Heading to Rome and seen all the A-list places? Now, it’s time to find some fun, less touristy places to visit with teenagers. Google “off-the-beaten path in Rome,” and the search will show artsy parts of town or churches. I have teenagers and the more we plotted through Rome, the less interested in churches they became.
During our five-day trip to Rome, we hit the major attractions like the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon, but we needed a few extra fun activities to round out our days. What I love about working in these hidden gems for kids, is it usually means shorter lines, less money, and fewer people.
1. Learn How the Romans Lived in the Domus Romane
It’s really hard to imagine what life may have been like more than 2,000 years ago. The Domus Romane multi-media exhibit brings to life the archaeological remains of ancient Roman houses uncovered beneath Palazzo Valentini. Per a friend’s recommendation, we weren’t really sure what to expect with this exhibit. With our late return flight, we decided to squeeze in a midday English tour.
A guide takes you underground to where the remains have been excavated. The floors, which are all glass, allow you to see below. A recorded voice talks about what you can see (what remains) and projects on the walls what things may have looked like, as well as how the Romans lived.
The general feedback from our family is the presentation was lacking a bit. However, my teenagers really enjoyed seeing things up close and having it explained. Dark rooms, a mini light show, a bit of history, made for an interesting twist on what we had already learned. What we didn’t enjoy was the 15-minute video at the end about the Trajan’s Column. Although, it did give it some perspective to understand the story behind it and then see it!
There are limited English-speaking tours throughout the day. It is probably unlikely this needs to be booked weeks in advance, but I would recommend scheduling ahead of time. Their website is not user-friendly (as of October 2019) so you may need to book in person or through a third-party ticket site.
Related: How to Make Your Colosseum Visit Awesome
2. Segway Through the Villa Borghese Gardens
After our first-ever failed walking tour, we needed something to lift our spirits so we wandered over to the Borghese Gardens. Situated on top of a hill in the northeast part of town, this is a great place to explore and relax from the noise and tourists in the city. I’m sure in the summer months it is packed with people. On this quiet Monday morning in October, we had the whole park to ourselves. While there are a few museums in the park, like the Borghese Gallery, my kids had one thing they wanted to do.
Ride a Segway. With an empty park, we just let them go. They looked a little like chariot racers.
Related: 8 Things to Know Before Traveling to Rome
3. Wander Down the Historic Appian Way
Sometimes it’s good to get out of the city even if it’s just 20 minutes down the road. After reading about walking or biking the Appian Way, where all roads basically led to Rome, we added this to our potential itinerary. Once we figured out how to buy the bus tickets at the local tobacco shops on the corner, getting there is inexpensive, quick and easy from the middle of town. (Don’t forget to validate your ticket on the bus.)
When you finally make your way out to the historic “highway,” there are several less-crowded ruins to visit and not one, but two, well-preserved catacombs to explore. But don’t leave out just wandering down the Appian road itself, with stones from 2,000 years ago. If you’re brave, rent some bikes at one of the many places along the way for a truly off-road experience.
Related: Explore 2,000 Years of Stone and Ruins Along the Roman Appian Way
4. Discover the Darker Side of Rome in the Capuchin Crypt
One of the more bizarre places to stop in is the Capuchin Crypt, attached to the Museum of the Capuchin Friars. The Capuchin Crypt is a small space comprising several tiny chapels located beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, which is heavily decorated with the skeletal remains of 3,700 bodies believed to be Capuchin friars buried by their order. Organized by one particular friar, who perhaps was a bit crazy, skeletons and pieces of skeletons are arranged in ornate designs over the walls and ceilings and even seem to tell some kind of story. You’ll find the Crypt of the Skulls, the Crypt of the Leg Bones, and the Crypt of the Pelvises. Even more eerie, they play the strangest music as you walk through.
Most certainly an odd place to visit. The museum had tons of information related to this Capuchin Friars. We went through that pretty quickly to get to the bones.
5. Get the Scoop on Italian Food Through a Cooking Class or Food Tour
Italy is all about food! Who doesn’t love pasta or pizza? Or both! And since my kids need to do things all the time, we signed up for a pasta cooking class. While there are so many cooking classes or food tours to choose from, after all, it is Italy, we opted for one right outside of town in Frascati. The price was right, and it include wine for the adults. (Actually, our teenagers ended up scoring some wine pours, as well.)
With the train ride, mini town tour, appetizers, pasta making, and wine cellar tour, we ended up spending about six hours in total. But the overall experience was probably the favorite for the entire family. So much that we’re signing up for another cooking class on our next trip to Athens.
Related: Want an Authentic Italian Experience? Learn to Make Homemade Pasta in Rome
6. Race Like Chariots on Circus Maximus
Circus Maximus, right below the Palatine, might get overlooked. Simply, a long grassy area in a ravine, this is where the chariot races were held starting in the 6th century BC. Think Russel Crowe in Gladiator.
My daughter was in the middle of soccer season during our visit to Rome. Her coach asked the team to run several times during the fall break. While the Villa Borghese would have been nicer for a run, it was a little far from our apartment. We decided to run like the chariot races on the Circus Maximus.
The last race in the Circus Maximus was held in 549 AD, almost a millennium after the first races were held at this location. It’s a bit mind-blowing as we ran along this football-length area to think this was the center of all the action.
Main photo by Jose Ros Photo on Unsplash
Domus Romane photo by Capware.
Circus Maximum photo by Ruben Holthuijsen
All other photos © Linda Kerr, TravelTeening
