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Secret Rome: Discover the Hidden Underground, Small Group Tour

1 Review 4.00 out of 5 stars Based on 1 traveler reviews collected by Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor | Recommended by 100% of reviewers | Rome, Italy

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On average, this is booked 25 (0) days in advance.

3 hours (approx.)
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Offered in: English
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French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese

Overview

Half-day walking tour in the center of Rome, you will walk underground, enter a 2000-year-old market and cross an island near the oldest bridge in Rome.
Is every church in Rome built on the ruins of Pagan Temples? This is what you will discover when you arrive at San Nicola in Carcere, built on some very ancient places of worship!

A short distance from the Portico d'Ottavia and the ruins of the Teatro Marcello, you will cross the oldest bridge in Rome, 2000 years old. Visit the Tiber Island and the underground of Santa Cecilie, with ancient mosaics, mysterious inscriptions and a richly decorated crypt. Finally, you will visit the church of San Crisogono built on a huge underground house, where archaeologists have found a large frescoed wall.

Important:
This tour is intended as a walk which enters underground areas and places of worship, it is advisable to wear comfortable shoes and to respect the churches dress code: trousers should touch the knee and shoulders should be covered.

What's Included

  • Tickets entrance at the museums
  • 3 hours Professional Guide
  • Pickup and Drop-off hotel
  • Tips
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Meeting Location

Meeting point

Via del Teatro di Marcello
42, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

Rome
Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy

in the city center

What To Expect

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Antico caffè del teatro di Marcello

Meeting point tour
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15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Teatro di Marcello

The Theater of Marcellus, largely preserved, is the only ancient theater remaining in Rome. Built in the southern area of the Campus Martius known as the Circus Flaminius, between the Tiber river and the Capitoline Hill, it was commissioned by Caesar and continued by Augustus. The building was erected in Campo Marzio, in the place that tradition had consecrated to stage performances, where the "Theatrum et proscenium ad Apollinis", connected to the temple of Apollo, was already located.
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15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Basilica di San Nicola in Carcere

The medieval church of San Nicola in Carcere stands in the area of the ancient Forum Olitorio, in the place where, in the period of Republican Rome, three temples stood, transformed into a prison during the Middle Ages (hence the name "in prison"). Built in 1128 (as the inscription on the façade recalls), it was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, since the Greek community lived in the area, particularly devoted to the saint. The small square of the Foro Olitorio, with the three temples of Janus, Speranza and Juno Sospita in the centre, was used as a market for herbs and vegetables. The church was built before the 11th century by Pope Pasquale II and was almost entirely rebuilt and enriched in 1599 by the architect Giacomo della Porta.
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30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Isola Tiberina

The Tiber Island, the only urban island on the Tiber, approximately 300 meters long and approximately 90 meters wide, is connected to the banks of the Tiber by two bridges: towards Trastevere by the Cestio bridge, dating back to 46 BC. C. and in the direction of the Ghetto with the Fabricio bridge, built in 62 BC. C., also called Quattro Capi bridge, for the Roman herms that decorate its parapets. According to legend, the island was born in 509 BC. when, having ousted Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome, the people, as a sign of hatred towards the tyrant, threw the king's enormous grain deposit into the Tiber, which turned out to be so abundant that it formed a small island. In reality, a compact bank of tuff, similar to that of the nearby Capitoline Hill, constitutes the basic geological element, on which the sands carried by the current have naturally settled.
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20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Basilique San Crisogono

Located along Viale Trastevere, in the district of the same name, San Crisogono stands in Piazza Sonnino and is one of the oldest basilicas in Rome. The church was built in the 4th century, under Pope Sylvester I, it was rebuilt in the 12th century and then again in 1626, designed by Giovanni Battista Soria, at the behest of Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Currently the basilica has a monumental baroque tympanum façade, preceded by a large portico with four columns. The attic above houses eight sculptures, four vases decorated with dragons alternating with four eagles, symbol of the Borghese family. The 12th century Romanesque bell tower is crowned by a spire. The interior of the church, decorated by Pietro Cavallini, is divided into three naves by two orders of granite columns; the apse mosaic can be attributed to the school of the same artist, while the floor was created in Cosmatesque style.
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30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Il Portico Di Ottavia

The Portico d'Ottavia complex is the only one preserved of the large porticoes that limited, on the northern side, the square of the Circo Flaminio, an area that corresponds to the ancient Ghetto. It was rebuilt by Augustus, in place of the older Portico of Metello, between 27 and 23 BC. and dedicated to her sister Ottavia.It was subsequently restored and partially rebuilt in 203 by Septimius Severus, after a fire in 191, a period to which the majority of the currently visible remains belong.The complex, a quadriportico of 119 x 132 metres, included the most ancient Temple of Juno Regina, which was then joined by the Temple of Jupiter Stator, the first in Rome entirely made of marble, two libraries, Greek and Latin, and the Curia Octaviae , a large environment for public meetings.
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15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere

The Basilica of S. Cecilia in Trastevere is located in the square of the same name and stands on the house of the Roman martyr Cecilia and her husband Valeriano. The excavations under the church, carried out during the restoration of 1899, highlighted a group of ancient buildings from the Republican age with walls in opus quadratum of tuff and a Doric column. At the bottom of a niche there is a tuff relief representing "Minerva" in front of an altar. The building shows restorations and renovations from a later period, from the 2nd to the 4th century AD, when it was unified with other existing buildings dating back to the Republican age. In addition to various rooms built in brickwork and with remains of floor mosaics, there is also a large room characterized by the presence of seven cylindrical brick basins in the floor.
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45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

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Additional Info

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Without this information we can not guarantee the correct service
  • Emergency number also operational via whatsapp- One day before 24 H. Call to confirm the pick up
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (central Rome only)

Frequently Asked Questions

(6)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Secret Rome: Discover the Hidden Underground, Small Group Tour?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (CEST). Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

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Activity code: C-8515P73

Reviews

4.00
1 reviews

Average 4.00 out of 5 stars based on 1 traveler reviews collected by Cool Destinations and partner sites such as Trustpilot, Viator, and TripAdvisor

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What's Included

Activity name

  • Tickets entrance at the museums
  • 3 hours Professional Guide
  • Pickup and Drop-off hotel
  • Tips

Additional Info

Activity name

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • This tour is intended as a walk which enters underground areas and places of worship: Should anyone feel uncomfortable in underground spaces, the guide can deal with it; those people will comfortably sit in the top church, while the rest of the group will visit the underground. It is advisable to wear confortable shoes such as sport trainers and to respect the churches dress code: trousers should touch the knee and shoulders should be covered; tourists may consider bringing a scarf to wear at necessity.
  • Provide the Correct address of your accommodation , hotel, B&B
  • Provide the correct phone number with international country code
  • check that you provide all the details to the agency
  • Without this information we can not guarantee the correct service
  • Emergency number also operational via whatsapp- One day before 24 H. Call to confirm the pick up
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (central Rome only)
  • Coronavirus information: Below a brief list of the measures will be taken to ensure the safety of customers during the tours and on board our vehicles: - gloves and surgery masks; - disinfectant gel - Sanitization of vehicles at the end of each tour - staff, assistants, guides, drivers wearing masks and gloves - preventive information to the customer once on board the vehicles - the capacity of minivans and groups will be regulated according to the law and regulations of the virus corona in customer protection
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
  • Operated by a business

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Free Cancellation

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You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (CEST).

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