Catacombs of St. Callixtus

The Catacombs of St. Calixtus in Rome, Italy

Burial niches line the tunnel walls of Rome's Catacombs of San Callisto. (Photo by Jim Forest)

The Catacombe di San Callisto have the most popular (and crowded) tours, but also some of the most amazing sights of any catacombs on Rome's Appian Way

A fresco of "The Good Shepherd" in the Catacomb of St. Calixtus in Rome, Italy

A mid-3rd century fresco of "The Good Shepherd" in the Catacomb of St. Calixtus

Of all the catacombs, the catacombs of St. Calixtus has the biggest parking lot, and hence the largest crowds of tour bus groups—and the cheesiest, most Disneyesque tour, full of canned commentary and stilted jokes.

On the other hand, some of the tunnels are phenomenal: 70 feet high and less than six feet wide, pigeon-holed by elongated tomb niches all the way up to the ceiling. Cool.

Of all the catacombs, those of San Callisto are among the oldest and certainly the largest (12 miles of tunnels over 90 acres and four levels that house the remains of half a million Christians), and were the final resting place of 16 early popes.

On the tour, you also get to ogle some of the earliest Christian art—frescoes, carvings, and drawings scratched into the rock depicting ancient Christian symbols like the fish, the anchor, the dove, and images that tell some of the earliest popular Bible stories.

Tips & links

Details

ADDRESS

Via Appia Antica 110–126
tel. +39-06-513-0151 or +39-06-5130-1580
www.catacombe.roma.it

OPEN

Open daily 9am–noon and 2–5pm

Closed wednesdays Jan 28–Feb 24

ADMISSION

€8
Roma Pass: No

TRANSPORT

Bus: 118 (from Piramide stop on Metro B); 218 (from San Giovanni stop on Metro B)
Archeobus: Trambusopen.com (* costs €20)

TOURS

The Appia Antica (either S. Sebastiano or S. Callisto)
Ancient Appian Way, Catacombs and Roman Countryside Bike Tour (S. Callisto)
Catacombs and Roman Countryside Half-Day Walking Tour (catacomb varies)
Christian Rome Afternoon Tour (catacomb varies)
The Catacombs and more (catacomb varies)
The Vatican + Catacombs(catacomb varies)
Eternal Rome + The Catacombs (catacomb varies)
Skip the Line: Crypts and Roman Catacombs Small Group Walking Tour (S. Domitilla)
Catacombs and Underground Rome Tour (either S. Sebastiano or S. Domitilla)
Context: Catacombs Excursion (see two less-visited catacombs: Sant'Agnese and Santa Priscilla)
Context: Jewish Catacombs

How long do the Catacombs of St. Callixtus take?

Planning your day: The tour of the catacombs takes about 30–40 minutes, but get here at least 12–15 minutes early, so budget an hour (plus another 30 minutes each way for public transportation—remember, these things were built outside the walls of Rome on purpose).. » Rome itineraries

Catacombs of St. Callixtus tours

Take a guided tour of the Catacombs of St. Callixtus with one of our partners:
Tours of the catacombs

The Appia Antica (either S. Sebastiano or S. Callisto)
Ancient Appian Way, Catacombs and Roman Countryside Bike Tour (S. Callisto)
Catacombs and Roman Countryside Half-Day Walking Tour (catacomb varies)
Christian Rome Afternoon Tour (catacomb varies)
The Catacombs and more (catacomb varies)
The Vatican + Catacombs(catacomb varies)
Eternal Rome + The Catacombs (catacomb varies)
Skip the Line: Crypts and Roman Catacombs Small Group Walking Tour (S. Domitilla)
Catacombs and Underground Rome Tour (either S. Sebastiano or S. Domitilla)
Context: Catacombs Excursion (see two less-visited catacombs: Sant'Agnese and Santa Priscilla)
Context: Jewish Catacombs

How to get to the Catacomb of San Callisto

Bus 118 also heads here from outside the Piramide stop of Metro line B. Or you can take Bus 218 from the San Giovanni Metro stop, which follows the Via Appia Antica for a bit, then veers right onto Via Ardeatina at Domine Quo Vadis church. After another long block, the 218 stops at the square Largo M.F. Ardeatine, near the gate to San Callisto catacombs. Or you can take the Archeobus (www.trambusopen.com). (More on public transport to the catacombs/Appian Way) more