By Vicky · Published Feb. 25th, 2024 · Updated Mar. 27th, 2024
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This walk along the Appian Way, or Via Appia Antica, describes where to start, where to walk and what to see along the ancient route.
Page Contents:
Where do I start walking the Appian Way?
Officially, the Appian Way starts at Porta Metronia. However, the first 800 metres of walking are then on a busy road, sometimes with no pavement. If you want don’t want to visit the Wall Museum at Porta Metronia or if you have young children, it’s best to start a bit further along the route.
From the Church of Domine Quo Vadis the route becomes much nicer, with far fewer cars. However, the best part of the Appian Way starts 1.5 km later at the Church of Saint Sebastian, where there are also Catacombs you can visit.
NOTE: the section of the Appian Way between these two churches is along a private road belonging to the Catacombe di San Callisto and is only open when the catacombs are i.e. 9am-5pm daily, excluding Wednesday when it’s closed. There’s also a month in Jan/Feb when the Catacombs and road are closed. Check here for the exact dates. If walking the Via Appia Antica when the San Callisto Catacombs are closed, start at the Church of Saint Sebastian to avoid a 1.5 km walk along a busy road with no pavement.
If you do want to visit the Wall Museum, it’s actually more interesting to start 1 km away at Porta Metronia. While not on the official Appian Way, walking from here means you get to see one of the most impressive sections of the Auralien Walls surrounding Rome.
The walking tour of the Appian Way described here starts at Porta Metronia and is 9 km long. It covers the Auralien Walls, the first part of the Via Appia Antica, and the best archaeological sites. This walk then ends at the entrance to the Villa of the Quintili Archeological Site.
How to get to the Appian Way
To get to the beginning of the official Appian Way Walk, bus 118 leaves from the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II and heads directly to Porta Metronia, Church of Domine Quo Vadis and then Saint Sebastian Church. The walk described here starts at Porta Metronia, a small transport hub, with several buses (81, 118, 628) all heading directly here from the Monument.
There are bus stops at both ends of this walk along the Appian Way, by the church at the beginning and at the Appia/Squillace bus stop at the end.
The bus leaves every 15-20 minutes and takes roughly 15 minutes. To get back, take the same bus, bus 118, in the opposite direction. From the end of this Appian Way walking route it takes roughly 30 minutes to return to central Rome.
How long is the entire Via Appia Antica?
The entire route was originally 563 km long, from Rome to Brindisi in southeast Italy. However, today it’s only nice to walk the first part of the Appia Antica from Porta Metronia to the town of Frattocchi. After this, there isn’t a path anymore, only roads. This walkable (or cyclable) section of the Appian Way is 15 km and takes at least 5 hours to walk if you want to stop off at the archaeological sites along the way. From Frattocchie you can take the train or bus back to central Rome.
Appian Way Walk Map
Tips for Appian Way Walk
- Try and avoid walking the Appian Way on Mondays (when most of the archeological sights are closed) and Wednesdays (when the Catacombe di San Callisto is closed and you can’t walk along their private road).
- Don’t arrive too early as the Wall Museum, private road and most archeological sites only open at 9 am. The Villa di Massenzio (free entry) opens at 10 am.
- Remember to bring a sunhat, sunglasses, sunscreen and water.
- If you visit the catacombs, take a jumper as it’s only 15-17 degrees inside.
- For another great trip from Rome, check out Ostia Antica, or for more walking tours and hikes see our Italy page.
Top Things to See on the Appian Way Walk
On this self-guided walking tour, you’ll hike along the best part of the Appian Way. Alternatively, bike tours of the Appian Way* are also very popular.
- Porta San Sebastiano
- Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis
- Catacombs
- Villa di Massenzio
- Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella
- Capo di Bove
- Complesso di Santa Maria Nova
- Villa dei Quintili
Appian Way Walking Route
This route along the Appian Way, or Via Appia Antica, starts at Porta Metronia. From here, walk along the path by the old Aurelian Walls. These walls were built around Rome in 275AD and had a length of roughly 19km. Today, the section near Porta Metronia remains one of the most impressive.
Once you reach the Porta Latina, another gate in the walls, turn right along the small road and then head left through the second gate into the small park. This park is called Parco degli Scipioni and contains the Tomb of the Scipios, one of the most important families in the Roman Republic. You can only visit by reservation.
Leave the park on the other side, onto a sunken cobbled road surrounded by walls. Turn left and you’ll soon reach the Porta San Sebastiano, the first main stop on this walking tour and the official start of the Via Appia Antica.
