Rome's Dark Side: Ghosts, Legends & Dark History Night Tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Rome, Italy
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
Join a small-group tour for a ghost and legends walking tour of Rome, where the city's dark side comes to life. Wander after dark with a storyteller-guide and uncover chilling stories of gruesome executions, murders, and haunted sites. Hear about a world of forbidden magic, papal scandal, restless spirits, and more. From notorious poisoners to macabre churches, this tour will leave you both fascinated and spooked.
- Uncover Rome’s ghost stories and legends as you stroll the city at night
- Discover a side of Rome you wouldn't find on your own
- Listen to the tales of Rome’s famous executioners and the notorious Pope
- Enjoy a more personalized experience in a small-group setting
What's Included
- A 2-hour guided tour of Rome’s most haunted, scandalous, and death-adjacent spots
- Small group (max 15 guests) so you don’t disappear in the crowd - or the dark
- Storytelling from professional guides (no gimmicks, no ghost-hunting apps)
- Chilling history, ghost stories, and moments of “Wait... that really happened?”
- Stops at execution sites, cursed alleys, and churches with unsettling décor choices
- Food and drinks, though we do make a stop where you can grab both
- Mercy for historical reputations. If they did it, we say it
- Costumes, theatrics, or ghost-hunting nonsense - just storytelling, the way it should be
- Transport to the meeting point or from the final destination. We couldn't hire a hearse.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Campo de' Fiori, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Your guide will be waiting in front of the statue in the middle of Campo De'Fiori, holding a sign saying "Rome's Dark Side - Ghosts & Legends"
End point
- St. Angelo BridgePonte Sant'Angelo, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
We will end by Castel Sant'Angelo - your guide will give any directions needed to get to anywhere you need to be.
Start time.8:00 pm
Itinerary
1
Campo De' Fiori
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Piazza Farnese
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Vicolo delle Grotte
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Ponte Sisto
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Via di Monserrato
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Via dei Banchi Vecchi
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Via del Banco di Santo Spirito
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Castel Sant'Angelo
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 132 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
A fun insight into the dark side of Roman history. Our guide Alethia was excellent. Great stories and well told.
The stories he told were so interesting. It was nice to see another side of Rome with so much history. Ben was awesome! We would have walked by so many things never having known what was inside.
Absolutely loved it the guide was very informative and interesting. We really enjoyed it and there wasn’t to many people in the tour.
María is awesome. She is very charismatic , and tells stories like nobody else. Loved the experiencie!!
Would have been amazing if our guide knew anything about the sites. This was the most bizarre tour ever, not because of the locations but because our guide read from an iPad the entire tour.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you, Kristine. We’re very sorry this was your experience. We do use the iPad during the tour to show images and give visual context to the stories, but the guide should not be reading the tour from it. By this stage, the material should be fully known. We’ll be raising this directly with the guide, as it’s not the standard we expect.
My partner and I thought this tour was fantastic! Our guide was knowledgeable, engaging and clearly had a lot of experience - the stories were delivered smoothly and succinctly at each stop but in a conversational manner with a lot of passion and enthusiasm for Rome's dark history and the people that feature within it. If, like me, you like to use ghost tours as a way to walk the lesser-known back streets of a city and to take in the vibes and the character that way, then this tour is also perfect for you. We passed through some stunning side streets and back alleys, each one brimming with charm, history and beautiful architecture to draw the eye. We also passed through what seemed like a pretty chiq neighbourhood with many intriguing bars and restaurants (we will definitely return to). Finally, the views of the basilica and the river from the bridge as the sun was setting were gorgeous, all whilst being entertained by macabre tales of Rome's dark side! What's not to love?
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you, Nicholas. We’re delighted the tour hit exactly the right note for you. The lesser-known streets are a big part of the experience, because Rome’s best character is often hiding away from the main monuments. Add dark history, beautiful architecture, a few suspiciously good bars, and sunset over the river, and the city starts showing off a bit.
I have done lots of ghost tours in many towns I visit. This was good but surprised by lack of more specific encounters. Our guide was very helpful and friendly though.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you, Jeremy. We’re glad you enjoyed the tour and found the guide helpful and friendly. Our Rome's Dark Side Tour blends reported hauntings with darker historical stories, rather than focusing only on specific paranormal encounters. Rome has no shortage of the latter history, even if the ghosts remain annoyingly selective about attendance.
Excellent tour throughout. The way Ben talks throughout the whole walk and the stories he shares are extremely engaging.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you. We’re delighted you enjoyed the tour with Ben. He does have a useful habit of making the walk disappear under a steady supply of dark history and good storytelling. Very glad the whole thing kept you engaged from start to finish.
Fantastic tour, very informative, organised, easy to find& overall a great activity to do whilst in Rome
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you, Toby. We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour. Informative, organised, and easy to find is exactly what we want before the darker stories begin making things less orderly. Delighted it made for a great evening in Rome.
Arielle was absolutely amazing, having stepped in at a moment’s notice. Crushed it! So knowledgeable of the city and attentive to the group as a whole
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you, Scott. We’re delighted Arielle stepped in and absolutely delivered. Knowledge, quick thinking, and keeping the whole group looked after is a strong combination, especially when Rome is providing the chaos in the background.
Our guide was entertaining and the history shared gave background to some very interesting landmarks.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you, Shaylene. We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour. Rome’s landmarks become a little more interesting once someone explains the darker stories sitting behind the stonework. Delighted the evening gave you that extra layer.
