Ghetto and Jewish Museum Walking Tour

Price from:

€79.00

Time

3:00 Hours

Customizable:

Description

A private tour of Jewish Rome is a journey into one of the city’s most fascinating and least touristy areas, where history, culture, and daily life blend in the heart of the Jewish community.

Your walk begins at Trajan’s Forum, continues through Piazza Venezia, and gently climbs to Piazza del Campidoglio, Michelangelo’s architectural masterpiece and home to the Capitoline Museums. From there, you move toward the Theatre of Marcellus, often called the “little Colosseum.” Slightly older than the Colosseum and similar in design, it hosted no blood sports and today a few residents still live in the apartments above it.

Entering the Jewish Quarter, you’ll pass historic restaurants and traditional streets before stopping to enjoy an authentic kosher gelato or coffee. A short stroll brings you to the elegant Turtle Fountain, a late Renaissance masterpiece famously said to have been completed in just one day.

You will then explore the area around the Great Synagogue of Rome, located in what became the Jewish Ghetto in 1555, when papal restrictions removed previously granted rights and banned Jews from trades and property ownership. Despite this history, the community thrived, developing unique cuisine, customs, and even its own Italian dialect. Today the Synagogue remains one of Europe’s largest and a vital cultural center.

A few steps away stands the Portico of Octavia, once Rome’s fish market from the 1400s to the early 1900s and still marking the entrance to the historic Ghetto.

Your tour concludes on Tiber Island, an ancient medical site with beautiful river views and the perfect bridge toward lively Trastevere, where your guide shares tips for dining and exploring further.

Languages

  • it32x32
    Italian
  • gb32x32
    English
  • fr32x32
    French
  • es32x32
    Spanish

Itinerary

Tartarughe Fountain

Details:

Meeting point

Details:

We’ll start at Trajan’s Column, walk through Piazza Venezia, and head up to Piazza del Campidoglio to admire Michelangelo’s stunning design, today home to the Capitoline Museums.

Details:

We then head to the Theatre of Marcellus, often jokingly called the “little Colosseum.” Although architecturally similar to the Colosseum, the Theatre of Marcellus is slightly older, dating back to 12 BC, and hosted none of the blood sports. Today, a few lucky residents live in the apartments built above the theater.

Details:

During our walk we’ll see the many restaurants in the neighborhood and stop for a taste of traditional kosher gelato. Then we’ll take a short walk to the magnificent Turtle Fountain, a true masterpiece of the late Italian Renaissance, where you will learn how it was famously built in just one day.

Details:

Built in 1555, this is the oldest Jewish ghetto. The pope revoked all previously granted rights to Roman Jews and banned them from all trades and from owning property. Despite this, the Jewish community thrived, developing a unique and wonderful cuisine within its walls and even its own Italian dialect. The Great Synagogue, still the third largest in Europe, functions today as a place of prayer and a vital cultural landmark for Rome’s entire Jewish community.

Details:

From here it’s a very short walk to the Portico of Octavia, a large structure built by Emperor Augustus in honor of his sister Octavia. From the 15th century to the early 20th century, it served as Rome’s fish market. This is the point where we enter the Ghetto itself.

Details:

We conclude on Tiber Island, where past and present blend seamlessly. The island was used by the ancient Romans as a hospital, with the river serving as a natural barrier that helped stop the spread of disease, and one of Rome’s best hospitals can still be found on the site today. Offering beautiful views of the river, the island is conveniently located between the Ghetto and the local neighborhood of Trastevere and is well connected for returning to any part of the city.

Details:

End of the tour

Meeting Point : Fontana delle Tartarughe, Roma

Please arrive : 30 min early

Tour Type

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Information for passengers

Is the hotel pick-up provided?

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Physical difficulty level

Is it wheelchair accessible?

Are all trasports accessible to wheelchair?

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Health conditions

Does the tour take place even if it rains?

Things to know

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Booking

Adults
Under 2 years old (Free)

Total
169.00
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