Rome: Big Bus Hop-on, Hop-off Open-Top Sightseeing Tour

Rome, Italy

Very popular!

5+ bookings in the past 6 hours.

1 hour 40 minutes (approx.)
Offered in: English

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Overview

Skip the hassle of navigating Rome’s busy streets and piecing together transport with a flexible sightseeing pass that brings top landmarks like Vatican City, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon into one easy route. With the freedom to explore at your own pace and onboard insights to add context, this experience removes planning stress while helping you make the most of your time.

Multilingual audio commentary with included headphones
Hop off at Colosseum, Vatican, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain
Flexible 1- to 72-hour tickets, plus night tour option
Free Wi-Fi and VOX digital walking tour included

What's Included

1-day or 24-, 48- or 72-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour (depending on option selected)
Digital commentary in multiple languages
Free Wi-Fi on Board
Free VOX digital self-guided tour download
Night tour (72-hour ticket option 10th April-2 Oct only)
Real-time bus tracking app
Free Gelato from "The Gelatist" OR Glass of Prosecco with selected products

Hotel Pick-up & Drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Operating hours

Select your preferred tour option to see hours.

Departure Point

You may start this tour at any of the stops listed.

Ticket Redemption Point

Via delle Terme di Diocleziano, 34, 00184 Roma RM, Italy

Itinerary

Board the bus for your hop-on, hop-off tour at any of the stops along the route. Exchange your voucher for a ticket that is valid for three, 24, 48, or 72 hours, depending on your schedule and preferences.

Disembark at any point to explore areas that interest you. Spend as much time as you like at any one stop, or skip those that don't interest you. Climb down to explore Vatican City and learn about the history of the Catholic Church, or throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, which legend has it ensures you return to Rome. Sit on the Spanish Steps and sample a local gelato or explore the Pantheon. Disembark to learn about the times of Roman gladiators in the Colosseum or stroll through the ancient Roman Forum.

While on the bus, listen to recorded audio commentary in nine languages through the provided headphones. The recorded narrative gives a comprehensive history of Rome and details its current role as a thriving Italian metropolis.

Each ticket option includes a VOX digital walking tour. Please see the Itinerary section for a full list of stops.

Red Route

8 Stops

22 Points of Interest

Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes

Operating Schedule: The Hop-on, Hop-off tour runs daily from 9 AM to 6 PM, with buses every 15 minutes and a full loop lasting approx. 1 hour and 45 minutes. Present your e-voucher to Big Bus staff at any stop before boarding, or redeem it at the Big Bus Shop & Info Centre (Via delle Terme di Diocleziano 34), near Stop #1.

Rome Termini station

Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major

Colosseum

Circus Maximus

Piazza Venezia

Vatican Museums

Spanish Steps

Piazza Barberini

Points of interest passed by on this route

Trevi Fountain

Piazza Venezia

Vatican Museums

Piazza Barberini

Big Bus Tours

Campo De' Fiori

Piazza Navona

Vatican City

National Roman Museum - The Baths of Diocletian

Piazza del Campidoglio

Piazza Venezia / Ancient City

St. Peter's Basilica

Castel Sant'Angelo

Basilica di San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Circo Massimo

Roman Forum

Navona / Pantheon / Campo de’ Fiori

Vatican Museums

Vatican City

St. Peter's Basilica

Spanish Steps

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
Luggage is not permitted on board for security reasons
The 72-hour ticket includes a panoramic Night Tour (May to October only), which is not hop-on, hop-off

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

3.5

based on 2,700 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

We arrived in Italy late...

Chris_S, May 2026

We arrived in Italy late afternoon on a rainy day. We decided to take the Hop On and Off Bus to help us get our bearings for the upcoming days we would be here. To us it was perfect, however the one negative was that due to traffic the audio part of the tour it was hard to determine what they were talking about sometimes...was 10 minutes in front of you or ten minutes behind you. But overall we enjoyed it.

Their bus stops are not...

Kristine_G, May 2026

Their bus stops are not clearly marked. People working for the company kept directing us to “walk 2 minutes”. They also skipped stops including the Colosseum.

Have fun and enjoy the ride!

Jane_S, May 2026

Very easy to use. Although would rather redeem the tickets at any stop instead of specific stops. I would definitely use again.