We did the Dark Side of Rome tour and our guide (we think Ben) was witty and informative. We learned some local history that we would not have learned! Walking through the cobbled lanes scenic and Rome is even more beautiful in the moonlight. Midway through we stopped at a cafe and got Aperol spritzes for the walk. Would recommend!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you, Ashley. We’re delighted you enjoyed Rome’s Dark Side Ghosts and Legends Tour. Rome is very good at looking beautiful in moonlight while quietly concealing centuries of bloodshed, scandal, and deeply questionable behaviour. We’re glad the stories, the walk, and the mid-tour spritz all made for a very decent evening.
Had a great time! Ariel was engaging and the stories were great. The tour ends at a beautifully scenic view.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you, Emily. We’re delighted you enjoyed Rome’s Dark Side Ghosts and Legends Tour with Arielle. A good guide, strong stories, and a final view of Rome looking far more innocent than it really is makes for a very decent evening. We’re so glad it landed well.
Great night with a fab host and learned stuff we didn't previously know about parts of the city and its history
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you, Michelle! We’re so glad you enjoyed the Rome’s Dark Side Tour. Rome is very good at looking respectable in the dark, so it’s always pleasing when people leave having learnt what was actually going on underneath the nice façades. Delighted you had a great night and that our host could introduce you to a few less obvious corners of the city’s history. Rome does reward curiosity, especially the slightly morbid kind.
Ariel had us captivated during the tour. Very informative with a tinge of dark humour. A must do when in Rome
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you! We’re delighted you enjoyed exploring the Eternal City after dark on our Rome’s Dark Side Ghosts & Legends Tour. Arielle has a gift for mixing solid history with just the right touch of dark humour - the perfect recipe for a Rome ghost tour. Thrilled you’d call it a must-do!
Nice tour with some interesting history you wouldn’t necessarily get from the standard walking tour. Rome is excellent at night, as well — less crowded and hot. I wish I did the tour earlier in my stay because the guide had good recommendations.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thanks, Jason! We agree, Rome saves its best atmosphere for after dark, when the crowds thin and the ghosts come out to play. Delighted you enjoyed the stories and Arielle’s recommendations. Next time, we hope you can join us earlier in your stay so we can haunt your whole trip properly.
Ben was an excellent guide. His tour was engaging and showed us parts of Rome we would never have normally seen. We learnt a lot about the darker side of Rome but although ‘dark’ by nature, Ben made it entertaining. We 100% recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thanks so much, Alli! Delighted you enjoyed slipping into Rome’s Dark Side with Ben as your guide. We take our ghosts seriously—just not ourselves. This Rome ghost tour is all about peeling back the beauty to find the murder, mystery, and mildly unsettling beneath. Come back anytime… we’ve got plenty more secrets to share.
This is an evening tour so don’t wear yourself out by taking an extensive tour earlier in the day unless you are in great shape. The tour director called me to check and see if we were showing up. I felt bad saying no but it was too much after Ancient Rome touring for 3-1/2 hours in the sun. I was really looking forward to this tour. Wish we could stay longer.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thanks, Pamela - and we completely understand! Rome has a way of wearing people out (especially when the sun turns the Forum into a slow-roast setting). We missed you on the tour, but we’re touched you left such a kind review anyway. Next time you’re in town, the ghosts will still be waiting… they’re very patient.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and easy to understand. We enjoyed her very much. There were many interesting stories on our walk. The hardest aspect of the tour for us was the AMOUNT of walking on cobblestone streets. The description says it is wheelchair accessible, so we assumed it would be easier walking. However, it was difficult to keep up with the group for both my husband and myself. I believe this is something to be considered if you want to book this tour.
Great walk around the narrow streets at night. Guide very knowledgeable about Rome and it's dark history. could have walked listening to her for ages.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed exploring Rome’s narrow streets at night and that our guide’s knowledge made the experience so engaging. It’s wonderful to know you could have listened for ages—that’s the best compliment we could hope for!
We truly appreciate your feedback and would love to welcome you on another tour in the future.
Best regards,
The Dark Side City Tours Team
This was an excellent tour guide, with wonderful information provided in a fun and interesting way that just made Roman history come to life!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that our guide made Roman history come to life in a fun and engaging way. That’s exactly what we aim for!
We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you on another tour in the future.
Best regards,
The Dark Side City Tours Team
Alethia’s presentation was entertaining yet had an intimate aspect to it. She has a deep knowledge and understanding of the history of Rome. We would certainly recommend this tour to others.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you very much for joining us and we're glad you enjoyed Alethea's storytelling style and the tour! We hope to host you on another of our tours in the future!
Small group. Great guide. Lots of great stories about Rome’s most infamous characters. Be prepared to walk a bit.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you very much for joining us and we're very happy you enjoyed your tour! The stories of Rome's characters are what makes the city, so it's good to hear you enjoyed them. We hope to host you on another of our tours in the future!
Ariel our tour guide was great and very informative.... the tour was very fun and brought rome to life in a way that I didn't expect... definitely something to do for the price 😁
The guide was informative, knew her city and the history of Rome. Not spooky, but fun to hear the stories.
Loved that our tour was smallish.
Our guide was a great storyteller and showed us historical sights and shared stories of what they were famous for. Real people with colourful and sometimes horrific lives whose spirits / memory still haunt the streets of Rome.
Ben was a wonderful guide! We learned a lot about uncommonly things not mentioned in the bigger tours. It added to our wonderful experience of Italy. THANK YOU!!
Great tour, the guide is very passionate about the experience and it makes it all the more fun. Good stories, lots of dark history and even a cafe stop.
Alethea was our very enthusiastic guide and she took us on a fascinating tour of Rome's lesser known areas, complete with hilarious, sinister and downright spooky stories (the one about the former jail sent chills down my spine). It's an easy walk around the historic centre of Rome, and a great way to absorb the history of the place without being overbearing. Being at night also helps with the summer heat!! Thanks Alethea for a great evening out!
Alethia’s narration was fascinating and informative, and the sights brought history to life. Highly recommend!
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