The Best Tours in Rome

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Updated: October 26, 2023
By Santorini Dave

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Best Tours

Map showing the starting location of the 18 best tours in Rome, Italy.

1. Rome in a Day

The Roman Colosseum as seen from above, with groups of tourists gathered around the edges.

  • Duration: 7.5 hours
  • Fantastic way to get your bearings, learn about Rome, and visit the most popular sights. Highly recommended for travelers short on time, or at the beginning of a longer stay.
  • Meeting Point: Oppio Caffè, directly north of the Colosseum.
  • Tour Highlights: Roman Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica.
  • Included: Private, air-conditioned transport between stops, skip-the-line tickets to Colosseum, Vatican Museums, and St. Peter’s Basilica.
  • Not Included: Tickets to the Dome in St. Peter’s.
  • Food included? No. There is a one-hour break for lunch, and your tour guide will recommend local restaurants, but the cost of food is not included.
  • Good for kids? It’s a long day and even with the provided transportation it’s a lot of walking, so probably best for older kids.
  • Tour Operator: Walks Tours

2. Pristine Sistine Early Entrance Tour with Breakfast

A tour group walks down a beautiful hallway lined with murals in the Vatican Museums.

  • Duration: 4 hours
  • See the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the general public, then enjoy a breakfast buffet in the Vatican’s Pinecone Courtyard and an expert-guided tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.
  • Meeting Point: The Green Bar (called l’Ottagono) in Piazza del Risorgimento.
  • Tour Highlights: Breakfast on a terrace inside the Vatican Museums (for 2021 tours), Works by Michelangelo (including the Sistine Chapel before the crowds, and his Pietá), rooms painted by Raphael.
  • Included: Early entry to the Vatican, skip-the-line access into the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, buffet breakfast.
  • Food included? Yes, a buffet breakfast in the Vatican’s Pinecone Courtyard is included.
  • Good for kids? Yes.
  • Tour Operator: Walks Tours
  • Alternative booking through Get Your Guide

3. Ancient Rome for Kids

A female tour guide shows a map to two young girls who are sitting on some rocky ruins

  • Duration: 2.5 hours
  • History comes alive for kids as they explore the Colosseum and Roman Forum with hands-on, interactive activities in this private tour. Great for Adults, too.
  • Meeting Point: Oppio Caffè, directly north of the Colosseum.
  • Tour Highlights: Colosseum, Roman Forum.
  • Included: Expert scholar guide, specially trained to teach children; skip-the-line tickets to the Colosseum.
  • Food included? No.
  • Good for kids? The best.
  • Tour Operator: Context Travel

4. Trastevere Sunset Food Tour

A man in a chef's hat tempts the viewer with a tray of ricotta and balsamic vinegar

  • Duration: 4 hours
  • Visit four locally loved venues for over 20 delicious tastings in Rome’s picturesque Trastevere district at sunset.
  • Meeting Point: Piazza Trilussa 46 (outside the venue Trapizzino)
  • Tour Highlights: 30 year aged balsamic vinegar, truffles, fine cheeses and artisanal hams, D.O.C.G wine, incredible pizza, homemade pasta, authentic gelato.
  • Included: All food and wine, friendly local guide.
  • Food included? Yes, so much food.
  • Good for kids? Yes
  • Tour Operator: The Roman Food Tour
  • Alternative booking through Get Your Guide

5. Fat Tire Rome Bike Tour

Tourists on a bike tour overlook Rome's historic center with Roman Forum ancient ruins

  • Duration: 3 hours
  • Super fun way to orient yourself to the city, learn some history, and explore the Historic City Center.
  • Meeting Point: Via dei Delfini 35/36, near Piazza Venezia.
  • Tour Highlights: Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Imperial Forum, Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus, Theatre of Marcellus, Roman Ghetto, Campo de Fiore, Piazza Navona
  • Included: Fun and knowledgeable guide, bike and helmet (helmet provided but not required).
  • Food included? No.
  • Good for kids? Yes, for kids that are comfortable riding a bike. 20″ and 24″ bikes are available for children, but must be booked in advance. No tricycles, tandems, or training wheels are available.
  • Tour Operator: Fat Tire Tours

