Underground Rome Tour | Private

Tour Description

Roam through the depths of Underground Rome, exploring the depths of the awe-inspiring Eternal City. Ancient Rome was built with permanence in mind, so instead of destroying their creations, the Romans built on top of them. This has left the oldest parts of this ancient civilization underground and largely inaccessible. Until now.

Descend into the dim passageways and explore the long-lost ancient buildings full of artifacts buried 200 feet deep! Let our expert guide walk you through this ancient underground labyrinth that is preserved underneath the surface of Rome.

Discover the layers beneath Basilica San Clemente on your Underground Rome tour

At the Basilica of San Clemente—an archaeologist’s Pandora’s box—you can venture down this three-tiered complex of buildings ranging in function, creating three distinct layers that are waiting to be discovered.

Start by entering the building’s foundation, a noble mansion from the 1st Century AD. Then enter the next layer, a Temple of Mithras. Built in the courtyard of the former mansion, it became a center for worshipping the pagan sun god Mithras. Finally, go up to the top layer, the Basilica of San Clemente, which houses beautiful mosaics, holy relics, and even one of Rome’s original aqueducts.

Explore the macabre mural decorations of the Bone Church

Another stop on this tour is the macabre Bone Church, also known as the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. This church and catacomb contains one of the most shocking tourist attractions in Rome—a crypt with its walls decorated entirely with skulls and bones.

On your Underground Rome tour, you will discover the stories behind these Capuchin monks that decorated the crypts, and why they were decorated in this way over hundreds of years.

Visitors to the Bone Church are often surprised to hear that it is still a functioning church. If you would like, feel free to attend a Mass or church service in this unique setting during your visit.

Ride along the Appia Antica and descend into one of its catacombs

This tour also allows you to take a ride on the Old Appian Way (Via Appia Antica), the oldest road in Rome. With its many ancient stones, tombs, and ruins lining this ancient path, there are many places to see on your way to one of Rome’s catacombs.

Your tour guide will take you into one of the many catacombs along the Appia Antica. Travel to the depths of either the San Sebastiano, San Callisto, or Domitilla catacombs, and uncover the importance of these layered sites.

Your underground Rome adventure awaits! Discover the history, the macabre, and the ruins underneath a thriving city.

NOTE: The order of the attractions are subject to change depending on the time of your tour.