Rome Guided Tours
These 11 tours are absolutely worth it!
Latest update: March 17, 2023
In a nutshell: Our top 3 tours in Rome.
- Private City Tour: Perfect for Rome newbies. You’ll learn your way around the city and see the most important sights of Rome.
- A spin on a Vespa: Typical Italy! You’ll cruise through narrow streets to hidden places and secret viewpoints on a Vespa.
- Culinary tour: Sample some delicious street food, Italian ham, cheese, pizza, pasta and wine. And at the same time explore the most beautiful neighborhood of Rome: Trastevere.
These were our top 3 tours in Rome.
Check out our article for even more cool guided tours in Rome – from classic tours of the main attractions to tours that even Rome experts will love.
Classic Guided Tours of Rome
The classic tours are typical city tours to all the main sights in Rome. Such a tour is especially helpful to find your way around the city.
Private Tour to Rome’s Highlights
This walking tour is especially recommended for your first city trip to Rome. Your tour is tailor-made according to your needs, and you can choose the duration, the time, and the places you are interested in.
Your guide is a local and knows Rome like the back of his hand. He will not only guide you to the top attractions but also give you lots of useful tips on good restaurants and shopping.
Do the tour right at the beginning of your stay, so you can check out your guide’s tips afterwards.
Guided Bike Tour of Rome
If you want to see more of the city on your tour of Rome or simply prefer biking to walking, then a bike tour is a fabulous option.
This city tour is also great for Rome first-timers. You will ride around the different neighborhoods in the center of Rome with your guide for three hours.
You don’t have to worry about the somewhat chaotic city traffic. For the most part, you will be touring the small streets away from it all.
Tour of Rome by Night
Exploring Rome at night is a magical experience. The illuminated sights and the sparkling lights of the city create a truly romantic atmosphere.
The whole thing is convenient too: During the day, you can check out some nice museums in Rome or go sightseeing, and at night you can take in the city’s atmosphere and make the most of your day.
Our tip: If you aren’t too exhausted, do the tour right on your day of arrival to get to know the city. This allows you to make better use of your first full day.
Tours of Specific Sights in Rome
If you’re looking to learn more about particular attractions in Rome, guided tours are a great option. Plus, you can skip the line – It’s perfect!
Typical Trio: Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
The Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Palatine Hill are three of Rome’s highlights, and a guided tour there is an absolute must. If you choose to skip the tour, you can expect to stand in line for two to three hours.
The three attractions are very close to each other, and you don’t lose much time walking. In the Colosseum, your guide will tell you all about the gladiator fights. You will then head over to the social and political center of ancient Rome.
Of course, you can also read a lot about the sights online. But we feel a guide usually has much cooler information and anecdotes (and can present it in a much more entertaining way).
To the Trio Tour: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine
Vatican City & Sistine Chapel
The Vatican should definitely be on your to-do list for Rome. The “city within the city” is full of history, art, and architecture. You can check out Michelangelo’s famous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Stanzas, the endless galleries of the Vatican Museums, and St. Peter’s Basilica. You’ll see what we mean.
We like this tour because the guide gives you all the information in a way that is easy to follow. If you visit the Vatican on your own, you can feel quite overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.
Important: Make sure to wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. Otherwise, you may be denied access into St. Peter’s Basilica.
Guided Tour of the Galleria Borghese
Art lovers shouldn’t miss a visit to the Galleria Borghese in Rome. The historic villa in the heart of the city houses works by some of the most renowned artists in history, including Rubens, Raphael, and Caravaggio.
On a guided tour you will learn everything about the exhibited works, the famous artists, and the pompous villa. Be sure to take a stroll through the beautiful garden as well. After all, it’s the largest city park in Rome’s center.
The tour is timed in a way that you enter the museum with your guide just as the large crowds of visitors are leaving the villa.
To the tour of the Galleria Borghese
Culinary Tours of Rome
Pizza, pasta, and wine: The Italian cuisine is incredibly delicious. But where can you find the best food and wine? Find out on these culinary tours of Rome.
Street Food Tour through Trastevere
Trastevere is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Rome and has an incredible density of restaurants and bars. You’ll spend three hours wandering the quaint streets with your guide, sampling street food, pizza, cheese, sausage, and other delicacies.
The tour takes you off the beaten path and into the real Rome. Between snacks, your guide will give you insider information about the Roman way of life and tell you stories about modern life in Rome.
To the street food and wine tour of Trastevere
Food Tasting Tour in Five Restaurants
This culinary Rome tour is more than just about snacks. The tour seems relatively expensive at first, but you also get tons of really good food and wine and you will definitely be stuffed afterwards. So all in all, a superb value for money.
In total, you will visit five different restaurants with your guide, and your dinner will be split up between them, so to speak.
Pasta, parmigiano, truffles, and tiramisu are accompanied by Barolo and Amarone, some of the region’s best wines, along with a fantastic view of the Trevi Fountain.
Special Tours of Rome
Do you already know the Rome highlights and want to get to know the hidden corners that aren’t listed in travel guides? Then you will like these special Rome city tours.
Rome Underground Tour
On this tour, you will discover Rome from a completely new perspective, through the sunken streets and ruins underneath the city of today.
You will begin at Piazza Navona, where your guide will take you deep down underground to explore the athletics stadium of Emperor Domitian. Admission to Domitian’s stadium is already included in the tour price. Afterwards, you will continue to Piazza Venezia and the illuminated Roman Forum.
This Rome walking tour lasts about two hours. It’s a good idea to wear layers, as Rome’s underground can be quite chilly even in summer.
To the tour of underground Rome
Joyride with the Vespa through Rome
This tour is ideal if you have already visited the famous sights and are now looking for the best Rome insider tips. Your guide will customize the tour to your personal interests. At the beginning, there is a brief introduction to riding a Vespa, so don’t worry if you’re a first-timer.
The tour takes three to four hours and leads you through charming alleyways to the best hidden spots and panoramic viewpoints in Rome. There will be a short break in between, so you can enjoy the typical dolce vita with ice cream and a cappuccino.
Important: Be sure to bring your driver’s license. You can’t ride a Vespa without it!
To the joyride with the Vespa through Rome
The Secrets of the Illuminati
Attention Dan Brown fans! Follow the footsteps of the Illuminati through Rome. You will not only visit the most important sites of the book and the movie, but you will also decode the mystical symbolism of the Illuminati order yourself.
You will learn how pagan symbols found their way into Christianity and discover secret messages in Bernini’s sculptures. The tour will take you to the Church of Illumination, St. Peter’s Square, and Castel Sant’Angelo. In between The Altars of Science and the writings of Galileo Galilei, there will also be time for a coffee break, of course.
You don’t necessarily have to know the story of Dan Brown’s Illuminati beforehand. You’ll probably want to get hold of the book right after the tour though.
To the Illuminati Tour of Rome
These Were Our Top 11 City Tours in Rome
Have you already taken a guided tour of Rome? Can you recommend it? Or do you have any questions before heading off to the Eternal City? Leave us a comment!