Perfecto

John_c, May 2026

Bus stop was hard to find . But finally found it. Great experience overall lovely to see the sites would recommend to anyone

Big Bus not big on convenience

Tim_H, May 2026

The Rome Tour does not got anywhere near YH the main tourist points like the Trevi Fountain , The Pantheon or the Vatican Museum- also the only stop near the Colosseum was CLOSED so it’s a mile to walk back to it . Bus Stop guides not very knowledgeable.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear the Rome tour did not fully meet your expectations, particularly regarding the stop closures and access to certain landmarks. We also appreciate your comments about our staff, as this helps us improve the experience we provide. Your feedback has been shared with the local team, and we truly appreciate you taking the time to let us know about your visit. Denis @Big Bus Tours

The bus was clean but it...

Joyce_C, May 2026

The bus was clean but it was a recorded version and not much information lots of music that repeated!

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad to hear the bus was clean, and we appreciate your comments about the audio. We’ll share your suggestions regarding the content and music with our team to help improve the experience. Ioan-Razvan@BigBusTours

Very good; hit all of the...

Adele_R, May 2026

Very good; hit all of the high points in downtown Rome, commentary was very helpful, as explanations and history of locations between stops were informative. It would have been helpful to know, in advance or at least at the outset from Termini, that Stop 3 was not operational. This lead to a lengthy walk back from Stop 4 to get to the Colliseum and Palantine Hill which was problematic for people with infirmities.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your detailed feedback. We’re pleased to hear you enjoyed the route and found the commentary informative. We’re sorry for the inconvenience caused by Stop 3 not being operational and understand how this impacted your visit, especially for guests with mobility concerns. Your comments are greatly appreciated and will help us improve communication and planning for future tours. Ioan-Razvan@BigBusTours

Nice to ride and see the town

Richard_B, May 2026

Great way to get around. Perfect for anyone having 1 day in Rome. Get on, get off at each stop, see stuff, get back on.

Response from Host, May 2026

So happy to hear you enjoyed exploring Rome with us! Hop-on, hop-off is definitely the perfect way to make the most of a day in the city, and it’s great that you found it so easy and convenient. Thanks for sharing your experience. Vlad@BigBusTours

Very informative and helpful.

Mirna_V, May 2026

Great experience very informative and informative thanks you very much for a great job. Happy we chose your company.

Response from Host, May 2026

We’re so happy to hear you had such a great experience with us! It’s wonderful to know you found the tour informative — that’s exactly what we aim for. And thank you for choosing us, it really means a lot! Hope to welcome you back on board again in the future. Vlad@BigBusTours

We got into Rome and...

Wayne_R, May 2026

We got into Rome and wanted an idea of how to get around the city to view the sites. We choose your bus line and did the entire loop without getting off. A very enjoyable ride and tour to familiarize us to the area.

Response from Host, May 2026

So glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Rome with us! Doing the full loop is a great way to get a feel for the city, especially when you’ve just arrived. It’s lovely to know the tour helped you get familiar with the area while still being a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Hope you had an amazing stay in Rome and we’d love to welcome you on board again. Vlad@BigBusTours

Big bus

Brent_S, May 2026

A quick and easy way to see the city and get information along the way without expensive taxi's. Then you can plan your adventures.

Response from Host, May 2026

So glad you found it a convenient way to explore the city! It’s great to hear the tour helped you get your bearings and plan the rest of your adventures, all while avoiding more expensive options. That’s exactly what we’re here for! Thanks for sharing your experience, and we hope to see you on board again. Vlad@BigBusTours

Would have been 5 stars...

Tom_M, May 2026

Would have been 5 stars but several of the headphone jacks were not working on the bus and it’s very important when everything is in a different language

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your feedback. We’re really sorry to hear that some of the headphone jacks weren’t working during your tour — we completely understand how important the audio commentary is, especially in a different language. Your comments have been noted and shared with our team so we can improve the experience going forward. We’re glad you still chose to travel with us and hope to welcome you back on board again. Vlad@BigBusTours

It’s a really good way to...

Aaron_H, May 2026

It’s a really good way to get the layout of Rome, we sat on the top though a lot of people wanted to, but it was full up there and they did not get a chance to. We actually got off on stop eight at lunch and walked to the pantheon, which was a great walk.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your kind feedback! We’re delighted to hear the tour helped you get a great overview of Rome and that you enjoyed the experience from the top deck. We understand it can get busy up there, especially during peak times, but we’re glad you were able to make the most of it. It’s wonderful to hear you explored further at stop eight and enjoyed the walk to the Pantheon. Thank you for riding with us and we hope to welcome you back again soon! Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

Very good

Michael_R, May 2026

Rome was a good ride with some good details about sites and city but route is different than Florence and Milan in that they can’t get close to historic sites due to road restrictions

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the tour in Rome and found the commentary informative. You’re absolutely right that due to road restrictions and the historic layout of the city, our routes cannot always get as close to certain landmarks as in cities like Florence or Milan. We appreciate your understanding and are pleased you still had a positive experience overall. Thank you for riding with us and we hope to welcome you back again soon! Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

Not worth it. Never found...

