City Essentials: First Day • 3 hours 5.0
(150)

Kickstart your trip to Rome

Trams, a labyrinth of cobbled streets and the perfect imperfection of historical ruins.

Dinner in Rome doesn't start until 8-8:30 pm, so do like the Romans do and join in the evening ritual of aperitivo from around 7 pm

What makes this experience special

Key highlights

  • Find your feet and learn to navigate your way through the vibrant streets of Rome
  • Kickstart your trip by going to the heart of the city and discover what makes Rome such an amazing place
  • Explore Rome's rich history by visiting a few of its iconic sights and landmarks - although it’s not hard to spot the Colosseum!
  • Walk the streets with a local - you’ll be surprised at how much faster you feel at home
  • Ditch the tourist traps and get right into the good stuff that locals also love
  • Grab a coffee, slice of authentic pizza or gelato if you’re feeling peckish

What to know before you go

Here’s everything you need to know before your day unfolds.

3 hours
Fully tailored to your preferences
English Other languages may be requested

What’s included

A totally private and personalised experience
3 hours with a Host
Hotel meet-up (available on request for central location)
Walking experience

What’s not included

Food and drink
Transport costs
Tickets to attractions
Gratuity (optional)

Meeting point

Your hotel/apartment or any other central location

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience

What to bring

  • We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and carrying a light bag for your essentials.
  • Public transport may be used during the experience - please bring a travel card or small amount of cash for fares.

How your day could unfold

A flexible, unscripted experience designed entirely around your interests. Your host will adapt the day based on what excites you most

What you’ll do

If it's been a while since you were in this ancient city or this is your first visit, joining one of our local Rome hosts to help you find your feet is the perfect way to get your trip off to a good start!

Orientate yourself among the tiny cobbled streets as you wander through character-packed piazzas and past the perfect imperfection of historical ruins - there's no telling what you might find.

Discover how to navigate the city's network of trams, buses, and trains, get oriented in the city streets (no getting lost on our watch!), discover the briefest of histories, and get tips for how to enjoy Rome like a local.

Along the way, you'll see some iconic sights - think crumbling ruins and ancient churches - and you can stop for an espresso (the locals don't have milky coffees after lunch), a slice of pizza Romana, or gelato along the way.

It's always easier to find your feet with a friend by your side, and that is exactly how it will feel with our host, who will have you feeling right at home once they've shared their tips for where to eat, how to get around, and spilled a local secret or two.

1. Select a date
2. Select start time
3. Tailor your experience
Answer a few quick questions to help your host craft the perfect day tailored to you.
1. What’s your preferred hosting style?
2. How would you like the pace of your day?
3. What’s your walking comfort level?
4. Are you celebrating something special?

Real Stories, Real Connections

See our hosts and guests creating memories

17,500+ 5-Star Reviews and Counting

Trusted and recommended by travelers worldwide, including 99% on Google and TripAdvisor.

recommended by 99% of travelers on google
recommended by 99% of travelers on tripadvisor
We don’t make deals with businesses - giving you unbiased and authentic local experiences.

What travelers think of this experience

Kimberly Jun 2025

Ugo was Absolutely Amazing!!! He is so knowledgeable about the city of Rome and all the history behind each location visited. He is warm and hospitable and was an absolute pleasure spending the day with him. My husband and I saw everything we had hoped to see and more. Ugo is so kind and eager to help you maximize your time and see what’s important to you on the tour. He is so amazing. He truly gave us the perspective from a local, which is exactly what we wanted and showed us Rome through the eyes of a native in the city. It was an absolute pleasure spending the day with Ugo. If you are planning a trip to Rome, seeing the sights with Ugo is an absolute must!!!!! He’s the Best!!!!!

Show more
Shawn Jun 2025

Shiva was an excellent guide for are first day in Rome. She tailored our tour to exactly what we were looking for in quickly understanding Rome and all of its secrets. She was very knowledgeable on the culture, customs and art history of Rome. She gave us great advice on chain gelati vs quality gelati. She pointed out the difference between good local restaurants and shops, and tourist traps. She was very personable and friendly. We could not have asked for a more friendly welcome to Rome.

Show more
Theresa Jun 2025

We specifically signed up for this tour because we wanted to experience the culture and hidden gems of Rome. The tour did not disappoint thanks to our amazing tour guide, Beatrice. She asked us ahead of time about our interests. And, it was very clear that she prepared and planned our tour based on our interests. We had the chance to get away from the hundreds of tourists because we had already been to all the historical sites. And, we experienced fun Roman foods, wine, markets and art. Something we would have never experienced on our own. We asked Beatrice for recommendations for the rest of our stay. And, she took the time the next day to respond back to us to give us great suggestions. Please ask for Beatrice if you want to really experience the heart of Rome.

Show more
Leah Jun 2025

Our tour guide was Shiva. She was so kind, funny and knowledgeable. The tour was wonderful and we learnt a lot. Would highly recommend a tour with Shiva. Her wonderful tour helped us expirence Rome in our very limited time frame. Thank you so much again. X

Show more
Rodger May 2025

A custom experience that we have never had before. We filled the questionnaire almost in reverse, stating the places we had already seen and did not wish to see again. Nadia communicated often to be sure she could make a good plan for us. We saw things we didn't even know existed, enjoyed the inside of a basilica, and spent time in the Jewish Ghetto. One of our fellow travelers who tried to find a site on there own, without a guide never found it even though it was not far from our hotel. A guide is a worthwhile expense

Show more
Debbie May 2025

Bea was easy to understand and provided great information and a terrific experience. We loved the walk through the local market at the end of our tour. Bea also provided a lot of additional information of other things we could see and do during our time in Rome, this was provided after our tour finished and was way above and beyond what we expected.

Show more
SEE ALL REVIEWS