The Catacombs in Rome began almost 2000 years ago as a sanitary place for Christians to bury their dead. Pagan Romans would not allow Christians to do so inside the city walls since death and the plague was associated. They are also nearby to other monuments that are easier to visit with the help of a guide and transportation. So is a tour worth it to visit the Roman Catacombs?
Do You Really Need a Tour of the Roman Catacombs?
Short Answer: Yes! You’re probably thinking, “you’re just saying that because you are a tour company!” That said, we don’t sell tours of every monument in Rome and preach that you need a tour. A great guide will always improve an experience, but we don’t sell tours of every monument in Rome. This is because we choose to promote attractions that deserve a tour like the catacombs.
If you are convinced, check out all our Rome Catacombs Tours including our best-selling Catacombs tour with the Capuchin Crypts. If you want to know more, here are 4 great reasons why a Rome Catacombs Tour is worth it.
1) The Roman Catacombs are Not in the City Center
The Roman catacombs are located outside of the Aurelian Walls by design. According to the official documents of the Catacomb of Domitilla, many catacombs began popping up in the 2nd century A.D.. This makes sense since the religion was over a hundred years old and had time to spread. We visit the catacombs of Domitilla which was gifted to the Christian community by Flavia Domitilla — a devout Christian.
What does that mean to you? The catacombs are not extremely easy to reach with a bus map. It is something you could figure out, but we created this tour to remove the guesswork and eliminate the possibility of mistakes.
Our catacombs tour includes transportation to and from the catacombs. Our vehicles are also air-conditioned which can be nice during Rome’s extremely hot summers. Some public buses have AC, but it may not be the level you are used to at home if it exists at all.
2) The Capuchin Crypts!
Ever seen a skeleton before? Our Catacombs tour includes a tour of the Capuchin Crypts which is a series of rooms decorated with skeletons! Creepy? Yes!
This is on the complete opposite side of town as most of the Christian Catacombs and we will go here by private transportation. It is one of the last stops which leaves you nearby to all types of public transport including subway, buses, and a taxi stand. You can even walk to the Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese, or Trevi Fountain with ease from here!
3) You Can Visit the Appian Way
The Catacombs are mostly on the Apian Way, but not the pedestrian parts you want to visit. Again, you could get there on your own but now you are adding more complexities to your day and likely burning a lot of time and energy figuring it all out. We visit the Appian Way with our private vehicle and you can sit back and relax knowing we’ll get you to the next destination.
There are some really cool ruins where we stop and you’ll even see tire tracks from ancient Roman carriages!
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4) The Tour Guide
As a company, our job is to curate things and remove the guesswork which includes maintaining a high standard of guide quality. Just about every licensed guides in Rome have an excellent grip on history since they have to take a rigorous test to become a guide. That said, not every person with a great knowledge of history possesses the same ability to weave the stories together in a way that is easy to digest and understand.
We not only select guides that have this ability, but we work with others to increase their skillset! When you purchase a ticket to enter any catacomb in Rome a guide is automatically included, but not a licensed guide (did not take the test we were talking about). Many are priests who are very passionate and often great, but their dialogue may concentrate more on the religious side than anything else. We offer a balance and our guides are excellent!
Also, our guide will be with you from start to finish through the Catacombs, Appian Way, and other stops!
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