tunnels.

Perfect for travelers who want to delve deeper into Roman history
Learn about the Mythraic, a secret religion remains a mystery to many
Explore the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella and the Catacombs of San Sebastiano or Domitilla (depending on the day)
A small group size means more attention from your guide

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Unlike many Appian Way tours, this offers air-conditioned transportation so you can beat the summer heat.

What's Included

Entry to the catacombs of San Sebastiano or Domitilla (depending on the day)
Appian Way (Via Appia Antica)
Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella (exterior)
Ancient Roman Aqueducts
Private, air-conditioned transport
If option selected: Colosseum Entrance Ticket (€18)
Small groups of 18 people or fewer
Expert Catacombs tour guide
Expertly guided walking tour

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Piramide
00154 Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. This tour meets in front of the Piramide metro station, located across from Piazzale Ostiense.

End points

This activity ends in a different location. See details below:

Itinerary

Travel back in time as you explore the historic Appian Way, one of the earliest roads built by the Romans. With centuries-old paving stones beneath your feet, follow the path once used by legions, merchants, and travelers.

Along the way, discover ancient tombs and ruins that tell the story of Rome’s expansion. Pause to admire the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella, an imposing circular tomb dating back to the 1st century BCE. Learn about the powerful family that built this monument and how it has endured through time. Then, stand in awe beneath the remains of Rome’s ancient aqueducts. These towering structures once supplied fresh water to the ancient city, demonstrating the engineering prowess of the Roman Empire.

Finally, it's time to experience the eerie and fascinating Catacombs of San Sebastiano in a crowd-free setting as the last visitors of the day. Venture into underground tunnels lined with ancient frescoes and early Christian burial sites, gaining insight into Rome’s hidden past.

Enjoy a hassle-free experience with private, air-conditioned transport between sites and a guide to bring history to life. Step beyond the city center and uncover Rome’s lesser-known wonders on this immersive tour.

Appian Way (Via Appia Antica)

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Parco degli Acquedotti - Parco Archeologico dell'Appia Antica

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Catacombe San Sebastiano

1 hour 20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Rome

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
Due to the tight nature of the catacombs, those with claustrophobia may want to consider another tour.

This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
Please note, the tour visits the catacombs of San Sebastiano or Domitilla (depending on the day).
Please note: This tour offers multiple options to help you customize your experience. Take a moment to choose the one that best suits your interests.
If Catacombs with Colosseum option is selected: The full names of all participants must be provided at the time of booking and match the names on their ID. The Colosseum requires all guests (including children) to present government ID at the time of entry. Therefore any guest that does not submit their name in advance of the tour, or who does not bring their ID to the meeting point, will be refused participation without refund.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 18 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8

based on 1,320 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Five Stars

Diane_L, Jun 2026

Fantastic tour! Our guide was delightful, well-informed, and able to answer all our random questions. So interesting to see the history and learn more about early Roman culture. Highly recommend!

The tour guide was very...

Robert_M, Jun 2026

The tour guide was very knowledgeable and answered any questions which arose. These sites were worth seeing. The steps to the Catacombs were very deep and would strongly recommend you visit them before you become older.

This was a wonderful...

Elizabeth_F, Jun 2026

Catacombs

Richard_S, Jun 2026

Very informational and the guide was excellent. He had great communication skills and kept giving us new information all through the excursion.

We were unfortunately...

Ryan_M, Jun 2026

We were unfortunately late to the tour by 8 minutes that I know is outside of the time limits permitted in the programming but this was out of our control. Our arranged driver cancelled on us last minute and we had to grab a taxi late on. We called and texted viator and still haven't heard back from the operator at all.

Max is a champion!

Jaydan_B, Jun 2026

Really great tour! Max our tour guide was very knowledgeable and went above and beyond, even memorised the entire groups names from the get go. It was a hot day when we took this tour, so was really nice having an AC bus to be in between sites!

Wonderful experience. So...

Cameo_G, Jun 2026

Wonderful experience. So much history. This is a great tour to do and highly recommended. So glad we did this tour

Great family tour in Roma

Shiraz_c, Jun 2026

Very cool tour of the aqueduct, Appian Way, and catacombs for our last day in Rome. Aurelio was an excellent, chill, informative guide, great way to spend the morning with our family of teens and young adults.

Great tour

Janet_S, Jun 2026

This tour was wonderful, learned a lot about the sites we visited from Flavia our tour guide. Highly recommend this tour!

