Fun and beautiful things to do in Rome

In a city like Rome, traditional tours are limited to showing the world-famous monuments. But there are more hidden, mysterious and unknown places worth visiting and many fun, unusual and original activities that you never expected to find in the Eternal City: from a course for skilled gladiators to rafting on the waters of the river that runs through the city.

Schooled by gladiators

One of the things you can only do in Rome is to learn to fight with the typical weapons of the ancient Roman people, wearing the traditional tunic and wielding the rudis, the short training sword. Classes are taught by the Roman Historical Group at a location on the Appian Way. You will learn basic techniques and can participate in tournaments with prizes raffled off for the winner. Each class has, on average, a duration of 2 hours.

The hidden relic and the motorized painting

A stone’s throw from Piazza Navona, in the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella, during Saturday vespers Mass, the parish priest sets in motion an unusual mechanism. A large copper oval, designed by Rubens, slides on a system of ropes and pulleys to display, beneath the Flemish painter’s painting, an older image, the Vallicellian Madonna, a miraculous relic that has been seen bleeding in the past. The mechanism is operated again the following Sunday to cover the icon. This magic is repeated on major religious holidays.

Movida and good music

Nightlife in Rome is very lively, including trendy discos and traditional pubs. If you want an unusual evening among the alternative things to do in Rome, Underdog’s in the San Lorenzo neighborhood, while at the center of Roman nightlife, is reserved and quiet, with a wide selection of craft beers. You can listen to live music or use individual high-powered headphones. Here, if you are an avid book or vinyl collector, you will find many rare pieces.

Swearing at No. 3 Via del Cinque

Among the crazy things in Rome, a peculiar place fits in the top ranks: Cencio la Parolaccia is a restaurant in Trastevere that has inspired establishments included in several comic films such as “Fracchia, the Human Beast.” It is a restaurant that serves mostly traditional Roman cuisine, and it does so amidst stornelli and jokes, salacious and quite bold, aimed at customers. If you love rustic and popular cuisine and are not afraid of a few swear words, it will be fun. On Fridays and Saturdays there is no a la carte menu but only set menu.

The thrill tour

There is no shortage of evocative places in the capital, but among the special places to visit in Rome, the thrill tour deserves special mention: catacombs, crypt of the Capuchins, and Museum of the Souls in Purgatory. The most impressive catacombs are those of San Callisto, in the heart of the Appia Antica. The crypt of the Capuchins, in the vicinity of Via Veneto, is entirely decorated with human bones belonging to 4,000 Capuchin friars. Finally, the Museum of the Souls in Purgatory, on the Prati riverfront, preserves mysterious documents that would prove the existence of Purgatory.

Exploring the House of Owls

Inside the Villa Torlonia park on Via Nomentana, you can visit one of the many hidden gems in Rome. The Casina delle civette, whose name derives from the countless decorations with these birds, both in the polychrome stained-glass windows and in the majolica tiles that cover it, has the typical structure of fairy houses, with turrets, porches and small balconies. The main cottage and the annex, connected by an underground passage, can be visited, by reservation only, Tuesday through Sunday.

Cinecitta-style fun at the park

If you’re looking for fun things to do in Rome, with a day pass or season ticket you can spend hours of fun at Cinecittà World park. You can relax in the Thai atmosphere and colors of Phuket Beach, face fierce battles on a large space transport ship, or experience the thrills of Altair, the roller coaster with the most inversions in Europe-you’ll be upside down 10 times.

Be amazed by the Coppedè neighborhood

This Art Nouveau as well as Art Deco and Baroque district, not far from the Parioli, owes its name to the architect and sculptor who designed it. What makes this neighborhood unusual is its fairy-tale atmosphere. Arriving through its streets from the nearby, chaotic and noisy Buenos Aires Square, it feels like time travel. See the Frogs Fountain, in which the Beatles bathed after a night at Piper, the historic nightclub just steps from the archway that marks the entrance to the neighborhood.

Practice rafting on the Tiber River

Among the unusual things in Rome, if you love adventure and water, is rafting on the Tiber River. It is a totally different way to see the city than usual, descending on a quiet but in some places rushing river, as at the point of the rapids under Garibaldi Bridge. During the briefing at the start, experienced guides will provide you with the necessary instructions and tips for your safety. The entire route takes a couple of hours. Find all the information and the form to book on the Roma Rafting website.

Exploring Rome balanced on 2 wheels

One of the most original and striking activities you can do in Rome is a segway tour of the city. Tours are available for those who are over 16 years old, fit enough to be able to get on and off the vehicle independently, and weigh between 45 and 113 kg. Each tour has a choice of itinerary and duration and is accompanied by an experienced guide. Tour reservations can be made conveniently online.

Boating on a pond

Who could imagine that among the fun things to do in Rome is a boat ride on a lake? Yet it is possible to do so on the small lake that, in the Villa Borghese park, surrounds the islet with the temple of Aesculapius. You can enjoy slow paddling on the waters of the lake, surrounded by cute ducks and ducklings. Due to the characteristics of small boats, to tackle this trip, it is advisable to be familiar with rowing boat techniques, but at the marina you will receive all the necessary guidance.

Lions and tigers at Villa Borghese

Still in the park around Villa Borghese, in Italy’s oldest zoological garden, you can admire felines, zebras and hippos in an immersion in nature inside the Biopark. Picnic areas and other dining facilities await you for an eco-friendly day. In addition to rarer species of animals, such as the lycaon, black lemur, and pygmy hippo, you will be able to see typical Italian wildlife animals that are threatened with extinction, such as the wolf and brown bear. The tour of the park can be done on foot or on the Express train.