The eternal city can be overwhelming with so many amazing things to see and do in a short amount of time, but imagine seeing in four hours what most visitors only manage to see in four days.

Four hours of exhilaration scootering through the streets of Rome is like being in a movie scene having your own Roman Holiday moment. It’s ever so cool. Vespa means wasp in Italian, which is quite apt as you buzz around streets and neighbourhoods, discovering the real Rome that most tourists don’t get to see.

For so long now that I’ve lost track of how many years, Scooteroma’s expert team of Vespisti have been zipping us over cobblestone streets on customised itineraries that have become the talk of every Ciao Italy Tour. Most of the team has lived their whole life in Rome and have been riding the streets on their Vespas from a very young age. They know every hidden corner, every tight alleyway and stories you don’t read about in Travel Guides or on the internet. Experiencing the city through the eyes of a born and bred Roman gives you a deeper connection to the layers of Rome. There’s always another story, just below the surface, waiting to be told.

There is a sense of freedom riding a vespa, even as a pillion passenger, that gives a totally different perspective of Rome. For anyone who thinks they have seen Rome, a morning on a vespa tour opens your eyes to new wonders you would never have imagined. Apart from iconic landmarks, the ones you don’t know about, and hidden gems, you get to experience local life.

I always love our coffee break at the oldest pastry shop in the Ostiense neighbourhood. Pasticceria Andreotti was founded in 1931 by Bruno Andreotti and is recognised as an official historic shop (Bottega Storica) of Rome. Over the decades it has remained a central neighbourhood institution, enduring through WWII and the 1943 bombardment of the district, and is still managed by the Andreotti family today. The indoor and outdoor street seating is always full of locals. Renowned for classic Roman maritozzi (sweet yeast rolls filled with whipped cream), handmade gelato, artisanal mini pastries and seasonal cakes, the hardest thing is choosing because you want to try everything.

I have been lucky enough to have been scootering through Rome several times a year for a long time, yet I always learn fascinating new history and stories that are a treasure to listen to. Different tour leaders have their own wonderful collection of stories and every vespa driver is chatting to you about the history of Rome as we scooter through neighbourhoods away from busy touristy areas.

Cruising past the Colosseum, we navigate the characteristic streets of Monti, Rome’s oldest neighbourhood, with a stop to learn about Julius Caesar’s old stomping ground and how it used to be the underbelly of Rome, but is now a very hip neighbourhood full of trendy bars, trattorie and artisan owned shops.

Leaving the crowds behind, we head to secret spots including a stop at the main gate in the Aurelian Walls surrounding the historic centre of Rome called Porta San Sebastiano. Our route takes us along Via Appia Antica (the Appian Way) which is one of the earliest, longest and most strategically crucial roads built by Ancient Rome. Known as Queen of Roads, construction began in 312 BC and in time extended all the way to southern Italy to Brindisi in Puglia. In 2024, UNESCO inscribed the Via Appia onto the World Heritage List in recognition of its historical significance and engineering legacy.

Feeling like a true Roman (almost), we travel through Trastevere, Rome’s artsy, bohemian quarter, which always has a great vibe, before revealing more hidden treasures that are too far to walk to, but easily accessible on a vespa.

Not surprising is that many of my travellers who choose to join me year after year on different Italian adventures, want to do the vespa tour again. That’s how much fun it is! The good news is that we can always mix it up a bit. Stay tuned on Instagram this September and October because we are going to combine a Classic, Foodie and Street Art Tour in one single unforgettable adventure. Who knew that Rome has an amazing street art culture? The colourful street art is hidden in some of the city’s coolest creative hubs beyond the historic centre that showcase a completely different side of Rome.

The pinnacle of our vespa tour is always at the top of Gianicolo Hill, Rome’s highest hill, where we take the time to survey all of Rome laid out majestically in front of us. Sometimes we are there for the Noontime Cannon Shot, a daily tradition since 1847 established by Pope Pius IX to sync church bells across Rome. A blank artillery shell is fired from a cannon beneath the terrace every day precisely at 12:00 noon.

There are many more secrets and stories revealed on our vespa tour, but that would be giving it away for all those yet to scooter with me through the streets of Rome.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb