If You're Limited On Time, There Is One Underrated Way To Explore Most Of Rome While Saving Your Legs

You can't see all of almost 3,000 years of history in just a few hours, especially since Rome wasn't built in a day, and it beckons with free activities to fill your itinerary and multiple romantic destinations to complete your visit that deserve several days to savor. But if you're limited on time or want to get an empirical lay of the land before deep diving into particular sights and neighborhoods, a Segway tour explores most or even all of the top things to see in Rome. Master tactician Julius Caesar would approve of this leg-saving strategy so you can conquer in greater detail, on foot, the world's most walkable city of 2025 and its iconic sites during the rest of your stay.

Roam the Italian capital like Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn once did on a Vespa in the classic film "Roman Holiday," but on eco-friendly modern-day, self-balancing chariots. Tour operators, like the highly rated Fat Tire Tours and Rolling Rome, typically provide English-speaking guides, headsets, helmets, wet-weather amenities, and Segway training to kick things off. Also consider well-reviewed independent outfits like Segway Rome for a more candid experience. Across the board, groups are kept small for more personalized attention and safety.

To join a Segway tour in Rome, you just need to be at least 16 years old (a parent or guardian must be with participants under 18), must generally weigh between 100 and 260 pounds, and must exhibit good mobility, so almost anyone who thrives on life in the fast(ish) lane and a gladiatorial spirit for gliding can hop on board.

Fun fact: The Segway averages a maximum speed of 12 mph, much more leisurely than historically fiery Circus Maximus chariot races that hit 40 mph and way more comfortable than scootering about Rome's infamously persnickety traffic at a speed closer to 30 mph.

Itineraries starting from two hours cover greatest hits like the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Piazza Venezia, while longer adventures include major sites like the vibrant Campo De' Fiori market, Hadrian's Temple, and Area Sacra di Largo Argentina, where Caesar was assassinated. Exceptionally enchanting nighttime tours present monuments like the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and Piazza Navona aglow in starlit charm, an about-turn from the daytime throngs. For more intrepid voyagers, programs like Rolling Rome's Hills of Ancient Rome trailblaze up landmark summits like the Aventino, Capitolino, and Palatino for sweeping vistas that can't be topped. Meanwhile, Segway Rome's Lovely Tour whisks you to Villa Borghese, the city's sprawling 200-acre park plush with centuries-old trees, lakes, and extravagant Baroque, neoclassical, and eclectic structures. And if you want it all like Nero and Commodus, the republic's most indulgent rulers, book a full-day journey or customize a route to your heart's content. While there's not enough time for entrance into sites, short stops lasting several minutes are more than enough for great photo ops.

Another way to efficiently immerse yourself in the Eternal City is also one of the coolest ways to see it like a local: joining free running groups that take scenic routes. Stride the legendary Tiber River and off-the-tourist-track yet trendy areas, and best of all, finish with a flourish like every tour of Rome should: by indulging in the beloved Italian aperitivo ritual alongside sociable Romans.