Rome's Dark Side: Ghosts, Legends & Dark History Night Tour
Description
When daylight fades, postcard Rome clocks off, and a far older, stranger city takes its place. Join the city’s original and award-winning Rome ghost tour through lamplit piazzas, twisting lanes and quiet corners where the past has an inconvenient habit of lingering. Led by an expert storyteller, you’ll enter a world of forbidden magic, papal scandal, public executions, deadly ambition and restless spirits. Behind grand façades lie stories Rome would probably prefer you didn’t hear: crimes that became legends, legends that may contain more truth than anyone expected, and several people who took death rather badly. In a small group of no more than 15, lose yourself in the atmosphere as familiar streets become darker, stranger and far more interesting. Expect suspense, vivid storytelling and sharp humour as haunted Rome slowly reveals itself. Come curious. Leave looking over your shoulder, and wondering what else may be walking home with you.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our guide will meet you and begin the tour here with our first story - be prepared!
Learn the history of this renaissance palace and its surroundings, with some hidden tales not usually told
On Rome's dark backstreets, hear a tale of an 18th Century magician, who is it said still haunts the area today
Discover the tale of the woman who ruled Rome, her rise to power, and why it's said that she haunts the bridge to this day
Hear tales of a mysterious order of monks with a rather macabre task
Discover one of history's worst prisons, as well as the history of the most notorious Pope - and his family - as well as how he haunts the area now.
See the modern gelato shop that was once a very different business, run by one of history's most prolific poisoners.
Discover the story of Rome's most famous executioner, at his house.
At our last stop, we discover the history of Castel Sant'Angelo, from its origins as an Emperor's tomb to being the site of executions. Hear one of Rome's most tragic tales that happened right here.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(117)
We had a great experience with Alice as our guide. Alice gave a lot of information and we had a few laughs too. Wasn’t a scary tour and not very ghostly but very interesting. Would highly recommend this tour. Thank you Alice 😎
Would have been amazing if our guide knew anything about the sites. This was the most bizarre tour ever, not because of the locations but because our guide read from an iPad the entire tour.
Thank you, Kristine. We’re very sorry this was your experience. We do use the iPad during the tour to show images and give visual context to the stories, but the guide should not be reading the tour from it. By this stage, the material should be fully known. We’ll be raising this directly with the guide, as it’s not the standard we expect.
My partner and I thought this tour was fantastic! Our guide was knowledgeable, engaging and clearly had a lot of experience - the stories were delivered smoothly and succinctly at each stop but in a conversational manner with a lot of passion and enthusiasm for Rome's dark history and the people that feature within it. If, like me, you like to use ghost tours as a way to walk the lesser-known back streets of a city and to take in the vibes and the character that way, then this tour is also perfect for you. We passed through some stunning side streets and back alleys, each one brimming with charm, history and beautiful architecture to draw the eye. We also passed through what seemed like a pretty chiq neighbourhood with many intriguing bars and restaurants (we will definitely return to). Finally, the views of the basilica and the river from the bridge as the sun was setting were gorgeous, all whilst being entertained by macabre tales of Rome's dark side! What's not to love?
Thank you, Nicholas. We’re delighted the tour hit exactly the right note for you. The lesser-known streets are a big part of the experience, because Rome’s best character is often hiding away from the main monuments. Add dark history, beautiful architecture, a few suspiciously good bars, and sunset over the river, and the city starts showing off a bit.
I have done lots of ghost tours in many towns I visit. This was good but surprised by lack of more specific encounters. Our guide was very helpful and friendly though.
Thank you, Jeremy. We’re glad you enjoyed the tour and found the guide helpful and friendly. Our Rome's Dark Side Tour blends reported hauntings with darker historical stories, rather than focusing only on specific paranormal encounters. Rome has no shortage of the latter history, even if the ghosts remain annoyingly selective about attendance.
Excellent tour throughout. The way Ben talks throughout the whole walk and the stories he shares are extremely engaging.
Thank you. We’re delighted you enjoyed the tour with Ben. He does have a useful habit of making the walk disappear under a steady supply of dark history and good storytelling. Very glad the whole thing kept you engaged from start to finish.
Fantastic tour, very informative, organised, easy to find& overall a great activity to do whilst in Rome
Thank you, Toby. We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour. Informative, organised, and easy to find is exactly what we want before the darker stories begin making things less orderly. Delighted it made for a great evening in Rome.
Arielle was absolutely amazing, having stepped in at a moment’s notice. Crushed it! So knowledgeable of the city and attentive to the group as a whole
Thank you, Scott. We’re delighted Arielle stepped in and absolutely delivered. Knowledge, quick thinking, and keeping the whole group looked after is a strong combination, especially when Rome is providing the chaos in the background.
Our guide was entertaining and the history shared gave background to some very interesting landmarks.
Thank you, Shaylene. We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour. Rome’s landmarks become a little more interesting once someone explains the darker stories sitting behind the stonework. Delighted the evening gave you that extra layer.
Our guides Althea and Ben were absolutely fantastic! Professional, scholarly, and super friendly! They provided a blend of horror and humor while maintaining respect for the locations and an understanding of their audience. Highly recommend if you want to hear more the more intimate (and of course dark!) tales of Rome and its neighborhoods.
Thank you so much. We’re delighted you enjoyed your tours with Alethea and Ben. Horror and humour are a useful pairing when Rome supplies the bloodshed. Very glad the stories felt thoughtful, respectful, and gave you a more intimate look at the city’s darker corners.
What a fantastic way to end our visit to Rome. We had a lovely dinner in the Square before meeting up with the group and our wonderful guide, Alethea. Lots of interesting facts about the streets of Rome and all the crazy things that went on. You could tell straight away that Alethea was excited to share her knowledge and all the gruesome details.
Thank you so much. We’re delighted you enjoyed Rome’s Dark Side Ghosts and Legends Tour with Alethea. Rome is an excellent city for a final evening, especially once someone starts explaining all the madness that unfolded in its streets. We’re very glad Alethea’s enthusiasm, and the more gruesome details, made it such a strong ending to your visit.
