Rome is a magical city. It’s beautiful at any time of the day, but after the sun goes down, the crowds leave and the city lights up, it becomes even more charming.
Exploring Rome at night is one of the best ways to do so, as you’ll be able to enjoy it without the huge tourist crowds. However I can totally understand if you don’t fancy just wandering alone the streets of Rome at night.
Which is why I put together a compilation of the best Rome by night tours for you!
From walking tours to Vespa scooter tours, or from foodie tours to nights visits to the Vatican, I’ve outlined all the most popular tours of Rome at night.
Joining a night tour of Rome is a great option, especially for solo travellers who don’t want to walk around the city alone.
Even if you’re a couple or group of friends, joining a tour will give you the opportunity to discover the city at night with a local guide.
Having a Roman guide tell you about the unique history of Rome, as well as taking you to all the best local dining spots, is well worth the price tag of a Rome by night tour.
Add to that the reduced tourist crowds, and you have an all round winner! So without further ado, let’s dive in and discover the best tours of Rome by night!
Contents
Watching the sunset over the Vatican and Ponte Sant’Angelo from Ponte Umberto in Rome
The most popular Rome by night tours
I thought I’d kick off this guide with the most popular Rome by night tours. These are the ones with the most and highest reviews, which are guaranteed to be a great addition on any Italy itinerary.
Vatican at Night Tour
Tour highlights:
- Skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums are always a bonus
- You’ll get to visit the Sistine Chapel
- It’s three hours, so there’s plenty of time to soak it all up
- Knowledgeable professional guide to talk you through the frescoes and various rooms
- You can see these incredible sights at night with fewer people
This tour takes you on an adventure into the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel under the cover of darkness. This Vatican night tour begins by meeting your guide and heading inside with a skip-the-line ticket.
Especially if you only have two days in Rome, this tour is great as it will save you loads of time.
The road leading up to the Vatican in Rome at night – photo by Mike Vathis on Scopio
Visiting the Vatican by day means huge crowds, even with skip-the-line tickets, so visiting at night is the best way to avoid queues.
During the three-hour evening tour, your guide will show you the amazing artefacts on display at the Vatican Museums.
These include the stunning Gallery of the Candelabra, the intriguing Gallery of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries and the (rightly) world-famous Raphael Rooms and their incredible frescoes.
Speaking of frescoes, it’s then time to step inside the awe-inspiring Sistine Chapel to gaze at Michelangelo’s masterpieces in their full glory.
It’s not hard to be impressed with the sights on offer during this night-time Roman excursion.
Click here to book your Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel Night Tour!
Or check out prices & availabilities below!
The Basilica di San Pietro and main square of the Vatican in Rome
Rome Colosseum Night Tour
Tour highlights:
- Great for balmy Roman summer nights as it’s mainly outside
- Walk around the arena floor where the gladiators actually stepped
- Spot graffiti from the middle ages
- See the once bustling market place around Trajan’s Column
- Learn about the religious and official structures at the Roman Forum
In the daytime, the Colosseum is a spectacular structure but come night, this ancient Roman ruin becomes a magical sight to behold, as it’s illuminated dramatically.
The tour actually doesn’t start at the Colosseum, but instead at the Colonna Traiana (aka Trajan’s Column), which overlooks the Roman Forum.
This tour is a great choice for those who only have one day in Rome, as it allows you to see one of the main attractions in Rome without wasting time in a queue.
The Colosseum in Rome at sunset
You’ll then move on to the Roman Forum itself – free of its usual crowds in the daytime, it’s somehow easier to imagine how it might have been in its heyday.
Then this Rome Colosseum night tour comes into its own as your guide whisks you to the main event itself. Entering the Colosseum, the illuminations highlight the grand stadium.
You’ll be able to see details like historic graffiti, imagine what it must have been like for gladiators back in the day, and snap pictures of the whole thing without tourist crowds getting in your shots.
If you can, I would pair this tour with a hotel near the Colosseum. That way you can relax in your apartment during the day, overlooking this iconic Roman sight, and then head out to explore it once the tourist crowds leave.
Chilling by the Colosseum in Rome
Vespa Tour of Rome By Night
Tour highlights:
- Getting to ride around on a vintage Vespa scooter is awesome
- You’re actually in a sidecar, meaning you can sit back and relax (kind of!)
