The Queen of Roads: Hike on the most famous Roman road, the Appian way – with an expert guide – enjoy history and nature as we'll walk for 17km/10.5mi past stunning and epic reminders of the Roman Empire.
Destination
Santa Maria delle Mole, Italy
Category
Day Trips
Duration
5 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
Deutsch, English, Italiano
Included
Private guide
Excluded
Public transport cost
6 reasons to book this tour
Enjoy the Appian Way on foot
Explore the lesser known parts of the Appian Way
Animal encounters are possible (sheep, goats)
Enjoy a rare mix of nature, culture and history
Walk on an official pilgrimage route
100% personalized to your pace and wishes
What you can expect
A hike like no other. From S. Maria delle Mole, we'll make our way to Circus Maximus, walking on the epic, world-famous Appian Way, also called "The Queen of Roads". You’ll experience a real authentic Roman hike (medium challenge) that is about 17 kilometers / 10.5 miles long, starting from the accessible S. Maria delle Mole train station (which can be easily reached from Termini Central Station). You can experience Roman countryside, villas, and flora and fauna along the Appian Way. This is a magnificent cultural experience if you enjoy hiking and the outdoors, appreciate nature, find solace in quiet, and relish a direct experience of history.
This is the plan
Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Salvatore.
Meeting point
Meet at S. Maria Delle Mole - Santa Maria delle Mole to start your journey
Itinerary
This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.
S. Maria delle Mole
At the trailhead, after a coffee and bathroom break, we'll start our epic journey.
Appian Way
During the hike, we'll encounter various segments of the Appian Way—some ancient, some more recent—each with its own surprises.
Aurelian Wall
As we near our final destination, we'll pass the ancient Porta S. Sebastiano gate to Rome.
Circus Maximus
Our final destination is near Circus Maximus, where the Appian Way is believed to have begun in 312 BC.
Make it yours
Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.
Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.
Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.
I can personalize this tour for you
I can personalize this tour for you
Tell me your preferred date and group size
Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!
Flexible cancellation policy
Feel confident booking
Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.
Change of plans?
Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.
Loved by travelers worldwide
Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.
Reviews from guests
Susan🇺🇸 United States
17 January 2025
I can not recommend Sal enough!! He was the highlight of my Rome experience. He suggested a hike on the Appian way and it was epic. He met me at the train station at 6 am and he already had my ticket for me and we took the train out of Rome. It was perfect i cant recommend this enough even if you need to do a shorter hike than I did. He completely got that I wanted to keep it moving so we walked 10 miles while he gave me the history of what we were seeing. In between we had fabulous conversation. I will be back!!!The highlight of my vacation
Erin
28 August 2024
It was very hot on our tour and he was very cognizant of staying in the shade, taking water breaks, and filling up our water bottles. We learned a lot and he was very easy to converse with. Our Airbnb was pretty far from the end point and Sal rode the subway with us to a location where we could grab a taxi. He was really helpful, would highly recommend!Sal was the best!
Andreas Plöger
22 August 2024
Wir haben einen wirklich wunderbaren Tag auf der Via Appia verbringen dürfen. Sal lässt sich ideal auf seine Gäste ein. Sehr gerne das nächste Mal wieder!Ein wunderbarer Tag
Zillafaith Tahabong
13 August 2024
The weather was just right and safety was taken every step of the way. It was such a diverse group! I got to meet people from all over the world with different ethnicity and Cultural backgrounds! I give it a 10 out of 10 and would definitely recommend!It was an amazing experience!
Lena Baur
8 August 2024
I had such a great time walking along the aqueducts with Sal. It was a private tour as no one else was joining. Sal is very knowledgeable and the stories about the antique water supply were very interesting. He showed me places I wouldn't have discovered by myself and even took the time to walk an extra round to show me a hidden lake in Pigneto. Thank you very much for that experience Sal. I can highly recommend to book an Urban Walk with him.History Urban Hike
Mr Anass Ramadane
3 August 2024
Very good hiking experience with the best guide in Rome. Sal is a very experienced guide with a lot of history knowledge. I can't recommend him enough.Very good hiking experience with the…
Franziska Ruf
2 August 2024
Sal travelled through time with me: from 300 years before Christ to the year 2024, walking along the aqueducts and looking at the traces of the past. The path led out of the city into nature and ended in the park of the aqueducts: a quiet place with butterflies, sheep and hardly any tourists. Sal made sure that the walk was pleasant and stopped off at the café. He is a friendly, humorous guide and knows the area inside out.A journey through time
Alizabeth
29 July 2024
A super special way to spend a few hours in nature outside and away from the hustle and bustle with Salvatore, a passionate person relaying Roman History in a fitting and healthy way. Time flies by so quickly on this Aquaduct Walk. A must for all visitors to Rome.A special tour
Jose W
23 July 2024
We started in a neighborhood called pigneto still not discovered by tourists, there was a market and many nice little places to sit down.