1. Porta San Sebastiano
Key Information: Open Tue-Sun 9am-2pm, free to enter.
At the Porta San Sebastiano is the Wall Museum (Museo delle Mura). Inside you can explore the rooms within the defensive gate, and also walk a few hundred meters along the top of the old wall. It’s a fun experience and there are also great views!
The section of the Appian Way walk from the Wall Museum to the church Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis is the worst part of the walk as it’s along a busy road, though it’s only about 800 metres. You can avoid it by taking a bus two stops from Porta San Sebastiano directly to the bus stop Appia Antica/Domine Quo Vadis, close to the church. To shorten the walk by another 1.5 km, you could take the bus straight to San Sebastiano Church where the nicest part of the Appian Way starts.
You’ll find the Visitor Information Centre for the Via Appia Antica shortly before the church. It’s open all day 9:30 am-7 pm on weekends and 9:30 am-6 pm with an hour’s lunch break 1-2 pm on weekdays. The staff can provide you with a map of the Appian Way and can also rent you a bicycle if needed.
2. Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis
Key Information: Open every day, 8 am – 8 pm. Free entry.
The Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis is a church at the location where Jesus supposedly met St Peter as he was fleeing Rome. St Peter asked Jesus where he was going (Domine, Quo Vadis?) and Jesus told him he was going back to Rome to be crucified a second time. Ashamed of his attempt to flee, St Peter ended up turning around and returning to be martyred. Inside the church you can see footprints in a marble block, apparently those of Jesus when he stopped to talk to St Peter.
From the church, head along the small, middle road through the gates at the nearby junction. This is a private road and it’s very quiet. It leads through some fields and past a few houses to the Catacombs of St. Callixtus (Catacombe di San Callisto) and further to the Catacombs of St. Sebastian (Catacombe di San Sebastiano).
3. Catacombs on the Appian Way
There are three Catacombs you can visit close to the Appian Way. They’re all fairly similar, so it only makes sense to visit one unless you have a special interest. They all cost the same price and tickets can be booked on their individual websites (see below) or on GetYourGuide*. You have to visit all of the catacombs on a guided tour. Book in advance to guarantee a spot on a specific tour.
Catacombe di San Callisto
Key Information: Open every day apart from Wednesday. Also closed for roughly a month in Jan-Feb time each year. Guided tours are every 30 minutes from 9:30am-12pm, and 2-5pm.
The Catacombe di San Callisto is the most popular of the catacombs and dates back to around the second century AD. One notable feature of these tombs is the ‘Crypt of the Popes’, where several pontiffs were buried.
Catacombe di San Sebastiano
Key Information: Open daily, 10am-5pm.
The Catacombe di San Sebastiano was originally a stone mine, then a pagan and later a Christian burial place. Graffiti on the walls mentions Peter and Paul, showing it was a holy site to early Christians. Underground, there’s a sculpture of Saint Sebastian, believed to be buried here, by the famous masters Bernini and Giorgetti.
Catacombe Domitilla
Key Information: Open every day apart from Tuesday, 9am-12pm & 2-5pm.
The Catacombe Domitilla is about 500 meters away from the Via Appia Antica and sees relatively fewer tourists than the other two catacombs so it’s rather more peaceful to visit. It’s a very large catacombs and is very well preserved, with lovely wall paintings and much more.
The private road passes the Catacombe di San Callisto and rejoins the main road by the Church of San Sebastiano, where the other catacombs are. Continue walking up the road a short distance and you’ll see the entrance to the Villa di Massenzio archeological site on your left.
4. Villa di Massenzio
Key Information: Open every day apart from Monday, 10 am-4 pm. Free entry.
The Villa di Massenzio (Villa of Maxentius) is a complex of Roman ruins containing a mausoleum, and circus i.e. a racetrack for chariots. The mausoleum is fairly complete, and you can still see quite a lot of the racetrack. This includes a couple of half-ruined towers at one end and the central dividing line running the length of the circuit. A few explanation panels are dotted around the site.
After the Villa di Massenzio, the next four sites along the Appian Way belong to the Appia Antica Archeological Park. The first of these, the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella, is just up the road from Villa di Massenzio.
Tickets to the Appia Antica Archaeological Park
- Walking along the Via Appia Antica is free, but if you want to visit some of the archaeological sites, you have to buy a ticket. NOTE: the sites are closed on Mondays. These tickets cost €8 per adult and are valid for 3 consecutive days, allowing one entry to each of the following monuments:
- Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella (fun ruins & museum)
- Capo di Bove (small outdoor & indoor exhibition)
- Complesso di Santa Maria Nova (small museum in a church)
- Villa dei Quintili (large archeological site)
- Tombs of the Via Latina (not on route, free anyway)
- Antiquarium of Lucrezia Romana (not on route)
- Buy tickets at the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella. To walk through the Villa dei Quintili you already need to have a ticket, you can’t buy it on-site.
