Deluxe Appian Way Bike Tour with Catacombs and Traditional Lunch
Description
This tour takes you through the Ancient Appian Way Regional Park, one of the largest urban protected areas in Europe. You will be immerse in the history of the Ancient Appian Way, a 4th century BC roman road, over 500km long that connected Rome to Brindisi, south of Italy. Not only a military road but a road the hides a lots of secrets, beautiful villas and historical sites. You will pass by the Circus of Maxentius, the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella, to name a few. St. Callixtus’s Catacombs are part of the so-called Callistian complex, an area of about 30 hectares between the Via Appia Antica, the Via Ardeatina and the Via delle Sette Chiese, in Rome, which houses various funerary areas and catacombs Lunch/Aperitif A very much deserved break next to the Appian Way awaits you to enjoy a tasty Lunch in the morning tour or aperitif in the afternoon.
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.
Visit to the official funerary complex of the Church of Rome. The largest underground cemetery in the city with corridors that reach a length of about 20km. The catacombs of St. Callixtus, a sacred place dating back to the second century BC, take their name from the deacon Callixtus I. More than 50 martyrs and 16 popes and half a million Christians were buried here.
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.
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
In the shadow of the legendary Appian Way, a stop for lunch is planned. You will be able to taste Italian specialties in the restaurant. Note: only in the 5-hour tour In the afternoon there will be a tasty aperitif instead of the lunch
We resume the e-bike tour along 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 it is possible to admire the grandeur of Roman engineering through the remains of some aqueducts in some 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.
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.
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.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- You MUST know how to ride a bike WELL
- Max weight: 120 KG - 265 pounds.
- The reduction for children (age 6-10) is valid only if they are less than 4'5'' feet tall (143 cm) because they will have a trailer bike and not a separate e-bike
- In the afternoon there will be a tasty Aperitif to replace the Lunch
Reviews(87)
We did the 5hr Deluxe Appian Way Bike Tour with Catacombs Visit & Lunch with Trevor as our tour guide. We had a thoroughly enjoyable time riding along the Appian Way at a leisurely pace on well equiped e-bikes. Trevor was a very knowledgeable and engaging travel guide who took time to explain the various points of interest and answered all questions asked. We are so glad we took the time to do the Appian Way - it showcased another side of Rome that you just won’t see walking the inner city streets. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to see Rome beyond the city centric attractions - many thanks to Trevor and Roma Starbike for a truly amazing experience.
Thank you Paul for this kind feedback and the time you dedicated to write it for us. We're glad you had an amazing time with us thanks Trevor for creating a memorable day for you
Me and my family went together, along with five others in our group. Our guide, Sale, was amazing! Very informative, and answered lots and lots of questions. Such a good tour - learnt a lot about Rome that you wouldn’t otherwise. The stops were well timed and everyone was very accommodating! Highly recommend!!!
We're so honored seeing you and your family had enjoyed this experience a lot with us. Thank you for sharing your feedback.
, July 5th, my partner Mark and I had the deluxe five hour bike ride with Catacombs. Nazeer was our guide and he was wonderful. He helped me when I got stuck, was patient about it and was very interesting to listen to as well. He was very intelligent and knowledgeable about Rome history. He was truly a pleasure to bike with. Ride was fascinating, visit to Catacombs as well.
First and foremost our guide Alex was philosophical, phenomenal, caring, compassionate and great at what he does. This tour is not for those thinking it’s a leisurely tour to see some spectacular sites. You will earn your sites through hard…read this again….hard pedaling with slight assist from the E-bike. Your terrain will be bumpy, dirty, rocky and if you’re doing this in the summer bring lots of sunscreen and water! I highly recommend this tour if you want to see outside the city and see some incredible history.
Alex was amazing! He customized the experience for us, while making sure we were able to experience all of the must-sees! We loved every minute!
This e-bike tour was one of my favorite things I did the whole time I was in Rome. To be able to ride the trail of the Appian way and experience the countryside gave you the chance to see Rome in a different way. We got a tour of the catacombs, ability to see the aquaducts, understand the history of this trail and ride through woods to see some historical ponds. We also stopped for lunch which was delicious. My husband and I were in a group of 10 on a tour with Ricardo where he often would explain things about the trail and its history to the group. However, he made sure to take time individually with each person which made the tour even more special. He also took away the stress of trying to navigate the Appian Way. Highly recommend this group and specifically Ricardo!
This was a fantastic tour of Rome outside of Rome. We toured the Appian way and saw so much history. Our tour guide Mara was awesome! The only down side to this was the condition of the bikes. One of the riders had an issue with the seat, two had issues with gears skipping under load, one had a e bike dead battery shortly after leaving and the guide swapped bikes with her, another had a pedal come loose about halfway through. As I said, the guide and the tour were excellent but the bike shop needs to perform some maintenance on these bikes.
Fantastic 25 km bike tour! The 5 hours flew by, and it was engaging and informative for both adults and our 11- and 15-year-old kids. We loved escaping the hustle and bustle of Rome within minutes and learning about its ancient history along the way. Chris B was a knowledgeable, kind, and funny guide who made the experience even better. We'd happily come back and do another tour!
We had a great day exploring magnificent monuments, ancient aqueducts, cool catacombs, and a surprisingly green environment, just a few minutes by bike from the Colosseum.
Vielen Dank für das Feedback
Absolute highlight of our trip! We did the private family deluxe Appian way bike tour with catacombs, a pasta lunch, and the aqueducts. Our group was 2 adults and a 10 year old - all very comfortable on bikes and the 10 year old has done several 10–16 mile bike trails in the past. This is a long bike trip (approx. 25km) and includes some very bumpy parts (imperial Appian Way), a few steep uphills/downhills, and dirt trails. The beginning and end also are inside the walls on streets with cars, so comfort riding on a road is also needed. We had several stops along the way and absolutely loved the catacombs. Lunch was delicious and the aqueducts were awesome. Alex was a great tour guide and really kept our 10 year old engaged in the tour.