When starting the walk next to this ancient aquaduct we went from one wonder into the other.
Incredibile views, visible layers of history, and the guide told us many stories for us to understand the landscape better.
Also during this walk we only encountered a few locals and had many nature experiences!
Further on the guide was very friendly and knowledgeable, and made sure we were all doing good during the walk
Would highly recommend this!Undiscovered part of Rome full of beauty
Jeremy
22 July 2024
We started in his home district of the city of which he had a ton of knowledge from its history and the current way of life there. Along the way we walked along the aqueduct and learned about the material used to build it and how people used it to make a new life after WW2. We ended in an incredible park that looked as if the land had been untouched and the ancient aqueduct stretched into the distance. The best experience I've had in Rome so far!Sal was an excellent guide
William
14 July 2024
I’ve been on countless tours, have had countless tour guides, and I can honestly say that Sal
is the best one I’ve ever had in my entire life! 5 stars!Rome Aqueducts Park Urban Hike Guide
Anngret
1 July 2024
Wir hatten eine sehr interessante Tour in einer wirklich schönen, versteckten Gegend Roms, die wir mit Sicherheit ohne Salvatore nicht entdeckt hätten. Die spannenden Geschichten von Salvatore, insbesondere die Darstellungen, die er während der Wanderung gezeigt hat, haben die Erzählungen lebendig gemacht. Und auch der kleine Stop für einen Cappuccino war sehr willkommen 😊. Insgesamt eine empfehlenswerte Tour!Eine interessante Tour in einer versteckten Gegend Roms
Linda Sawtelle
30 June 2024
Hiking with Sal is a total blast. He’s very informative, always being careful and thinking about safety, and leading us on interesting routes. I had so much fun with him and got a great workout and saw things I never would’ve seen on my own. I can’t recommend him enough.Hiking with Sal is a total blast
Jess B
22 June 2024
Sal is a passionate and informed guide who makes this unique tour extra special. Absolutely
amazing and so close to Rome central.Unique
Lisa Yu
17 June 2024
Sal is so knowledgeable, careful and responsive. As soon as I got home I looked at other walks I could attend in the future.This was an incredibly well organised and fun walk!
Mara Alejandra
15 June 2024
We had a great time with Sal. If you want to get away from the crowds and go were the
romans go to relax, this is the tour you need. The acueducts are amazing and the parks
along the way. Sal made it fun!!! We recommend it!!!Adventurous and relaxing
Neige
6 June 2024
Guide très bien préparé, qui met à l'aise les participants, partage des anecdotes relatives à l'environnement parcouru... et il est super sympa ! J'ai adoré la randonnée avec Sal et le recommande sans hésitation.Super expérience avec Sal
Arpad Rozsas
5 June 2024
Sal is an exceptional guide with extensive knowledge of not only the hiking routes but also the rich history of the region. The hike was superbly organized, with meticulous attention to detail. Sal's kindness and passion for the outdoors made the experience even more enjoyable. Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore and learn about Lazio and Central Italy!Fantastic experience!
Maria
30 May 2024
Sal is an empathic and great guide with so much knowledge about the history and the nature!
I travelled a lot of times to Rome and haven’t seen such beautiful places there before.
I was pregnant when we walked along the aqueduct park and the tour wasn’t stressful. It was a perfect hike for me and my belly.
Thanks to Sal for the wonderful day!A hike with a great guide to wonderful unknown places…
Steve B
29 May 2024
We were fortunate to have Sal as our guide for this fascinating hike. His enthusiasm was contagious. He was knowledgeable about the history and significance of the aqueducts, their construction, sources and the timeline of the various eras of construction. We walked along multiple aqueducts and some lovely, open vistas. Sal knew the best spots for pictures, rests, water breaks and bathroom. He was quite affable and considerate and adjusted the pace to fit our ability. It was a bit of a workout, but we are 70 and managed to make it without problems. This hike is a pleasant departure from the hustle and bustle of Rome and provides a chance to walk through quiet firlds alongside these magnificent structures as the people of Rome did over a thousand years ago. Bring good walking shoes!
