Rome EBike Tour: Appian Way, Catacombs & Roman Aqueducts
Description
Explore rural Italy and discover ancient Roman ruins on this 4- or 6- hour Ancient Appian Way, Catacombs, and Roman Aqueducts electric-assist bicycle tour. Cycle on the Ancient Appian Way with an electric-assist bike with your guide. Marvel at Roman ruins such as the Aurelian Walls, the Circus of Maxentius, and the Tomb of Caecilia Metella. Delve deep into the 2nd-century San Callisto or San Sebastiano catacombs (only in the 6-hour version of the tour) to learn of Roman burial traditions and enjoy personal attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to 10 people. This tour comes in two variants: a shorter 4-hour version and a longer 6-hour one. The two variants are identical in itinerary but differ in their inclusions. For more info please check the Important info section.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Marvel at the imposing Porta di San Sebastiano, a gate in the 3rd-century defensive walls of Rome.
Ride on the "Regina Viarum", the Queen of the Roads - an ancient highway built in the 4th century BC, stretched between Rome and Brindisi (in its initial form, about 538 km long!)
In the 4-hour tour, a short pause to contemplate the massive burial underground, resting place to half a million souls. Please note: on Wednesdays, this stop is not included in the 4-hour tour. In the 6-hour tour, a 45-minute guided visit of these 2nd-century catacombs, in all their complexity and mystery! Note: On Wednesdays, the 6-hour tour will visit the Catacombs of San Sebastiano (instead of those of San Callixtus).
Stop by the monumental ruins of this Imperial Villa and its adjacent Circus (a private chariot racetrack), dating from the beginning of the 4th century AD.
The largest mausoleum ever built on the Ancient Appian Way - dedicated to a young noblewoman from the 1st century AD.
Witness the sprawling remains of this 2nd-century villa, which raised the envy of Emperor Commodus (stop for this highlight included only in the in the 6-hour tour).
A large park criss-crossed with the arches of several ancient Aqueducts supplying Rome with water.
A view over the remains of one of ancient Rome's largest thermal baths (highlight included only In the 6-hour tour)
Bike through this island of countryside in the midst of the sprawling city of Rome... replete with rustic animal farms and large green pastures.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please note that approximately 40% of the route of this tour takes place in the city. We ride carefully chosen city streets, but some traffic is unavoidable to connect the Ancient Appian Way Park to the Aqueducts Park. In the remaining 60% of the route (riding in the parks) we encounter no traffic.
- You will cover an area of approximately 17 miles (27km), 60% of which takes place off-road. The difficulty level of this tour is intermediate (difficult with a child seat or child extension mounted on the bicycle).
- Child policy: (1) Infants under 1 year are not allowed to participate for safety reasons. (2) Infants aged 1-4 years travelling on a child seat (with load capacity of up to 49 lbs or 22 kg) come on the tour free of charge. (3) For children aged 5-8 years a child extension (child streamliner) is provided. (4) Children aged 9 and above can autonomously ride on an appropriately sized E-bikes.
- Minimum of 4 participants applies (total number of participants on tour). There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is 3 or less passengers on the tour. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative for your tour or full refund.
- On Wednesdays, the route includes a deviation, so the tour may last half an hour longer (4.5 hours in place of 4 hours and 6,5 hours in place of 6 hours). The tour may be half an hour longer long also in the period January 14th - February 11th 2026
- On Easter Sunday (April 5th, 2026), the Catacombs are closed (therefore, the 6-hour tour will not be running)
- This tour doesn't include any food or drinks; however, the route offers a few possibilities to purchase some food or drinks (which can be consumed during a suitable break).
- Are the tours safe? The answer is: Absolutely! The tours follow carefully planned routes which have limited access to traffic, and some have no traffic at all, meaning you are able to enjoy your ride around the city in total relaxation and safety and you won't have to worry about traffic
- We require that all customers wear a helmet on the tour (provided for free).