6. Gladiator School

A father and son dressed in ancient Roman costume play-fight in a small dirt arena as others look on

  • Duration: 2 hours
  • Why stop at just learning about history? This cool experience also lets you don a tunic and fight like a warrior of Ancient Rome. Great for kids and adults alike.
  • Meeting Point: Gruppo Storico Romano, Via Appia Antica
  • Tour Highlights: Introduction to Roman history, 2 hours of Roman gladiator lessons in historical costumes and weaponry, Gladiator School of Rome Museum.
  • Included: Museum admission fee, training with individual wooden sword, Roman citizenship’s certificate, rental of the “Roman military tunic” that the customer will wear during the class, free drink.
  • Food included? No. A free drink is included.
  • Good for kids? Totally.
  • Tour Operator: Gruppo Storico Romano
  • Alternative booking through Get Your Guide

7. Farmers’ Market Shopping & Four-Course Meal

A woman picks produce from a colorful and bountiful farmers' market stall.

  • Duration: 4 to 5 hours
  • Shop for fresh produce at Campo de Fiore with a trained chef, then prepare and enjoy a seasonal four-course lunch inside an airy 17th-century palazzo. An excellent class for those looking for more than just pizza-making.
  • Meeting Point: Campo de Fiore
  • Tour Highlights: Guided farmers’ market visit, cooking class, four-course meal.
  • Included: Farmers’ market shopping, hands-on cooking class, English-speaking chef, prosecco and snacks reception, all ingredients and equipment, homemade meal with wine and soft drinks, recipes emailed as PDF.
  • Food included? Yes, lots.
  • Good for kids? Yes.
  • Tour Operator: InRome Cooking Classes
  • Alternative booking through Get Your Guide

8. Countryside Vespa Tour

View of Castel Gandolfo lake from a winding road above

  • Duration: 5.5 hours, including transport
  • Get out of town and experience the Ancient Roman roads and striking Renaissance villas of Castelli Romani astride a Vespa scooter.
  • Meeting Point: Hotel pick-up is offered, or guests can take the train and meet the group at Castel Gandolfo.
  • Tour Highlights: Villages of Frascati and Castel Gandolfo (home to the Papal summer residence), guided visit at a beautiful Byzantine abbey, authentic Roman countryside lunch.
  • Included: Hotel pick-up, Vespa scooter and helmet, guided abbey and village tours, countryside lunch.
  • Not included: Transport back to central Rome from Frascati.
  • Food included? Yes. An authentic countryside lunch of ‘porchetta’ seasoned pork, locally baked bread, and regional cheeses and red wine is provided.
  • Good for kids? No.
  • Tour Operator: Scooteroma Tours
  • Alternative booking through Get Your Guide

9. Rome Historic Centre Food Tour

A man in a baker's uniform pulls a huge, onlong pizza from a wall oven and shows it to the camera.

  • Duration: 3 to 3.5 hours
  • Sample pizzas, homemade pastas and Supplí (risotto balls), fine cheeses and wines, and artisanal gelato amid the monuments, markets, and restaurants in the heart of Rome.
  • Meeting Point: Piazza Navona
  • Tour Highlights: Historic café visit for espresso or cappuccino; authentic pizza and supplí, gourmet shop for tastings of artisanal cured meats, cheeses, and wine; authentic Sicilian cannoli, regional pasta in a beloved local restaurant, handmade gelato.
  • Included: All food and drinks, knowledgeable guide. Upgraded drinks packages are available.
  • Food included? So much food.
  • Good for kids? Definitely.
  • Tour Operator: Secret Food Tours

10. Roma Antica with Skip-the-Line Tickets

Sightseeing walking tour of Ancient Rome.