Thank you, Sal for making this such a great experience.A Walk Through Rome’s History
Rachael McDonnell
25 May 2024
Going hiking with Nature of Sal was such an enriching and inspiring experience. We had a wonderful hike through a UNESCO beech forest, and at all times I felt safe and cared for. The communication before, during and after was great and all travel/logistics were smooth. However, it was the additional input that really made this a 5-star experience. Sal knew so much about the forest, its history, the wildlife, and could hear or spot things I would have completely missed. It was also good to just chat with such a fun kind person. It was a wonderful escape on a beautiful early March day. I can't wait to go out again on many of the other hikes available. Thanks Sal.Going hiking with Nature of Sal was…
Bart H
20 May 2024
Just completed another hike with Sal. This time to Monte Soratte. I have been going on hikes with him for more than a year now and may have done about 10 so far and all have been great experiences. Each destination was well chosen for its natural beauty and the itinerary meticulously planned. Sal is always punctual, helpful, a great source of knowledge and just a fun person to chat with. Highly recommended, even if (as myself) you would normally hike without a guide. With people like Sal there is definitely added value when going with a guide. Will be signing up for my next hike very soon.When a guide makes a difference
Jeffrey
19 May 2024
.. personable, knowledgeable, attuned to his clients. The mix of neighborhood exploration, learning about the history of aqueducts in Rome over 2000 years, and his appreciation for the natural world was educational and quite interesting. We appreciated his ability to help us understand the intersection between the environmental and cultural history of RomeSal is an excellent guide...
Janet
13 May 2024
I learned so much. Salvatore was a fantastic and knowledgeable guide. The aqueduct park is beautiful. It was refreshing to get away from the busy tourist sites. It seemed we had the whole park to ourselves.I’ve been to Rome several times and this is a standout experience!
Mandy
12 May 2024
We had a wonderful day with Sal. Our tour ending up being a tour for just my husband and myself. There were no other bookings that day but Sal keep the tour for us and didn’t cancel. Very commendable. He did a great job of sharing his vast knowledge of the aqueducts and surrounding area. It was a long hike over 5 miles but it was so much fun that you didn’t realized how far you walked. Sal is such a kind and compassionate person. You can really tell he enjoys what he doesn’t and loves sharing his passion. Afterwards he even helped two seniors (67 years old) get on our first subway in Rome. Then texted me later in the day to make sure we didn’t have any problems. We loved every minute with Sal and this tour. So enjoyable. A must do activity for all ages.Best urban hiking tour in Rome
David McGuffin
8 May 2024
He is engaged, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about the areas he leads you through. He deliberately keeps the group sizes small (under ten people) for the best possible experience. I look forward to future tours with Sal.I highly recommend Sal
Miriam
7 May 2024
A very pleasant hike accompanied by Sal‘s interesting stories and information. We saw the city from a different perspective, still well connected to the history as well as the presence. Highly recommended. Thank you Sal.A different perspective
Withlocals experiences
are always
Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.
More about me
Ciao! I'm Sal, a certified hiking guide with a unique blend of German precision and Italian passion. Born and raised in Germany, my Italian roots called me back 16 years ago, where I left behind a thriving career in graphic design and programming to reconnect with what truly matters to me—the great outdoors. Since then, I've dedicated myself to helping travelers uncover the hidden gems in and around Rome, offering experiences that go beyond the usual tourist trails.
What sets me apart? I believe that the best adventures are those that rejuvenate the spirit while respecting the environment. Whether you're a casual hiker looking to escape the crowds or a seasoned adventurer seeking a challenge, I've got you covered. My hikes are designed to be stress-free and crowd-free, with options ranging from gentle strolls to more demanding treks. Sustainability is at the heart of everything I do, so all urban hikes are easily accessible by public transport, and every Saturday, I lead hikes that start and end at a train station—perfect for those who want to explore without a car.
But my role as a guide doesn't stop at the trailhead. I love helping travelers design tailor-made experiences that suit their interests and abilities. Navigating the information and bureaucratic maze in Italy can be daunting, but with my local knowledge, I make it easy. From securing permits to finding alternate routes when trails are closed, I ensure that your experience is not only enjoyable but also safe and ethical.
Join me, and let's explore Rome's hidden trails together—discover the beauty, history, and serenity that this incredible region has to offer. I can't wait to share my insider tips, local secrets, and passion for nature with you!
