Rome Catacombs Tickets: how to buy and prices
Travel to the bottom of the earth with a visit to the Catacombs of Rome. Read on to find out how to get tickets or take a guided tour.
St. Callisto Catacombs Passage | © Steve Collis
Beneath the streets, monuments and churches of Rome lies a subway city whose galleries contain the darkest history of the Eternal City. We are talking, of course, about the Catacombs of Rome, and here is a guide to visit them and not miss the must-see experience.
Options to visit the Catacombs of Rome
A guided tour of the Catacombs of Rome is the best plan to understand everything that lies beneath the city of Rome. Touring them on your own is fine but the explanations of an expert guide in your language can make the visit much more productive. Here are the best options to visit this historical jewel:
- Guided tour of the Catacombs of Rome - From $ 15
- Guided tour of the Christian basilicas and the catacombs of Rome - From $ 90
Guided tour of the Catacombs of Rome
Of the entire subway network that runs through the city of Rome, only a few catacombs are open to the public. Today are preserved those that have the greatest historical interest for visitors, with burial niches, Catholic works of art and places of worship.
The Catacombs of Rome were the meeting place where the first Catholic worship took place during the first three centuries of history. In this guided tour of the Catacombs of Rome, you will mainly visit the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, the largest of all these galleries under the city.
They extend over four floors, more than 19 kilometers long, and whose main interest lies in being the burial place of the first sixteen popes and numerous martyrs of Catholic history. The visit of the catacombs in this experience is about 45 minutes and the complete duration of the tour is about 40 minutes.
These catacombs can only be visited with a guide on an organized tour, hence my recommendation of this experience so as not to miss something that, in my opinion, is worth seeing on your trip to Rome.
What you will see on this tour
- Papal Crypts: Burial place of nine popes, also known as the "little Vatican". You will see the names of the popes, the inscriptions in Greek and the symbol that was given to the martyrs on their tombs.
- Catholic art frescoes: The walls of the Catacombs of Rome were the first canvases where Catholic art, which would dominate the History of Art until today, began to develop.
- Crypt of Saint Cecilia: Before the funeral remains of Saint Cecilia rested in the church of the same name in Trastevere, the martyr was buried in this crypt where you can see a copy of the statue representing the patron saint of music.
- Funerary remains from the year 4 AD: Not all guides know how to find them, but there are funerary remains dating back to the year 4 AD. It's not the most exciting thing you'll see, but I was impressed to learn that millenary elements are preserved under the streets of Rome.
I recommend it if
If you want to visit the catacombs of Rome more accessible to the public and one of the most interesting.
Guided tour of the catacombs and basilicas of Rome
This guided tour of Rome's catacombs and basilicas extends the visit of the Catacombs of St. Callixtus to one hour (compared to the 45 minutes of the previous experience), and then takes you to see some places off the typical tourist circuit of Rome.
Focusing mainly on religious history and some of the city's most interesting buildings dedicated to Catholic worship, this tour will take you to see what remains of the first chariot racing circuit, the Diocese of Rome, and the most important church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
If I had to choose one of the two, this guided tour would definitely be my favorite option: for a very similar price you will get much more out of your guide's narration. If you have the time, go for the adventure and you will discover some corners of Rom that you might not otherwise see.
What you will see on this tour
- Catacombs of St. Callixtus: one of the most interesting catacombs of Rome open to the public.
- Circus Maximus: what was once the largest circus in Rome, dedicated to chariot racing, is now a park that maintains the ancient plan of the building next to the ruins of the imperial palace of the Palatine.
- Baths of Caracalla: the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla still preserve some mosaics and sculptures and walking through them is an impressive experience that transports you directly to the times of the Roman Empire.
- Basilica of St. John Lateran: both its interior and its cloister are impressive towards the end of the day, when they are slightly illuminated and you feel the magic of this baroque church.
- Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore: this basilica is the only one in Rome that preserves intact its paleochristian plan, as it was built in the V century, and its various chapels and how well preserved its artistic images are, make this temple a jewel to visit.
I recommend it if
If you have a little extra time and want to take a full tour of Rome's Ancient History, you'll be able to see the history of the city.
What to know before taking a tour of the Catacombs of Rome
- It is forbidden to take pictures inside the catacombs, so I recommend you not to take your camera with you to avoid any problems. Even if you promise not to use it, you may be denied access.
- The tunnels of the catacombs, as you can imagine, are dark, very narrow and can be a bit overwhelming when going in a group. If you suffer from claustrophobia, this may not be the best experience for you.
- On the other hand, tours of the Catacombs of Rome are the perfect experience if you can't stand the huge groups of tourists sweeping through the city. In these experiences, the groups are small and have a maximum of 16 people.
- In the Catacombs of St. Callixtus you will not find any ossuaries or human remains. To see this, I recommend you visit the Crypt of the Capuchins under the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini (in Via Veneto).
Alex's Traveller Tip
You should cover your knees and shoulders to access the Catacombs, as they are still places of Catholic importance. In winter it won't be a problem, but in summer remember to wear long pants and something light to cover up.
Information about the booking process
- When booking the tour, you will be asked to provide your email address. This is where you will receive a confirmation email, which you will need to show to your guide once you meet him or her at the meeting point and time indicated in the experience information.
- The two tours that I recommend in this article are conducted in Spanish. You may be asked at the time of booking in which language you prefer the experience to be conducted.
- You can cancel the experience at any time, but you will only receive a refund if you do so at least 24 hours in advance. You will have instructions on how to do this in the confirmation email.
Places of interest near the Catacombs of San Callisto
- If you have been left wanting to further explore the secrets that this subway world beneath Rome holds, you can go to the Catacombs of San Sebastiano, whose entrance is not far from the Catacombs of San Callisto. But my recommendation is to visit the Catacombs of Domitilla, which has an impressive subway basilica.
- The Church of Domine Quo Vadis, also called Santa Maria in Palmis, is a short distance from the catacombs, and is a small temple where you can find what, according to legend, could be the footprints of the feet of Jesus Christ.
- And, for me, the best option after the catacombs tour is to take a walk along the Appian Way and get some fresh air. You will literally be walking on history, as you will be on the first road of the Roman Empire.
Other tours that may interest you
Before taking a specific tour of Rome, I recommend you to get to know the main points of interest of the city with a specialized guide. You can find the best tours of Rome in this article, where you will also read tips for visiting the city like a local: Top 11 tours of Rome.
And to get into another part of the city, with a very rich and interesting history, I recommend you to take a tour of the Jewish Quarter of Rome. Before deciding on one of these tours, I recommend you to read this complete article: 10 things to do at the Jewish Ghetto of Rome.