Laura_K, May 2026

Not worth it. Never found the bus. Wasn't where we thought it was going to be. Never even got on the bus. Better to take public bus.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about the difficulty locating the bus, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Your experience helps us improve our directions and service clarity for the future. We’re glad you were able to find an alternative, and we hope to provide you with a smoother experience next time. Denis @Big Bus Tours

Very convenient and efficient

Alan_H, May 2026

Be aware many museums are closed on Mondays in Florence. The app is helpful for planning excursions in cities though and a bus pass gives you flexibility.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for sharing your helpful feedback! We’re glad to hear the app supported your planning and that the bus pass gave you flexibility while exploring. Your tip about museum closures on Mondays in Florence is a great reminder for future travelers. We appreciate you riding with us and hope to welcome you on board again soon! Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

Compared to Big Red Bus...

Sandy_H, May 2026

Compared to Big Red Bus experiences in other cities, this bus lacked an in-person tour guide, which lessened the enjoyment. Additionally, we were not given a map or earphones. A good way to get an initial lay-of-the-land, but not very informative.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know about your experience and understand how the absence of a live guide, along with missing maps or earphones, could impact your enjoyment. We’re glad to hear the tour still helped provide a helpful lay‑of‑the‑land introduction to the city, and your comments about the information level are valuable to us. Feedback like yours helps us continue improving how clearly we communicate inclusions and how we support guests once on board. Thank you for riding with Big Bus Tours, and we hope to have the opportunity to offer you an even more engaging experience in the future. Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

Just ok

Susan_M, May 2026

We did a tour of the outside wood the coliseum but then had to wait 3 hours before we got inside. Spent 5 hours on a 3 hour tour

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We’re sorry to hear that the waiting time to enter the Colosseum was much longer than expected and that the tour extended well beyond the advertised duration. We understand how frustrating it can be to spend so much time waiting, especially when planning your day around a scheduled tour. Entry times at popular attractions can occasionally be affected by crowd levels and on‑site controls, but we truly regret the inconvenience this caused. Your feedback is important to us and has been shared with our team to help ensure clearer expectations and smoother experiences for future guests. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

Don’t bother

Chris_B, May 2026

Way too far from sights. Doesn’t go both ways and barely any stops. Only thing I would say is it’s reliable

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. We’re sorry to hear that the route and stop locations didn’t meet your expectations and felt too far from the main sights for your visit. We understand that route direction and stop frequency are important parts of the hop‑on hop‑off experience. That said, we do appreciate your comment about the service being reliable, and your feedback has been shared with our team as we continue reviewing routes and stop coverage. Thank you for riding with us and for helping us improve the experience for future guests. Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

A Great Way to Get Around

Bonnie_B, May 2026

A remarkable way to get oriented to the city’s major attractions and ideas for further investigation. If is also easy and reasonably priced. The commentary is well produced and informative. Friendly and helpful staff. I am very happy we chose Big Bus Tours in Rome for our first day.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for such a wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that the tour was a helpful and enjoyable way to get oriented to Rome’s major attractions and gather ideas for further exploration. It’s great to know you found the experience easy, well priced, and informative, and that our commentary and team made a positive impression. We’re especially pleased Big Bus Tours was part of your first day in Rome, and we truly appreciate you choosing us. We hope to welcome you back on board again soon! Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

Great way to see the town

Suzanne_D, May 2026

Easy to use, great way to see the city. The app is nice and the stops get you to all the major sites.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your great feedback! We’re happy to hear you found the tour easy to use and enjoyed exploring the city with us. It’s wonderful to know the app was helpful and that the stops made it convenient to reach all the major sights. We’re glad Big Bus Tours played a part in your visit and hope to welcome you on board again soon. Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

Rome was not built in a day!

Cathy_P, May 2026

I really enjoy the route we took to see a different way to see so many things! Rode two days and knew where to get off and on as I wished! The audio made it a lot better, learned so much!

