Rome Ultimate Underground Tour: A Detailed Review

Okay, so you’re thinking of seeing Rome, right? The usual spots, they’re pretty cool and all, that’s for sure, like the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Vatican City, you know? However, if you really want to, like, get a feel for the city’s long history, like a proper feel, the Rome Ultimate Underground Tour, too, it’s almost certainly worth checking out. It gets you way beyond the stuff most visitors ever see, is that correct? I mean, it takes you way down, literally. I guess, expect ancient streets, hidden burial places, and stories that might give you the creeps, just a little.

Why Go Underground in Rome?

Rome, very, it’s really a city with levels, more or less like a layer cake that’s seen a couple millennia, apparently. You’ve got the famous spots up top that you always hear about, sure, then below, there’s centuries worth of history, typically just sitting there right underneath your feet, yet it’s virtually ignored, apparently. Think of old houses, you know, basilicas and temples that were built on top of, which were subsequently built on top of again – it’s history piled on history. The Underground Tour lets you see this up close. That dark, slightly damp air, that’s almost definitely dripping with the past.

Many, truly many of the locations aren’t very accessible on your own, like your typical tourist, anyway, that’s for sure. These tours, they give you access and make sure someone who actually knows what they are talking about, as I was saying, they give you the story. Plus, crawling around in the dark with a bunch of other history nerds, too it’s often an adventure in itself.

What You’ll See on the Ultimate Underground Tour

Okay, the specific locations can be slightly different, that, at least is what I heard, anyway, but a Rome Ultimate Underground Tour, yet it will usually hit these, typically, pretty important sites:

• The Catacombs: These, too it’s usually underground burial places, very used by the early Christians and others when land up top, you know, like outside the city walls, that stuff, it’s arguably too expensive, right? That is, these long, dark tunnels filled with tombs, you know, it’s extremely eerie, as I was saying, but absolutely one of a kind. I want to make it clear here, it isn’t just Christians burried in the catacombs, you, as a tourist will see a variety of people burried down here. The tour provides an eery snapshot of their traditions.
• Basilica di San Clemente: This spot, that is, it’s honestly pretty amazing since it’s a three-layered cake of history. There’s a twelfth-century church on top, then, anyway, underneath that is a fourth-century basilica, actually, and below that, honestly, there is a first-century Roman house and a temple dedicated to Mithras, by the way. That’s like getting three tours for the cost of one, okay? I think the best part about this location is the evolution of what the people wanted or practiced here.
• Crypt of the Capuchin Monks: Right, these monks used bones—human bones—to decorate the crypt, like you decorate your Christmas tree, I mean literally. It’s supposed to be a reminder, by the way, that life’s short and that death comes for us all, like that. Yet, some people might just think it’s rather morbid and just completely mad. But the reminder itself, it seems valuable.
• The Stadium of Domitian: So, this was an ancient stadium underneath Piazza Navona, yet the ruins give you a rather interesting peek into what athletic competitions might have been like back in Ancient Rome. Some gladiator things. The piazza above? That roughly follows the original stadium’s shape, literally. Like looking back in history.

What Makes This Tour Different?

Well, a few things, seemingly, that’s obvious. Often, Rome’s most impressive spots are mobbed with way too many tourists, of course, but under the ground, things can get extremely pretty peaceful, and a bit cooler, literally. That being said, still plan on rubbing elbows with the rest of your group; tight quarters often. This specific “Ultimate” tour often suggests a good combination of sites and tries to get a few of the off-the-beaten-path locales, actually, that can sometimes make you feel, I want to say, like a legitimate explorer.

Plus, some tours are pretty large, I want to say, which might give you a chance to see plenty of stuff, basically, however, arguably you end up struggling just a little bit to hear your guide, literally. Picking a smaller group can potentially give you an advantage on this tour. It feels like you can make some better friendships, by the way. All you really need is to chat with some of the group!

Who Should Take This Tour?

I feel, very anyone who really likes history and who has at least a little interest in seeing something different might want this, that’s my honest take. Should I remind you to consider, like, a bit of a spooky experience with, say, dark tunnels and human remains, naturally, then that kind of comes with the territory of what to expect in an undergound experience, I think, frankly. If you are claustrophobic, like your cousin Barry, that’s a no-go.

This could also be very awesome for a repeat visitor to Rome who might be kind of interested in experiencing some new things after hitting the usual landmarks. Plus, if you are trying to dodge those surface crowds, honestly, this could actually be your sanctuary, honestly. Just prepare for possibly, really possibly dodging crowds, right in a slightly smaller tunnel, and that’s a huge if, very arguably.

Booking Your Underground Adventure

To book this kind of thing you definitely, absolutely, will not get much by arriving in person and buying your tickets at that very moment. Booking online before you go, like, it’s truly the best option for, basically, making sure you’ve actually got a spot, actually. Various sites provide this tour, so I suggest checking a couple for times, you know, prices, and also the specific sites on each tour, okay? If you’re just traveling with kids, like really young kids, definitely see how they can be on an underground tour that has walking up and down flights of steps.

And yeah, don’t forget to check what other travelers are, as I was saying, just saying, that is, by comparing one website with another! This also basically goes for checking travel restrictions when outside of your country!

What to Bring With You

This, anyway, is pretty easy. Comfortable walking shoes, like running shoes or something, naturally. That’s a massive requirement. Given that it’s cooler below ground, yet bring, arguably, a light jacket or sweater, so definitely bring those, okay? Some spots are a bit damp, is that accurate? Bring a bit of water. I mean, sure you can pay top dollar in the tourist traps of the landmark tours in the hot scorching weather, however, if you brought some water it is likely cheaper.

Pictures are okay at a lot of these spots, often. Just bring your camera. In many catacombs and under the like, the lighting might be pretty bad. Also, remember, arguably bringing one of those flashlight features on your phone is actually fine and you don’t, at least generally, need to go buy some big crazy headlamp, by the way.

Is the Rome Ultimate Underground Tour Worth It?

I want to say yeah, as a matter of fact, definitely, basically. If seeing a few of the hidden sides to Rome gets you thrilled, that would do it for most, as a matter of fact. You’ll be on the surface seeing what is in front of you while getting a chance to learn what Rome has underneath it. Plus, too, it’s arguably an awesome change from the usual tourist crowds above. I have also noted it doesn’t get incredibly pricey to take some underground tours here, literally.

Rome Ultimate Underground Tour – FAQs