Rome on wheels with Roma Cristiana Bus Tours

UPDATED JULY 2024
By Go City Expert

Although Rome is a relatively compact city you can explore quite easily by foot; there’s nothing better than a good old bus tour. You can’t deny it, sitting on an open-top (especially when it’s sunny!) and taking in the sights like a proper tourist is actually good fun! Obviously, the Roma Cristiana bus tour in Rome is a must-do on your trip. It’s an easy kill-all-the-birds-with-one-stone method of seeing all the important landmarks and monuments of the city, whilst learning interesting facts on the way. For example, did you know left handed people in Ancient Rome were considered unlucky? It’s where the word sinister comes from, from the Italian sinistra meaning left. With a three day hop-on, hop-off ticket you’re guaranteed to see all the major sights of Rome as the bus stops at 12 major points around the city, from the Coliseum and St Peter’s Basilica, to the great squares of Piazza Navona and Campo de’Fiori. Whether you choose to stay seated on the bus and sit on it for the full 2 hour tour, or whether you jump off and on at various points to explore the city in depth, this bus tour is a great way of discovering Rome at your leisure. Here are some of the best sights to see on the way: Coliseum As one of the most famous landmarks in Rome, the Coliseum is as deep-rooted in Rome’s history as you can get. Built in 70AD it has stood the test of time and is pretty much the world’s all time event arena! Hosting some of the most daring, controversial and undeniably entertaining events in history from gladiator fights to miniature boat races, the Coliseum is a must-see. Admire the imposing structure of the 156m wide amphitheatre and learn about its influential history. Hop off to explore the exhibitions and take a walk around the ancient architecture. St Peter’s Basilica As the most important landmark in the Catholic Church, St Peter’s Basilica symbolises the epicentre of their holy community. Its Renaissance and Baroque art history and decoration makes it a monumental masterpiece from its marble façade, to its interior opulence – featuring Bernini’s baldacchino and Bramante’s dome. Explore the underground crypts or climb up to the very top of the dome for sweeping views across the city. Don’t forget to cover up your arms and legs though, they’re quite strict when it comes to entry admission. Circus Maximus With a seating capacity of 250,000, Circus Maximus was the other main arena that staged popular events; the most popular were the chariot races. Circus Maximus is even older than the Coliseum and dates back to the 6th century BC, where a racing track was created between the two main peaks, the Aventine and the Palatine hills. After two fires destroyed the original construction, the arena was made in stone and marble, and stood at a height of 3 stories, measuring over 600m long! Unfortunately during the Medieval and Renaissance eras most of the material was stolen from the structure of the site for new builds, which is why so little of the architecture remains today. Piazza Navona One of Rome’s most famous Baroque examples, Piazza Navona, is in the heart of Rome and is a popular piazza for tourists and locals alike. Stop off at this marble masterpiece for a spot of lunch in one of the traditional Italian restaurants that spill onto outside tables on the cobbled square and overlook the fountains and statues that make Piazza Navona so beautiful. Why not go through Campo de’Fiori on your way back to the bus and walk through the famous artisanal food market. There’s everything from fresh produce to funny pasta shapes, as well as ingredients for the perfect picnic! With the OMNIA Vatican & Rome Card you can explore Rome with the Roma Cristiana bus tour for free. The 3 day hop-on, hop-off ticket is included in the price of the package – just turn up and get your ticket from the stop at Piazza Pio XII, 9.

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Tour of Rome's Street Art and Graffiti

