Crypts, Bones & Catacombs: An Underground Tour of Rome

Visit the best, least -visited Rome Catacombs

There are miles of ancient Christian Catacombs under Rome but most companies visit the same one. We go the extra distance to take you to one of the less-visit and most peaceful. For unique experience, we’re not going to hand you off to just any guide. Instead, our guides are chosen from the elite few who have permission to take you into the depths themselves, so you’ll keep your handpicked Walks of Italy tour guide and your small group of only 18 people or fewer, rather than merging with a group of 20 or 30. Anything bigger, and in the narrow tunnels, you can’t even hear your guide. Forget headsets, they don’t work underground.

Witness Rome's strangest sight - a Crypt lined with the bones of 4.000 monks

The Roman catacombs are pretty cool but we visit another site that could be even better – the Capuchin bone crypt, a cemetery literally built from bones! The chambers are decorated with the remains of some 4,000 friars. For kids, it’s a fascinating lesson in anatomy and for adults, a moving reminder of what we’ll all become. The message at the end of crypt says it all: “What you are now, we once were. What we are now, you will be.” Strangely enough, the monks didn’t intend the site to be a morbid one – but you’ll learn all about that from your expert guide when you visit one of Rome’s most memorable sights.

Step back in time at the Case Romane

Your final stop is the Case Romane del Celio, an underground excavation of the 3rd-century villa of a wealthy patrician family who had the walls frescoed by some of the finest artists of the day. These lavish decorations have survived with astounding clarity and color, meaning you can still see the decorative figures, tricks of perspective, ceiling moldings and floor tiles.

With comfortable, air-conditioned transport throughout, you won’t have to worry about coordinating metros, buses and private transport from one site to the next. Our guides are handpicked not just for their knowledge, but also their enthusiasm and engagement, so they’ll be happy to answer any questions you can throw at them.

Take a walk with us as we peel back the many layers of Rome, uncovering secret stories of Christian persecution, strange religious practices and the multi-layered history of Rome.