Tour of the Via Appia and the Catacombs of Rome

About this tour

Walk Rome's ancient Via Appia, where emperors once travelled, then descend into the underground burial chambers of the Catacombs of San Sebastian. This two-hour tour traces early Christian history and pagan remains beneath the city streets, guided throughout in Spanish. You'll navigate narrow passages carved from volcanic rock, see frescoes and inscriptions still visible after centuries, and understand how Romans used these subterranean spaces. The journey moves between sunlit history above ground and candlelit chambers below.

Highlights

• Underground frescoes and tomb inscriptions in San Sebastian Catacombs
• Via Appia's original stone paving and roadside monuments
• Skip-the-line entry to catacombs
• Spanish-speaking guide for both sections
• Early Christian burial practices and Roman funeral customs
• Views across the Appian Way landscape

What to expect

You'll start on the Via Appia itself, walking sections of this 2,300-year-old road and seeing remnants of burial structures and monuments lining its course. Your guide will point out architectural details and explain Roman travel and death rituals. Then you'll enter the Catacombs of San Sebastian, descending staircases into cool, dimly lit tunnels. Passages are narrow in places and the air is still. You'll pass carved burial niches, early Christian symbols, and occasionally larger chambers. The tour involves steady walking, some crouching, and limited headroom in sections.

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