Best Private Tours in Rome

Private Colosseum tour guide pointing to the emperor's box
Private Colosseum tour guide pointing to the emperor's box
Location iconRome, Italy
Skip The Line

Private Colosseum Tour, Including Palatine Hill and Roman Forum

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from645 €

When in Rome, don’t just do what most tourists do. The Italian capital can get pretty crowded, and following flag-waving guides around crowded historical sites can make you feel like you’re part of the herd. Instead, private tours offer a tailored, immersive, and stress-free way to uncover the magic of the Eternal City — at your pace, on your terms, and with an expert guide on hand to answer all your questions. 

Whether you're looking for skip-the-line VIP access to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, a decadent food crawl through Trastevere, or a late-night ghost hunt in the shadowy backstreets of the city — we’ve got you covered. We have curated the best private tours in Rome for every kind of traveller — from history buffs to foodies, families to honeymooners, and everyone in between.

Here are our top picks for the best private experiences in Rome that will turn your trip into a story worth telling.

Private Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

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You can’t come to Rome without visiting the Colosseum, and you can’t really get to grips with the Colosseum without taking a tour. Yet finding a Colosseum tour that combines convenience, guide expertise, and value for money can be tough. Too many group Colosseum tours focus on quantity over quality, shifting tourists around this site so they can get in and out as quickly as possible, keeping questions to a minimum, and providing only a smattering of storytelling.

Private guide in the Roman Forum on a private Colosseum tour
Family taking a picture on a private Colosseum tour

Our Private Colosseum Tour is completely different. Your timed-entry tickets to the ancient amphitheatre will mean you breeze past those still waiting around in line. Your expert, licensed guide will draw on years of experience in storytelling and guiding to bring the Colosseum to life and extract real stories from its stones. And as well as exploring the Colosseum, you’ll also venture into the Roman Forum, the central meeting place of ancient Rome, and climb the Palatine Hill to see the emperors’ palace and enjoy sweeping views over the Eternal City.

👥 Seeking a more affordable option? Check out our Semi-Private Ancient Rome Tour — same VIP skip-the-line access, same expert guide, all in the intimacy of a small group of max 6 guests. 

ℹ️ Pro-tip: As we explain here, we don’t think the Colosseum Arena Floor is worth it. What is marketed as a relic from the age of the emperors is actually a reconstruction from the late 1990s. But if stepping out on the level of the Colosseum’s ancient arena is something you’ve always imagined yourself doing, we also offer a Private Colosseum Arena Tour.

Private Rome Food Tour through Trastevere

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Rome’s food scene is one of the wonders of the world. TasteAtlas regularly ranks Rome within the top 10 food destinations on the planet, and just 24 hours in the city will show you why. But the Italian capital is also awash with tourist traps – especially around the historic centre, where many restaurants prioritise passing trade over the long-term loyalty of locals. 

Our award-winning Private Food Tour of Rome steers you well clear of the tourist traps as you explore the medieval neighbourhood of Trastevere in the company of a foodie aficionado. You’ll taste more than 10 kinds of authentic Italian cuisine, including cured meats, regional cheeses, deep-fried street food, pizza, homemade pasta, gelato and more. This food tour takes you to the local haunts you’d never find alone, where you’ll be treated like a local and enjoy priority access. What’s more, you’ll get the recommendations of your local foodie guide who can suggest Roman-rated places to eat for the rest of your trip.  

💸 Happy to share? Try our Semi-Private Rome Food Tour — all the flavour, fewer Euros.

Private Vatican Tour

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The Vatican, like the Colosseum, is a must-see site in Rome. But visiting the Vatican can be overwhelming. The Vatican Museums contain around 70,000 works of art, of which around a quarter are on display. If you spent 30 seconds looking at each piece, you’d be touring the museums for more than 20 days — and that’s without sleep. So save yourself the trouble, hone in on the highlights with a Private Vatican Tour.

This tour gives you priority access and a personal guide who brings art, history, and religion to life. Stepping straight inside the Vatican Museums with timed entry tickets, you’ll come face to face with Egyptian sculptures, Roman busts, medieval maps, Flemish tapestries and more. You’ll lose yourself among the frescoes of Raphael and marvel at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling, deciphering its messages with the help of your expert private guide. 

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Guiding inside the Vatican Museums: an increasingly fraught logistical challenge

✨ This private tour is a must-do for anyone who wants to make sense of the beauty and chaos of the Vatican — without being shepherded like part of the flock.

Private Walking Tour of Rome

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Rome wasn’t built in a day, but you can cover most of its main attractions in one. Big beasts like the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona are all within two miles, and are best explored on foot. All are worth seeing up close, but stripped of all context, visiting them can seem a bit superficial. By far the best way to explore Rome’s historic centre in one sweeping, story-filled stroll is through our Private Walking Tour of Rome.

This private walking tour is best done at the beginning of your trip as it orients you around the city. Your private guide, a knowledgeable local who knows all the shortcuts, legends, and hidden corners, will meet you at Trajan’s Column, a towering military monument from the 2nd century AD, before accompanying you to see Piazza Venezia, the Trevi Fountain, the Church of Sant’Ignazio in Loyola, Hadrian’s Temple, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and more.

