Rome is an exciting cornucopia of sights, attractions, momentous historical events, arts, music, food, wine, and offers so many opportunities that the average traveller is left completely bewildered. Almost every piazza in Rome has a 2000 year old statue or fountain or obelisk, so no matter which part of the city you wander in, it will seem like a tour.
But with so many fountains and exciting piazzas it becomes important to single out the best so that you can accommodate those in your busy schedule. This is precisely why you should go through our great fountains in Rome article that will allow you to do a self-guided tour.
Hop On Hop Off Tours
While Rome is a very walkable city, not everyone can see the entire place on foot. Though the hop on hop off bus service in Rome is not as great as it is in other European cities like London or Paris, it’s still a great option to reduce the total time taken to view the city. Hop on Hop off tours in Rome will typically halt near points of interest and guests will have to get down and see attractions nearby and then again get back on the next hop on hop off bus.
Read: The best hop on hop off bus tours in Rome.
Tour of Attractions of your interest
Most people who come to Rome consider Colosseum, Forum, Trevi fountain, Pantheon, Spanish steps to be the top draws of the city. Then there are the range of museums; the Capitoline museums, the National Roman museums (there are 4 of them), Castel Sant Angelo, Villa Farnesina and the Galleria Borghese. Not to mention eerie attractions like the Capuchin Crypt, the Catacombs and the Appian Way. Then there are the famed Seven Hills of Rome and their archaeological zones. The good thing is that most of these attractions have their own guided tour which you can book online.
Read: Rome’s top attractions and you will find the details of touring the best individual sites in Rome.
Vatican City & Museum Tours
Then there is the Vatican City; the only example of a country contained in the heart of a city. Vatican City and its attractions like St Peter’s Square, Sistine Chapel and the awe inspiring Vatican museums (more than 7.5 km of jaw dropping art) should be done as a separate tour. There are many operators who offer both Rome city/ historical attractions as well as the Vatican in one day, but in order to comprehensively explore the museums, opt for an exclusive Vatican museum tour.
Read: The great Vatican Museum Tours & The Top Operators.
Great Walking Tours
However once you are in Rome you will realise that the city can be divided into zones; historical Rome and Rome city centre. A Tour of historical Rome will take you to Colosseum, Forum and the Palatine hills archaeological area and is usually a separate offering provided by many tour operators. It gets even more exciting as some operators offer guided tours of restricted access areas such as top tiers of Colosseum or some previously closed to the public temples.
Then there are 3 D reconstructions of historical Rome that show how amazing the Colosseum, Forum etc. looked in their full glory. You will also find guided tours of the mysterious Roman Catacombs… a mesh of skulls and tales of gore and the ancient Appian Way. All historical Rome tours are basically walking tours.
Rome City Tours can either be done by a hop on hop off bus or a guided walking tour. City tours will take you to major piazzas like the Navona and city monuments like Trevi, Spanish steps and the Pantheon. These can be explored in greater detail when you go walking as each narrow passage and each street corner has pieces of history sticking to them that only a trained guide can explain. Which is why a city walking tour of Rome is highly recommended.
One of the loveliest parts of Rome is its passionate locals who are in love with their city. Some of them are actually holders of degree in art, archaeology and history and they offer some great free walking tours of Rome. These don’t have a fixed fee but participants are expected to pay some tips. The free tours of Rome are flavourful, personalised and explore nooks and corners of the city that might be difficult to explore on your own.
Read: The best paid and free guided walking tours in Rome.
Top Day Trips From Rome
If you are in Rome for a while then going on a couple of day trips can be a lovely idea. You can drive off to the idyllic vineyards of Tuscany that gave birth to the famous Super Tuscans. Or you could go off exploring the famous plaster casts of Pompeii and see Mt Vesuvius for yourself. Combine your Pompeii trip with a short tour of Naples that has the oldest Pizzeria in the world. Explore the idyllic postcard towns of the Amalfi coast and buy yourself some Limoncello.
And if you want a shorter day trip then the antique sea port of Ostia Antica and Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli are both equally good options for day tours. The good news is that connectivity to these amazing spots around Roma is great so you can either decide to do a self guided tour or book through the most reliable operators. Whatever you decide to do, our exhaustive page on Top Day Tours from Rome will make your job easier.
Read: The Top Day Tours From Rome.
Aperitivo Tours
If you are in Rome you must have heard about the fabulous aperitivo culture here. Every evening from 6 p.m. onwards locals are found chilling with a glass of their favourite wine/ lager beer or traditional aperitif and munching up the aperitivo buffet that’s offered in most restaurants and bars. If you have some time, do the Roman version of a pub crawl and go for a self-guided aperitivo tour in the city.
Read: Best places for aperitivo in Rome for plenty of head start.
Nightlife
For more serious foodies who would love an immersive experience of Roman food and especially the numerous local trattorias, osterias and open air markets (impossible to navigate on one’s own)….a guided food tour is most recommended. Food tours focus on areas like Jewish ghetto, campo di Fiori, Prati, and Trastevere etc. that teem with iconic pizzerias, gelatarias, boulangeries and wine shops.
Then there are churches like St. Agony which offer amazing concerts and beautiful music venues like Accademia Nazionale Santa Cecilia that are Classical music hubs besides opera venues like Teatro Dell Opera. You can also check out exciting clubs like Gregory’s Jazz Club, Alcazar Live, Shari Vari etc. which can tempt you do a self-guided night entertainment tour of Rome.
Read: The best of nightlife in Rome.
Great Food & Wine Tours
Experience the flavour of shopping for food at small stalls selling Trapizzino, Suppli and fried artichokes and eating on a piazza like a local. Or you could go for a guided food and wine (or cheese) pairing in the caverns of a vintage ristorante and be guided by a trained sommelier. Then there are day trips to the Castel Gandolfo vineyards to check out the fabulous DOC/DOCG wines there and tours of markets like Trionfale to sample the local vegetables, cheeses and cold cuts that truly define Roman food.
Read: Top food & wine tours in Rome.
Tourist Passes
If you have a Rome Travel pass then before you sign up for any of the top tours of Rome, see what added value operators are offering you. For example if you have bought an Omnia/ Vatican Card then you are already getting free entry to Sistine Chapel, Basilica St Peter and Basilica St John. So just take individual tours of these attractions and utilise the Roma Cristiana hop on hop off service to do overall sightseeing. If you have a Roma Pass then you will get good discounts on the city’s transport systems plus a city sightseeing hop on hop off tour. So check out operators whose offerings offer add value over and above these benefits.
Read: The best tourist passes in Rome.
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.