Our booking tip: Guided tour entry to the San Callisto Catacombs, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare options
The catacombs are underground cemeteries carved into tufa rock, built outside the walls because burials were forbidden within the city of Rome. Some of the most important ones are concentrated along the Appian Way, and visiting one is often the most memorable moment of the day.
The most common mistake is arriving on the wrong day: San Callisto is closed on Wednesdays, San Sebastiano on Mondays, Domitilla on Tuesdays. Check the calendar before planning the rest of your itinerary.
The short answer
The three catacombs to consider are San Callisto (Via Appia Antica 110), San Sebastiano (Via Appia Antica 136) and Domitilla (Via delle Sette Chiese 282). They can only be visited with a guide, in about 40 minutes, and photography is not allowed inside. San Callisto is closed on Wednesdays, San Sebastiano on Mondays and from December 7 to 27, Domitilla on Tuesdays. It’s cool and humid inside: bring an extra layer and cover your shoulders and knees.
Which catacombs to visit on the Appian Way?
Choose San Callisto for the Crypt of the Popes, San Sebastiano if you want to stay a little further south on the Appian Way, Domitilla if you want a nearby alternative with different opening days.
San Callisto is the most famous: according to the official site and the offer, the visit includes the Crypt of the Popes, where nine popes were buried, the crypt of Santa Cecilia, some of the oldest frescoes and the Sacraments cubicles. San Sebastiano is a little further south on the same road, near the basilica of the same name. Domitilla is slightly off the Appian Way, on Via delle Sette Chiese, and offers tours in various languages.
Visiting just one catacomb is enough to understand the place: the routes are similar and each visit lasts about 40 minutes. Choose based on the day of the week and how it fits with the rest of your day.
When are the San Callisto catacombs closed?
On Wednesdays. They are also closed on January 1, December 25, Easter Sunday and for the annual winter closure, which runs from January 13 to February 10, 2027.
On other days, San Callisto is open from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00. The official website (catacombesancallisto.it) requires online booking; visits are guided by staff, last about 40 minutes, depart every 30 minutes and require at least two people.
If you prefer to arrive with your ticket already in hand, the guided tour ticket for the San Callisto catacombs includes entry and a tour, meeting at the ticket office at the entrance on Via Appia Antica 110, 10 minutes before. The offer indicates about 30 minutes for the visit, the official site about 40.
Ticket and guided tour of San Callisto, including the Crypt of the Popes and the crypt of Santa Cecilia: arrive and follow the guide.
Book thisWhat are the opening times and closure days of the three catacombs?
San Callisto is closed on Wednesdays, San Sebastiano on Mondays, Domitilla on Tuesdays. Each also has its own annual opening hours and closures.
The table summarises the main details. Before you leave, always check the official websites, as holidays and special closures may change the schedule.
| Catacomb | Address | Weekly closure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Callisto | Appian Way 110 | Wednesday | 9:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00; online booking; closed from 13 January to 10 February 2027 |
| San Sebastiano | Via Appia Antica 136 | Monday | Tuesday to Sunday 9:15-17:15, last entry 16:45; closed from 7 to 27 December |
| Domitilla | Via delle Sette Chiese 282 | Tuesday | 9:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00; tours in various languages |
Can the catacombs be visited without a guide?
No. In the Appian Way catacombs you can only enter with a guided tour, which lasts about 40 minutes. The guide is included in the entrance ticket.
This rule exists for conservation and safety reasons: the tunnels extend over multiple levels, and you could get lost on your own. So you don’t need to book a private guide to enter: the catacomb ticket already includes the guide.
An external guide may be useful for the rest of the day, to explain the Appian Way, the monuments and the aqueducts and to help with transport. This is what the transfer-included tours described below do.
How to dress for the catacombs?
With shoulders and knees covered, comfortable shoes and an extra layer: underground the temperature is about 16 degrees and the air is humid.
