Ancient Appian Way PRIVATE Bike Tour
Description
• Tour in the middle of nature, far from the noise of the city • In this tour, nature meets with a lot of history, culture and art • You will see the ancient Roman aqueduct • Free for children up to 5 years and and reduced price for children up to 10 years.
Tour Options
Itinerary
An imposing southern gateway to the city of Rome. The Porta di San Sebastiano, part of the Aurelian Walls built around 275 AD, also marks the beginning of the historic Via Appia Antica. Be enchanted by its beauty and discover the numerous medieval graffiti that testify to the flow of pilgrims over the centuries.
The Caffarella Park, today an integral part of the Appia Antica Regional Park, is one of the largest green areas not only in Rome but also in Europe. It is a treasure rich in history hidden among its paths and groves where you can see the remains of ancient buildings.
Let yourself be enchanted by this sacred place that tells the love story between the Nymph Egeria and the second King of Rome Numa Pompilius, where Egeria, learning of the death of her beloved, burst into tears from grief, giving life to a spring.
Walk through this immense green area crossed in ancient times and still visible today, from the Via Latina, the oldest road in Rome. Crossroads of the water network of Ancient Rome, here you can admire the grandeur of Roman engineering through the remains of some aqueducts in places well preserved, and surprisingly some still in operation.
At the fifth mile of the Appian Way you can admire the remains of the majestic Villa dei Quintili belonging to the brothers Sesto Quintilio Condiano and Massimo Valerio, consuls in the second century AD, killed by Commodus I who confiscated the villa making it imperial property.
This majestic mausoleum is a pagan tomb dedicated to Cecilia Metella, dating back to the 1st century BC. Incorporated into the Castrum Caetani, it remains the best preserved mausoleum on the Via Appia Antica. Here you can also appreciate the remains of the medieval house of the wealthy Caetani family and the church of San Nicola of which only the perimeter walls remain standing.
Located on the Via Appia Antica, the Circus of Maxentius represents the best example of a Roman circus that has survived to this day. Let yourself be transported into the past surrounded by the remains of ancient Rome. The spina, still visible, housed the Agonale obelisk, moved during the Renaissance to the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona.
Built by the emperor of the same name, the Baths of Caracalla were for about a century the largest public baths ever built, and today most of their structure is preserved. A branch of the Aqua Marcia brought water to the baths through the Antoninian aqueduct. Small remains can be admired at the Porta di San Sebastiano.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- The reduction for children (age 6-10) is valid only if they are less than 4/7 feet tall (143 cm) because they will have a trailer bike and not a bike alone
- You MUST know how to ride a bike WELL
Reviews(99)
What an unbelievably fantastic tour… seeing the outskirts of Rome, riding fantastic electric bikes, with a guide (Gio) who was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the history of Rome could not have made this tour any better. We highly recommend spending a few hours away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
A wonderful way to see another part of Rome. Our guide Salah was fantastic. Highly recommend the experience.
My family of six, including two children 13 and 10, thoroughly enjoyed our private family tour with Alex as our guide. He ensured our safety and gave great tips along our tour. He was very knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the historical landmarks we passed along the way. It captured the attention of our whole party and made the tour very enjoyable. The scenery and places we were guided to were BEAUTIFUL! A very welcome day outside the city with country and open views. We hope to one day return and take the tour again to hear more of the historical stories he has to offer. Highly recommend this company and Alex as a tour guide. Grazie, Alex!
Dear Melina, We're delighted reading this kind nad beautiful feedback. Hope to see you again here for another memorable day
I am a 70 year old male , casual bicycle rider in relatively good physical condition; but have never used an electric power assisted bike. I arrived about 20 minutes before the scheduled 9:30AM departure. And I'm glad I had extra time for the shop guys to help me with a few tips on riding the bike. I got the hang of it quite easily and the power assist really is helpful in going up hill or just pushing you along the way. Some of the route is on relatively busy roads with regular traffic whizzing by quite close as it passes you. That can be unerving in the Roman traffic. Some of the route is on the original Roman Appia Way which surface is those large stones which are not easy to navigate. Most of the route is through park land and bike trails which is fine except if you encounter bicycles coming opposite way and if that part of the trail is narrow. We stopped a few times and the guide, Chris, did inform us of the interesting facts. But, a lot of time we just rode past somethings which I later learned would've inetrested me (for example, lots of old tomb stone remnants are along the roadway ) I asked a few times for additional stops. He did not outright refuse, instead asking me where we should do so . Having never been there I just replied anything of interest will be fine. A few minutes later , we happened upon a sheppard with his large flock of sheep right by the pathway . What a cool sight ! Chris did not stop to allow us the check it out, take pics ... Having never been to Rome, and not knowing the route , I had to follow along lest I get lost ! We we're booked for a 4 hour tour ; we finished about 45 minutes early so clearly we could've stopped at more locations. This guide verbalized opinions of politics , immigration etc .... which, in my view, really has no place in a tour of Roman antiquities.
Dear Sir, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We have carefully read your review and considered all the points you raised. However, we were unable to locate any recent reservation in our records for a private four-hour Appian Way tour with our guide Christian. We would appreciate any additional details you could provide to help us verify this. Please note that for group tours, the itinerary and scheduled stops are fixed, and unfortunately we are not able to make unscheduled stops along the route. Rome is incredibly rich in history, and while our tours aim to highlight many sites, it is not possible to include every location within a single experience. During our visit to the Baths of Caracalla, we provide historical context that also touches on broader themes such as politics and migration, which were integral to ancient Rome—a vast metropolitan city with over one million inhabitants. We value your feedback and thank you again for sharing your thoughts. Kind regards,
We booked a private tour for the Appian way with our two 9 year old kids. We received high grade electric bikes in perfect condition and the service was professional and welcoming. Our guide Alex was super, knowledgeable and gave us very interesting explanations on the history or Rome and Appian way. He was also very considerable and sensitive, as we had a bit slower paced so he adjusted to tour and the final outcome was nevertheless perfect. Highly recommended tour off the beaten road!
Thank you so much for this detailed feedback. We are so delighted to see you have had an amazing time with us. Wish you all the best
Alex was our guide and this was most definitely a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star experience! It was our family of 4 (inc 2 teenagers) and close friends of ours with 1 teenager. To me this was the most enjoyable activity/tour I took all week. The bike tour of the Appian Way was beautiful scenery; mini history lessons, and a fun and engaging tour guide. He ensured (both of) our families’ safety for 4 hours, and was delightful to get to know. The electric bikes were so fun and easy to use. If you are on the fence, definitely book this bike tour, and ask for Alex!
This was a memorable experience. The whole family, teens and adults, enjoyed the experience. Trevor was very knowledgeable and friendly.
Perfect way to see the Appian Way. Our tour guide, Alex, was beyond incredible, and if you can request him, DO IT.
Excellent road tour, excellent tour guide, excellent stop for snacks excellent experience.
It was fabulous. There was 6 of us so not too many. The staff was just great. Kind patient and knowledgeable. I did not tour the catacombs, I wish I had. I totally recommend this company. My bike was great and they cared when they set me up on my bike! Thank you for a great experience! Jacquie
