Hop on hop off Rome. As in many other cities, a hop-on hop-off tour by bus is a great thing to do in Rome. In this article I will tell you which companies offer Rome bus tours, which routes they drive along and whether a hop-on hop-off bus tour through Rome is worth it.
Hop-on Hop-off Rome: Tips and information about hop-on hop-off Rome bus tours
There is a wide range of hop-on hop-off bus companies in Rome. Not just one, two or three, but five different companies are present in Rome. These include Big Bus, Gray Line, Green Line, City Sightseeing and Roma Cristiana, making their way through the streets of the Eternal City. In addition to the hop-on hop-off bus tours you can also book a boat tour on the Tiber in Rome.
Each hop-on hop-off tour company in Rome offers different options and additional services. Which is why I am going to tell you more about the most interesting hop-on hop-off bus tours through Rome.
Hop-on Hop-off Rome Bus: Worth it?
Whether a sightseeing tour with one of the many hop-on hop-off buses in Rome is worth it, only takes one answer: definitely! A hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour by bus is perfect to get to know the City on a first glance and find out where all of Rome’s attractions and famous sights are located. In addition you can use these buses to get from one attraction to another within the Italian capital, just as you would do by public transport.
Basically, hop-on hop-off buses and buses of the public transport system complement each other. However, there are certain areas in the city center that you better explore by foot, bike or on a Segway.
You can find hop-on hop-off ticket sellers on every street corner in Rome. Be that as it may, you can’t always be sure that the products you are buying are official tickets. In addition there is a large variation of tickets. To be on the safe side and avoid confusion, you should buy your tickets on the Internet beforehand. Another advantage? Once you arrive to Rome, you have nothing else to do but getting on the bus and enjoy the ride!
To help you make a decision on all the different offers I will tell you more about the different companies and their most interesting offers. Hop-on hop-off Rome bus tours are free of charge for children under the required minimum age, as long as they don’t need an extra seat.
Bus stops and bus routes
The hop-on hop-off companies Big Bus, Gray Line, Green Line and City Sightseeing all use the same 8 bus stops:
- Termini (different starting points)
- Santa Maria Maggiore
- Colosseum
- Circus Maximus
- Piazza Venezia
- Castel Sant’Angelo (Vatican) – This is where you can see the castel Sant’Angelo, St Peter’s Basilica and to the other direction Piazza Navona
- Via Ludovisi – Perfect for visiting the Spanish Steps
- Barberini-Piazza Barberini
To explore the city center of Rome, it is best to exit at the St. Angelo Bridge and head towards Piazza Navona, then on to the Pantheon, past the Parliament and the Government House, to the Trevi Fountain and then to the Spanish Steps.
The bus station Barberini – Piazza Barberini is located between Via Veneto in Rom, the Dolce Vita shopping street with all its luxury hotels and the famous Hard Rock Café, and Via del Tritone which runs between the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.
The company Roma Cristiana follows an entirely different route, with 15 different bus stops. Roma Cristiana is mainly focused on Rome’s beautiful churches. Buses of Roma Cristiana don’t stop at the Trevi Fountain, instead they stop at other points of interest such as Piazza Navona and Torre Argentina and then continue to St John’s Basilica.
In summer the company City Sightseeing has a minibus going to the catacombs on Via Appia Antica three times a day (Catacombs of Domitilla). Big Bus offers a route with ten stops to San Sebastiano and the Baths of Caracalla once every hour (purple line).
1. Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour with Big Bus in Rome
Big Bus runs on the red standard route with its 8 bus stops including Trevi/Spagna and Barberini. Since 2018 the hop-on hop-off company Big Bus offers the purple line going to San Sebastiano and the catacombs which I personally find very interesting.
Yet, the purple line doesn’t pass the Vatican and doesn’t lead through the city center either. The route starts at Termini, and goes to Santa Maria Maggiore, the Colosseum, the catacombs San Sebastiano (this is where the most beautiful part of Via Appia Antica begins), on to Caffarella/Divino Amore, the Baths of Caracalla, Circus Maximus, Piazza Venezia and ends once again at Termini. You can use both the red and the purple line if you buy the Big Bus Deluxe Ticket. The ticket for the catacombs include a guided tour through the catacombs and the possibility to rent a bike:
| Adults | Children | Family (2 adults , 2 children) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover ticket (1 day, red line with 8 stops) | from 33 euros | from 16 euros | from 82 euros |
| Essential ticket (2 days, red line with 8 stops) | from 39 euros | from 19 euros | from 97 euros |
| Explore ticket (3 days, red line with 8 stops) | from 46 euros | from 23 euros | from 115 euros |
| Ticket Catacombs (1 day, purple line) | from 46 euros | from 36 euros | --- |
I really like the Big Bus Deluxe Ticket which lets you use both the red and the purple line for 48 hours. Like this you can visit the city center and the park at Appia Antica with the catacombs, a popular attraction in Rome. On the way back you pass the Baths of Caracalla. If you get off here you can also just walk to the next stop which is Circus Maximus and take a different bus line there.
Have a look at the bus lines’ schedule:
| 1st ride | last ride | How long? | How often? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| red line | Termini: 9 am / Vatican 9:42 am | Termini: 5:50 pm/ Vatican: 6:44 pm | 1 h 30 min | every 20 min |
| purple line | Termini: 9:35 am/ Circus Maximus: 10:35 am | Termini: 4:05 pm/ Circus Maximus: 5:05 pm | 1 h 30 min | every 80 min |
2. Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour with City Sightseeing in Rome
The hop-on hop-off company City Sightseeing operates on a line former known as ATAC line 110. Just like Gray Line, Green Line and Big Bus, City Sightseeing also runs on the red standard line with its 8 already mentioned bus stops. Though a bit confusing: there are three different bus stops at Termini. Some buses leave from Via Marsala, where the SIT Bus airport shuttle arrives from Fiumicino and Ciampino.