Offers that include a catacomb require modest clothing: no tank tops, shorts or short skirts. The floor is uneven and there are steep stairs, so avoid heels and slippery soles.
Other rules to know before you go:
- No photos are allowed inside.
- The visits are not suitable for wheelchair users, people with reduced mobility or those who suffer from claustrophobia.
- Strollers are not allowed according to the San Callisto offer.
Which Appian Way tours include the catacombs?
The golf cart tour includes entry to a catacomb; the minibus tour visits San Sebastiano or Domitilla at the end of the day; the e-bike tours only with the catacombs option.
- Golf cart: the golf cart tour on the Appian Way with catacombs entry includes the ticket and an underground tour of about 30-35 minutes with an official guide of the catacomb. The offer does not specify which catacomb. It lasts 2.5 hours, in English.
- Minibus: the minibus tour of the catacombs, Appian Way and aqueducts visits San Sebastiano or Domitilla, depending on the day, during closing time, when there are fewer visitors. It lasts 3.5 hours, in English.
- E-bike with catacombs and food: San Callisto or San Sebastiano, only with the catacombs option.
- TopBike: San Callisto or San Sebastiano, only with the 6-hour option.
For details on the e-bikes, read the guide to cycling the Appian Way (Via Appia Antica).
Circus Maximus, Baths of Caracalla and Appian Way by electric golf cart, then down into a catacomb with an official guide.
Book thisIs a single ticket or a tour with transfer better?
A single ticket if you are already walking or cycling along the Appian Way; a tour with transfer if you are starting from the centre and want to combine the catacomb with the road without worrying about transport.
San Callisto can be reached on your own by public transport: the offer indicates metro A to San Giovanni and then bus 218, or metro B and bus 118. If the rest of the day is on foot or by bike, the single ticket is the simplest choice.
The minibus tour solves all transport: it departs from Piramide metro station, you walk along a stretch of Roman basalt paving stones, you see the exterior of Cecilia Metella and, if you choose that option, the aqueducts. Meals are not included, and clothing must cover shoulders and knees.
Air-conditioned minibus from Piramide, Roman basalt paving stones of the Appian Way, Cecilia Metella and a catacomb at closing time, with fewer people.
Book thisHow much time do you need to visit a catacomb?
The guided tour lasts about 40 minutes. Allow an hour in total, including early arrival and ticket purchase.
For San Callisto, you need to arrive 10 minutes early at the ticket office; for the minibus tour, 15 minutes early at the meeting point. The departures every half hour at San Callisto make it easy to fit the visit into a walk.
If you have half a day, one catacomb and the stretch between Cecilia Metella and Capo di Bove go well together. To build a full itinerary, read the guide on what to see along the Appian Way.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take photos in the catacombs?
No, photos are not allowed inside the catacombs.
Are the San Callisto catacombs open on Sundays?
Yes, usually, except Easter Sunday. San Callisto is closed on Wednesdays and during the winter closure.
Do you need to book the catacombs?
For San Callisto, the official website requires online booking. Alternatively, you can buy a ticket with a guided tour on GetYourGuide.
Are the catacombs suitable for children?
The golf cart tour accepts children aged 2 to 12, not under 2. In general, the stairs and darkness require calm children who are not claustrophobic.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Bookable on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
San Callisto Catacombs: admission and tour
Admission with guided tour of the Crypt of the Popes and the crypt of Saint Cecilia, for those arriving on the Appian Way on their own
Appian Way by golf cart with catacomb
- Driver and guide on electric golf cart, in English, with headsets
- Circus Maximus, Baths of Caracalla, Aurelian Walls and the Appian Way
- Walk on Roman basalt paving stones at Cecilia Metella’s tomb
Catacombs, Appian Way and Aqueducts by minibus
- Expert English-speaking guide and air-conditioned minibus, group of maximum 18 people
- A stretch of the Appian Way on foot and the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella from the outside
- Entry to the San Sebastiano or Domitilla catacombs, depending on the day
