9 Brilliant Unusual Things To Do In Rome (Off The Beaten Path)

There are quite a few unusual things to do in Rome, but a few places in this list will absolutely amaze you! If you’ve visited most of the famous sights on your 3 days Itinerary in Rome (or you’ve decided to skip them altogether), take a stroll through these off the beaten path spots:

1. Aventine Keyhole

Opening times: 24 hours

Entrance fee: Free

Let’s start with my absolute favorite of all unusual things to do in Rome – the Aventine Keyhole!

Imagine walking randomly around Rome and seeing a line of people at a weird closed door. Each of them waiting their turn and bending to look through… a keyhole?! And gasping?! So you decide to give it a shot, wait in line, bend down, and see… THIS:

Photo: Eje Gustafsson, Flickr.com

First off, you must be aware that it is extremely hard to capture – even with a camera! And if you try with your phone – trust me, it’s absolutely impossible 🙁 (Photography tip: take a lens longer than 50mm, mine was definitely not long enough!).

However, this off the beaten path place in Rome is absolutely spectacular when you see it in person, it took my breath away! Even if you only have 2 days in Rome, it’s absolutely worth it to visit the keyhole. Designed by Giovanni Battista Piranesi almost 300 years ago, it centers around the Vatican and Saint Peter’s dome <3 Unfortunately, unless you visit around sunrise, you will only have a few short seconds to enjoy it – there is usually a line to look through the keyhole. The line is not that bad, though, chances are you’ll only wait 10-15 minutes to take a look through the Aventine Keyhole.

2. Giardino degli Aranci (The Orange Garden)

Opening times: 7 a.m. till sunset

Entrance fee: Free

Now, this unusual thing to do in Rome is SO close to the Aventine Keyhole, that you just can’t miss it! The lovely orange garden has a cute fountain, the signature stone pine trees so typical of Rome, orange trees, but best of all – a bird’s eye view of the city! It is also called Parco Savello.

Even though there are a few viewing platforms in Rome, this one is just gorgeous at sunrise. This off the beaten path Rome spot is also much less crowded than most of the city’s famous attractions. You are also likely to see locals spending time here, as the gardens a bit more hidden from the main roads.

3. Roseto di Roma Capitale (The Rose Garden)

Opening times: 7 a.m. till sunset

Entrance fee: Free

Walking down from Aventine Hill and the Orange Garden, you will pass by another set of pretty gardens – the Rose Gardens! The best months to visit this off the beaten path place in Rome is between April and June (it is also open a few weeks during October).

You’ll see a huge variety of roses – over 1,200 species. There is even a competition held each May for the most beautiful rose in Rome 🙂 Don’t miss this lovely off the beaten path place in Rome!

4. Circo Massimo

Opening times: 24 hours

Entrance fee: Free

Circo Massimo is often underestimated as a great tourist attraction, but indeed – it is a lovely unusual thing to do in Rome! Unfortunately, this “circus” has been mostly destroyed and there is little to suggest what glory it brought back in Roman times.

As you can guess, this wasn’t an actual circus – it used to be the largest chariot racetrack! It used to hold over 250,000 spectators, can you imagine? Even though it’s not one of the most preserved off the beaten path attractions in Rome, you can still explore its southern end and see corridors, taverns and shops that used to be an important part of the racetrack.

If you’re bent on exploring Circo Massimo to the fullest, check out this awesome 1.5-hour tour that you can book!!

5. Caracalla Baths

Opening times: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.(or 6:30 p.m. in the summer)

Entrance fee: 8 EUR

While exploring lots of the unusual things to do in Rome (and even Rome’s main things to do!) you will undoubtedly pass by the wonderful Baths of Caracalla. When I was first researching off the beaten path places in Rome, I was totally stunned by these huge thermae, and I can only imagine how spectacular and impressive they were in ancient times.

You might know that once upon a time the city baths were of vital importance – not just because of hygiene, but because of the social life. One day a week, everyone left what they were doing and headed to the baths, some for fun, while others – for important political chats. The Caracalla Baths were functional for over 300 years (until barbarians destroyed the aqueducts).

You can explore Caracalla Baths (plus Aventine Hill and Circo Massimo!) via a guided tour – check out this one!

6. Forum Boarium

Opening times: 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month (closed in August)

Entrance fee: 5.50 EUR

Ancient Rome is around every corner – you just have to stop by and admire it! Forum Boarium, as the name suggests (from “boar”) used to be the largest fish and meat market in the city. You can explore the outside for free at any time of the day, but you can only enter twice a month, as its a pretty special place. The Temple of Hercules is most prominent in this Forum with its pretty round columns.

7. The Mouth of Truth

Opening times: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Entrance fee: free

Do you dare tell a lie and put your hand inside?? Well, I wouldn’t! According to legend, if you put your hand in the statue’s mouth and tell a lie – it will bite!! 🙂 This off the beaten path place in Rome is great and you will often see people lining to take a shot with their hand inside the almost 2-meter statue. Don’t worry, though, the lines are definitely not as bad as the ones in front of the Vatican or Coliseum.

It is located on one of the outside walls of Santa Maria in Cosmedin church, right in Forum Boarium.

8. Terrazza del Pincio

Opening times: 24 hours

Entrance fee: free

The wonderful Terrace of Pincio is a perfect unusual thing to do in Rome when visiting villa Borghese! The parks of Borghese are pretty large, but Terrazza del Pincio is the thing you should start with if you’re visiting in the early morning – it offers a lovely, lovely bird’s eye view of Piazza del Popolo! Sunset is another great time to go there – just climb the road and stairs up from the Piazza and you’ll be there soon enough.

9. Piramide

Opening times: 3rd and 4th weekends of the month (closed in August)

Entrance fee: 5.50 EUR

Talk about a great unusual place to visit in Rome, right? I was really excited to see this pyramid in Rome! Not as large as I expected, but just as curious – it is over 2,000 years old and the only surviving Roman pyramid, modeled in Egyptian fashion. It took 330 days to build and it is the tomb of Caius Cestius. The Pyramid is actually 36 meters high, but it does seem a lot smaller, because the main road was built a bit above it. It was closed when we visited, but I do plan on aligning our next visit to Rome with its opening times schedule!

So, which of these off the beaten path places to visit in Rome are you most excited about visiting?

Want more of Rome? Check out these 15 stunning photos of Rome at sunrise

Where to Stay in Rome

If you’re visiting Rome on a budget

One of the best areas to stay in Rome on a budget, but still not spend a huge chunk of time travelling, is to stay close to Termini metro station – it’s where the two metro lines in Rome go and there are many, many restaurants, supermarkets and smaller shops nearby! Here are a few suggestions where to stay in Rome near Termini:

• Apartments: Il Pretoriano – 8.8 Booking.com score, 85 EUR per night
• Hotel: Hotel Di Rienzo – 8.1 Booking.com score, 65 EUR per night

If you want to be in the city center

Well, even though the city center is quite large, here are a few recommendations where to stay in Rome that are close to some popular attractions (bear in mind that you need to book these well in advance!):

• Close to the Pantheon: Juno Pantheon – 8.6 Booking.com score, 125 EUR per night
• Close to Di Trevi: Trevi Palace Hotel – 8.9 Booking.com score, 160 EUR per night
• Close to Castel Sant’Angelo: Hotel Sant’Angelo – 8.3 Booking.com score, 112 EUR per night
• Close to the Colosseum: Colosseo Apartments and Rooms – 8.7 Booking.com score, 96 EUR per night