Catacombs of St. Callixtus: Guided Tour
Entry ticket + official guide — the standard way to visit
Guide in: EN, IT, ES, FR, DE
from €15per personCheck Availability
Rome underground · The complete map
Rome Catacombs: the Complete Visitor Guide
Around sixty ancient cemeteries tunnel under the roads leading out of Rome — and exactly five open their gates on a regular schedule. This is the map: how the catacombs of Rome differ, which one earns your first visit, and how to build a proper day around them.
- All 5 open catacombs compared
- Every visit is guided — included in the ticket
- First-visit pick: San Callisto
- Free cancellation on most tours
Live availability · Tiqets
Live availability · Tiqets
Orientation
Sixty cemeteries, five open doors
Between the 2nd and 5th centuries, Rome's Christians (and Jews) dug vast underground cemeteries into the soft tufa along the consular roads — the Appia, the Ardeatina, the Salaria, the Nomentana, the Ostiense.
They all sit outside the ancient walls for a simple reason: Roman law banned burials inside the city, so every cemetery — pagan or Christian — lined the roads out of town (the full story is on our history page). Today about sixty catacombs are known, most of them sealed for conservation or open only to scholars. The Pontificia Commissione di Archeologia Sacra keeps five on a regular public schedule, and one rule applies at all of them: entry is with an official guide only, included in every ticket. No self-guided wandering, anywhere — which, in tunnels that run for kilometres on multiple levels, is a feature, not a bug.
~60catacombs identified around Rome
5open to visitors on a regular schedule
100%of visits are guided — no exceptions
~16 °Cunderground, year-round — bring a layer
The shortlist
The five catacombs of Rome you can actually visit
San Callisto — the flagship on the Appian Way
The official cemetery of the early Church of Rome and the largest of all the city's catacombs: about 20 km of galleries on four levels, roughly half a million burials. The tour's centrepiece is the Crypt of the Popes — nine 3rd-century popes were buried here, their Greek epitaphs still set in the walls — followed by the crypt of St. Cecilia and the frescoed Cubicles of the Sacraments. Tours leave about every 30 minutes in five languages, which makes it the easiest catacomb to slot into a Rome day without planning your life around a timetable. If you visit only one, make it this one.
Via Appia Antica 110/126 · closed every Wednesday (verified) · signature sight: the Crypt of the Popes.
San Sebastiano — where the word “catacombs” was born
A ten-minute walk further down the Appia, this cemetery grew around a hollow in the road the Romans called ad catacumbas — “by the hollows” — and lent that name to every underground cemetery on Earth. It is the most layered of the five: astonishingly well-preserved pagan mausoleums with stucco ceilings sit beneath a working basilica, and graffiti invoking Peter and Paul covers a 3rd-century wall. Shorter and shallower than San Callisto, it pairs naturally with it — the two entrances are on the same road.
Via Appia Antica 136 · traditionally closed Sunday · signature sight: the pagan mausoleums.
Domitilla — the deepest network, with a sunken basilica
Named after a Flavian noblewoman on whose land it was dug, Domitilla is the deepest of the visitable networks and among the most extensive. Its calling card is unforgettable: the tour begins inside a 4th-century basilica built entirely underground over the tombs of the martyrs Nereus and Achilleus — you descend into a full church, then keep going. The galleries preserve fine frescoes, including an early Good Shepherd. Because it stays open on Wednesdays, it is the standard substitute when San Callisto is closed.
Via delle Sette Chiese 282, near the Appia · traditionally closed Tuesday · signature sight: the underground basilica.
Priscilla — the “queen of the catacombs”
North of the centre on the Via Salaria, Priscilla earned its royal nickname from the sheer quality of its art and the number of martyrs and early popes once buried here. Its treasure is quiet but momentous: a small fresco widely considered the earliest known image of the Madonna and Child, painted while the empire was still pagan. Add the Greek Chapel's banquet scene and the veiled-woman fresco and you have the best gallery of early Christian painting open to the public — with far thinner crowds than the Appia.
Via Salaria 430 · traditionally closed Monday · signature sight: the earliest image of Mary.
Sant'Agnese — the intimate one
The smallest and gentlest of the five, on the Via Nomentana, wrapped around the tomb of St. Agnes, the young Roman martyr. The visit is short, uncrowded and unusually personal: you enter through the 7th-century basilica of Sant'Agnese fuori le Mura, still an active parish, and the same complex holds the round mausoleum of Santa Costanza with its celebrated 4th-century mosaics. A fine choice if big-name sites wear you out — or as a calm second catacomb once you have done the Appia.
Via Nomentana 349 · traditionally closed Sunday morning · signature sight: the tomb of St. Agnes.
Side by side
The comparison ledger
Five catacombs, one table. Closing days marked “trad.” follow the long-standing pattern — verify on each official site close to your date.
| Catacomb | Road | Famous for | Best if | Typical closing day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Callisto | Via Appia Antica | Crypt of the Popes, largest complex | It's your first catacomb | Wednesday (verified) |
| San Sebastiano | Via Appia Antica | Origin of the word “catacombs”, pagan mausoleums | You want layers: pagan + Christian + basilica | Sunday (trad.) |
| Domitilla | Via delle Sette Chiese | Underground 4th-c. basilica, deepest network | San Callisto is closed, or it's round two | Tuesday (trad.) |
| Priscilla | Via Salaria | Earliest known image of Mary | Early Christian art is your thing | Monday (trad.) |
| Sant'Agnese | Via Nomentana | Tomb of St. Agnes, Santa Costanza mosaics | You want quiet and intimacy | Sunday morning (trad.) |
Which one should you pick? The honest one-line answer: for a first visit, San Callisto — biggest complex, most historically important crypt, most frequent tours. If you have already been, or Wednesday wrecks your plan, the full head-to-head comparison weighs the other four by art, depth, crowds and location.
