Ghost and Dark History Tours in Rome with the Capuchin Crypt

Side by side

Prices are per person, and both include free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start. The Dark Side City Tours walk visits the crypt on your own with the included audio guide while the guide waits outside. The Rome-Tour walk lists a guided crypt visit with headsets and does not accept children under 12.

Why the crypt belongs on a ghost tour

The friars arranged the bones of their brothers into decorations during the 18th and 19th centuries, according to the museum itself. Nothing in Rome makes the city's relationship with death quite as concrete. Both the Capuchin Crypts & Rome's Dark Secrets Walking Tour and the Dark Past Walking Tour with Capuchin Crypt Ticket start with the crypt and use it as the centrepiece of the story.

On the Dark Side City Tours walk the guide explains the symbolism before you go in, then you explore the museum and bone rooms on your own with the audio guide, because the crypt's own rules do not let outside guides lead inside. The guide meets the group afterwards.

A few travellers enter the crypt free: visitors with disabilities and a companion where specified, national tour guides, Capuchin friars, and children up to 6 inclusive, who need no booking.

The stops on each walk

The Dark Secrets walk meets at Via Vittorio Veneto 19, spends about 30 minutes on the crypt briefing and visit, then stops for about 15 minutes each at Via Rasella, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, and finishes after about 20 minutes in Piazza Navona.

The Dark Past walk meets at Piazza Barberini 21, spends 30 minutes in the crypt, 20 at the Trevi Fountain, then 15 minutes each at the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori. It ends at the Church of St. Mary of the Oration and Death.

History first, ghosts second

On the Dark Secrets walk the guide tells stories of ghosts, scandals and executions between the crypt and Piazza Navona. The Dark Past walk follows the city's darker history from the Trevi Fountain to Campo de' Fiori and ends at the Church of St. Mary of the Oration and Death.

The Capuchin Crypt gives the darkest fact of all. The remains of about 3,700 people, mostly friars, form the decoration, placed there by the friars themselves across the 18th and 19th centuries. In the Crypt of the Three Skeletons a central figure, probably a Barberini princess, holds a scythe and scales.

What your ticket covers

The Capuchin Crypts & Rome's Dark Secrets Walking Tour includes the crypt ticket with audio guide, the guide and the walk. A live guide inside the crypt is not included, since the crypt does not allow it. The Dark Past Walking Tour with Capuchin Crypt Ticket includes the crypt ticket, the guide and a headset. Neither includes hotel pickup, food or drinks, and tips are extra on the Dark Past walk.

The Dark Secrets walk runs rain or shine, so bring an umbrella in wet weather.

Choosing your group size

Both walks run in small groups, so the guide can manage narrow streets and answer questions. The Capuchin Crypts & Rome's Dark Secrets Walking Tour takes up to 12 people. The Dark Past Walking Tour with Capuchin Crypt Ticket takes up to 8, and its private option keeps the same tour for your group only, up to 8 people.

The Dark Past walk is not suitable for children under 12, so families with younger children are better on the Dark Secrets walk or the official crypt ticket.

Free and budget alternatives

The official full ticket costs $11.18 (€10) and the reduced one $7.27 (€6.50), audio guide included, with $1.68 (€1.50) added per ticket online. You can also pay at the desk on the day. The crypt opens 09:30-13:30 and 14:30-18:30 with last entry at 17:30, so a self-guided visit has to start in daylight.

From Via Vittorio Veneto 27 you can walk the same streets as the guided tours: Via Rasella, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. You lose the guide's storytelling. For the full version with entry included, the Dark Past Walking Tour with Capuchin Crypt Ticket bundles both.

Reading the reviews

The Capuchin Crypts & Rome's Dark Secrets Walking Tour carries a 4.7 rating from 229 reviews with Dark Side City Tours. The Dark Past Walking Tour with Capuchin Crypt Ticket carries a 4.5 rating from 128 reviews with Rome-Tour. Both are strong.

Pick on three things: how the crypt is visited, how large the group is and who is coming. The $43 walk wins on rating and price, with an audio guide in the crypt. The $73 walk wins on group size, capped at 8, but it does not take children under 12.

Practical details

Both tours run 2 hours and include free cancellation 24 hours before the start, which makes booking early low risk. Wear comfortable shoes for cobbled squares. On the Dark Past walk late arrivals cannot join, and you should bring a passport or ID card and leave large bags behind.

The crypt needs shoulders and legs covered to the knee, and shorts, short skirts and sleeveless tops are refused. Photos and video are allowed for private use. Children up to 6 enter the museum free and need no booking.

To browse the full range and book, start at capuchin crypt tours.