Appian Way Catacombs and Roman Aqueducts: Guided eBike Tour in Rural Italy
4.9
1,291 Ratings
Roma
Explore rural Italy and discover ancient Roman ruins on this 4.5- or 6-hour eBike tour. Cycle on the Ancient Appian Way, visit the Catacombs, and marvel at Roman aqueducts.
Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Porta San Sebastiano - Marvel at the imposing Porta di San Sebastiano, a gate in the 3rd-century defensive walls of Rome.
  • Appian Way (Via Appia Antica) - Ride on the “Regina Viarum”, the Queen of the Roads - an ancient highway built in the 4th century BC, stretched between Rome and Brindisi (in its initial form, about 538 km long!)
  • Catacombs of Saint Callixtus - In the 4.5-hour tour, a short pause to contemplate the massive burial underground, resting place to half a million souls.

In the 6-hour tour, a 45-minute guided visit of these 2nd-century catacombs, in all their complexity and mystery! Note: On Wednesdays, we will visit the Catacombs of San Sebastiano instead.

  • Circus of Maxentius - Stop by the monumental ruins of this Imperial Villa and its adjacent Circus (a private chariot racetrack), dating from the beginning of the 4th century AD.

  • Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella e Castrum Caetani - Parco Archeologico dell’Appia Antica - The largest mausoleum ever built on the Ancient Appian Way - dedicated to a young noblewoman from the 1st century AD.

  • Villa dei Quintili e Santa Maria Nova - Parco Archeologico dell’Appia Antica - Witness the sprawling remains of this 2nd-century villa, which raised the envy of Emperor Commodus (stop for this highlight included only in the in the 6-hour tour).

  • Parco degli Acquedotti - Parco Archeologico dell’Appia Antica - A large park criss-crossed with the arches of several ancient Aqueducts supplying Rome with water.

  • Terme di Caracalla - A view over the remains of one of ancient Rome’s largest thermal baths (highlight included only In the 6-hour tour)

  • Parco Della Caffarella - Bike through this island of countryside in the midst of the sprawling city of Rome… replete with rustic animal farms and large green pastures.

What's Included
  • Water in an eco-friendly biodegradable bottle
  • Multilingual guide (English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian available)
  • Safety helmet provided (mandatory)
  • Top-quality CANNONDALE E-Bike equipped with anti-puncture tires
  • Convenient handlebar bag
  • Exclusive guided visit to the Catacombs (San Callisto or San Sebastiano) on the 6-hour tour
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Gratuities
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Venture into the countryside of Italy and uncover age-old Roman remains during this 4.5- to 6-hour electric-assist bicycle tour on the Ancient Appian Way, Catacombs, and Roman Aqueducts. (6.5-hour duration on Wednesdays). Pedal along the historic Appian Way on an electric-assist bicycle with your guide. Be astonished by Roman relics such as the Aurelian Walls, the Circus of Maxentius, and the Tomb of Caecilia Metella. Exploring the San Callisto or San Sebastiano catacombs (only included in the 6-hour tour) from the 2nd century, you’ll gain insight into Roman burial customs. With a small group size limited to 10 people, personalized attention from your guide is ensured.

You have two versions of the tour to choose from: a shorter 4.5-hour one and a comprehensive 6-hour one. Both versions cover the same route but have different offers. Please consult the Important info section for more details.