- Our bike equipment carries a weight limitation of 300 lbs (136 kg)
Reviews(1,901)
We had a wonderful experience on the Rome E-Bike Tour with Topbike Tours. The route was beautiful and gave us a chance to see a completely different side of Rome. Salah was a fantastic guide and made the whole experience feel exceptionally enjoyable. He explained everything clearly and kept the tour moving at a great pace. You could tell he genuinely cared about making sure everyone had a good time. We would highly recommend the tour and especially Salah as a guide.
We booked this tour last minute after hearing that it was good. Family of five with 21/19 and 15 year old. It was so much fun and the actual tour is incredible and diverse. Would 100% recommend to anyone happy on a bike. Loved it.
Our guide, Chris welcomed us warmly and clearly explained how to use the bikes. As we wound through the city, we stopped to discuss the history. This tour is about more than who built what, when. It’s about the history of history itself, as the stories and legends themselves changed over time. Discussion topics ranged from geographic to political to philosophical, orienting us to the complicated mix of peoples, cultures, and ideas that led to todays’s city, juxtaposed as ancient and modern Rome share the same space and time.
The e-bikes are excellent, our guide Agnes was wonderful, the gentlemen at checkin were nice and professional, the sights were stunning! It was a long tour, but we ventured far from Rome’s city center. The catacombs were perfectly timed to exit the heat of the day during a July heatwave. By 4pm the weather in the shade was perfect. There was a diner near the last hour or so of the tour, mostly sweets. Wished there were more savory options after over 3 hours on the bikes, but not worth knocking a star down. Highly recommend this as a different experience!
Great sites & knowledge given by Davide our tour guide. E-bikes were a fabulous and different way to get out of the heart of Rome and learn about Roman history / ruins with great scenery. Thankyou! we Really enjoyed this tour (Recommend the shorter 4-4.5 hr for teens in the July heat)
Our tour guide Agnese was amazing! She made sure everyone was taken care of with plenty of water and made sure our questions were answered and made sure our experience was great. The price was well worth it, beautiful scenery, easy riding, amazing stops. The tour was around four hours and it felt like it could have been longer. It was a small group and perfect for couples that may be cautious about riding around Rome on bikes by themselves. We had the best time!
We're thrilled to hear Agnese made your experience so enjoyable by taking such great care of everyone throughout the tour. It's fantastic that you loved the beautiful scenery, easy ride, and intimate group size! We'd love to welcome you back for another adventure in Rome!
Such a great tour off the beaten path from Rome. Loved hearing more about parts of Roman history that you may not hear on the typical Rome tours. It was nice and quaint. Not overrun with Tourists
Thank you for your kind words! We're so glad you enjoyed exploring a quieter side of Rome and discovering stories and history beyond the usual tourist highlights. It means a lot to hear you appreciated the more authentic experience, and we hope to see you again on another adventure soon!
Incredible! Very interesting, and you are in constant contact with nature. There was no one watching everything we were seeing, so, INCREDIBLE. I recommend doing it with family.
We had a fantastic experience on the e-bike tour as a family and would highly recommend it. Our guide was excellent, confidently navigating Rome’s busy traffic and making us feel safe throughout the day. The e-bikes were in great condition and made the six-hour ride surprisingly easy, even in the 39°C heat. There were plenty of stops along the way to rest, take photos, and learn about the sights—perhaps a few too many at times, but they did make the tour very relaxed. It was a great way to see parts of Rome we wouldn’t have explored on our own. If you’re looking for a fun, active, and family-friendly way to experience the city, this tour is well worth it.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so happy your family had such a fantastic time and that your guide helped you feel safe and confident while exploring Rome. It's great to hear the e-bikes made the ride enjoyable even in the summer heat, and we're delighted you discovered parts of the city you might not have seen otherwise. We hope to welcome you all back for another adventure!
This was a very fun tour. You get to see a lot of different parts of Rome and riding the Appian Way and in the aqueduct park was very special. Our guide Zac did a great job with stops and keeping us all safe while riding.
