Appian Way Rome: how to reach the catacombs and aqueducts
The Appian Way, or Via Appia Antica, is the Roman road that once led south from the city towards Brindisi. The stretch closest to Rome begins a few kilometres beyond the Circus Maximus and the Aurelian Walls, and it is one of the few places where you can walk or cycle on stones that Roman carts once used. You can reach it by public bus, on foot from Porta San Sebastiano, or by bicycle and e-bike, and most visitors combine the road itself with at least one of its catacombs and the nearby Park of the Aqueducts.
This guide sets out the practical side: which bus or metro stop to use, what the road surface and distances are like, which catacombs are open to visitors, how the Park of the Aqueducts fits into a half-day or full-day trip, and what to bring given the lack of shade and shops along much of the route.
Where the Appian Way starts and how to reach it
The old Appian Way begins just outside Porta San Sebastiano, the best-preserved gate in the Aurelian Walls, about twenty minutes on foot south of the Circus Maximus. From here the road runs in a fairly straight line through the Parco Regionale dell'Appia Antica, a protected area of umbrella pines, stone walls and ruined tombs that stretches for several kilometres before reaching open countryside.
By public transport, bus 118 runs from the Circo Massimo metro stop (line B) and from San Giovanni, dropping passengers close to the catacombs of San Callisto and San Sebastiano. Bus 660 connects from the Colli Albani metro stop, further along the route near the Park of the Aqueducts. On Sundays and public holidays, much of the Via Appia Antica itself is closed to private cars, which makes walking or cycling considerably more pleasant.
There is also an info point and bicycle hire office at Via Appia Antica 58-60, around a kilometre from Porta San Sebastiano, with toilets, water and route maps. Staff there can advise on which tombs and ruins are currently open, since access to some sites changes with the season and with ongoing restoration work.
Walking the Appian Way: what the road is like underfoot
The first stretch of the Appian Way, within the modern city, is paved with large, uneven basalt stones, the original Roman basolato. It looks striking in photographs but is genuinely hard going underfoot, with gaps and camber that catch ankles and wheels alike. Flat sandals or thin shoes are not a good idea here.
Further out, past the junction with Via Cecilia Metella, the road surface becomes a mix of packed gravel and asphalt, flanked by low stone walls, cypress trees and the broken remains of tombs and mausolea that once lined the route for kilometres, since Roman law required burial outside the city walls.
On foot, a there-and-back walk from Porta San Sebastiano to the Catacombs of San Callisto and back takes roughly two hours at an easy pace, without stops. Many visitors prefer to walk one way and catch bus 118 back, or to continue further and hire a bicycle at one of the rental points along the road, since distances between the main sights add up quickly.
Seeing the Appian Way by bicycle or e-bike
Cycling is the most common way to cover the Appian Way in a single visit, since the paved zone closed to traffic allows riders to move freely between the catacombs, the Villa dei Quintili and the Park of the Aqueducts without worrying about distances on foot. Ordinary bicycles can be hired near the info point, though the cobbled sections are uncomfortable on narrow tyres.
An e-bike removes most of that discomfort and also makes the gentle but steady climbs beyond the city limits far less tiring, which matters on a hot day with little shade. Several operators run guided e-bike routes along the Appian Way that include commentary on the tombs, catacombs and aqueducts, which is useful if you want context rather than just a map.
The Appia Antica and Catacombs by ebike: guided tour with Private Transfer from Circus Maximus collects riders from Circus Maximus and takes care of the transfer out to the start of the route, which saves the uneven first stretch on foot. For a route that also takes in the aqueducts, Appia Antica, Aqueduct Park and Catacombs: a ride between history and nature links both areas in a single loop.
Riders who want something a little different can head underground: the Appia Antica and Rome's Underground Labyrinth by Ebike includes a section inside a disused Roman quarry beneath the park, a contrast to the open fields and pine trees above.
The catacombs along the Appian Way
Three catacomb complexes are generally open to visitors along this stretch of road: San Callisto, San Sebastiano and Domitilla. Each is an underground network of galleries cut into volcanic rock, used by early Christians for burial from around the second century, and each can only be visited with a guided tour, usually run in small groups and included in the entry ticket.
The Catacombs of San Callisto are among the largest, with tunnels stretching across several levels and the so-called Crypt of the Popes, where a number of third-century bishops of Rome were buried. The Catacombs of San Sebastiano sit above a fourth-century basilica and take their name from the martyr buried there.
Visits last around thirty to forty-five minutes underground, at a constant cool temperature regardless of the weather outside, so a light jacket is worth carrying even in summer. Photography is usually restricted inside the galleries, and each complex closes on a different day of the week, so it is worth checking in advance which one will be open if you are planning a single stop.
