Unusual Rome: Off the beaten path Tours

Have you had enough of postcard monuments and crowded museums? If you are looking for something new, this is the tour for you!

We offer private guided tours of an unusual and secret Rome, which will surprise you.

Our off the beaten path tours will be an opportunity to discover hidden corners of the Eternal City and closely observe the Romans daily life.

Choose from the available itineraries:

SUMMARY

Garbatella & Ostiense

Our walking tour through the Garbatella and Ostiense districts will allow you to discover a very different Rome, full of pleasant surprises that will enrich your knowledge of the eternal city.

The working class neighborhood of Garbatella, built during the fascist era, will amaze you with the harmonious architecture of its buildings surrounding picturesque common yards. Once inside Garbatella, you will have the impression to be entered in a colorful, hidden ancient village, so different from the rest of the city.

Some of the main stages of the visit:

the Fountain of Carlotta with the “lovers’ steps”
the characteristic medieval bridge and the clock tower bombed by the Germans at 11:25am on March 7, 1944
the historic Palladium theater
the local food market, where you can buy products directly from the producers

Ostiense was the city’s industrial district: nowadays the old factories had been converted in many different ways, from restaurants to cultural centers, from residential spaces to museums, always keeping the industrial archaeology charm.

You will visit a very unique museum, which is installed inside the biggest old power plant of Rome, called Centrale Montemartini. The museum offers visitors an unprecedented coupling between industrial machinery and archaeological finds from the ancient Rome, including beautiful sculptures and statues.

Finally enjoy a visit to Eataly, the temple of Italian excellence, housed in a modernized train station. Here you will relax and enjoy a tasting of typical seasonal products accompanied by Italian wine or beer; you will also have the opportunity to buy quality wine and food products.

Monti

Monti is one of the oldest and most picturesque neighborhood of Rome.

With its ancient Roman remains, medieval ruins, Renaissance and Baroque artworks it offers a variety of architectural styles covering the entire history of the city!

Strolling along the alleys and small squares of Monti, full of artisan shops, vintage clothing stores and bars, you will be immersed in the lively atmosphere of the neighborhood.

Monti houses many interesting churches and basilicas:

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the most beautiful and important churches in Rome, the only one to have retained its primitive early Christian structure, and the Egyptian Obelisk
Basilica of Santa Praxedes, which preserves the beautiful cosmatesco floor and houses two masterpieces of the Middle Ages: Roman mosaics of the triumphal arch in the apse and the Chapel of San Zenone
Santa Pudenziana, one of the oldest churches in Rome, rebuilt in the Baroque style, with beautiful mosaics in the apse
Church of San Martino ai Monti and the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, in which you can admire Michelangelo’s imposing marble sculpture of Moses
Church of Santo Stefano Rotondo: with its original circular shape, this is one of the masterpieces of early Christianity, it is rich in works of art and archaeological finds.
Basilica of San Clemente

Testaccio

Testaccio is one of the few neighborhoods that still preserves the authentic soul of Rome.

Enjoy a pleasant stroll around this bustling picturesque district, observing the daily life of its inhabitants, while admiring the beauty of its views and the richness of its archaeological treasures.

The itinerary includes the following steps:

The Pyramid Cestia that is one of the most striking examples of the influence of Egyptian culture in Roman society
Porta San Paolo, one of the most imposing gates in the city walls built by Emperor Aurelian to defend Rome from barbarian attacks
Food market of Testaccio where you can taste some seasonal Roman specialties

On request we can add the following stages:

The Protestant or “English” Cemetary, directly beside the pyramid, where the foreigners and non-Catholics who died in Rome, including artists and personalities of great importance, were buried;
Visit to the interior of the Pyramid of Cestius;
Monte Testaccio or “dei Cocci”, a small hill covering over the remains of the landfill dumpsite of ancient Rome, composed of innumerable layers of shards of amphorae!
Lunch at typical restaurant in Testaccio or food tour of typical street food specialties.

Esquiline

Discover the artistic wonders of this ancient neighborhood, now inhabited by a populous multi-ethnic community.

This district was built around the beautiful Piazza Vittorio, where you will admire the remains of the ancient ‘Ninfeo di Alessandro Severo’, a monumental fountain of empirical Rome and the mysterious Alchemic Door engraved with ancient symbols of alchemy and esoteric philosophy.

During the tour you will visit:

The church of Santa Pudenziana, embellished with mosaics from the 5th century
The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
The Arch of Gallienus, a monumental gate in the ancient walls
The Horti of Maecenas and the Auditorium of Maecenas
The Temple of Minerva Medica, an imposing monumental hall
Porta Maggiore: it is one of the gates in the Aurelian Walls of Rome, which is located at the point where converged eight of the eleven aqueducts that carried water to the city
The Church of St. Eusebius which houses many works of art
The Church of St. Alphonsus, one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in this capital, embellished with colored marbles, mosaics and other works of high artistic and historical value