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Hop-on, hop-off buses are a common sight in major tourist cities like Rome. While some might scoff at the idea of taking one, the truth is, for those who want to get a quick overview of a city or only have a couple of days to explore, hop-on, hop-off tours can be a great way to get around and see as much as possible. Especially when public transportation might be lacking. Rome’s hop-on, hop-off buses are popular for all of these reasons, which is why there are several great tour options.
The Best Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tours in Rome
Rome: Big Bus Sightseeing Tour with Audio Guide
Big Bus operates the hop-on, hop-off bus tours in Rome with the best reviews, with a 4.1 rating on GetYourGuide. Big Bus is one of the bus tour companies I’ve seen the most around the world.
You can buy tickets for the 90-minute loop or use the open-top bus as a hop-on, hop-off way to get around Rome for 24, 48, or 72 hours. During the peak months, night tours are also available and are included with the 72-hour ticket.
Their audio guide narration is available in Spanish, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.
The Big Bus tour route includes popular Rome landmarks such as Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, San Giovanni, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Barberini, Termini Railway Station, and more.
Book a Big Bus Sightseeing Tour
Rome: City Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Bus with Audioguide
City Sightseeing is another major brand for hop-on hop-off bus tours. Their Rome bus tour is one of the most popular in the city.
The open-top bus tour is available as a 1-day, 24-hour, 48-hour, or 72-hour ticket. The 72-hour ticket includes a night tour from June to October. Audio guides are available in Spanish, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Portuguese.
The 100-minute tour loop includes stops at Terminal A Largo di Villa Peretti or Terminal C Piazza dei Cinquecento, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano, the Colosseum, Circo Massimo, Piazza Venezia, Largo Argentina, Piazza Navona, Vaticano (Castel Sant’Angelo), Piazza di Spagna (Fontana di Trevi), and Piazza Barberini.
Book a City Sightseeing Bus Tour
Rome: Hop-On Hop-Off Panoramic Open Bus Ticket
Green Line Tours offers several different hop-on, hop-off tour routes & options. The variety of options makes them one of the most booked bus tours in Rome.
I like that Green Line Tours offers themed routes (seasonal availability varies). You can take the Green Route to see the best landmarks and top sights in Rome, the Orange Route to explore Italian tastes, or the Blue Route to check out off-the-beaten-path sites of the city.
Daily, 24-hour, 48-hour, or 72-hour tickets are available. I also like that this tour’s audio guide commentary includes the widest variety of languages: Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, Dutch, Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Korean, Greek, Hebrew, and Polish.
Book a Green Line Tours Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
Rome: Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus Tour
Gray Line Tour’s I Love Rome buses are another popular option for seeing the city by bus.
Their tickets include a couple of unique options. You can buy tickets for one ride, four hours, the rest of the day after 1 pm, 1 day, 24 hours, 48 hours, or 72 hours. While those shorter ticket options aren’t much cheaper than the 1-day ticket, I suppose they’re good for people who might not have a full day available.
Audio guides are available in Spanish, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, and Hindi.
Stops include Termini Railway Station, St. Mary Major – Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore, Colosseum Archaeological Area, Circo Massimo – Mouth Of Truth, Piazza Venezia – Foro Romano, Vatican City – Sistine Chapel – St. Angelo Bridge, Spanish Steps – Shopping Area, and Barberini & Trevi Fountain.
Book a Gray Line I Love Rome Bus Tour
Rome: Open-Top Hop-On Hop-Off Bus City Tour
IOBus is a smaller local tour company that offers hop-on hop-off buses.
Their tour includes audioguides in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Russian, and Italian. Tickets can be purchased for 24, 48, or 72 hours.
Stops include Terminal via Marsala (Termini station), Via Giolitti 34 – Largo Di Villa Peretti, Saint Mary Major Church, The Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Venice Square, The Vatican, Spanish Steps, and Barberini/Trevi Fountain.
Book an IO Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
Here are some great Rome tours & my favorite things to see & do in Rome.
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If you’re looking for a place to stay, check out these Rome hotels.
