Rome's Best-Kept Secrets: Off The Beaten Path
Updated: 5 days ago
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Rome - a mystical city full of history, wonder, and cacio e pepe - ROME. It's this bucket list destination for every would-be traveler - to see the Colosseum, to walk the steps of the Appian Way - to marvel at the art and ancient dwellings. ROME, man. It's Rome!! People get starry eyed over this city, but in my experience it's no different than an urban jungle like New York.
It's hot, it's loud, it's buzzing with angry Italians on mopeds, and it is absolutely littered with tourists. What makes Rome so special? Why does every single rom-com on Netflix revolve around this city?
Confounded by this massive metropolis and its wily way of getting into everyone's hearts (and bellies), I told myself I MUST be missing something. I am an Italian citizen (I have dual citizenship through Jure Sanguinis), and I should have a fervent love for this ancient city, but I just. hate. crowds.
So what's a girl to do!?
I planned a trip to Rome off the beaten path, where the best kept secrets weren't necessarily in a tour guide book or on Tripadvisor's top 15 list. I dug deeper to experience real Rome.
Discovering Unusual Things to Do In Rome
Get away from the crowds, the tourists, the heat and the constant shuffle of American accents and their gawdy attire. Do something a little more Roman. Discover something a little bit off the beaten path. Trust me, you'll love Rome more for it.
Start with a Go City Rome Pass
If you are looking to do it all, see it all and eat it all in a short span of time, I recommend looking into the Go City Rome Pass.
Visit the Sisteen Chapel, the Coloseum, take a cooking class, visit the Appian Way on a bike, go rafting, kayaking, and so much more with this pass. And the best part is EVERYTHING is included.
Starting at 85 euros, you can pick and choose the activities you want. Choose your pass based on number of days in Rome, or based on the number of attractions you want to see. It's an incredible value and worth a look for ideas, at a minimum.
Meanwhile, I've shared below some of my favorite insider secrets to visiting Rome off the beaten path. Check them out!
Ostia and Ostia Antica
Ostia
Just outside the city to the west, Ostia and it's neighboring Ostia Antica is easily accessed by the metro system or short taxi ride from Rome's Fiumicino Airport. For a quieter night's stay, the industrious seaside town of Ostia offers a welcome starting point to your Roman Holiday.
We chose to stay at B&B Lido Liberty - "L'abbraccio di Klimt", a sprawling and artistic home to ourselves, just steps from some seriously good pizza shops like L'Oro Di Napoli Roma.
With candlelit tables and doughy southern Italian pizzas, you can't beat this after a long day of travel.
Watch the lights dancing off the sea and families out for a stroll before calling it a day.
Starting refreshed the next morning, hop on the subway a 10-15 minute walk from the B&B to reach Ostia Antica.
Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica itself is literally the old city of Ostia, but I don't mean turn of the century old - this is a completely abandoned city of ruins of the town of Ostia dating back to 620 BC.
This archaeological site takes several hours to visit, so plan to spend the morning. Having been to Pompeii, I can say that Ostia Antica is probably one of the best preserved ancient cities I have ever had the pleasure to walk through.
You can see how they lived from bakeries to homes, the theater and much more. The architecture is still largely in tact making it profoundly easy to transfer yourself back in time while visiting. This is 110% worth a visit before going into the sleepless city of Roma.
If you go, you can take the train or consider a small group tour from Rome.
Remember to exercise caution when riding the subway in Rome, and always safeguard your belongings with these tips to avoid getting pickpocketed abroad.
Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano
Simply, this church is an architect's dream. Stacked one on top of another and then another this layer cake of a Basilica is literally three churches using up one vertical space.
Enjoy wandering down the stairwell from lavish gold and mosaic rooms into darker stone corridors as you will see the incredible transformation of time the deeper you go.
Fun fact - I was browsing the carved stones in the courtyard of the Basilica and found the text carved into the stonework to be extremely fascinating to look at. And then it jumped out at me - "GOOGLE".
Right there on this old stone tablet. GOOGLE, it reads. I swear! (Do you see it? Middle right?)
Maybe our ancient Romans knew something we didn't?
Find this and many more unique ancient stories at the Basilica. Tours are readily available on viator.
Traveling to Italy with Kids?Check out my Kid's Travel Journal - Scavenger Hunt Italy!  |
Experiencing an Opera at St. Paul's Within the Walls Church
If you are an opera fan (or maybe just watched "Pretty Woman" a few too many times), you will be familiar with La Traviata, a gut wrenching Italian love story by Giuseppe Verdi.
Richard Gere's character Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman sums up so eloquently just what opera can mean to someone:
"People's reactions to opera the first time they see it is very dramatic; they either love it or they hate it. If they love it, they will always love it. If they don't, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of their soul."
Beautiful. I love that quote. And I love opera. By act three I admittedly get a little weary because generally you see where it's heading and it usually is pretty doomed for the lovers. Nonetheless, experiencing an opera like this shouldn't be missed.
