Rome is a wonderful city with many layers. It has a rich history yet is very much a forward-looking city.
There really is nothing like passing a few days in Rome. I have gone there often and will certainly be returning soon, it really is an amazing place.
There really is nothing like passing a few days in Rome. I have gone there often and will certainly be returning soon, it really is an amazing place.
If you are new to a city, taking a few tours is a great way to get a feel for the place and get your bearings. There are dozens of tours in Rome, everything from traditional dusty museum tours straight out of the 50s to exciting and quirky tours like the Rome Segway Tour. Here are some of my favourites with an emphasis on the slightly quirky ones.
Limo tours
Several of the limo firms in Rome run great tours of the city in luxury limos. Not the cheapest way to see the city, but great if you want to impress or make your partner feel special. If you are planning a night out at the opera taking a luxury limo tour is a great way to set the scene for a high-class night in Rome and arrive at the opera in style.
Crypt and catacombs tours
Under Rome, there are miles of crypts many of which are open to the public.
Taking a tour around the Crypt of the Capuchin Friars is a must. The ornate decoration all made from human bones in the church is bizarre to say the least, but also fascinating.
Tours of the various catacombs give you an insight into the way the different religions used to inter their dead. Again, not for everyone, but unlike anything I had seen before.
Largo di Torre Argentina and the cat sanctuary
The Largo di Torre is a square surrounded by modern buildings, which is dominated by the ruins of four ancient temples. However, the sight that draws the crowds is not the temples it is the 200+ stray cats that are cared for by local gattare (cat ladies). The cats sunbathe in the afternoon amongst the ruins and those who are sick are picked up and cared for by volunteers. Many visitors contribute to the society that takes care of the health of these cats in return for a tour of the ruins.
Not so dusty museum tours
Now I know I mentioned dusty museum tours in the first paragraph, which may have suggested to you that most museum tours are a bit on the boring side. In Rome, that is definitely not the case. There are some pretty unusual museums in Rome, so you are guaranteed to see things in Rome’s museums that you really won’t see anywhere else.
Here are some of the best:
The Museum of the Holy Souls in Purgatory – this is a tiny museum containing artefacts that are said to prove that purgatory exists. Some, like the books with handprints burned into them, are quite bizarre.
Other unusual museums include The Crime Museum and The Pasta Museum. My favourite is the live gladiator museum where members of the Historic Group of Rome demonstrate gladiator craft and give you the chance to get involved too.
Ghost tours
Every big city offers ghost tours and Rome is no exception. There are some great ghost tours, and because most of them take place at night, it is a slightly different way to see the city.
This really is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Rome. As well as all of these slightly quirky tours, Rome also offers standard tours of all of its historic buildings, excellent walking tours and bus tours. There are many ways to see Rome, which is part of the reason it is such a great city to visit.
Photo by jody_art via Flickr
Article written by Sandra
Limo tours
Several of the limo firms in Rome run great tours of the city in luxury limos. Not the cheapest way to see the city, but great if you want to impress or make your partner feel special. If you are planning a night out at the opera taking a luxury limo tour is a great way to set the scene for a high-class night in Rome and arrive at the opera in style.
Crypt and catacombs tours
Under Rome, there are miles of crypts many of which are open to the public.
Taking a tour around the Crypt of the Capuchin Friars is a must. The ornate decoration all made from human bones in the church is bizarre to say the least, but also fascinating.
Tours of the various catacombs give you an insight into the way the different religions used to inter their dead. Again, not for everyone, but unlike anything I had seen before.
Largo di Torre Argentina and the cat sanctuary
The Largo di Torre is a square surrounded by modern buildings, which is dominated by the ruins of four ancient temples. However, the sight that draws the crowds is not the temples it is the 200+ stray cats that are cared for by local gattare (cat ladies). The cats sunbathe in the afternoon amongst the ruins and those who are sick are picked up and cared for by volunteers. Many visitors contribute to the society that takes care of the health of these cats in return for a tour of the ruins.
Not so dusty museum tours
Now I know I mentioned dusty museum tours in the first paragraph, which may have suggested to you that most museum tours are a bit on the boring side. In Rome, that is definitely not the case. There are some pretty unusual museums in Rome, so you are guaranteed to see things in Rome’s museums that you really won’t see anywhere else.
Here are some of the best:
The Museum of the Holy Souls in Purgatory – this is a tiny museum containing artefacts that are said to prove that purgatory exists. Some, like the books with handprints burned into them, are quite bizarre.
Other unusual museums include The Crime Museum and The Pasta Museum. My favourite is the live gladiator museum where members of the Historic Group of Rome demonstrate gladiator craft and give you the chance to get involved too.
Ghost tours
Every big city offers ghost tours and Rome is no exception. There are some great ghost tours, and because most of them take place at night, it is a slightly different way to see the city.
This really is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Rome. As well as all of these slightly quirky tours, Rome also offers standard tours of all of its historic buildings, excellent walking tours and bus tours. There are many ways to see Rome, which is part of the reason it is such a great city to visit.
Photo by jody_art via Flickr
Article written by Sandra
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