Capuchin three monks
Priscilla Catacombs
Top of the Basilica San Matino ai Monti, Rome
View of the Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome
Guided tour of the Roman crypts
Skip the Line

The Original Rome Crypts and Catacombs Tour

4.92
(4,205 Reviews)
3h 30min
English
Everyday
09:50, 14:30

  • Follow the Original Crypts & Catacombs Tour into the underbelly of Rome to discover the hidden and eerie history of the Eternal City. Begin your journey with Skip the Line Entrance to the Christian Catacombs, where generations of early Christians tunneled under the city to bury their dead in tombs carved out of the bedrock itself.
  • Our private air-conditioned coach will then take your small group to the Capuchin Crypt, an eerie monument to death, with the remains of over 4,000 monks decorating the walls. Here you will be free to explore hearing all the interesting details and the reasons behind such an unusual practice with your audio guide.
  • Finish the tour with a visit to Basilica San Martino ai Monti. Head inside this ancient church, adorned with frescoes, and see the Chapel of Our Lady of Carmel. Immerse yourself in the stunning artwork, and get to know some of the incredible lesser-known history of the Eternal City.

Your Rome Catacombs Tour Experience Starts Here

What's Included

  • Expert, English-speaking tour guide
  • Entrance ticket and audio guide to the Capuchin Crypt and Museum
  • Roman Catacombs tickets
  • Entrance to the Basilica San Martino ai Monti.
  • All transfers in an air-conditioned coach bus
  • Gratuities

Sites Visited

  • Catacombs of Domitilla, San Callisto or San Sebastiano
  • The Basilica of San Martino ai Monti
  • The Capuchin Crypt and Museum

The Original Crypts and Catacombs of Rome Tour starts by meeting your expert historian guide in Piazza Barberini, beside the fountain of Triton. Interestingly, this piazza was used as the location for displaying human corpses which needed public identification up until the 1800s.

Explore the Sacred Christian Catacombs

From here you’ll be driven in our private climate-controlled bus to the extensive Christian Catacombs which were dug out of the ground over 2000 years ago. 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.

Discover the Lesser Known History of Rome

When you exit the catacombs, your bus will take you back within the city walls to the Basilica of San Martino ai Monti. Near the edge of the Parco del Colle Oppio, this unassuming church dates back to the 4th century - it has been rebuilt over the years, but is filled with a great sense of history just waiting to be discovered. Stunning frescoes adorn the walls, from artists such as Pietro Testa, Matteo Riccione and Giannangiolo Canini. Not only that, but you’ll be able to see the preserved bodies of three saints - another way this tour opens up the city’s obsession with death. This basilica might be less well-known than others, but that doesn’t stop it being an important thread in the fabric of the Eternal City and its spectacular history.

Reflect on the Mortal World in the Capuchin Crypts

Your coach will then transport you to the Capuchin Museum. Here you will experience an audio-guided tour telling the story of the order based on the ascetic ideology of St. Francis, the museum contains Caravaggio’s painting of St. Francis and many artifacts from their history of creating altruistic projects around the world. At the rear of the museum are the unique Capuchin Crypts - the final resting place of 4000 Capuchin friars whose bones were used in the European tradition of Momento Mori – decorative features created to cultivate detachment from life in the viewer by reflecting on death and immortality.


This is just one of our popular tours of Rome which gives you a different perspective on the fascinating culture of the Eternal City.

Thousands of 5-Star Reviews

4.92
4,205 Reviews
Excellent
3901
Great
290
Average
13
Poor
1
Bad
0
  • Tripadvisor

  • Know Before You Go

From
US$63.02
per adult
Bestseller
  • Instant Confirmation
  • Mobile Voucher Accepted
  • 24 Hour Cancellation Policy

Get to Know City Wonders

Guide showing attraction

A City Wonders tour is the product of meticulous research, detailed planning, and a passion for providing customers with travel experiences they will cherish forever.

With City Wonders it's not just facts, our passionate guides tell you the stories that bring the sights to life.

  • All of our guides are experts in their field
  • We only hire fluent English-speakers so nothing is ever lost in translation
  • We focus on the little details and anecdotes that make City Wonders so special