Other buses stop on the opposite side of the train station at Piazza dei Cinquecento or between Piazza dei Cinquecento and Piazza Repubblica next to Largo di Villa Peretti. Anyhow, all other bus stations are the same for all buses and you can exchange your printed ticket version for an official ticket voucher directly on the bus.
In summer City Sightseeing offers an additional minibus that takes you to the Domitilla catacombs. The bus goes there three times a day, except on Tuesdays when the catacombs are closed. Admission to the catacombs and a guided tour are already included in the ticket price.
City Sightseeing in Rome offers:
| Ticket 24h | Ticket 48h | Ticket 72h | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults 16+ | ab 27 euros | ab 30,60 euros | ab 34,20 euros |
| Children 5-15 years | ab 13,50 euros | ab 15,30 euros | ab 17,10 euros |
| Family (2 adults, 2 children) | ab 67,50 euros | ab 76,50 euros | ab 85,50 euros |
The operating hours are:
| 1st ride | last ride | How long? | How often? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard route | Termini: 9 am | Termini: 6 pm | 1 h 40 min | every 15 min |
From Wednesday to Monday the minibus leaves three times a day for the Domitilla catacombs from Largo di Villa Peretti:
| Largo di Villa Peretti | Colosseum | Circus Maximus | Arrival Domitilla catacombs | Departure Domitilla catacombs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:15 am | 9:30 am | 9:40 am | 10:00 am | 11:30 am |
| 10:40 am | 10:55 am | 11:05 am | 11:15 am | 12:55 am |
| 3 pm | 3:15 om | 3:25 pm | 3:45 pm | 4:50 pm |
3. Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour with Gray Line in Rome
Gray Line is yet another company in Rome on the standard route with its 8 bus stops. Gray Line offers reduced ticket rates for children between 5 and 12 years. There are numerous different offers at Gray Line, therefore I will only tell you about the most important here:
| one round (without stops) | 5h | Day Ticket | 24h | 48h | 72h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults 13+ | 13,60 euros | 16 euros | 17,60 euros | 24 euros | 27,20 euros | 30,40 euros |
| Children 6-12 years | 9,60 euros | 11,20 euros | 12 euros | 18 euros | 16 euros | 21,60 euros |
Gray Line runs from April to October from 8:30 am until 6:40 pm from Termini. And from November until March from 8:30 am until 4:55 pm from Termini as well.
4. Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour with Green Line in Rome
The special thing about Green Line Bus, another company is that besides the 8 bus stops of the red standard route, once an hour buses also stop at Piazza Risorgimento underneath the Vatican museums. According to Green Line buses come every 10 min in summer and every half an hour in winter. Green Line offers reduced tickets for children between 6 and 12 years.
| 1 Tag | 1 Tag + Meal at Hard Rock Café | 24h | 24h + Meal at Hard Rock Café | 48h | 48h + Meal at Hard Rock Café | 72h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults 13+ | 22 euros | 38 euros | 25 euros | 41 euros | 32 euros | 48 euros | 39 euros |
| Children 5-12 years | 14 euros | 30 euros | 15 euros | 31 euros | 19 euros | 35 euros | 26 euros |
The first Green Line bus leaves from Termini at 9 am, the last one at 6:30 pm.
5. Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour with Roma Cristiana in Rome
Roma Cristiana is the tour company of the Roman pilgrimage, Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi. Hence, the bus line mainly connects Roman churches. Since most Roman churches are located at interesting places, this yellow bus line is just as worth it as the other lines are.
Roma Cristiana has the following operating hours:
| 1st ride | last ride | How long? | How often? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus stop Castel Sant'Angelo | 9:25 am | 6 pm | 2 hours | every 15-20 minutes |
| Bus stop Termini | 9 am | 6 pm | 2 hours |
Children under 9 years and people with a disability can ride the bus for free. To ride on the bus you need the Omina Card. The Omnia Card for 72 hours also includes the Roma Pass and preferred entry to the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica.
The Omina Card must be picked up in an office of the pilgrimage. You can have a free ride on the bus to the office as long as you show your booking confirmation. One of the offices is right on St Peter’s Square. It is open from 8:30 am until 5pm. Sundays from 9 am on. The other office is located between the Torre Argentina and the Pantheon at Via dei Cestari 21 and is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm.
6. River cruise on the Tiber
For a few years now some companies also offer river cruises on the Tiber. There are two boat landings: one on the opposite side of Castel Sant’Angelo, the second is on the Tiber island and easily accessible through the ramp which leads from the Garibaldi bridge down to the Tiber shore.
The cruise starts at the Tiber island and passes the Vatican and Castel Sant’Angelo. It then goes up the bridge Regina Margherita and back again to the boat landing at Castel Sant’Angelo. The cruise take about 75 minutes and offers nice views on all the Tiber bridges.
Social media
Become part of the HelpTourists community on Facebook! In our private group you can exchange ideas with other Rome lovers. Follow us on Instagram and Pinterest and get regular inspiration and insider tips for your next Rome trip!
Pin information about Hop on Hop off in Rome
This article contains referral links. There are no additional costs for you, but thanks to these links we get a small commission. This enables us to continue to work diligently on the website and always have the latest information from Rome ready for you. Thank you for your support!