Make a day of it
Itineraries: from half a day to a full one
Half-day classic on the Appia
Take bus 118 to the San Callisto stop for the 09:00 or 09:30 tour — the quietest slots of the day. After 40–50 minutes underground, walk south along the basalt paving of the Appian Way: San Sebastiano is ten minutes on foot, the tomb of Cecilia Metella and the villa of Maxentius about fifteen more. Do the catacomb first and the road second — tour slots are timed, ruins are not. Back in the centre by lunch.
Full day, best on two wheels
The Appia Antica park is far bigger than it looks — aqueducts, villa ruins and open countryside stretch for kilometres past the catacombs. An e-bike flattens the distances: the guided e-bike loop below covers the park in about four hours and can include the catacomb visit. On Sundays the ancient road closes to cars and fills with Roman families on bikes — the best atmosphere of the week. Just remember San Sebastiano traditionally rests on Sundays; San Callisto is open.
Full transport options — buses 118, 218 and 660, and why a one-way taxi is a trap — are on the how to get there page.
If tunnels are your thing
Beyond the catacombs: more underground Rome
Three more descents that often get lumped in with the catacombs — each a different beast.
The Capuchin Crypt on Via Veneto is the place with the bones: chapels decorated with the remains of some 3,700 friars. It is a 17th-century memento mori, not an ancient cemetery — go for the macabre, not the archaeology. San Clemente, near the Colosseum, is Rome's best time machine: a 12th-century basilica over a 4th-century church over a Roman alley with a Mithraeum, three levels down in twenty minutes. And under St. Peter's lies the Vatican Necropolis — the pagan-and-Christian street of tombs where Peter's grave was found, visitable only on the small-group Scavi tour booked months ahead. People call these “Vatican catacombs”, but they are something else entirely — we untangle the confusion on the Vatican catacombs page.
Book it
Tours that cover the catacombs and the Appia
Four ways in, from the plain guided entry at San Callisto to a full e-bike day. All are bookable with free cancellation on most options — the fine print is on the tickets page.
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
Appian Way & Catacombs: Sightseeing Tour + Transfer
Catacombs plus the aqueducts and Roman countryside in one loop
Guide in: EN
from €98per personCheck Availability
Appian Way E-Bike Tour with Catacombs Option
Cover the whole Appia Antica park without the walk
Guide in: EN, IT
from €65per personCheck Availability
| San Callisto essentials | |
|---|---|
| Tickets | Online from €15 with guide · at the door €10 full / €7 reduced |
| Hours | 09:00–12:00 & 14:00–17:00 · closed every Wednesday |
| Getting there | Via Appia Antica 110/126 · bus 118 or 218 · no metro nearby |
| Good to know | Constant ~16 °C · stairs only · no photos inside |
Hours and door prices: official site catacombesancallisto.it — verify near your date.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many catacombs are there in Rome?
Around sixty catacombs have been identified under and around Rome, with hundreds of kilometres of galleries between them. Most are closed for conservation or accessible only to researchers. Five open to visitors on a regular schedule: San Callisto, San Sebastiano, Domitilla, Priscilla and Sant’Agnese. Background on how they were dug is on our what are catacombs page.
Which Rome catacomb is the best one to visit?
For a first visit, San Callisto: it is the largest complex, holds the Crypt of the Popes, and runs tours every ~30 minutes in five languages. Domitilla suits return visitors who want an underground basilica; Priscilla rewards early-Christian-art lovers. Full comparison on our which catacombs to visit guide.
Can you visit the Rome catacombs without a tour?
No. Every open catacomb in Rome admits visitors only with an official guide — there is no self-guided option anywhere. The guided tour is included in every ticket. At San Callisto tours leave roughly every 30 minutes and last 40–50 minutes; see the tickets page for booking options.
Are the Rome catacombs similar to the Paris catacombs?
Only in name. The Paris catacombs are an 18th-century ossuary — bones from cleared cemeteries stacked in old quarries. Rome’s catacombs are the original ancient burial places, dug from the 2nd century AD, with frescoes, epitaphs and mostly empty tombs. Expect archaeology and early Christian art, not walls of skulls.
Are there still bones in the catacombs of Rome?
Very few on the visitor routes. Over the centuries relics were moved to churches and many tombs were emptied by looters, so the loculi you pass are almost all open and bare. Some remains survive in sealed or closed sections, but no Roman catacomb is a bone display — for that, Rome has the Capuchin Crypt, which is a different kind of site.
How much do the Rome catacombs cost?
At San Callisto the door price is €10 full and €7 reduced, children under 6 free (source: official site catacombesancallisto.it); booking online with a guaranteed language slot starts at €15. The other four catacombs charge comparable guided-visit prices — check each official site. Details on our tickets page.
Are the catacombs scary for kids?
Generally no. There are no bones on display and nothing gory — kids mostly see tunnels, frescoes and empty niches, and guides are used to families. The corridors are dim and narrow, so very small children or anyone uneasy underground may prefer the open-air Appian Way. At San Callisto, under-6s enter free.
When are the Rome catacombs open?
San Callisto opens 09:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:00 and closes every Wednesday, plus a winter break from mid-January to mid-February. Each of the other catacombs keeps a similar split schedule but a different weekly closing day, so always check the official site of the one you plan to visit. Our opening hours page covers San Callisto in detail.
Start with the best of the Rome catacombs
Sixty cemeteries under the city, five open doors, one obvious first pick. Book the San Callisto guided tour, then let the Appian Way fill the rest of your day.
Book the San Callisto tour · from €15