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Number 12 of 20 in Rome

The catacombs and the Appian Way: Rome beyond the walls

Romans buried their dead outside the city, along the roads. The Appian Way was the grandest of the roads, and what lies beside and beneath it is the most atmospheric half-day in Rome.

The ancient paving stones of the Appian Way, running between walls and trees.
Fernando de Gorocica, CC BY-SA 4.0
What it is
Underground
Time to allow
2.5 to 4 hours
Cost
Ticket for the catacombs, the road is free
Best time
A Sunday morning, when the road is closed to cars

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    Why the catacombs and the Appian Way is worth it

    The Appian Way was begun in 312 BC by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus, as a military road to the south. It ended up at Brindisi, the port for Greece, and the Romans called it the queen of roads. In July 2024 it was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List. A few kilometres from the city walls the traffic thins out and the road becomes what it was: big dark paving stones rutted by cart wheels, umbrella pines, and ruined tombs on either side.

    Under the fields are the catacombs, the underground cemeteries of the early Christians. The largest, the Catacombs of St Callixtus, cover about fifteen hectares on five levels. Its galleries run for something like twenty kilometres, and perhaps half a million people were buried in them.

    Several popes of the second to fourth centuries were laid in a single chamber there, the Crypt of the Popes. The whole complex was forgotten for a thousand years and found again in 1854.

    What to see

    1. The Catacombs of St Callixtus

      Visited only with a guide, in groups by language. You walk narrow galleries cut in soft rock, with burial niches stacked to the ceiling, to the Crypt of the Popes and the crypt of St Cecilia.

    2. The Tomb of Cecilia Metella

      A round tower of the first century BC on the roadside, the tomb of a noblewoman, later built into a medieval castle.

    3. The ancient paving

      Beyond the tomb the original basalt stones are in place for long stretches. This is the part to walk or cycle.

    4. Domine Quo Vadis

      The small church at the start of the road, where by tradition Peter, fleeing Rome, met Christ and turned back.

    How to do it well

    • Go on a Sunday or a public holiday, when the first stretch of the road is closed to cars. On other days that stretch is narrow and busy: take the bus past it.
    • It is cool underground whatever the weather above. Bring a layer.
    • The catacombs each close on a different day of the week. Check the one you want before you set out.
    • Hire a bicycle at the park's visitor point near the start of the road if you want to go further than the first tombs.
    • There is very little to eat or drink beyond the first kilometre. Carry water.

    Where it is

    Address

    Via Appia Antica, south of the Aurelian Walls

    Nearest station

    No metro. Bus 118 runs along the road from the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum

    Tickets and tours: Catacombs and the Appian Way

    Catacombs and the Appian Way: common questions

    Which catacombs in Rome are best to visit?
    The Catacombs of St Callixtus on the Appian Way are the largest and the most visited, with the Crypt of the Popes. The Catacombs of St Sebastian are a short walk further along the same road.
    Can you visit the catacombs without a guide?
    No. The catacombs are visited only on guided tours, which leave regularly in several languages and last under an hour.
    Can you walk the Appian Way?
    Yes. The best stretch for walking begins near the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, where the ancient paving survives and there is little traffic. On Sundays the road nearer the city is closed to cars too.
    How much time do you need for the catacombs and the Appian Way?
    Allow 2.5 to 4 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.

    What visitors say about the catacombs and the Appian Way

    Rating from Google

    4.6

    12,656 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 6 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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