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the route and discovering so many sights from a different perspective. It’s great to know the two‑day pass gave you the freedom to hop on and off whenever it suited you, and that the audio commentary helped you learn so much along the way. We’re so glad you had such a positive experience and hope to welcome you back on board again soon! Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

Limited Walking

Melissa_S, May 2026

This was an excellent way to see the sights without doing ALL the walking. We went around first and decided to get off on the second time around. Oh and our driver didn’t say anything about the earphones so make sure to grab a pair when you get on

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your lovely feedback! We’re so glad the tour gave you a relaxed and enjoyable way to see the sights and helped you decide where you wanted to explore further. That’s exactly what the hop‑on hop‑off experience is all about. We also appreciate the helpful tip about the earphones, we’ll be sure to remind our team how important it is to point them out when guests board. We’re delighted you enjoyed the ride and hope to welcome you back again soon! Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

Roaming Rome

julia_r, Apr 2026

It was a life saver for Rome. Would never of got around without it. Some stops need to be nearer the attraction though

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you so much for your feedback! We’re delighted to hear the tour was a real lifesaver during your time in Rome and helped you get around the city with ease. That’s exactly what we aim for. We also appreciate your suggestion about stop locations being closer to certain attractions, comments like yours are very helpful and have been shared with our team. We’re so glad Big Bus Tours made your visit more enjoyable and hope to welcome you back again soon! Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

Just the ticket to see Rome

hammer13, Apr 2026

Great vehicle to see Rome at your own pace. The 60/70 minutes round trip gives you the chance to see many of Rome's historic landmarks without getting off the bus, or if you wish get off at the designated stops to wander further into the capital to view; the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and or take a bite in the many cafes and restaurants in the tightly packed streets of Rome. Great value and a must for many travellers.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for such a lovely and detailed review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed exploring Rome at your own pace and found the full loop a great way to take in so many historic landmarks comfortably. It’s wonderful to know you appreciated the flexibility to stay on board or hop off to explore places like the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and local cafés. Your kind words about the value and overall experience truly mean a lot to us. We’re so glad Big Bus Tours was part of your time in Rome! Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

I do hop on hop off buses...

JanePiper_G, Apr 2026

I do hop on hop off buses everywhere I travel as they are a great way to see a lot of a new place. This tour was good but didn’t stop very often (very far between stops) and didn’t go by some major places (you’d have to walk in to them which is fine but just know that for planning) We enjoyed the recorded audio tour a lot!

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We love hearing from guests who enjoy hop‑on hop‑off tours around the world, and we’re glad you found this one a good way to explore a new city. We appreciate your comments about stop spacing and route coverage, knowing a bit of walking is needed helps with planning, and your feedback is valuable to us. It’s wonderful to hear that you really enjoyed the recorded audio tour and found it engaging. We’re glad Big Bus Tours could still be a positive part of your travels and hope to welcome you back on board again soon. Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours

Not a great experience

Emilie_T, Apr 2026

The stops are way too far apart, the explanations on the headphones don’t match where you are and are not specific enough to point out the sites you are seeing, and when the bus did stop, it stayed at the stops for far longer than necessary, making the journey long, boring, and relatively uninformed. Plus, many of the seat seats had non-working plugs for the headsets.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the spacing of the stops, delays at stations, audio timing, and non‑working headset plugs affected your experience. This is not what we aim for, and your comments will be shared with our team to help improve both the service and onboard equipment. Ioan-Razvan@BigBusTours

Post Cruise Day Trip

Heather_L, Apr 2026

Wonderful experience! Very easy access to all the major sites in Rome. Look forward to using Big Bus Tours on my next trip.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We’re glad you found it easy to reach all the major sites in Rome and truly appreciate your kind words. We look forward to welcoming you on another Big Bus Tour soon! Ioan-Razvan@BigBusTours

Big Bus Lacked Quality

William_F, Apr 2026

The Viator value was EXCELLENT! However, the Big Bus experience left a lot to be desired. The audio quality was horrible. For a city so rich in history, the Big Bus audio was full of bad filler music, too many commercials, and precious little historical commentary.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad you found great value with Viator, and we’re sorry the audio quality and commentary on the Big Bus did not meet expectations. Your comments have been noted and will be shared with our team. Ioan-Razvan@BigBusTours

Don’t diss it, do it!

yvonne_i, Apr 2026

I know it’s cheesy but we travel a lot and a hop on and off bus to get the lay of the land is a must. The Rome must circumvent the small streets but that’s ok. Rome also has a lot of scaffolding and this gives you a chance to see over the barriers. The recording vary a bit bus-to-bus so it keeps it interesting. A must.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for the great feedback! We’re glad the hop‑on hop‑off tour helped you get a feel for Rome and offered unique views despite the city’s narrow streets and ongoing work. We appreciate the recommendation! Ioan-Razvan@BigBusTours

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