Top 11 tours of Rome

Rome is an open-air museum. In every corner there is a statue, a fountain or a building that exudes history; a history to which we must add the customs of its inhabitants and the exquisiteness of its gastronomy. A guided tour is the best way to get to know the city of Rome and as the wide range of tours on offer can be overwhelming, I'll help you choose the best one.

Leaving Rome without visiting the Sistine Chapel would be (almost literally) a mortal sin. The Chapel's frescoes are undoubtedly the main attraction for the millions of tourists who make the pilgrimage here every year, but you also don't want to miss St Peter's Basilica, St Peter's Square and the enormous amount of art you'll find in the Vatican Museums.

Getting to know all this in detail could take days or you could make the mistake of visiting on your own and wandering around without considering its context, its symbolism or the Vatican's best kept secrets. Touring them with an expert guide is essential to enjoy this area of Rome to the fullest. In addition, you will skip the entrance queues (something very important considering that there are hours of waiting at the ticket offices).

There are several options to choose from: from the most economical to the most premium, accessing the Vatican early in the morning before it opens to the general public so you can enjoy the art in silence, peace and quiet and avoid the crowds. Always book tickets in advance and online to avoid being priced too high and above all to get tickets on the day and at the time you want.

The Colosseum is probably at the top of your wishlist of places to visit in Rome. And no wonder. What was during Ancient Rome the scene of the most mythical gladiatorial battles, has gone down in history as the emblem, not only of Rome, but of the whole of Italy. If you are fascinated by the outside, you should not miss the inside.

Nowadays it is possible to visit the Colosseum from the inside and walk around its stands, even enter the arena, just as the gladiators themselves did, and enjoy for a while the sensation of taking a real journey back in time. In addition, next to the Colosseum are the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, which are well worth a visit.

You can visit the monument on your own, but you will get much more out of it if a local guide explains what you are seeing, how it was built and what the battles that the Colosseum hosted consisted of. Rounding off your visit with a guided tour of the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill is the perfect way to complete your tour of Ancient Rome.

Whichever tour you choose, you'll be able to skip the long lines at the ticket office every day. Here are the best ones:

Rome's Catacombs are another of its best kept secrets. A little away from the centre, following the ancient Appian Way, you will reach the Catacombs, an incredibly well-preserved underground crypt where you can visit sarcophagi and tombs of popes and artistic remains more than 1500 years old.

Although there are more than 19 kilometres of catacomb tunnels, the visit takes less than two hours but you can only enter with a guide, so I recommend you book a guided tour of the Catacombs of St. Callixtus if you feel like immersing yourself in this journey full of legend and mystery.

Although Rome is a city to walk around, sometimes it is not within everyone's reach. If this is your case, you have the option to do it on board of this tourist bus without giving up the company of a specialised guide. The area covered by the bus is larger than that of the walking tours, so I also recommend this option if you have little time during your visit.

Although it may seem like an excursion that detracts from the charm of the city, the tourist bus is a great idea for people with reduced mobility, with little time in the city or simply for visitors who arrive in the city in the middle of summer and are looking for a practical way to get around while escaping the heat.

What's more, you can use it as public transport to move from one place of interest to another, as it has free stops and covers the main points of the city. Check prices, availability and routes here:

It is clear that Rome is the Eternal City and its name does not deceive: its streets, monuments and museums would allow us to walk and discover new things every day for years. But surely your time in the city won't last forever and if you feel like taking advantage of your trip to explore the surroundings of Rome and get to know a bit more about Italian culture, you're in luck.

There are plenty of excursions and guided tours you can sign up for if you feel like disconnecting from the chaos of the city and getting to know other incredible places like Pompeii, Florence, Naples or even the archaeological remains of Ostia or the Villa dell'Este and Hadrian's Villa.

You'll see that there are options for all tastes and budgets, so dive into this list to choose the one that best suits your trip:

Exploring Rome by bike is one of the most fun tours you can do during your holiday in the Eternal City.