At St. Paul's Within the Walls you don't just witness an opera performance, you become immersed in it. For 35 euros spend a night on the town wining and dining before your 8:30 program.
You are ushered into a cavernous and dimly lit church, which in itself rivals the many you have probably seen earlier that day in your touring. Bursts of color - red, gold and velvet adorn the seats the walls and ceilings. A breathtaking backdrop for the art you are about to experience.
The acoustics of hearing opera within hallowed walls is one not soon forgotten and the music is boundless in reaching your soul with every agonizing cry of sorrow from the singers. This Italian opera absolutely must be on your to do list if you are interested in the arts.
Catacombs in Rome
As it so happens, I have a thing for visiting catacombs. You can see for yourself in my article on 7 Bone-chilling Places to see Tombs, Catacombs and Mummies Around the World.
Not among the 7, but equally as satisfying to visit, are the catacombs at San Callisto or San Sebastiano in Rome. I visited San Callisto but do not have photos!
Suffice it to say, it's full of elaborate designs made from human skulls, and has a definite spook factor if you're into this sort of thing.
Visit two catacombs and the Basilica on this well packaged tour.
Nightly Champagne Sabering at the St. Regis
Step into opulence and grab a beautiful cocktail at the stunning velvet covered lounge in the St. Regis hotel in Rome.
While you are there, watch as small crowds gather for a nightly ceremony known only to the St. Regis, where they ask guests to take a very sharp sword and saber the top off a champagne bottle.
I did this, and it was great fun! Enjoy happy hour here before discovering a new place for dinner, or strolling a different side of Rome's heart.
Pro tip: If you like unique drinking experiences, look into Florence's wine windows, where you can order your aperol or a glass of vino from an ancient stone window in a wall, just like they used to during the plague!
Attend a Glamorous Dinner Party in a Roman House
EatWith has hosted thousands of foodie experiences across the world, but this one is truly unique. Dine in the welcoming home of a true Roman family, with the feeling of attending someone's family dinner party.
Make new friends, enjoy some great company, and discover authentic Rome behind the scenes. To learn more about this dinner party experience, head over to EatWith, where nearly 1200 people have already taken and rated this experience highly with a 4.9/5 rating.
More Off the Beaten Path Ideas from Rome
Here's some of my other content to get your travel planning moving in the right direction!
Unique Side Trips from Rome (By Train or Car)
Visit Emilia-Romagna, home of Parma ham, Modena vinegar, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, vineyards, and more.
Scour the Northern Italian countryside for Italy's best car museums, like Ferrari, or visit infamous Italian Grand Prix race tracks at Monza.
While in Monza, make it a day trip from Milan for shopping and al fresco lunching.
If you are headed up the coast, you may as well make a quick stop in Pisa to see the iconic leaning tower, and be sure to follow the rules of the road when you rent a car in Italy.
Flights to Other Places in Europe
Another idea that I often do is take what I call a 'puddle jumper' flight - an easy and cheap flight - to anywhere else in Europe to extend your vacation. Vueling, Ryan Air and Easy Jet are the most popular choices of airlines and are very inexpensive. As an example, flights from Rome average as low as 21 euros on Vueling.
Take a Cruise or Ferry Around the Mediterranean
Lastly, consider booking a cruise from Rome's Citvitavecchia cruise port, where Mediterranean itineraries are very common and visit ports like Marseille, Genoa (including side trips to Portofino), Pisa, Sicily, Barcelona and Palma.
This circular route runs all the time and you can pick the ship up in any of these ports. Get an idea for rates on cruises from Rome at Cruise Direct.
If a proper cruise doesn't suit your vacation needs the final option is actually a really cool way to really do the off the beaten path thing, and it is to consider taking a ferry somewhere. This could be a weekend trip from Rome, or a point to point drop off.
You can ferry yourself to places like Sicily, Barcelona, Malta, or even Tunisia, for something exotic. Ferry boat experiences are an amazing way to travel, and you get to have a little mini cruise.
I did this in Oslo on an overnight ferry to Copenhagen, and it was great fun for the family. We got our own sleeper cabin with a giant oceanview window and an ensuite bathroom. The ferry is set up like a cruise ship (albeit much smaller) with shops, restaurants and bars and even a kids club.
So Is Rome Worth Visiting?
Rome - in it's angsty, aged and angry glory it still continues to prevail as a top tourist destination for good reason.
Look for off the beaten path, non touristy sites like these unusual things to do in Rome in order to avoid the crowds and
I guarantee you'll be dreaming of cacio e pepe and hugging your loved one on a vespa while your scarf flies independently into the wind.
It's ROME, man, and I can say with confidence that without the crowds, it IS totally worth it.
I have been to all of these sights, and , I agree that they are amazing. Off the beaten path is usually the best!