Biking In Ancient Rome, airbnb Experience Tour
I‘ve been to the city of Rome numerous times and have visited some of the most iconic sites that are always blogged about such as The Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Vatican, Spanish Steps, etc… I love going back to these spots to take in all of their beauty and history. I often visit the Pantheon at night, and just sit in front of it, staring in awe at such an incredible and special piece of history in Rome’s city center. However, on my last trip to Rome, I wanted to do something different. To see something different. When exploring ways of how to see the city, the tour that intrigued me was Biking In Ancient Rome- an Airbnb experience.
I had never done an Airbnb experience before, and so I wasn’t exactly sure how the quality of a tour like this would be. In reading the description I was so excited to see that it wasn’t just “biking” in Rome, but biking in an ancient part of the city that I had never been to, nor would I have been to had I not done this tour. So within about 20 minutes of reading about the tour itself, and checking out all the great reviews, I booked it instantly!
On an early Wednesday morning, my boyfriend and I traveled by metro to our meeting point, which was in a little cafe that had amazing coffee and was full of locals stopping in to grab their morning breakfast and espresso. Right away, our guides Claudio and Sergio, who bought us our espressos while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive, warmly greeted us.
Biking As A beginner
I’m going to be honest- the last time I was on a bike was a year ago, and before that, it had been 7 years. So, I can say that my biking skills are pretty rusty, and this was a tremendous concern of mine. You always hear the phrase, “It’s like riding a bike…” to insulate that once you learn how to ride a bike, you will always remember how to. However, I wasn’t sure I was convinced of this, and this bike tour would be the ultimate test.
Once the entire group came together, which was a group of six, including myself and my boyfriend, we were taken to a parking garage nearby where we were given our bikes. Our guides were incredibly helpful to not only ask about our biking experience or concerns we might have had, but they also helped with making sure we were comfortable on our bikes with whatever adjustments needed to be made. Once everyone got their bike, we then set off.
That first takeoff up through the garage and onto the city street was a bit terrifying for me. You have to remember; that I hadn’t been on a bike in a LONG time, and now I’m throwing myself on one and driving through city roads that are incredibly foreign to me. However, I still felt safe. Sergio, our primary guide, led the group and made sure we all stayed together while Claudio, our other guide, stayed behind all of us for more security.
Biking throughout the tour, we found ourselves in various parks and streets. The terrain, at times, was a bit rough due to riding on actual ancient roads and the stones being uneven. However, even with some of the rough roads, I did remember how to ride my bike, and about 10 minutes into the tour I felt comfortable enough to be able to enjoy the leisurely ride through some of the beautiful ancient ruins in sight. There weren’t too many hills, but a few to note, and it was an incredibly hot day. So PLEASE make sure that you have your sunblock, possibly a hat, and water if you ever decide to embark on this type of tour!
What We Saw
We started the tour by biking through Parco Dell’appia Antica, which hosts the most ancient Roman road, the Appian Way. We learned some of Rome’s history from Sergio, who not only does bike tours and is also a photographer on the side, but he’s an actual archeologist. Getting his insight into the creation of Rome via folklore and actual history painted an even more magical picture of the roads we were biking on and the ruins we were seeing along the way.
We had many stopping points to be able to catch our breaths, and also take in the rare views. We even got to drink the tears of Egeria, as we filled our water bottles. (You’ll have to ask Sergio the entire story of her and Pompilius regarding the start of Rome).
Our last stop was at the Ancient Roman Aqueducts immersed in typical Mediterranean nature, which was such a cool site to see and to know that Rome still uses some of these Aqueducts for their water to this day.
In total, the trip was 10 miles and from 9:30 to 12:00. Once we got back to the cafe I instantly needed lunch and water, which wasn’t a problem at all because lunch was delicious!
Highly Recommend
I can’t say enough good things about this tour. We learned of history, saw incredible sites, had splendid company along the way, and enjoyed all of this through a leisure bike ride. Something that was unique and highly treasured in my book of travel experiences.
So yes, I definitely recommend giving this tour a shot. To see and do something different that’s a bit slower-paced than the usual hustle and bustle of Rome’s city center.
How To Book
Does this sound like the type of adventure you’re looking for while exploring this beautiful Roman city? You can easily book your bike tour HERE. Please let Anna, Claudio, and Sergio know that I sent you. And let me know in the comments if you ended up doing the tour and what you thought of it!
“Rome – the city of visible history, where the past of a whole hemisphere seemoving in funeral procession with strange ancestral images and trophies gathered from afar.”
Learn more about exploring Rome in a related article: How To See Rome In A Day!
Explore A Darker Side Of Rome
Rome is not only full of rich history and stunning/iconic views, but it also has a wicked and dark side that adds to the lore of this incredible city. Read more about the weird/wicked travel of Rome in my article: Weird Traveler- Rome.