- Stopping for gelato and coffee like a real Roman
- Having a professional guide to show you the ropes
- See a long list of iconic sights lit up
There’s no more iconic way to get around Rome than on the equally iconic Vespa (like in Roman Holiday, the iconic travel movie), and what makes it even more magical is doing so at night time.
It’s your chance to explore the Italian capital in style on a vintage Vespa, it’s a bit on the higher end price wise, but if your Italy trip budget allows for it, this experience will be well worth it!
When I first moved to Rome by then boyfriend took me on a scooter tour of Rome at night. I can confidently say it was one of the best evenings we spent in Rome, and it made me fall in love with the city.
Scootering around Rome – that’s the Colosseum behind us!
This Rome-by-night tour begins when you get picked up at your accommodation – on a Vespa, of course. Then you’ll don your helmet and head off around Rome while it’s illuminated at night like an open-air museum.
Because you’ve got your own set of wheels, you’ll be able to pack in more sights than you would on a walking tour.
These include Piazza Navona, St Peter’s Square, the Pantheon, Piazza Venezia, the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus, the Aventine Keyhole and the Janiculum Hill (one of the best viewpoints in Rome)!
Basically, it’s a little bit of everything – except on a Vespa. A super fun way to see the city.
Click here to see prices & availability for your Vespa Tour of Rome by Night!
View over Castel Sant’Angelo and the Tiber River at night
Sunset over the rooftops of Rome from Up Sunset Bar
Rome foodie tours by night
And after the most popular tours of Rome by night, we can’t help but move on to the foodie tours on offer!
Italians love good food, so obviously combining a foodie experience at one of the best places to eat in Rome, with a sightseeing tour of the Eternal City is a must on any Rome itinerary, regardless of how many days you spend in Rome.
Rome Night Tour with Pizza and Gelato
Tour highlights:
- Throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain as you pass
- Taste some freshly made (and highly recommended) pizza
- Sample some of the best gelato in Italy
- See the Colosseum and the Pantheon, among other sights, lit up night
- Soak up the nocturnal buzz of Pizza Navona
Arguably the best Rome night tours are those that involve food, and this one is a great way to sample some of the city’s best savoury and sweet foodstuffs: namely, pizza and gelato.
Enjoying pizza in Italy
The tour starts by sampling authentically made pizza at a local restaurant, before heading off to explore the city’s outdoor cafes and buzzing eateries with your guide.
Along the way, you’ll pass by some of the city’s most famous sights, including the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon.
Then it’s off to sample some truly delectable gelato – a great way to round off your trip (the guide for this tour believes it to be the best gelato in Italy!).
Given the ice cream menu, it’s obviously more fun if you’re visiting Rome in spring or summer, but the tour is actually available year round, so you could do it also if you’re visiting Italy and Rome in winter.
Click here to book your Rome Night Tour with Pizza & Gelato!
Or click below to see prices & availabilities!
The Pantheon in Rome by night – photo by Giuseppe Trimarchi on Scopio
Rome: 4-Hour Food Tour by Night
Tour highlights:
- Meet local families behind Rome’s famous eateries
- Sample dozens of different dishes
- Enjoy some 25-year-aged balsamic vinegar
- Indulge in a whole host of cheeses
- Sip on delicious wine
What better way to spend an evening in Rome than by sampling the city’s most delicious food in some of its coolest neighbourhoods?
This truly is the tour for those who love their food: it’s four hours of dipping in and out of cafes, trattorias and enotecas.
During the tour, you’ll get to taste around 20 different dishes as you go. It all starts with an aperitivo (naturally) at a La Nicchia Cafe, which specialises in mozzarella. Then it’s onwards to try out some creative pizza at Pizzarium.
After this, you’ll make a beeline to Paciotti: a gourmet food shop where you’ll get to sample salami, cheeses and wines. Finally, you’ll head to a local eatery for Roman pasta and more wine – with a finale of tiramisu, of course.
Click here to book your 4-hour Food Tour of Rome by Night!
Or click below to see prices & availabilities!
Eating spaghetti carbonara in Rome
Roman Food Tour in Trastevere
Tour highlights:
- Learn all about Roman food traditions
- Try out the unique Trapizzino
- Enjoy local wine and beer
- Soak up the lively atmosphere of Trastevere at night time – a must on any Italy bucket list!
