The Appian Way by Golf Cart: Catacombs, Tombs and Aqueducts

The Appian Way, the Via Appia Antica, is the road the Romans began building south from the city in 312 BC. Its first miles are now a regional park of tombs, villas and catacombs, and they are long, flat and far apart, which is exactly what a golf cart is good at. The most complete cart tour of it takes four hours with a licensed guide and includes entry to three sites, from $135 per person, rated 4.9 out of 5 from 33 reviews (checked October 2026).

The three ways to do it by cart

Prices, ratings and review counts from GetYourGuide, checked October 2026; operators change prices by season, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote.

What you see on the way

• The Circus of Maxentius, a chariot-racing track built in the early 4th century for the emperor Maxentius, next to his villa.
• The Villa of Capo di Bove, the remains of a Roman house with baths and mosaics, now part of the park.
• The catacombs, the underground Christian burial galleries that run for miles under this stretch of road. The four-hour tour includes a visit with a local guide.
• The Park of the Aqueducts, where the arches of the aqueducts that fed ancient Rome still cross the fields.

The tomb of Caecilia Metella, the big round mausoleum on the road, is the landmark most people recognise from photographs.

The catacombs: what to know before you go

The St Callixtus listing is clear about the rules, and they apply to the catacombs on any tour:

• It is about 16°C underground all year, and damp, so bring a layer even in August.
• Photos are not allowed inside.
• These are places of worship: cover shoulders and knees, and no shorts or sleeveless tops.
• The stairs down are steep, so the visit does not suit wheelchair users, and it is not recommended for anyone with severe claustrophobia.
• The listing says its skip-the-line ticket does not apply on Wednesdays, so check the day you book.

For the history of the catacombs themselves, which ones are open and how they differ, catacombs-of-rome.com covers them in depth.

Is a cart the right way to see the Appian Way?

For most people, yes. The road runs for miles with long gaps between sites, the ancient paving is rough underfoot, and there is little shade in summer. The alternatives are a bicycle, which is cheaper and good for fit riders, or walking a short section, which shows you the road but not much of what lies along it. A cart with a guide covers the main sites in a morning or an afternoon without leaving you worn out.

Take a hat and water in summer; the carts have rain covers, and the four-hour tour runs in all weather.

Getting there

The four-hour tour starts from the Appian Way Regional Park’s visitor centre at Via Appia Antica 58/60, outside the centre; give yourself time to get there by bus or taxi. The catacombs shuttle starts nearer the Colosseum, at Via Marco Aurelio 19, which is the easier choice without a car. For tours that stay in the centre, see the best golf cart tour in Rome.