  • Please note that approximately 40% of the route of this tour takes place in the city. We ride carefully chosen city streets, but some traffic is unavoidable to connect the Ancient Appian Way Park to the Aqueducts Park. In the remaining 60% of the route (riding in the parks) we encounter no traffic.
  • You will cover an area of approximately 17 miles (27km), 60% of which takes place off-road. The difficulty level of this tour is intermediate (difficult with a child seat or child extension mounted on the bicycle).
  • Child policy: (1) Infants under 1 year are not allowed to participate for safety reasons. (2) Infants aged 1-4 years travelling on a child seat (with load capacity of up to 55 lbs or 25 kg) come on the tour free of charge. (3) For children aged 5-8 years a child extension (child streamliner) is provided. (4) Children aged 9 and above can autonomously ride on an appropriately sized E-bikes.
  • Minimum of 4 participants applies (total number of participants on tour). There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is 3 or less passengers on the tour. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative for your tour or full refund.
  • On Wednesdays, the route includes a deviation, so the tour may last half an hour longer (4.5 hours in place of 4 hours and 6,5 hours in place of 6 hours). The tour may be half an hour longer long also in the period January 25 - February 20 2024
  • On Easter Sunday (March 31st, 2024), the Catacombs are closed (therefore, the 6-hour tour will not be running)
  • This tour doesn’t include any food or drinks; however, the route offers a few possibilities to purchase some food or drinks (which can be consumed during a suitable break).
  • Are the tours safe? The answer is: Absolutely! The tours follow carefully planned routes which have limited access to traffic, and some have no traffic at all, meaning you are able to enjoy your ride around the city in total relaxation and safety and you won’t have to worry about traffic
  • We require that all customers wear a helmet on the tour (provided for free).
Location
Via Labicana, 49
Via Labicana
You can easily reach us using the A-line subway, getting off at Metro MANZONI (our shop is a 10-minute walk from there); or using the B-line subway, getting off at Metro COLOSSEUM (our shop is a 10/15-minute walk from there).
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(1291 Ratings)
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Brooke_l
Apr 8, 2024
A must when in Rome - This was our favorite thing we did in Rome! I thought six hours would be to long but with all the stops it wasn’t. We took our teenage daughter and she loved it too! I would tell anyone that visits Rome to do this tour. Also our guid Bita was such a good guide!
Review provided by Viator
Mfarnand
Apr 7, 2024
Fabulous way to learn some Roman History! - Simone was our guide and he did a fabulous job teaching us about the history of the Appian Way. We learned so much about the aqueducts, catacombs and the ruins we encountered along our tour. He navigated us through city traffic without a problem, answered every question and made sure we were all enjoying the tour. Thanks for a terrific time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paul_w
Apr 7, 2024
Historical E-bike ride - The weather was prefect for a historical bike ride through the southeastern portion of Rome. Seeing the original Rome road was awesome.
Review provided by Viator
Nessbatpp
Apr 6, 2024
MUST DO IN ROME - A MUST DO if visiting Rome… a wonderful experience cycling thru Roman History and Countryside!! Dario our guide was an absolute delight. Felt safe at all times. Well organised with lots of short breaks and interesting sights off the beaten track! Loved it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shailen
Apr 5, 2024
Away from the busy Rome - Great experience in Rome. Getting away from the busy centre and having a morning/afternoon to see the country side. Some beautiful scenery.
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Michelle_t
Apr 4, 2024
The greener view of Rome. - Stefano was an awesome guide, and a lovely person. His knowledge was great and always ensured safety for the group. We loved the opportunity to get out of the city and ride off road, the bikes are very capable. One of the best activities for our week in Rome.
Review provided by Viator
Maco200
Apr 3, 2024
Refreshing Tour outside the City - We had a wonderful tour of the Appian Way, the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus and Aqueduct Park with Stefano. Booking was easy through the TopBike website, the price is fair, and the staff who greeted and helped us were friendly and professional. Stefano took great care to ensure our safety the entire ride. It was my first time on an e-bike, and I loved the experience of gliding through Rome, along the cobbles of the Appian Way and through the fields along Aqueduct park. This is also a great way to see one of Rome's many catacombs without having to book a separate tour. We had an absolutely lovely six hours on this tour -- it was nice to escape the hustle and bustle of Rome for a bit. My only constructive feedback for TopBike is to stagger when their tours arrive at the lunch spot; we showed up at the pizza restaurant at the same time as two other tours, so we stood in line over 20 minutes to order. Only a small problem on an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable experience. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elisabeth_g
Apr 1, 2024
Awesome experience! - AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME. A little scary to ride on the streets of Rome (though our amazing guide took such good care of us and made sure that we were safe!), but the experience was really, really fun. I'm not a huge biker, but the e-bike made even the steepest hills manageable. It was a glorious day and we saw the most amazing things. I loved it so much!
Review provided by Viator
Halden_s
Mar 31, 2024
A fun and informative adventure - Our whole family loved our e-bike journey on the Appian way. We got to see so much more outside of the city and understand the works of the Roman Empire more through the Appian way, gates of the city, circus ruins and aqueducts. The tour of the catacombs was moving and fascinating. Our guide Arina was attentive to the group, pacing it comfortably for all, stopping for lunch, pictures, information and breaks as people needed. The bike shop was great and the bikes were in great shape and a fun way to cover a lot of miles
Review provided by Viator
Heather_d
Mar 30, 2024
A fantastic change of pace when your feet need a break from walking tours! - This tour was a highlight of our family trip to Rome! Our kids (12 and 10) loved it. It was so great to get away from the crowds in the heart of the city (the bike tour is in the city, but feels like you’re out in the countryside). We appreciated the explanations of architecture and history from our amazing guide, too. It’s fun and safe, and a fantastic alternative to walking tours when your feet need a break. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
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1 Adult
May 2024
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