- The sites all open at 9 am and close between 4:30 and 7:30 pm depending on the season. Check the official website for more details.
- NOTE: The Villa di Massenzio is not part of the Appia Antica Archaeological Park but is free to enter. Opens at 10 am.
5. Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella
The Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella is an ancient Roman tomb made for a Roman consul’s daughter. In a slightly odd arrangement, it’s attached to a medieval castle. The ticket allows you to see both. The ruins are not too large but it’s definitely worth going inside as it’s an entertaining and very well-done museum. There’s a short video upstairs about the life and burial of Cecilia and a second video in the basement about the geology and history of this location. In addition, you can have a virtual reality experience inside the remaining room of the castle.
Continuing walking along the road slightly uphill from the Mausoleum. About 500 metres after the museum, look out for Capo di Bove on your right.
6. Capo di Bove
The Capo di Bove is quite a small archeological site, which shows the excavations of a private bath complex from Roman times. You can see a couple of mosaics on the floor and there are some explanation boards around the area, which is nice and shady. The outside area is free to visit. However, you have to pay for the small museum at the back, included in the Appia Antica Archaeological Park ticket.
The best part of the Appian Way starts shortly, as almost all of the cars disappear, the road becomes narrower, and trees line the route as it enters the countryside. You’ll see several small Roman ruins along the wayside, most of them tombs. Enjoy this section of the walk, which is very peaceful and has a moderate amount of shade.
It’s just over 2.5 km from Capo di Bove to the next site, a church on your left. To get to the church, which is also the entrance to Villa dei Quintili, look out for the sign by the edge of the road to your left. Head along the track through the wall and the entrance is just around the corner. Make sure you have bought your ticket in advance, at the Mausoleum. People will check your ticket here, but you can’t buy a ticket here.
7. Complesso di Santa Maria Nova
In this area of the archaeological site, there’s an old farmhouse containing a small museum. It was actually built over an ancient Roman cistern and then used as a watchtower in the Medieval Period before it became a farmhouse. The state bought the site in 2006 and recently renovated it. The exhibition inside displays the history of the Via Appia Antica along with a few archeological finds.
From here, you can make your way along the track as it bends back towards the road and then through a field to the main part of the site.
8. Villa dei Quintili
The Villa dei Quintili is an ancient ruin of a large Roman villa. It’s very peaceful, with few tourists. The villa belonged to the Quintilio brothers, known since the discovery of some lead piping under the house bearing their names. They were both consuls in the senate around 150 AD and were both killed by Emperor Commodus (the evil one in the movie Gladiator). Commodus then took over the villa for himself, as did other emperors after him.
There’s a small museum on the other side of the villa, by the main road. It houses a collection of sculptures and engravings found in the villa and nearby.
Leave the Villa complex by the main exit. Buses back to Rome stop on the opposite side of the big road. Roughly 100 metres to the left of the exit, there’s a road crossing and a bus stop on the other side. Bus 118 leaves roughly every 15 minutes and heads directly back to central Rome.
Best Guidebooks for Exploring Rome
For another great trip from Rome, check out Ostia Antica, or for more walking tours and hikes see our Italy page.
FAQS: Walking the Appian Way in Rome
Most people find walking or cycling along the Via Appia to be a highlight of their trip to Rome, so it’s definitely worth a visit. There are far fewer tourists, cars, and pollution than in central Rome. But there are still several archeological sites and it’s very peaceful to walk along the scenic route.
The nice section of the Appian Way Walk starts southeast of the Catacombs of San Sebastiano. The very best bit starts just southeast of the Capo di Bove archeological area. The nice part ends roughly at the Mausoleo di Gallieno.
It’s free to walk the Appian Way. However, to visit most of the archeological sites along the way you need a ticket, which costs €8 and is valid for three consecutive days.
You can start walking the Appian Way in a few places. The official route starts at Porta Metronia, but means you have to walk about 800 metres along a busy road. To skip this part you can start by the Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis, or to start at the best section of the Appian Way, start at the Catacombs of San Sebastiano. There are bus stops at all three locations.
The entire Appian Way was originally 563 km, but the nice part leaves from Rome and is 15 km long. The entire route takes at least 5 hours, including stops at the archeological sites along the route.
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