It is an activity that will allow you to see many interesting places in Rome in a short time, for example Ancient Rome, Villa Borghese, the city centre or the Colosseum and Trastevere areas, among many other places.

The bike tours in Rome usually last about 3 or 4 hours but the advantage is that they can be done by any kind of traveller, regardless of their physical condition, as there are classic and electric bikes. In addition, you will be accompanied at all times by a local guide who will take you to the most accessible places and during the route you will be able to stop flexibly to take the photos you want.

When you think of Italy, you also think of its delicious cuisine. A cuisine that has crossed borders and conquered hearts all over the world.

In addition to enjoying its wonderful dishes in Rome's restaurants, during your trip to Rome you will have the opportunity to take a gastronomic tour to discover the best local products in a tour of markets such as Campo de' Fiori and gourmet spaces in neighbourhoods such as Trastevere or the Jewish quarter.

And best of all: there will be tastings! Pizzas, pasta, gelato, fried artichokes and many other typical dishes of the city.

The best thing about this type of tour is that they don't tend to focus only on gastronomy, but they also dedicate time to get to know Rome's emblematic places (the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, Campo de Fiori, etc.) and they will give you the best recommendations.) and they will give you the best recommendations for you to eat like a local during your visit to Rome.

If you choose the option, you can even take a tour of Rome that incorporates a cooking class with a professional chef to make an authentic Roman pizza.

Trastevere is one of Rome's most charming neighbourhoods. Compared to other areas of the city more crowded with tourists, it has a relaxed and bohemian air that you will fall in love with.

That's why you can't miss a tour of Trastevere during your holiday in Rome. If you have the chance, I advise you to choose a private tour because this way you will be able to enjoy its wonders at your own pace and adapt the route to the places you are most interested in seeing.

Moreover, in the private tours of Trastevere you will create a very close and relaxed atmosphere with the guide, which makes the excursion a very entertaining experience. In fact, you can even ask the guide for personalised restaurant recommendations, which will come in handy during your visit if you feel like staying for dinner in Trastevere.

Do you dream of emulating Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in the movie "Roman Holiday" and discover the Eternal City on a Vespa? This is one of the most fun tours of Rome!

The Vespa is one of the most famous symbols of Italian culture due to its numerous appearances in the movies and being able to explore the capital of the country on one of them is an unforgettable experience.

If you don't know how to drive a motorbike, don't worry, because on this tour you will travel as a passenger and during the itinerary you will be accompanied by a private driver who will show you its main monuments and some mind-blowing secret spots. And there will be stops along the way so you can take all the pictures you want.

Another great way to spend an unforgettable day in Rome is to get on a golf cart and let yourself be carried through the streets of Imperial Rome while the driver guide tells you the history of its monuments.

In a tour of about three hours you will enjoy the best views of the Colosseum, the Pantheon or the Circus Maximus while the guide tells you about the battles of the great Roman emperors.

As you pass by the Trevi Fountain, you can toss your coin and have your photo taken, because this tour allows you to stop at the most emblematic places so that you can walk around them and contemplate the beauty of the Roman monuments at your leisure.

I am sure that a night tour of Rome will be one of the experiences you will enjoy the most during your stay and one that you will take away with you a very special memory.

It cannot be missing on your list of things to do in Rome! The city is wrapped in a romantic and enigmatic atmosphere and a walk through the monumental streets of Rome while you see its churches, palaces and squares shine becomes a very exciting experience.

Besides, one of the advantages of doing a night tour of Rome compared to daytime tours is that at night there are usually not so many crowds in the streets and the walk is much quieter. I recommend you to do it especially during the summer nights, it's simply magical!

If you want to know more about this kind of activities, don't miss the post Best night tours in Rome where you'll find a lot of proposals.

