The Catacombs of Rome and How to Choose the Right One to Visit

Beneath the fields along the old Appian Way, and under a few quiet streets elsewhere in Rome, lie hundreds of miles of tunnels cut by the city's early Christians to bury their dead. Around 40 catacomb complexes are known in Rome, mostly along the main roads out of the ancient city. A handful are open to visitors, always with a guide, and they are one of the few experiences in Rome that feel genuinely hidden.

This guide compares the four catacombs most visitors choose between, explains the rules that apply to all of them, and shows how a guided catacombs tour with transport fits into a Rome day.

What the catacombs are (and are not)

The Christians of Rome began digging their own community cemeteries in the second half of the 2nd century AD, when wealthy converts donated land to the Church. Roman law required burial outside the city walls, so the cemeteries grew along the roads leading out of Rome, dug down into the soft volcanic tufa in level after level of narrow galleries lined with shelf tombs.

The word catacomb itself seems to come from the site on the Appian Way now called St. Sebastian, "ad catacumbas," which is why every underground cemetery of this type carries the name.

One myth to clear up: the catacombs were not secret hiding places where Christians worshipped in fear. They were cemeteries, known to the authorities, and by the 3rd century there were far too many Christians in Rome to fit in them. What you see underground is burial, memory and art, not refuge.

The four catacombs to choose between

Catacombs of St. Callixtus (San Callisto)

The official cemetery of the Church of Rome in the 3rd century. Around half a million Christians were buried here, including many martyrs and 16 popes. Since 1930 the Salesians of Don Bosco have run the visits.

• Where: Via Appia Antica 110, on the Appian Way
• Hours: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Last morning tour at 12:00, last afternoon tour at 5:00 pm; the ticket office closes at 4:50 pm.
• Closed: every Wednesday, January 1, Easter Sunday and December 25
• How the visit works: online reservation is required. Visits are only in groups of at least two people, accompanied by staff, with tours starting every 30 minutes and lasting about 40 minutes.

Callixtus is the classic first catacomb: the Crypt of the Popes, the crypt of St. Cecilia and a long stretch of galleries. It is also the busiest.

Catacombs of St. Sebastian (San Sebastiano)

The oldest of the group and the deepest, with three levels reaching about 18 meters below ground and roughly 12 km of tunnels, first used in the late 1st century. This is the "ad catacumbas" site that gave all catacombs their name, and where the relics of the apostles Peter and Paul were venerated together in the 3rd century at the so-called Memoria Apostolorum. The basilica above holds the saint's crypt and Bernini's last work, the marble bust of the Salvator Mundi.

• Where: Via Appia Antica 136
• Hours: every day except Monday, 9:15 am to 5:15 pm. The last guided tour in English leaves at 4:45 pm.
• Closed: Mondays
• How the visit works: guided tour included in the ticket; online tickets and free reservations are available, with reservation valid up to 20 minutes before the tour starts.
• Temperature: a constant 17 to 18 degrees Celsius (about 63 to 64 Fahrenheit) year round, so bring a layer in summer.

St. Sebastian is a good pick if you want the pagan mausoleums in the deepest section and a quieter visit than Callixtus, a few hundred meters up the same road.

Catacombs of Domitilla

The largest and among the oldest underground cemeteries in Rome, on land that belonged to Flavia Domitilla, a member of the imperial Flavian family, with the earliest parts dating to around 120 AD. Domitilla is the only catacomb in Rome with a semi-underground basilica, dedicated to the martyrs Nereus and Achilleus and to St. Petronilla, and it is known for its preserved early Christian frescoes. The Missionaries of the Society of the Divine Word look after the site.

• Where: Via delle Sette Chiese 282, a short distance west of the Appian Way
• Hours: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The last guided tour leaves 20 minutes before closing in both sessions.
• Closed: Tuesdays
• How the visit works: the ticket includes the guided tour, offered in Italian, English, German, Spanish and French, with Polish and Portuguese on request. Groups can also request a liturgical celebration.

Domitilla is our pick for a first visit, which is why it is the one our Catacombs of San Domitilla guided tour with transfers visits: the frescoes are the best of the group, the underground basilica is unique, and the crowds are thinner than on the Appian Way itself.