Although Rome’s Street Art scene is less renowned than say that of LA, London or Berlin, the alternative graffiti culture is growing year on year. In an emerging scene with new artists spreading their wings – or spraying their cans – across the city, Rome’s the one-to-watch. Walking through the streets of the city, from the historical centre to the student hub, there are colloquial murals everywhere from in-your-face takeovers to blink-and-you-miss-it icons. With a wealth of undiscovered and underappreciated artists, huge inroads have been made to legalise walls for people to practice their craft. Although some disapprove; you can’t deny that it’s a step in the right direction when it comes to embracing regulated new forms of expression. Although you won’t find much real street art in the tourist hubs in Rome (bored adolescent graffiti doesn’t count) you’ll be more successful widening your search out to the more local areas around railways lines and under bridges, in and around Trastevere, Pigneto and San Lorenzo districts. To get a flavour of what Rome has to offer, the MondoPop Gallery, near the Spanish Steps, exhibits some of the best street artists on the scene, both from Rome and internationally. You'll get a flavour of what the city has to offer and even spot some names you’ll recognise dotted around the streets afterwards. San Lorenzo, the student hub, is rife with impressive colourful murals and messages from the city’s creative undergraduates. It’s often the place artists start out before moving up to other districts. Walk under the Scalo di San Lorenzo and via dei Volsci for a look at Rome’s budding artists. Also, on Via dei Sabelli you’ll see Alice Pasquini’s work, too. Head to Volturno, near Termini station, if you want to get really involved and see how it’s done. Pigneto is the chosen area for many of Rome’s top artists. Walk through these cobbled streets and uncover the new world; Rome’s modern, urban undercurrent amidst the historical district. Look out for the signatures Hogre, Alt97, Uno, Hopnn and #cancelletto# as they take Pigneto as their turf, claiming walls and surfaces as their canvasses. Take it all in, the next time you visit they might not be there – not every Roman is as pro the urbanisation of their city as others. Check out the former cinemas Preneste for other spellbinding designs, too. Ostienese is now host to the Outdoor Festival and 999 Contemporary art shows which invite like-minded artists from around the world to show in their city. These shows encourage artists to share and paint legal walls to inspire the industry to grow. Blu is considered one of the most famous Italian artists in the world; and he can’t pass through the area without adorning it with one of his signature pieces. Look out for his Porto Fluviale, his most recent addition. Trastevere although both a local and tourist mecca, has recently become the host to new works by Omino71 and Mr. Klevra – so look out the next time you’re across the river. Whether you’re for or against Street Art, you should be able to appreciate Rome’s changing urban landscape. Street art and graffiti highlight the juxtaposition between the old and new so it's only fair that Rome is allowed to keep up with its capital counterparts in terms of artistic expression.
Go City Expert
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Our historical and cultural guide to Churches in Rome

Discover the history and cultural beauty of some of the most iconic churches in Rome with our guide! Whether you’re visiting the Eternal City as a tourist or as a pilgrim, exploring the beautiful churches in Rome is a must-do. And with over 900 dotted around the city, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Discovering a small baroque masterpiece on a leisurely amble through the streets is a particular delight, but here is a bit more about the churches we think you wouldn’t want to miss. Brought to you by the team at the OMNIA Vatican & Rome Pass. Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano Known in English as the Basilica of St. John Lateran, this is the official seat of the Bishop of Rome (ie. the Pope). Built during the reign of Constantine I, the first Christian emperor of Rome, it’s also amongst the oldest churches in the world. It has however been through several reconstructions and renovations. The impressive baroque façade was completed in 1735 and includes a portico from which the Pope gives his benediction on Maundy Thursday. Take a good look at the central bronze doors, which are Roman originals, recovered from the Imperial Forum. And once inside, look out for the cosmatesque pavement in the nave (a type of inlaid stonework from the 14th century), and statues of apostles from the 18th century. The basilica also houses several important relics. Don’t forget to visit the adjacent cloisters, which are all that remain of a 13th century Benedictine monastery. Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore Located on the top of Esquiline Hill, the Basilica of St Mary Major is one of the best examples of early Christian churches in Rome. Check out the magnificent 5th-century mosaics and triumphal arch, as well as the crypt of the nativity, home to another prized relic, the crib (or manger) of Jesus Christ. The site for the church was chosen after a legendary summer snowfall in AD 359 - clearly a miracle in the blistering heat of a Roman summer. The event is commemorated every year on 5 August, when a shower of white rose petals is released from the dome. Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura St Paul Outside-the-Walls is the newest of Rome’s four major papal basilicas, relatively speaking. Although it was originally completed in the 5th century, repeated earthquakes and a catastrophic fire meant it had to be completely rebuilt in 1823. It’s still magnificent and marks the burial place of St Paul, who was executed by decapitation in the 4th century. Particular highlights include the Romanesque Easter candle statues and the Gothic baldacchin (a marble canopy at the high altar). The inside of the church is large and imposing, and is joined to a cloister, which was untouched by the fire and dates back to the 13th century. The Pantheon The Pantheon is of course best known as an ancient temple to honour all gods (this is the original Greek meaning of the name), but was turned into a church in 609 AD. This has contributed to its longevity and it remains the best preserved ancient monument in the Italian capital. Made from material quite similar to modern-day concrete, the dome is still the largest unsupported dome in the world. Check out the oculus in the centre, 7.8m in diameter, which is the only source of light in the building. There are of course many more notable churches, including Santa Maria sopra Minerva, build on the site of a pagan temple, and Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, which contains works by Renaissance artists such as Raphael, Caravaggio and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Please don’t forget: when visiting churches, bear in mind that these are places of worship. Shorts and skirts should be longer than the knees and shoulders must be covered – some sites may otherwise refuse entry. You may have been surprised not to find St Peter’s Basilica on this list of churches in Rome, but it’s been covered so extensively elsewhere that we thought you would be unlikely to miss it. And technically speaking, it’s actually in the Vatican. What will make your list of favourites?
Megan Hills
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The history of the Roman Forum: the centre of the Ancient World

