Rome: San Clemente Basilica & Ancient Underground Secrets Tour
Description
Discover one of Rome’s most captivating hidden gems with a self-guided audio tour of the Basilica of San Clemente and its extraordinary archaeological excavations. Just steps from the Colosseum, this site unveils over 2,000 years of history, layered beneath your feet. With your audio guide, explore freely and at your own pace. Begin in the magnificent 12th-century basilica, where shimmering mosaics and medieval frescoes adorn the walls. Then venture below to a 4thcentury Christian basilica and, even deeper, an atmospheric Mithraeum — a pagan temple used for ancient rituals. Wander through ancient rooms and passageways, marvel at the preserved ruins, and imagine life in Rome across the centuries. Your audio guide offers rich storytelling, bringing each space to life while giving you the freedom to linger and explore at your own pac Don’t miss this unique opportunity to delve into Rome’s hidden underground world. Book your San Clemente audio tour today — the Eternal City’s secrets await!
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Basilica of San Clemente is one of Rome’s most fascinating hidden gems, a true time capsule layered with over two millennia of history. Just a short walk from the Colosseum, this site allows visitors to descend through three distinct levels of Roman life. The 12th-century upper basilica features beautiful medieval frescoes and stunning mosaics. Beneath it lies a 4th-century Christian basilica, its faded yet evocative frescoes telling stories of early Christianity. Descend further and you’ll find a 1st-century Roman house and an extraordinary Mithraeum, a temple dedicated to the god Mithras, complete with an altar and intricate carvings. As you explore these underground chambers, you witness the city’s evolution from pagan worship to Christian devotion. The site’s intimate, mysterious atmosphere offers a unique glimpse into Rome’s layered past. San Clemente is a must-visit for those eager to experience Rome’s rich, multi-layered history, where every stone whispers ancient stories.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A dress code is required to enter all the churches: knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women.
- PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED
- To download and use the app, we recommend using a smartphone produced in 2020 or later.
- Headphones are recommended for optimal audio quality — bring your own.
- Please arrive at the meeting point at least 20 minutes before your scheduled entry time.
Reviews(11)
Daniel at the travel agency was very helpful in setting all of us up on the digital app so we could do the self guided tour of the Basilica.
Thank you very much for your kind words! We are really happy to hear that Daniel was helpful in assisting you with the app setup and that you enjoyed discovering the Basilica through the self-guided experience. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again in Rome soon!
It was a good audio tour of the underground area. Lots of history and good information. Picking up the tickets was very easy.
Thank you for your kind review! We're glad you found the audio tour informative and easy to follow, and that the ticket collection process was smooth. San Clemente’s underground layers are truly fascinating, and it’s great to hear you enjoyed discovering their history. We hope to welcome you again on another experience in Rome!
Unfortunately I was unable to pick up the audio guide before the visit to the basilica because I was late, but the Tour in the city provider was very understanding and reimbursed me.
Merci pour votre retour. Nous sommes désolés d’apprendre que vous n’avez pas pu récupérer l’audioguide en raison de votre retard. Cependant, nous sommes ravis de savoir que le prestataire, Tour in the City, a fait preuve de compréhension et a procédé au remboursement. Si vous avez d’autres questions ou besoin d’assistance à l’avenir, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter.
The Basilica is in the works, the visit to the excavations is quite overwhelming, of these two hours no one warns you. We have been charged 28€ for each ticket and not even accompanied to the ticket, we have not given helmets, no kos have spoken in Spanish. Very bad everything for the high price paid, entrance to the excavation bought by libre are 10€
Estimado cliente: lamentamos que su experiencia no haya estado a la altura de sus expectativas. No obstante, nos gustaría aclarar algunos aspectos: usted adquirió un servicio de “entrada reservada + audioguía”, no una visita guiada. Nuestra agencia se encuentra a solo 100 metros de la entrada de la basílica y ofrecemos asistencia completa, además de toda la información necesaria, que también está indicada en el voucher recibido en el momento de la reserva. El precio pagado (28€) no corresponde únicamente a la entrada a las excavaciones, sino que incluye varios servicios adicionales: el derecho de reserva anticipada (que garantiza el acceso en una franja horaria específica), la audioguía a través de una app, la asistencia online y en el lugar, además de impuestos, comisiones bancarias y costes de la plataforma de reserva. En cuanto a las obras en curso, la duración de la visita y las condiciones de acceso a las excavaciones, se trata de aspectos gestionados directamente por el sitio arqueológico y no dependen de nuestra agencia. Quedamos en todo caso a su disposición para cualquier aclaración y tomamos en cuenta su comentario para seguir mejorando nuestro servicio.
MALÍSIMA Experience, I hired Audioguia (as in other monuments that was great) they send the audio to your mobile, (which I did not read anywhere) to top it off, they send the audio to your mobile, so not expecting this I did not wear helmets, and when you enter you have to listen to them low so as not to disturb the rest of visitors, on top of that the audios are messy and we do not know anything. We saw ourselves walking around not knowing what to do, we went up to get the typical informative triptych that you get in the entrance, and thanks to that we heard about “something”. And as if that were not enough when you arrived at the Basilica the price for admission was 10€. It was disappointing, I felt completely cheated. I wrote to tell them and they never answered. I don't really understand anything. A shame.