- Being guided to the best places to eat in the area
Rome’s Trastevere district is where it’s at for nighttime fun. Packed full of bars and restaurants, this is a local hotspot once the sun sets.
The best way to get to know this traditionally working-class neighbourhood is through its food and wine. Luckily for you, this Rome evening tour allows you to dig deep into the foodie credentials of this district.
Your knowledgeable guide will first take you to a new street food hotspot: Trapizzino (a twist on pizza and traditional triangular sandwiches served at bars).
Then it’s on to Essenza Wine Bar for cheeses, cured meats and – of course – some wine.
Passing by Santa Maria in Trastevere, you’ll head off for some wood-fired pizza (and some more wine), before finishing off the night with some artisanal gelato. It doesn’t get much better than this!
Check out prices & availability for this Rome food tour in Trastevere here!
Wandering along the cute cobbled streets of Rome, Italy
Rome by night walking tours
After the most popular tours and the foodie tours, we’re on to the night walking tours of Rome. Regardless of where you’re staying in Rome, walking through the cobbled streets of Rome at night is a unique experience.
Doing so with an expert local guide will make it all the more special!
Secrets of Rome Walking Tour
Tour highlights:
- See iconic sights of the city – but with a twist
- The guide has some fantastic knowledge and is super engaging
- Exploring the twisting back alleys of Rome
- Learning the in-depth history of the city
- Enjoying a traditional Italian coffee to keep you going!
When it comes to night tours in Rome, this walking tour stands out among others.
It’s affordable compared to many others, and takes in some fascinating historical sights – all beautifully illuminated at night time and explained by a professional guide. It has some amazing reviews, that’s for sure.
The beautiful Trevi fountain in Rome
The tour begins when you meet your guide. They will proceed to show you around some of the city’s most iconic sights, but with a twist, revealing some of the hidden and secret histories behind the Eternal City.
You’ll walk along cobblestone alleyways and through storied piazzas, learning some of the tales and anecdotes that have been associated with them over the centuries.
It’s a fascinating way to get under the skin of Rome, adding a deeper insight to your trip than you would have otherwise.
Once the tour ends and you return to your Rome airbnb, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the city than you would have on a standard walking tour.
Click here to book your Secrets of Rome Walking Tour!
Or click below to see prices & availabilities!
View over the Roman Forum and the Colosseum from the Campidoglio
View over Piazza del Popolo and Rome from Terrazza del Pincio
Rome by Night Walking Tour – Legends & Criminal Stories
Tour highlights:
- See the Italian capital in a different light
- Hear tales of myths and legends that you’ve never heard before
- Learn about the infamous Corte Savella Prison
- Be entertained by spooky stories!
- An alternative tour to the usual sightseeing itineraries
This nighttime tour in Rome is something a little bit different to the norm.
Usually, tours lead you around iconic sights, and while this one still takes you to those landmarks, you’ll get to learn about ghosts, myths and legends along the way.
So, on this tour, the old stories of Rome get brought to life again in an entertaining way. It’s a great opportunity to hear about ancient Rome that you wouldn’t otherwise have learned about.
You’ll walk around Campo de’ Fiori (once an execution ground), learn about the bloody Inquisition, and be spooked by tales of Rome’s most notorious murderer.
It’s not your classic tour of Rome’s Instagrammable spots, and is perfect for those looking for something different.
Click here to book your Rome by Night Walking Tour – Legends & Criminal Stories Edition!
Wandering up the famous Spanish Steps towards Trinità dei Monti in Rome
Final thoughts on the best Rome by night tours
There you have it, the ultimate compilation of Rome by night tours! Have you visited Rome before? How did you find it? Let me know in the comments below!
The Eternal City is a must-see on any Italy itinerary, it receives thousands of visitors every day, and it’s easy to see why.
With its unique history, famous sights, beautiful architecture and delicious cuisine, it has something to offer every type of traveller.
Discovering Rome by night, after the crowds leave and the city lights up, is one of the best things you could do. It will allow you to soak in the true atmosphere of Rome, and really enjoy your time in the Eternal City.
I hope you have found this guide of the best Rome evening tours useful, and that it will help you pick the best Rome night tour for your trip! If you have any questions, just let me know in the comments below.
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