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Family visiting Rome with Kids on a Carpe Diem walking tour of Rome

🏛 Ideal for your first day in Rome — think of it as your personal Rosetta Stone to the city.

Private Spritz & Spaghetti Cooking Class

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Get hands-on cooking up Roman cuisine in this private cooking class that’s as fun as it is delicious. Our Private Spritz & Spaghetti Cooking Class teaches you how to make fettuccine cacio e pepe or carbonara like a pro, from rolling and cutting the dough to perfecting the sauce. As this cooking class combines a mixology element, you’ll do this while sipping Aperol spritzes, Campari spritzes, and Limoncello spritzes.

This cooking class takes place in a centrally situated air-conditioned kitchen, a short walk from the Colosseum. At the end, you’ll get to savour what you’ve made as you sit around the table and enjoy a classic Italian pasta dinner (because nothing tastes as good as what you’ve made yourself!)

Group learning to make fresh pasta during a Carpe Diem Rome Spritz and Spaghetti cooking class
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Pasta & Tiramisu Class

🍝 Prefer something a little more family-friendly? Try our Private Pasta & Tiramisù Cooking Class — all the joy, minus the buzz.

Private Appian Way E-Bike Tour

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Sometimes, it’s worth getting out of the city to explore, regenerate and recharge, and there’s nowhere better to do this than on the Old Appian Way. Built in the 4th century BC, the Appian Way was Rome’s first road, and its cobbles are lined with tombs, monuments, baths and even an ancient circus. 

Cycling or walking the Appian Way is rewarding enough, but nothing beats a Private Appian Way E-Bike Tour with an Oxford Roman historian (who just so happens to be me!) We’ll visit aqueducts, catacombs, and countryside ruins that feel worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We’ll even venture off the Appian Way to explore the nearby Aqueduct Park, home to 7 of the 11 aqueducts that once fed the ancient city.

Burial Monuments Lining the Appian Way in Rome

Burial Monuments Lining the Appian Way in Rome

🚴 Perfect for active travellers and lovers of Rome’s hidden gems.

Private Ghost Tour of Rome

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Rome is a city of saints — but also of sinners, spectres, and scandal. Our Private Rome Ghost Tour leads you through eerie alleyways and haunted piazzas after dark, guided by spine-chilling tales from Rome’s darker history. True crime, twisted popes, tortured spirits — this is the Eternal City’s night shift.

You’ll hear the chilling tale of Giordano Bruno, a man of science and faith who paid the ultimate price for challenging the orthodoxy of the Church. You’ll learn about Beatrice Cenci, a tragic figure who met her grisly end on the ramparts of Castel Sant’Angelo, in view of the mourning public. And you’ll learn all about the dark arts of poisoning, coming face to face with the fountain that was responsible for so many deaths. 

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👻 A must for true crime fans, history nerds, and anyone who prefers their Rome with a touch of the macabre.

Private Ostia Antica Tour

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Everybody has heard of Pompeii, the city ‘frozen in time’ after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. But few have heard of Ostia Antica, Rome’s ancient port city, whose ruins have been just as well-preserved, but beneath silt instead of ash. 

Just 30 minutes from Rome, Ostia Antica is a must for anyone with a passion for ancient history. Among its ruins is an amphitheatre, a mosaic-lined mercantile forum, temples, multi-storey apartment blocks and even fast-food shops (no longer in operation, we’re sorry to say).

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Your private guide will breathe life into Ostia’s frescoes, bathhouses, temples, and taverns. You’ll walk entire Roman streets, frozen in time — without stepping on a single tourist’s toes.

🌊 Take a Private Ostia Antica Tour for a day trip that’s rich in ruins, minus the chaos.

Private Tipsy Tour of Rome

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Looking for a walking tour in Rome unlike any other? Look no further than our Private Tipsy Tour. This unique evening experience blends storytelling, bar-hopping, and social adventure — all led by a charismatic local. You’ll sip local wines, shots, and cocktails in charming bars, unravel saucy legends, and learn the more scandalous, salacious side of Rome’s past.

🍷 Tipsy Tours are perfect for groups of friends, colleagues, or even families looking for a spirited evening in every sense. If you’re coming to Rome as a solo traveller, why not join our group Tipsy Tour of Rome to meet fun, like-minded travellers in a safe environment! 

Rome tipsy tour Carpano Classico vermouth tasting premium Italian aperitif wine experience
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Can't wait for dinner? Grab an aperitivo! Image from our Rome Tipsy Tour

Seize the Day with Carpe Diem’s Private Rome Tours

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a returning Rome-romantic, our tours and experiences are designed to make sure you get the most out of the Eternal City. Booking a private tour with Carpe Diem means seeing the city your way, with expert guides, zero stress, and insights you can’t get from the guidebooks. So make your trip to Rome unforgettable, browse all private tours here, and start planning your Roman adventure today.


Alexander Meddings Author Image
Alexander Meddings
Check iconVerified Writer
Alexander Meddings is a professional copywriter and postgraduate in Roman history from the University of Oxford. After graduating with his MPhil, he moved to Florence and then Rome to carry out his research on the ground and pursue his passion at the source. He now works in travel, as a writer and content consultant, and in education as a university lecturer and translator.
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