Top 5 best bike tours in Rome

It is said that all roads lead to Rome, but there are thousands of ways to see all that the Italian capital has to offer.

Few will be as comfortable and fun as cycling. Given the large number of monuments in the Italian capital and the distance between them, getting around by bike is one of the best ways to explore the city's historic sites and make the most of your time.

In this sense, what I recommend the most is to take an organised bike tour of Rome. There are multiple options with different approaches and additions. In this post I will tell you what they are and what they include the best types of bike tours and all the information you need to know to see the historic and beautiful city of Rome by bike. Without a doubt, one of the best tours you can do in the Italian capital.

The most typical bike tours in Rome are those that cover the most typical and touristic points of the city, including the best monuments.

The most common stops are the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Navona, the Trastevere district, the Vatican, among many others.

It is a very practical way to get an overview of Rome and its monuments, as well as being able to do a very complete tour in far fewer hours than it would take to do it on foot. These types of tours have local guides and usually electric bicycles to make the experience less tiring.

It takes about 4 hours to do these tours and the routes are circular, i.e. they end at the same starting point.

Details of interest

• Price: From about 65 euros approx.
• Duration: 4-5 hours.
• Location: All over Rome
• Advantages of this option: A very complete and comfortable tour to get an overview of the city.
• Disadvantages of this option: Does not include entrance fees to the monuments.

The Appian Way was once one of the most important roads in the Roman Empire. It linked the Italian capital with Capua, near Naples, and was so important that it was known as the Regina Viarum, the queen of roads.

The Appian Way actually consists of two roads, the Via Appia Antica and the new one, which was built parallel to the original one in the 18th century.

The Appian Way begins in a park in the south of Rome and is suitable for walking and cycling. That is why there are many tours that organise these walks with stops at some of the tourist attractions around the road, such as the Mausoleum of Romulus, the church of San Sebastiano or the ruins of some Roman aqueducts or circuses, among others.

The Appian Way tours always provide you with a bike, usually electric for comfort, helmet and all the necessary equipment, as well as a local guide. It is a great opportunity to enjoy the strongholds of the ancient Roman Empire in a natural setting away from the hustle and bustle of Rome.

Details of interest

• Price: From 50€ approx.
• Duration: 4-5 hours.
• Location: Via Appia Antica
• Advantages of this option: A very beautiful and interesting tour away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
• Disadvantages of this option: The beginning of the Appian Way is far from the centre of Rome and the tours do not include transfer to that point.

Rome has a lot to discover outside of the more touristy areas. There are many hidden neighbourhoods, monuments and secrets that are not part of the usual tourist itineraries. To discover them, there are bike tours that cover these neighbourhoods away from the hustle and bustle and are a very interesting alternative if you already know the main sights of Rome.

These tours take in neighbourhoods such as Trastevere, hills with the best views of the city such as Aventino Hill, or gardens of extraordinary beauty such as Villa Borghese. If you want to know more about these secret places you can do it in this link.

In addition to providing you with the bike, these tours usually include a typical lunch or lunch stops, as well as drinks and all the equipment you need to explore the hidden side of Rome by bike accompanied by a local guide.

Details of interest

• Price: From 50€ approx.
• Duration: 4 to 5 hours.
• Location: Trastevere neighbourhood, Aventino Hill...
• Advantages of this option: If you already know the most touristy parts of Rome, it is a very interesting alternative to the more typical tours.
• Disadvantages of this option: It is more recommendable if you already know the most typical places in Rome or if you have time to spare.

The best times to get to know Rome are, in my opinion, at dusk and at night. When the sun goes down, the reddish colours give even more charm to Rome's monuments, and at night the city's illumination transforms it completely.

Another advantage of strolling through the city at night is the tranquillity of the city in contrast to the usual hustle and bustle of the day.

The night cycle tour route is similar to the normal one, with points such as the Colosseum and the Vatican being particularly well-lit. The difference in admiring these and other monuments in the tranquillity of the night is remarkable.

In addition to including the bikes, usually electric, and a guide, many night tours also offer snacks and drinks to enhance the experience. Here is more information about other night tours in Rome.

Interesting details

• Price: From 60€ approx.
• Duration: 3-4 hours.
• Location: Main monuments of Rome.
• Advantages of this option: The tour without traffic and with the night lighting greatly enhances the experience.
• Disadvantages of this option: Logically, it is not possible to access the monuments.

Just as there are night bike tours of Rome, they are also organised in the early hours of the morning, when the sunrise tints the city of Rome with golden tones and makes it look spectacular. Apart from the aesthetics, the other great advantage of these tours is the possibility of seeing the Italian capital before the masses of tourists invade the streets.

Another particularity of these bike tours is that they are usually complemented by a breakfast that includes a tasting of the famous Italian coffee. Otherwise, the dynamic is similar and the route passes through the usual points such as the Colosseum or the magical Trevi Fountain. The bikes on these tours are electric for greater comfort.

Details of interest

• Price: From 50€ approx.
• Duration: 3-4 hours approx.
• Location: Centre and main monuments of Rome.
• Advantages of this option: Offers a unique postcard view of Rome and special extras such as breakfasts.
• Disadvantages of this option: You have to get up early.

The great advantage of bike tours is that they allow you to cover a lot of ground in a short time and in a very comfortable way. For this reason, they are ideal for seeing the vast majority of Rome's monuments in just a few hours.

Depending on the tour you choose, you will cover different areas of Rome. Most of them run through the historic centre of the city, starting from the area of ancient Rome, where you will find the Colosseum, the Roman Forum or the Arch of Titus.

The routes also run through the streets of the city centre, from the monument to Victor Emmanuel to Piazza Navona, passing by the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. They also run along the other bank of the Tiber River where the Castello Sant'Angelo and the Vatican City are located.

The alternative to this type of tour is through the south of Rome along the ancient Appian Way, where you will find several catacombs, mausoleums and important churches. In any case, with bike tours you will cover practically all of Rome, although that is an almost impossible task.

Bike tours have a series of particularities that make them unique, but you should take them into account before embarking on the adventure. Here are some tips and points to consider before you go:

• Most tours offer electric bikes so that it is not too tiring. But you should still have a minimum of physical stamina, as well as a minimum of experience riding a bike.
• Safety equipment such as helmets are always included in the tours. It is also important to always follow the guide's instructions, as Rome is a somewhat chaotic city to get around and it is always best to listen to those with experience.
• If you travel to Rome in summer, you will find that it is a very hot city, so if you go on a tour during this time of year, always keep hydrated and take the necessary precautions. All tours usually include drinks, but it never hurts to carry extra water in your backpack.
• I recommend that if you're interested in doing a bike tour, try doing it at dawn or dusk, as it's much more pleasant to cycle around and seeing Rome without the usual hustle and bustle is quite an experience.

Rome is a huge city and there are dozens of places you'll want to visit. If you want to see it in detail , you will need at least 5 days, but you don't always have that kind of time.

In such cases, a bike tour is a highly recommended option. It allows you to cover a large part of the city in a short time and see several of its main monuments in a single morning.

Although these tours do not serve to enter and visit some points in detail, they do serve to get an overview of the city that will be very useful to move around and visit the Italian capital.

It also gives you the opportunity to get to know other less frequented areas such as the Appian Way or to tour Rome at dawn or dusk and even at night when the streets are clear of tourists.