Beneath the sun-baked streets of Rome lie cool, shadowed spaces that hide layer upon layer of history. Beat the heat with air-conditioned travel and Skip-the-Line access directly down into three different, but equally fascinating archaeological finds.

First, you’ll visit the hallowed catacombs where, beneath their persecutors’ feet, early Christians practiced their forbidden faith. Almost 2,000 years ago, this network of secret tunnels doubled as a place of worship and burial ground. As you explore tombs carved out of solid rock, your guide – a local, expert English-speaker – will relate the fascinating history of this sacred spot.

From here, the coach will whisk you within sight of the Colosseum, to the Basilica of San Clemente. To descend below this structure is to move backwards through time. You’ll travel through the remains of 12th and 4th century basilicas, a 2nd century cult temple and ruins dating as far back as AD 64, when Emperor Nero watched the city burn. Incredibly, the ruins include an aqueduct that still works, after lying buried for centuries.

Your final destination is the Capuchin Crypt. Capuchin monks used the bones of nearly 4,000 of their brothers to decorate this sombre space in intricate floor-to-ceiling designs, lending it the macabre nickname of "the Bone Chapel". Your guide will tell you the theories, but it’s up to you to draw your own conclusions about the meaning of the crypt’s robed skeletons and vertebrae chandeliers.

Open your eyes to the city’s hidden side – and you’ll never see Rome the same way again.