The Original Roman Crypts and Catacombs Tour with Transfers
Description
Descend into the chill of Rome’s mysterious underworld with Skip-the-Line access to three of the city’s strangest discoveries. Unmask a new side to the Eternal City as you explore the eerie Bone Chapel, adorned with the bones of 4,000 Capuchin monks, and the Christian Catacombs, a series of hidden tunnels where early Christian’s practiced their forbidden faith. Then travel beneath Basilica of San Martino ai Monti, a hidden gem tucked away in the city’s historic core.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your first destination is the Capuchin Crypt. Capuchin monks used the bones of nearly 4,000 of their brothers to decorate this somber space in intricate floor-to-ceiling designs, lending it the macabre nickname of ‘the Bone Chapel’. Here you will be free to explore hearing all the interesting details and the reasons behind such an unusual practice with your audio guide. Open your eyes to the city’s hidden side – and you’ll never see Rome the same way again.
Your expert historian guide will explain how this network of sacred tunnels is associated with the first Christians in ancient Rome. You’ll descend into the labyrinthian corridors carved into the soft volcanic rock and discover the frescoes, strange iconography and burial places which doubled as places of worship when the Christians were persecuted.
Conclude your Roman adventure at the Basilica of San Martino ai Monti, a hidden gem tucked away in the city’s historic core. Originally founded in the 4th century, this lesser-known church sits atop ancient Roman ruins and unveils layers of religious history. Marvel at magnificent Baroque frescoes, early Christian mosaics, and the remains of a secretive titulus—an early site for underground Christian worship. Venture beneath the basilica to explore centuries-old ruins and witness Rome’s evolving spiritual story.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- A dress code is required for entry into some of the sites on this tour. Knees and shoulders must be covered
- No photos can be taken inside the venue during the tour
- This activity is not suitable for people who suffer from claustrophobia
- Some of the venues may slightly reduce the length of visit in period of high demand.
- If you select the "After Hours" Option, starting at 5pm, you tour will last 2.5 hours and will end at Piazza della Repubblica
- Please note, on Sundays the Church visits is not guaranteed due to liturgical activities.
- Not recommended for those who are effected by claustrophobia
Reviews(5,269)
We did the 930am tour with Alessandra. T was great! She was super knowledgeable and the pace was good. They did enforce the knees and shoulders being covered in the crypts just an FYI. It was nice and cool considering the heat wave. The tour was very interesting overall!
Although we chose to come to Roma in August, the heat did not deter us from exploring. And our tour with Emiliano made walking through the hot streets more than worth it! The cost of our tour was extremely affordable for the experience, knowledge, and entertainment we received with Emiliano. Our family of 4 (ages 51, 43, 18, and 10) have rated Emiliano as our number one tour guide on our 10 day trip to Roma! If we ever return, we hope to find him hosting us on another tour.
The meet locations are not where the bus is, and I’m not sure why. You must walk, in our case in the heat and up hills and across cobblestone streets, to get to the true meeting spot for the bus pickups. The guide was lovely but gave too much information and talked too long in many situations.
Hi Mary, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed your guide. Regarding the meeting points, our buses park as close as possible to the designated locations, as restrictions in historic areas often prevent buses from stopping directly at the meeting point. We understand that walking in the heat, over cobblestones and uphill can be challenging, and we appreciate your understanding. We’ll also share your feedback regarding the length of the guide’s commentary with our team.
Visit of the crypt and the catacombs. This was very interesting and strange at the same time. Our guide Alain was very knowledgeable And funny. It made learning quite easy and fun.
Great tour! Not a typical tour. The guide was very k knowledgeable .
We had a very personable and dedicated guide in Emiliano, who gave us many exciting insights into the history of Rome on this varied tour to the Capuchin Crypts and the catacombs. We found it especially nice that not only were the individual stops interesting, but Emiliano and his colleague also kept telling us interesting facts about Rome on the way between them – both during the walk and during the bus ride. This made the entire tour a varied experience. The combination of the Capuchin Museum, crypts, and catacombs was a great addition to the classic sights of Rome for us. We learned a lot of new things and also got to know places that we probably wouldn't have discovered on our own. Many thanks to Emiliano for the interesting and informative tour – we can recommend it to anyone who wants to get to know Rome from a slightly different perspective!
We really enjoyed this tour. It was very interesting and our guide was very knowledgeable. We would recommend to others!
A well-organized afternoon, with the nice surprise of visiting the Capuchin Crypt before leaving Rome. Excellent guide (Alain). A beautiful moment!
The overall experience was great! Our tour guide Alain shared a lot of details during the tour, which was very much appreciated.
Maria was a wonderful guide! Organized, informative and fun! KIds 7 and 9 really enjoyed this! Super unique experience! Air conditioned bus was a nice break from the heat and the catacombs are also nice and cool down there! Highly recommend!
