Catacombs of St. Callixtus: Guided Tour
Entry ticket + official guide — the standard way to visit
Guide in: EN, IT, ES, FR, DE
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Rome · Prices & discounts
Catacombs of San Callisto Prices: Full, Reduced & Free Admission
The catacombs Rome price question has a short answer — €10 full, €7 reduced, free under 6 at the door — and a longer one about who qualifies, why online booking costs €15, and whether anything here is ever free. This page settles all of it with the official rates.
- Official door price €10 — guide always included
- Every reduced and free category listed
- Roma Pass NOT valid here
- Online from €15 with free cancellation
Live availability · Tiqets
Live availability · Tiqets
At a glance
What a visit costs in 2026
Every ticket — door or online, full or reduced — includes the official guided tour. There is no cheaper "entry only" rate because unguided entry does not exist.
| Quick Summary | |
|---|---|
| Full price (door) | €10 — guided visit included (source: official site catacombesancallisto.it) |
| Reduced (door) | €7 — ages 7–16, school groups, some student categories, clergy |
| Free | Children under 6 · disabled visitors (74%+) with one carer · licensed guides |
| Online booking | From €15 — timed slot in your language + free cancellation |
| Roma Pass | Not valid at San Callisto |
| Closed | Every Wednesday · winter break mid-Jan to mid-Feb — see the opening hours |
Source: official site catacombesancallisto.it
The official tariff
Full price list, category by category
These are the rates published by the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, which runs the site (source: official site catacombesancallisto.it). Bring documents: reductions are granted on proof, not on trust.
| Category | Price | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Full | €10 | Everyone 17 and over without a reduction |
| Reduced — children | €7 | Ages 7 to 16 |
| Reduced — school groups | €7 | Per student, with accompanying teachers |
| Reduced — students | €7 | Archaeology, architecture or art-history students under 25, with valid enrolment ID |
| Reduced — clergy | €7 | Priests, religious brothers and sisters, seminarians |
| Free — small children | €0 | Under 6, accompanied by an adult |
| Free — disability | €0 | Certified disability of 74% or more, plus one carer free |
| Free — professionals | €0 | Licensed tour guides on duty |
| Group leaders | €0 | One leader free per 15 paying visitors |
| Large groups | 2 × €0 | Groups of 35+ full-price visitors get two free entries |
Note the gap: ordinary university students get no discount — the €7 student rate is strictly for archaeology, architecture and art-history students under 25. If that is not you, budget the full €10.
Door vs online
€10 at the door vs €15 online — what you actually pay for
Both prices buy exactly the same thing underground: the 40–50 minute guided visit through the galleries, the Crypt of the Popes and the crypt of St. Cecilia. The €5 difference is not a different tour — it is certainty.
Pay €10 at the door and you join the next departure in your language, roughly every 30 minutes. In November that works fine. In April, a coach party can swallow the next two English slots and leave you waiting on a bench — or, on the busiest days, told the day's slots in your language are gone.
Pay from €15 online and you get a guaranteed timed departure in the language you choose, plus free cancellation on most options — useful given the Wednesday closure and winter break that catch many visitors out.
When the door price is the right call
- Low season (roughly November to March, outside holiday weeks) with light crowds.
- A flexible schedule — you can happily wait 30–60 minutes for your slot.
- You speak Italian or English, the languages with the most frequent departures.
If any of those is false — high season, a tight itinerary, or you need Spanish, French or German — the online slot earns its €5. The guided tours page compares every format, including combos with transfer.
Myth-busting
Rome catacombs free? What's real and what isn't
"Free catacombs Rome" is a heavily searched phrase — and almost everything it turns up is a misunderstanding. Here is the honest picture.
There is no free entry to San Callisto
Outside the specific free categories in the table above — under-6s, certified disability, licensed guides — everyone pays. No free hours, no free days, no ticket lottery.
"Free walking tours" never go underground
The tip-based free tours advertised around Termini and Piazza Navona are city-centre walks. None of them enters the catacombs, because entry requires a paid ticket and an official catacomb guide. A tour that includes the interior has bought tickets and priced them into its fee.
State-museum free Sundays do not apply here
Italy's first-Sunday-free scheme covers state museums. The catacombs belong to the Church and are managed by the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology — they are simply not part of that programme. Turning up on the first Sunday of the month expecting free entry means paying €10 like any other day.
Roma Pass is not accepted
Same reason: the pass covers municipal and state sites, and San Callisto is neither. Do not burn a Roma Pass day planning to use it here.
Smart spending
How to pay less, legitimately
No coupon codes exist for the door price — but four habits keep real money in your pocket.
- Carry the right documents. Enrolment proof for qualifying students, disability certification, clergy ID — no document, no reduction, and the ticket desk does not bend.
- Count your children correctly. Under-6s are free and 7–16s pay €7, so a family of four with young kids can visit from €27 at the door.
- Book the basic tour, not a combo. If the catacombs are all you want, the €15 standard guided tour is the cheapest online option. Transfer combos from €56 make sense only if the journey to the Appia is your real problem — compare on the tickets page.
- Pad the day with free sights. On Sundays the Via Appia Antica closes to cars: walking the basalt road past tombs and ruins costs nothing and pairs perfectly with a morning tour slot.
Catacombs Rome: Skip the Line, Guided Tour + Roundtrip Transfer
Hotel-area pickup solves the tricky trip to the Appian Way
Guide in: EN, IT, ES, FR, DE, PL
from €56per personCheck Availability
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any free entry to the Catacombs of San Callisto?
Only for specific categories: children under 6, visitors with a certified disability of 74% or more plus one carer, and licensed tour guides (source: official site catacombesancallisto.it). There are no free days, no free evenings, and no free-entry Sundays. Everyone else pays €10 full or €7 reduced at the door.
Is there a student discount?
Only a narrow one: students of archaeology, architecture or art history under 25 pay the reduced €7 rate — bring proof of enrolment. A regular university student card (or an ISIC card) does not qualify; you pay the full €10. Details on what every ticket includes are on the tickets page.
How much does it cost for a family of four?
Two adults with children aged, say, 9 and 4 pay €10 + €10 + €7 + €0 = €27 at the door. Children under 6 always enter free, and 7–16-year-olds pay the reduced €7. The guided tour is included for everyone, including the free child.
Is the Roma Pass or Omnia Card accepted?
Roma Pass: no. The catacombs are run by the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, not the city or state museum circuits, so the pass is not valid here. The Omnia Card is a Vatican-linked product that has included catacomb options — check the current Omnia terms before you count on it.
Can I pay by card at the door?
The ticket office is a small booth on the Appia Antica, not a big-museum ticket hall. Bring enough cash to cover your group in case a terminal is down — or sidestep the question entirely by booking online in advance with free cancellation.
Why is the online price €15 when the door price is €10?
The €5 difference buys a reserved, timed departure in your chosen language plus free cancellation on most options. At the door you join the next available slot in your language, which can mean a wait — or a sold-out slot in high season. Same visit, different certainty.
Do free walking tours of Rome include the catacombs?
No. Tip-based "free" walking tours operate in the city centre; none of them enters San Callisto, because entry requires a paid ticket with an official catacomb guide. Any tour that goes underground has bought tickets — and priced them in.
San Callisto catacombs price: the bottom line
€10 at the door if you are flexible, from €15 online for a guaranteed slot in your language — and always with the guide included. Lock in your departure and cancel free if plans change.
Book the guided tour · from €15