Hidden Gems in Rome: How To Get off the Beaten Path

Some 2,000 years ago, the Appian Way (Via Appia Antica) stretched more than 400 miles (640 kilometers) from Rome to Capua near Naples and eventually Brindisi. Today, a much shorter, roughly 10-mile (16-kilometer) stretch runs through the Appian Way Regional Park in south central Rome. While you don’t have to walk all 10 miles to get off the beaten path, the farther you travel from the entrance near Porta Capena, chances are the fewer crowds you’ll encounter. From the Villa of the Quintili, the ancient road narrows and runs along original paving stones. Rent a bike to make the distance in no time.

It would be a mistake to skip Rome’s most well-known neighborhoods, such as Trastevere and San Lorenzo, the coolest of the bunch. But a trip to Rome is incomplete without visiting the lesser-known, more authentic quarters. To find genuine Roman life, locals often suggest visiting Testaccio, a more residential neighborhood across the Tiber River from Trastevere known for restaurants and a community market. With more planning you can also head farther south to Ostiense and its 2,000-year-old Pyramid Cestia or explore Tor Marancia with its large-scale graffiti art.

Wondering how to skip the lines in Rome? The Vatican Museums perpetually swell with tourists, so fast-track tickets (including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica) are your best bet. Or swap them for the Capitoline Museums, where you’re more likely to find school groups and history buffs than long ticket lines (keep in mind that it can depend on the day). Housed in three palazzi surrounding the Michelangelo-designed Piazza del Campidoglio atop Capitoline Hill, one of Rome’s seven hills, the art and archaeological museums hold mostly antiquities from ancient Rome—see them on a private tour to gain insight into the sprawling collections.

Among the non-touristy things to do in Rome, the Galleria Sciarra is perhaps the most beautiful. Every inch of the art nouveau courtyard is covered in intricate designs and brilliant frescoes bathed in light shining through a vaulted iron-glass ceiling. Surprisingly, this hidden gem lies a short walk from the Trevi Fountain, where there’s always a crowd and can easily serve as a respite from the tourist crush. Best of all, it’s always free to visit.

Despite being one of Rome’s most unusual attractions, the Aventine Keyhole remains relatively unknown. This secret peephole lies on Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta on Aventine Hill. Find the unexceptional green door on the west side of the square and look through the keyhole: It frames a perfect view through gardens of a property owned by the Knights of Malta, a Roman Catholic religious order, to the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.

One of the best Rome travel tips for avoiding crowds is to retreat above the fray to terraces and rooftops. There are rooftop bars above highly trafficked attractions in the historic quarter, such as the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Minerva—but the best ones offer dazzling views over Piazza Navona and the baroque architecture, fountains, and cafés lining the square. If terrace-and-bar-hopping is too mainstream for your off-the-beaten-path tastes, catch a rooftop opera performance instead.

Among the world’s longest and best-preserved ancient walls, the Aurelian Walls generally demarcate the Historic Center of Rome (Centro Storico di Roma)—where most of the touristic heavy hitters lie—with the rest of the city. Step beyond the walls to tread where few (or at least fewer) travelers venture—an e-bike tour covers catacombs, aqueducts, and the ancient Appian Way. You can also visit the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, a Papal basilica allegedly built over the tomb of Paul the Apostle. It lies relatively far from the historic center and is typically less crowded than St. Peter’s Basilica.

To wander around Rome is to encounter ancient theaters, arenas, bathhouses, temples, palaces, statues, triumphal arches, sarcophagi, and other Roman ruins—with much to see beyond major landmarks like the Colosseum and the Pantheon. Although the Golden House of Nero (Domus Aurea), the remains of an underground imperial palace built by the notoriously extravagant Emperor Nero, lies steps from the Colosseum, it’s less well-known. It’s also among Rome’s most crowd-free attractions, due to limited opening times and public access typically available via guided tours.

Some claim that the Eternal City is the greenest city in Europe. While it sounds like an exaggeration, the city can rightly claim acres upon acres of lovely green spaces full of paths and trails less traveled. Though the Villa Doria Pamphilj, Villa Borghese, and Villa Ada are well known, they each have peaceful corners. Still, to really leave the beaten track, head to the Orange Garden (Giardino degli Aranci), a small garden on Aventine Hill with a scenic terrace, or the Rose Garden (Roseto Comunale) nearby.