Catacombs of Priscilla

On the Via Salaria, north of the center, so a different trip from the Appian Way three. Priscilla is smaller and quieter, known for some of the earliest Christian paintings in Rome.

• Where: Via Salaria, in the north of the city
• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
• Closed: Mondays
• How the visit works: guided tours, with online ticket purchase and separate arrangements for groups.

Rules that apply to every catacomb

Always guided. There is no self-guided entry to any catacomb in Rome. You join a group with an authorized guide and follow a set route through a small part of the complex. At St. Callixtus the tour takes about 40 minutes; the others are similar.

Stairs and narrow passages. You descend by stairs and walk galleries that are often only shoulder-width, with low light. The catacombs are not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers, and anyone uncomfortable in enclosed spaces should think twice.

Cool and damp. Temperatures underground stay in the high teens Celsius all year. A light jacket is welcome even in August.

Religious sites. The catacombs are run by religious orders on behalf of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology. Dress respectfully, keep voices down, and expect the guide to talk about faith as well as archaeology.

Getting to the Appian Way

The three Appian Way catacombs (Callixtus, Sebastian and Domitilla) are in the Appia Antica Regional Park, south of the city center. The catacombs of St. Sebastian have a bus stop right outside at Via Appia Antica 136: bus 118 from the Colosseo Metro Line B station and bus 660 from Arco di Travertino on Metro Line A both stop there. Callixtus is a short walk back up the road toward the city. Domitilla is around 15 minutes on foot west along Via delle Sette Chiese.

The buses are infrequent and the road has no sidewalk for stretches, which is the main reason most visitors take a catacombs tour with transport. Our Domitilla tour includes pickup and drop-off in central Rome, so the Appian Way becomes a two-and-a-half-hour outing rather than a half-day logistics exercise.

Making a day of it

The Appian Way is worth more than the catacombs. The road itself, paved with the original basalt stones in stretches, runs south past the Circus of Maxentius and the tomb of Cecilia Metella. Pair a morning catacombs tour with lunch at one of the trattorias along the road, or continue on foot for an hour to the quiet stretch beyond the tomb.

If you are combining the catacombs with the center, the Colosseum is at the other end of bus 118. See our Colosseum tickets guide for how the timed entry there works, and our 3-day Rome itinerary for where the catacombs fit into a first visit.

Which catacomb should you choose?

• First visit, best art: Domitilla
• Popes and martyrs, the most famous: St. Callixtus (not on Wednesdays)
• Oldest and deepest, with pagan tombs: St. Sebastian (not on Mondays)
• Quiet, north of the center, early paintings: Priscilla (not on Mondays)

If you only have one afternoon and no car, a guided catacombs tour with transport is the simplest answer, and Domitilla is the one we recommend.

Rome catacombs FAQ

Can you visit the catacombs in Rome without a tour?
No. Every open catacomb admits visitors only in guided groups on a fixed route. You can turn up and join the next group where reservations are not required, but you will always have a guide.

Which catacombs are the best in Rome?
Domitilla for frescoes and the underground basilica, St. Callixtus for the papal crypts, St. Sebastian for age and depth. All three are within walking distance of each other on the Appian Way.

Are the catacombs open every day?
Between them, yes, but not individually. St. Callixtus closes Wednesdays, Domitilla closes Tuesdays, St. Sebastian and Priscilla close Mondays. All close on December 25 and most on January 1 and Easter.

How long is a catacombs tour?
Around 30 to 45 minutes underground. With transport from the center and the return, allow two and a half to three hours.

Are the catacombs scary or claustrophobic?
They are dim, narrow and cool, but well lit along the route and never far from the stairs. Children generally find them fascinating. If enclosed spaces worry you, tell the guide before you go down.

Are there bodies in the catacombs?
The tombs you pass are empty. Remains were moved to churches and ossuaries over the centuries. You see the shelf tombs, inscriptions and frescoes, not skeletons.

How do I get to the catacombs from the Colosseum?
Bus 118 runs from the Colosseo Metro stop along the Appian Way and stops outside the catacombs of St. Sebastian. A guided tour with pickup is faster and more reliable.

Go underground with a local

Our Catacombs of San Domitilla guided tour with transfers picks you up in central Rome, takes you through the frescoed galleries and the underground basilica with an authorized guide, and brings you back. Find it and our other Rome experiences on our Rome tours page.