Adventure

Karen, Jun 2026

A great adventure for our family although a bit too long. Lots and lots of history which was so helpful during the tour.

I enjoyed every part of...

Nayelie_S, Jun 2026

I enjoyed every part of the tour! I like how it was less crowded and smaller groups. Our tour guide Fabio, talked in great detail about everything. It amazes me how the aqueducts were engineered and also the catacombs were amazing.

Unexpected

michael_m, Jun 2026

There was not nearly as much walking as I expected… It was very informative. I didn’t know what to expect from inside the caverns, but it was very comfortable, bordering on cool.

Wonderful underground experience and a wealth of knowledge

MarylouLanglois, Jun 2026

Our guide was wonderful and wise about the history of Rome. Fascinating 3 hours. Told us all about the history of Rome from before Christ to the present day

When In Rome, Go Underground!

Melissa_H, Jun 2026

Our tour guide was excellent. Professional, knowledgeable, friendly and easy to understand. The aqueducts were our favorite!

Great tour and guide was...

Whitney_H, Jun 2026

Great tour and guide was extremely knowledgeable about ancient and modern Rome and Roman history. Would highly recommend the tour and the guide for future tours.

Very cool ancient sites

Christina_A, May 2026

Very good visit to off the beaten path ancient sites, even though part of it was on the Appian Way haha! Loved all the sites we saw. Our main guide, Aurelio, was knowledgeable, friendly, helpful, courteous. Our Domitilla Catacombs guide, name starts with a G & was from Albania, was similarly very knowledgeable & accommodating & thoughtful. Highly recommend!

Great tour

Irene_E, May 2026

Paris is a lovely guide. She is passionate about Rome and all the history. The Appian Way is fascinating and so glad we actually walked on it! The Aqueducts are stunningly beautiful. The catacombs have an intriguing history. Very nice your to get out of the hustle & bustle of Rome

Wonderful tour!

Cindy_L, May 2026

Great tour outside the main city with so much history. Loved getting to learn more about the catacombs, aqueduct system, and Appian Way. Flavia was a lot of fun and had a great sense of humor.

Off the beaten path.

Hanh_P, May 2026

Our driver Daniela and our guide Paris were lovely. The aqueducts were a great experience and Paris was quite knowledgeable. The catacomb tour wasn’t what we expected (no bones) and was a bit slow but still a good experience. The AC on the bus wasn’t working so it was a bit miserable with the heat.

Uncrowded and Unrushed

Gerald_F, May 2026

Informative, off the beaten path, lots of fun. Our guide Abi was wonderful. See new and interesting sites without the crowds.

Catacumbs and aqueducts& the road to Rome

Jan_H, May 2026

Experienced guide with very good knowledge of Rome the aqueducts, the catacumbs, the road to Rome and how the impachet Rome history.

Excellent tour, enjoyed it!

gloverandrea, May 2026

We had an awesome time with our tour guide, Andrea. He was so passionate about the Roman history he was sharing with our group. We were able to bring a stroller and leave it in their shuttle while walking through the catacombs.

Not providing a guide in Coliseum as advertised!

Gloria_V, May 2026

Totally disappointed that they didn't provide a guide thru the Coliseum. We were told that guides were no longer allowed inside the Coliseum, but we saw a lot of guides inside. We did get $130.00 credit, but we chose this excursion, because of it being guided all the way thru!

Guides were very...

Brittany_H, May 2026

Guides were very knowledgeable and this tour moved smoothly and easily! We've been to Rome a number of times and it was great to see some of the less traversed sites. Definitely worth a go!

Amazing Guide

Paula_M, May 2026

Awesome excursion- Guilia was a fantastic guide. Might want to bring a jacket for the catacombs! Loved the aquifers

Journey through the Ancient Ways

Anne_H, May 2026

Very well organized with excellent information ahead of time to help us arrive at the right time in the right place. A fantastic journey through centuries of Roman history. Away from the crowds but literally on the beaten paths of time and culture.

Don’t miss

Lisa_L, May 2026

This was a great experience! Our guide was excellent and all the spots we stopped were perfect. Was one of the best tours we ever took.

Great guide and driver. ...

Marta_W, May 2026

Great guide and driver. . Very knowledgeable. Enjoyed the experience, maybe add another short stop to the tour. Ie baths.

Wonderful Tour!

Carol_D, May 2026

Great tour covering three main sites in an efficient and interesting manner. Ale and our driver, Peito (Peter) did a great job moving us along. Everyone in our 12 ish person group seemed at ease and had fun. Great tour! Highly recommend!