Estimado/a Cliente: Lamentamos sinceramente haber leído su reseña, pero consideramos necesario hacer algunas aclaraciones. Los entradas, ya compradas e incluidas en su reserva, junto con todas las instrucciones detalladas para el uso de la audioguía, le fueron enviadas correctamente antes de la visita. Por lo tanto, no era necesario adquirir nuevamente la entrada en el lugar, ya que estaba previamente reservada y pagada por nosotros. En la descripción del producto se especifica claramente que el servicio incluye el uso de una aplicación descargable en su propio teléfono móvil y que no proporcionamos dispositivos ni auriculares, tal como se indica en la página de la experiencia en Viator. La audioguía está organizada en pistas numeradas con los planos de los tres niveles y sigue un recorrido preciso dentro de la Basilica di San Clemente. Cientos de visitantes la han utilizado sin experimentar las dificultades que usted describe. Nuestra agencia se encuentra a solo 100 metros de la Basílica, por lo que ante cualquier duda o problema podría haberse acercado fácilmente. Además, nuestro número de teléfono está siempre activo durante el horario de apertura para ofrecer asistencia inmediata a nuestros clientes. Lamentamos que la experiencia no haya cumplido con sus expectativas, pero consideramos su comentario injusto y ofensivo, ya que toda la información estaba claramente indicada y la asistencia disponible. La falta de lectura de las instrucciones, lamentablemente, no puede atribuirse a nuestra organización. Quedamos de todos modos a su disposición para cualquier aclaración adicional. Atentamente.
So disappointed! After the amazing Vatican experience with Viator, I thought this tour would be the same level. It wasn't! The company it partnered with told us 12pm when we got there our. 12pm tickets were not valid. We had to wait until 1pm. There was no guided tour - the last line in description says bring your own headphones. The employee at church said I basically paid for four tickets and I paid for two with this tour. Terrible! I feel ripped off.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet your expectations, and we’d like to clarify some important points. The product you purchased includes entrance tickets with an audio-guided tour, not a live guided tour. This is clearly indicated in both the product description and your confirmation voucher, which also states that you need to bring your own headphones to use the included audio guide app. Please note that the price covers not only the entry ticket but also: Access to our exclusive audio guide application, for which we hold the copyrights; On-site and online assistance from our staff; Taxes, banking fees, security of guaranteed tickets, and Viator platform commissions. Our live guided tours are a separate product offered at a significantly higher price. We would also like to emphasize that our company does not scam anyone. All details are clearly described before purchase, and we always recommend reading the product information carefully to ensure it matches your expectations. Regarding the schedule, please note that San Clemente Basilica is an active church, and entry times may change due to religious ceremonies beyond our control. We appreciate your understanding and hope you still enjoyed discovering this remarkable historical site.
An activity failure. When we arrived, it turns out we didn't have the entrances to enter the archaeological zone. And that we only had one audio guide app. In addition, the hours have changed and the operators have not been informed. And yet my reservation was numbered and individual and made it very clear that it gave me access to all levels. A failure
Hola, Queremos aclarar que en tu reserva solo se adquirió el servicio de audioguía, tal y como se indica claramente en el momento de la compra. De hecho, seleccionaste la opción “solo audioguía” y no la opción que incluye también la entrada, y además esta opción tiene un precio mucho más bajo que la que incluye los billetes de acceso. En el momento de la reserva aparece claramente el siguiente aviso: «SOLO APLICACIÓN DE AUDIOGUÍA — ENTRADAS NO INCLUIDAS: Con esta opción, la entrada a las excavaciones de San Clemente NO está incluida. APLICACIÓN DE AUDIOGUÍA: disponible en inglés, español, francés, alemán e italiano, con 22 puntos de escucha.» Respecto al supuesto cambio de horario, esto no es correcto, ya que nosotros no gestionamos ni proporcionamos entradas y, por lo tanto, no podemos modificar los horarios de acceso. Creemos que ha habido una confusión por tu parte, ya que las entradas no estaban incluidas en el servicio que reservaste. Es importante leer bien lo que se compra antes de hacer una reserva. Gracias por tu comprensión.
Very interesting part of history. The audio tour made it easy to follow along with what was happening during the time period. You can go at your own pace. Highly recommend.
Thank you so much for your kind words! 🌟 We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed discovering the fascinating history of the Basilica di San Clemente and its ancient underground layers. We’re also happy the audio tour helped make the experience clear and easy to follow at your own pace. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another tour in Rome soon! 🇮🇹
Awesome experience, going at your own pace. Well organized. Lots of stunning pictures, designs and history which make it more amazing
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed exploring the Basilica of San Clemente and its fascinating underground layers. It truly is one of Rome’s hidden gems, where history, art, and spirituality come together in a unique way. We’re glad you found the tour well organized and were able to enjoy it at your own pace. We hope to welcome you back soon for more unforgettable experiences in the Eternal City! Warm regards, Tour in the City
The place is amazing. The tour guide was very knowledgable but goes off on tangents -- but we enjoyed it.
Dear Customer, thank you for your wonderful review. We are happy to know that our efforts to give the best possible service have been appreciated by you. For us every review has an absolute value and is our lifeblood to work and give the best of ourselves. We are certainly not perfect but we always do our best to ensure a wonderful experience for all our customers. Thanks again from all our staff and we hope to have you as our customer soon. Best regards Stefano
