Tips and information to city tours in Rome: Rome offers a variety of city tours to discover the most popular monuments and to soak in the Italian atmosphere. For instance, you can take a tour with Hop on Hop off or opt for a typical Italian way of exploration with a Vespa or a Fiat 500. Segway city tours are also offered in Rome.
City Tours in Rome: Everything you need to know!
Hop on Hop off city tour busses in Rome
The concept of a Hop on Hop off city tour is very easy in case you haven’t tried it yet. Basically, it’s a city tour on a bus, often a double-decker. The buses stop at multiple stations which are mostly located near famous sights.
During a ride with a Hop on Hop off bus, you can get on and off as many times as you like. This allows you, for example, to stop at a certain attractions and continue your ride later to visit another one. But you can also just relax and sit in the bus without getting off at every station.
There are main companies that offer Hop on Hop off city tours in Rome: Big Bus, City Sightseeing and Openbus Vatican & Rome. You will find more information about each service provider below.
Hop on Hop off Bus tours in Rome
1. Hop on Hop off city tour with Big Bus in Rome
Big Bus is an internationally active company and offers bus tours worldwide with no exception for Rome. The red double-deckers by Big Bus have an open roof so that passenger can enjoy the view on a sunny day. In case of rain or too much sunlight, you will find protected seats on the lower level of the bus. The tour is commented via headphones in 9 different languages including English.
Big Bus follows a big route through the Italian capital which is slightly modified on weekends or holidays due to road closures. The entire Hop on Hop off tour is about 1 hour and 40 minutes long. The buses stop at 8 different stations at an interval of 10 to 20 minutes throughout the day. Most of them are accessible for wheelchairs.
Prices for a Hop on Hop off tour with Bug Bus
If you book in advance on the internet, you will most likely get a discount of 15 percent. There are no discounts on tickets sold in the bus. Big Bus offers 5 different tickets for its Hop on Hop off service in Rome: They are valid for one day, 24, 48 or 72 hours. The normal price for these tickets is 27 euro (one day), 34 euro (24 hours), 42 euro (48 hours) and 48 euro (72 hours). There is also a ticket to the catacombs (45 euros).
| Adults | Children | Family (2 adults , 2 children) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One day ticket | 27 euros | 14 euros | 68 euros |
| Discover ticket (1 day, red line with 8 stops) | from 30,60 euros | from 15,30 euros | from 76,50 euros |
| Essential ticket (2 days, red line with 8 stops) | from 37,80 euros | from 18,90 euros | from 94,50 euros |
| Explore ticket (3 days, red line with 8 stops) | from 43,20 euros | from 21,60 euros | from 108 euros |
| Ticket Catacombs (1 day, purple line) | from 45 euros | from 36 euros | --- |
Itinerary with Big Bus in Rome
You can check out the bus route by Big Bus in Rome on this map here.
2. Hop on Hop off city tour with City Sightseeing in Rome
City Sightseeing is another international service provider for Hop on Hop off tours in Rome. They come as double-deckers and offer a panoramic view thanks to the open upper level. Comments to the passing sights are available over headphones in 8 different languages including English. Every bus by Open Tour provides space for a wheelchair. City Sightseeing runs a route in Rome with the highlights of the city (11 stops). From May to October, a night tour is also included in the 72-hour ticket.
Prices for a Hop on Hop off tour with City Sightseeing in Rome
City Sightseeing offers 15 percent discount on the regular price if you buy your ticket on the internet. There are four different tickets for the Hop on Hop off tours with Open Tour in Rome: They are valid for one day, 24, 48 or 72 hours:
| One day | Ticket 24h - Classic | Ticket 48h - Premium | Ticket 72h - Deluxe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults 16+ | from 22,10 euros | from 28,05 euros | from 33,15 euros | from 39,10 euros |
| Children 5-15 years | from 11,05 euros | from 13,60 euros | from 16,15 euros | from 19,55 euros |
| Family (2 adults, 2 children) | from 55,25 euros | from 69,70 euros | from 82,45 euros | from 97,75 euros |
Itinerary with City Sightseeing in Rome
You can check out the bus route on this map here.
3. City tour with OpenBus Vatican & Rome
OpenBus Vatican & Rome is a Hop on Hop off tour in Rome which is organized by a company of the Vatican. As a result, the bus tour has a focus on churches and religious sites in Rome. Nevertheless, you can use the service by Roma Christiana to visit the famous Roman sights. The double-deckers stop at the Colosseum and the Vatican among other tourist spots. They pass every 15 to 20 minutes at one of these stations. Moreover, the tours are commented over headphones in 8 different languages including English.
Similar to the service providers above, OpenBus Vatican & Rome offers tickets for 24, 48 and 72 hours.
Prices for the Hop on Hop off tour with Open Bus in Rome
The price for a Hop on Hop off ticket is 33 euro (24 hours), 39 euro (48 hours) and 46 euro (72 hours).
| Adults (18+) | Children (6-17) | Family (2 adults, 2 children) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket Classic 24h | 33 euros | 16 euros | 82 euros |
| Ticket Premium 48h | 39 euros | 19 euros | 97 euros |
| Ticket Deluxe 72h | 46 euros | 23 euros | 115 euros |
Itinerary with Open Bus in Rome
The bus route of Open Bus Vatican & Rome can be found on the website of the company.
City tour in Rome in a Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 embodies the typical car for Italians, similar to the Beetle for Germans. Thus, you can find city tours in Rome with a Fiat 500 from the 60s or the 70s. It’s possible to rent a Fiat with a personal driver who can give you insight to the history of Rome. Or, if you are looking for an adventure, you can also choose to drive and explore the city on your own. In that case, you will need of course a valid driver’s license for the tiny Fiat.
You can rent a Fiat 500 for a city tour in Rome for a few hours or for day trips to Tivoli or the Alban Hills.
Prices for a city tour in Rome with Fiat 500
The small Fiat 500 with chauffeur provides space for a maximum of three other persons. The price of a 3-hour tour with chauffeur is 370 euro for 2 persons.
City tour with a Vespa in Rome
Another typical Italian way to explore Rome is the Vespa. You can rent the scooter without a guide, but there are also guided Vespa tours through the Italian capital.
On a 3 to 4-hour tour on a Vespa, you can discover numerous monuments and small streets and alleys. Vespa tours are also offered at night when Rome is illuminated by its many lights and fountain. The price for a tour is 180 euro per person.
City tours with Segway
Nowadays you can also explore Rome on a Segway and there are tours which last several hours. The advantage is that Segways are considered a walking aid. As such, they are allowed into the history city center.
Before the Segway tour begins, there will be a short introduction to control your Segway, even though it’s quite intuitive. Everyone can learn to ride on a Segway. However, children under 16 are not allowed to participate in a Segway tour. The price for a 3-hour tour is around 60 euro.
City tour in Rome on a bike
If you like to discover Rome on a bike, you can easily do so in a guided bike tour. Even though there is no public bike rental in Rome, there is a great choice of guided bike tours. The duration is different from tour to tour and varies from 3 hours to half a day or a full day. In the summer, I would recommend a short bike tour in the morning. The price for a 4-hour tour is about 40 euro per person.