  • Duration: 4 hours
  • In-depth guided tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill led by a PhD or MA-level archaeologist or classical historian guide.
  • Meeting Point: Oppio Caffè, directly north of the Colosseum.
  • Tour Highlights: Palatine Hill & Museum, Via Sacra and Forum Square, Colosseum.
  • Included: Knowledgeable academic guide, skip-the-line tickets
  • Food included? No
  • Good for kids? Yes for older kids, but kids under 12 would do better with this company’s Ancient Rome for Kids tour.
  • Tour Operator: Context Travel

11. Pizza & Pasta on the Appian Way

A pile of freshly-cut pasta sits on a table in the outdoors, with a greenery backdrop

  • Duration: 4.5 hours
  • Learn the secrets to making incredible pizza and homemade pasta from a true licensed master in a beautiful countryside setting. Great for families.
  • Meeting Point: Laurentina metro station (the last stop on line B).
  • Tour Highlights: Excellent instruction by charismatic master chefs, charming setting.
  • Included: Pasta and pizza-making cooking class; homemade wine, limoncello, and tiramisù; bottled water; transfer from the metro station to the cooking school.
  • Food included? Yes, plenty.
  • Good for kids? Nope, great for kids.
  • Tour Operator: Once in Rome Authentic Experiences

12. Street Art Vespa Tour

Motorbikes parked near a colorful wall adorned with graffiti in the bohemian-artsy neighborhood of San Lorenzo.

  • Duration: 3 hours (a private 4-hour option is also available)
  • Hop on and be inspired by Instagram-worthy street art in the off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods of Ostiense, Quadraro Vecchio, and Pigneto.
  • Meeting Point: This tour offers hotel pick-up.
  • Tour Highlights: Vibrant murals, fun scooter ride!
  • Included: Vespa scooter and helmet, knowledgeable guide, coffee or gelato.
  • Food included? There is one stop for coffee or gelato.
  • Good for kids? No.
  • Tour Operator: Scooteroma Tours

13. Pompeii and Amalfi Coast Day Trip

Colorful houses and buildings terraced up the steep cliffs of the Amalfi coastline.

  • Duration: 13 Hours
  • Experience an archaeologist-guided tour of Pompeii, then a scenic drive along the Amalfi Coast to beautiful Positano, where you’re free to eat, shop, swim, and explore.
  • Meeting Point: Piazzale Flaminio
  • Tour Highlights: Guided tour of the death-casts, shops, temples, private houses, and public baths of Pompeii (and a brothel, if age-appropriate), scenic panoramic drive, free time in a charming Italian beach town.
  • Included: Private round-trip transportation by air-conditioned minibus, skip-the-line Pompeii tickets and guided tour.
  • Food included? No. Your guide will recommend lunch spots, but the cost is extra.
  • Good for kids? Yes.
  • In low season (November – March) most businesses in Positano close; during this time, the tour visits Amalfi or Sorrento instead.
  • Tour Operator: Walks Tours
  • Alternative booking through Get Your Guide

14. Ancient Appian Way E-bike Tour

Cobblestone path, lined with cypress trees, meandering across a meadow

  • Duration: 4 to 5 hours
  • A fun and easy way to explore Rome’s ancient main road and experience the countryside’s monuments, aqueducts, and ruins.
  • Meeting Point: Starbike Roma Offices, just east of the Colosseum.
  • Tour Highlights: Porta San Sebastiano, Parco della Caffarella, Ninfeo di Egeria, Parco degli Acquedotti, Villa dei Quintili, Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella, Circo di Massenzio, Catacombs of San Callisto, Terme di Caracalla.
  • Included: High-quality electric-assisted mountain bike and helmet, child bike seats by request, mobile phone and object holder, friendly and knowledgeable guide.
  • Food included? No.
  • Good for kids? Yes. Child bike seats, children’s bikes, and tag-along bikes can be reserved in advance.
  • Tour Operator: Starbike Roma
  • Alternative booking through Get Your Guide