The Park of the Aqueducts
The Parco degli Acquedotti lies a short distance from the historic Appian Way, reached easily by cycling between the two or by metro to Subaugusta or Giulio Agricola on line A. It is a long, open stretch of grassland where several Roman aqueducts, including the Acqua Claudia and Acqua Felice, still stand in broken but recognisable arches.
Unlike the narrower, tree-lined Appian Way, the aqueduct park is wide open, with few shaded spots, which makes it popular with local joggers and picnickers in the early morning and late afternoon rather than at midday. The scale of the surviving arches, some more than twenty metres high, gives a clearer sense of Roman engineering than the smaller fragments found along the road itself.
The park featured in Federico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita and remains a quiet, largely residential corner of the city, with none of the ticket offices or guided groups found at the catacombs. It works well as the final stop on a half-day cycling route, since it can be reached without retracing your path back towards Porta San Sebastiano.
Villa dei Quintili and other ruins to look out for
Further along the Appian Way, past the main cluster of catacombs, stands the Villa dei Quintili, once one of the largest private residences in the Roman suburbs, confiscated by the emperor Commodus after its original owners were put to death. Its ruins, including baths and a nymphaeum, are extensive enough to explore for half an hour or more and tend to see fewer visitors than the catacombs closer to the city.
Along the roadside between the gate and the villa, keep an eye out for the circular Tomb of Cecilia Metella, a well-preserved first-century mausoleum later incorporated into a medieval fortress, and for the many smaller, broken tombs that once carried inscriptions naming the families buried there.
Most of these sites can be seen from the road without an entry fee, though the Villa dei Quintili and Tomb of Cecilia Metella charge for closer access. A cycling route rather than a walk makes it realistic to take in several of these ruins in one outing, since the distances between them are longer than they first appear on a map.
Joining a guided e-bike tour
A guided e-bike tour removes most of the planning described above: transport to the start point, a working bicycle suited to the cobbles, and a guide who can explain what you are looking at rather than relying on scattered information boards. This matters particularly for the catacombs, where unguided access is not permitted, and for the quieter ruins that carry no signage at all.
Group sizes are generally kept small enough to cycle together safely along the narrower sections of the old road, and most tours build in stops to dismount and walk around the main ruins on foot. Riding an e-bike rather than a standard bicycle also means the return leg, often slightly uphill towards the city, is no harder than the outward journey.
For visitors who want to extend the day beyond the Appian Way itself, Appia Antica and Castel Gandolfo: day trip to discover an unseen face of Rome and the Castelli Romani continues past the aqueducts and into the Castelli Romani hills, finishing at Castel Gandolfo on the edge of Lake Albano.
What to bring and what to wear
Comfortable, closed shoes with some grip are the single most useful thing to bring, given the uneven basalt paving near the start of the route. Trainers or walking shoes work well; sandals and thin-soled shoes do not, whether you are walking or cycling.
There is little shade along much of the open road and almost none in the Park of the Aqueducts, so sun protection, a hat and water are worth carrying between roughly April and October. Few shops or cafes sit directly on the route itself, though the info point near Porta San Sebastiano sells drinks and the areas around Cecilia Metella and the aqueduct park have occasional bars.
For the catacombs, bring a light layer even in summer, since the underground galleries stay cool year-round, and expect to leave bags and tripods at the entrance if you are carrying anything bulky. If cycling, a small bag or pannier is more practical than a backpack worn while riding over cobbled sections.
Best time of day and year to visit
Weekday mornings tend to be quieter than weekends, particularly in the stretch nearest the city where tour groups gather around the catacombs' opening times. Sundays bring more visitors but also the road closure to private traffic, which many people find makes up for the extra footfall.
Spring and fine autumn days suit walking or cycling best, with cooler temperatures and the pine-lined sections at their most pleasant. Midsummer visits are manageable if you set out early and plan around the shaded parts of the route, but the open ground near the aqueduct park can feel exposed by midday.
Winter visits are generally quiet, and the catacombs stay at a constant temperature regardless of the season outside, which makes them a reasonable option even on a cold or wet day when the open-air sections are less appealing.
Combining the Appian Way with a wider day out
Because the Appian Way runs outward from the city rather than looping back, it lends itself to being paired with destinations further along the same road. The Castelli Romani hills, with their lakes and hill towns, sit within reach of a longer e-bike route that starts on the Appian Way itself.
The Castelli Romani Day Trip: Castel Gandolfo and Nemi travels out by train before continuing by bicycle, taking in the Papal Palace at Castel Gandolfo and Lake Nemi, and gives a sense of the countryside that the Appian Way was originally built to connect to Rome.
For a shorter outing focused purely on the ancient road, the catacombs and the aqueducts close to the city, a half-day covers the main sights comfortably, leaving the afternoon free for the centre of Rome. Either approach works, and the choice mostly comes down to how much time you have and whether you prefer walking, standard cycling or an e-bike for the distances involved.