The Roman Forum was the hub of commerce and trade in the Ancient World and has been dubbed the most celebrated meeting place in the world – and indeed in all history. The Roman Forum developed over many centuries in the valley between the Capitoline and Palatine Hills and was originally a sodden marsh until it was drained into the River Tiber. Funny to think that one of the most important and powerful Empires was founded on swampland! According to tradition, the Forum was founded as a result of the conciliation of two rivals, Romulus (founder of Rome) who ruled the Palatine Hill, and his nemesis Titus Tatius, who controlled the Capitoline Hill. Their original Forum was used as an open air market place but it was the Comitium which later held public speeches, civic trials and assemblies; driving the Forum into a different politically charged space. Later, in the Republican era, the Senate wanted to expand the Forum's piazza and so purchased private property to turn it into public use. From the 5th century BC, the first temples were constructed – namely the Temple of Saturn and the Temple of Castor and Pollux, as well as the Temple of Concord in the century later, expanding the growing central hub of Ancient Rome. The earliest basilicas were introduced into the Forum in 184 BC which began the process of ‘monumentalizing’ the site. The first basilica to be added to the Roman Forum was the Basilica Fulvia at the north side of the square in 179 BC; nine years later the Basilica Sempronia was constructed on the south side. As the Forum developed with more public buildings and monuments, slowly the public gatherings and important political celebrations that were held in the Comitium moved into the Forum – such as the popular comitia tribute assemblies, funerals of Roman nobility and popular games. It was during the reign of Sulla that major work was undertaken on the Forum including the laying of marble stones – raising the plaza level by almost a metre – how we see it today. In 63 BC Cicero delivered his famous speech to the conspirator Catiline in the Forum. But it was the oration given at Caesar’s funeral – which you’ll recognise from Shakespeare’s play – delivered at the speaker’s podium, the New Rostra, that was probably the most significant and memorable event that has lived in history. The burning of Caesar’s body then took place in the site where the Temple to the Defied Caesar now stands, built by the Emperor’s great-nephew Octavius, aka, Augustus. It was Augustus who later gave the Roman Forum its final form; adding the Temple of Divus Iulius and the Arch of Augustus in 29 BC. Jumping ahead to the medieval era in the 6th century (AD), some of the monuments within the Roman Forum were turned into Christian churches. By the 8th century the whole Forum was filled with these new religious buildings, transforming abandoned and ruined temples into Christian shrines. It was during this time that travellers to Rome noted that the Roman Forum was already falling apart and although the memory of its former glory lasted, the once powerful imperial site was now referred to as Campo Vaccino – meaning cattle field – as it was falling into disuse, ruin and under layers of years of debris. It was also during this period that builders and architects dismantled the surviving buildings to use the original material for the construction of towers and castles in the local area. Later on in the 13th century, the Roman Forum was used as a dumping ground for old medieval buildings – and the Roman practice of building new neighbourhoods over old ruins meant the old Roman Forum was almost nowhere to be seen, with a significant rise in ground level. It wasn’t until the 18th century that any type of excavation work really began thanks to the early efforts to recreate the outline of the Roman Forum by artists in the late 15th century, later supported and completed by antiquaries. Excavation and restoration was only really first attempted in 1803 by Carlos Fea, who began clearing debris from the Arch of Septimus Severus. Archaelogists under Napoleon’s regime then helped carried on his work, but it wasn’t until the early 20th century that the Roman Forum was fully excavated! So when you know the history of the Roman Forum, you can appreciate the history and change that the Roman Forum has witnessed over these thousands of years. Just think about it, the marble and cobbled paths and streets that you walk through are at the real level at which it stood during the Imperial period - now that should make you stop and think. With the OMNIA Card you can discover the ancient world of the Roman Forum for free. You can even skip the queues and jump straight to the front and explore the centre of Empires past. If you want to visit the Forum Museum, to discover more of the ancient world and Roman Forum, including ancient artifacts and old sculptures,, show the OMNIA Card to the ticket staff and you can get free and fast track entry to the Coliseum and museum included as well. It’s your answer to the best sightseeing experience in Rome!
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