15. Tuscany Vineyards & Wine Tasting

Landscape of the Tuscany seen from the walls of Montepulciano, Italy

  • Duration: 13 Hours
  • Guided tour of Montepulciano and Pienza, with a three-course vineyard lunch and wine pairing.
  • Meeting Point: Piazza del Popolo
  • Tour Highlights: Guided Montepulciano tour, Renaissance Church of St. Biagio, Vineyard lunch, free time in the medieval Tuscan town of Pienza.
  • Included: Private round-trip air-conditioned transportation; Guided Montepulciano tour, 3-course gourmet lunch and wine tasting, Visit to St. Biagio Church and hill town of Pienza.
  • Food included? Yes, lunch.
  • Good for kids? No.
  • Tour Operator: City Wonders
  • Alternative booking through Get Your Guide

16. Taste of Testaccio

Entrance of the new Testaccio Neighborhood market in Rome, Italy

  • Duration: 4 hours
  • Eat your way through Rome’s original foodie neighborhood, exploring the local markets and learning about the area’s history and culture along the way.
  • Meeting Point: Piazza Testaccio
  • Tour Highlights: Family-owned Italian bakery; cured meat, cheese, and wine tasting; bruschetta and buffalo mozzarella at Testaccio Market; 3 classic Roman pastas at a beloved neighborhood restaurant, and the best gelato in Testaccio.
  • Included: All food and drinks.
  • Food included? Yes, lots.
  • Good for kids? Yes, very. Children are booked at a reduced fare.
  • Tour Operator: Eating Europe
  • Alternative booking through Get Your Guide

17. Colosseum Night Walking Tour

The Roman Colosseum lit from below at night

  • Duration: 1.5 hours
  • A fun way to see the sights at night (when they’re cooler and less crowded), and learn some spine-tingling tales of Rome’s past that you won’t read in history books.
  • Meeting Point: Piazza Venezia
  • Tour Highlights: Palazzo Venezia, Capitoline Hill, Romulus and Remus, Fori Imperiali, Monti, Palace of Pope Borgia, Colosseum.
  • Included: Expert story-teller guide.
  • Food included? No.
  • Good for kids? For older kids, yes. Some younger kids might like it too, if they can handle some dark material; it’s more grisly than it is scary.
  • Tour Operator: More of Rome
  • Alternative booking through Get Your Guide

18. Catacombs & Underground Rome

Courtyard of the Basilica of San Clemente al Laterano in Rome, Italy.

  • Duration:2.5 hours
  • Go underground on this guided tour to two amazing archeological sites: the Basilica of San Clemente and the Catacombs of Santa Domitilla.
  • Meeting Point: San Clemente
  • Tour Highlights: Subterranean artistic masterpieces from the 2nd century to the 15th century AD, mysterious ancient Christian burial crypt.
  • Included: Expert guide, private taxi service between sites, private taxi service back to central Rome at the end of the tour.
  • Food included? No.
  • Good for kids? For older kids, maybe. The surroundings and subject matter may be too scary for smaller kids.
  • Tour Operator: Livitaly Tours

19. Rome’s Ultimate Free Walking Tour

View of the Pantheon from Piazza della Rotunda in Rome

  • Duration: 2.5 to 3 hours
  • Twice-daily tip-based walking tour that’s a fun introduction to Roman history, local sightseeing, and the city’s best restaurants and nightlife.
  • Meeting Point: Underneath the Porta Flaminia at Piazza del Popolo.
  • Tour Highlights: Piazza del Popolo, Mausoleum of Augustus, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Ponte Sant’Angelo, Castel Sant’Angelo, intro to the Vatican and view of St. Peter’s Square.
  • Included: Friendly, fun, and knowledgeable guide with a background in history or architecture.
  • Small groups of 4 to 15 guests.
  • Food included? No.
  • Good for kids? Yes.
  • Tour Operator: Rome’s Ultimate

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Santorini Dave Author Bio. Santorini Dave was started in 2011 by a guy who loved Greece, travel, and great hotels. We're now a small team of writers and researchers on a mission to deliver the most helpful travel content on the internet. We specialize in Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece and recommend the best hotels, best neighborhoods, and best family hotels in top destinations around the world. We also make hotel maps and travel videos. I can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.