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Roughly speaking, you can divide the city of Rome into four tourist areas: Ancient Rome with the Colosseum and the Roman Forum as the main points of interest; the Vatican City State with St. Peter's Square as a landmark; the Trastevere neighbourhood and the centre of Rome with the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona as must-see spots. Unless the tour you book covers a specific neighbourhood or area, they all usually cover the following stops:

Fontana del Tritone

Usually the meeting point of the tour, it is located in Piazza Barberini and is a baroque fountain designed by Bernini. As well as telling you about the myth of Triton, the guide will certainly take advantage of this stop to tell you about the journalist Margaret Fuller, as there is a plaque in the square dedicated to her.

Piazza Navona

Rome's largest square with its baroque fountains is one of the areas that most enchants visitors to the eternal city. There are many legends forged around these statues representing the great rivers of the time when they were built (mid-17th century); the guide will explain several of them and tell you which are the most reliable.

The Trevi Fountain

Undoubtedly the most representative fountain in Rome as well as the largest. Bring loose change because you will have heard that the tradition is to throw them backwards: one to return to Rome and two to find love.

The Pantheon

Your guide will probably use this stop to tell you about the reunification of Rome, as it is in the Pantheon that the remains of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of reunified Italy, are laid to rest. Try not to lose the thread of the explanations as you contemplate this marvel of Roman architecture; I warn you that it is not easy. Admission is free.

The Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Baroque in style and built between the 17th and 18th centuries, this church houses a model of a temple dedicated to the religions of the world and a very special optical illusion that your Rome tour guide will be able to reveal to you. Free admission.

Hadrian's Temple

This 1st century Corinthian-style temple is the best place to learn about the history of Rome's ancient emperors. Your guide will certainly not miss this opportunity.

How to get to the meeting point

The meeting points for walking tours in Rome are usually central locations. Triton Fountain, Piazza Trilussa in Trastevere, Piazza del Popolo, Piazza de Campo de Fiori, Via Labicana... I recommend that you take the metro to a central stop and then walk to the meeting point (you can ask your guide for a reference point when booking the tour).

Timetables

You will normally be able to choose from a number of timetables available for your tour of Rome. As for the days of the week, tours are usually available every day, but please note that most of Rome's museums are closed on Mondays, so visitors may want to take the opportunity to do some sightseeing in the city centre. As in any large city, weekends and public holidays also tend to be more crowded in the tourist areas.

Duration of tours

Tours usually last between two and three hours, depending on which option you choose. The walking tours of central Rome are long enough to soak up the history of the most emblematic sites and then return to them at your leisure, but if you take the Colosseum and Roman Forum walking tour, bear in mind that the time you spend inside the monuments may be short if you want to see them in depth.

Meals

Bring water and snacks. Longer tours usually have a 15-minute mid-tour stop. Depending on where you end the tour, your guide will probably recommend places to eat or dine away from the general hustle and bustle of the city.

Tours with children

If it's not a long tour, children can cope perfectly well as they are outdoors and can run around and play (it's not like a museum where they have to stand still) while the guide shows them the sights. The distances covered on most tours (especially those in the city centre) are quite manageable, but be aware that at most stops there won't be room to sit down.

Ana's Traveller Tip

If you can choose a date for your guided tour, avoid weekends and public holidays, as this is when most tourists tend to be in the centre of Rome.

Locating your meeting point, choosing your schedule and packing your backpack is important, but there are other details you'll want to know before you go on a tour of Rome. Here are my top tips:

If you are one of those who enjoy the stories, details and anecdotes behind the main monuments, you can't leave Rome without taking the two most important guided tours: the Colosseum and the Vatican. Both places are wonderful to walk around and take a thousand pictures, but you don't fully understand them until you take a guided tour. Here are the guides I have written about Vatican Guided Tours y Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill Tickets in case you are interested in organising your own guided tour.

If you want to get off the beaten track, I suggest you visit the incredible Borghese Gallery (which is also located in one of the most beautiful parks I've ever seen). This is the article I wrote about it, Borghese Gallery in Rome Tickets and Tourswhich you can read to organise your visit.