Gianicolo To Trastevere: Italy’s Independence Trail With Gelato

We really enjoyed our walking tour with our Chiara and Frederico. As local guides they spoke clear and excellent English with a wealth of historical knowledge. It was a bit rainy on the day of our tour but they were at our meeting spot right on time and we were fortunate to have them all to ourselves as another couple had cancelled due to the weather. This tour is a great value and reasonably priced with a wonderful treat at the end. Thanks so much Chiara and Frederico for enriching our Rome Experience!

We highly recommend “Ideas 4 Travellers” as tour guides for anyone visiting Rome. Chiara and Federico were brilliant in choosing Gianicolo Hill as the starting point for our time there! The breathtaking panoramic view from this spot of the city below gave us a beautiful visual sense of the city, and their insights and descriptions of what we were looking at provided us with a historic overview of this “work of art” city. The retaining wall from our observation spot was inscribed with the Consitiution of the independent Italian states created by Garibaldi and his freedom fighters. The Gianicolo’s Hill tour was a perfect introduction to Rome for us, because not only is the hill’s location overlooking all of Rome inspiring, but as we walked, talked and looked with awe at the sites around we learned about their history and significance thanks to our guides. As we did, it truly dawned on us just how much the city’s people, and their fellow countrymen, have shaped the art and culture that we enjoy, value and share. We had studied this in school, but being there with Chiara and Federico made it real. It sank in that even the means of governing countries now in place around the world is influenced by Rome, and that doesn’t even begin to cover how we owe so much to Italy and Rome for our knowledge and practice of science and engineering. From the start of our tour at the lighthouse (sadly no photo to share) past the statues of Giuseppe Garibaldi, and his inspiring and fiery wife Anita, we leisurely walked, talked and enjoyed the moment and the place. As we began to walk down the hill we were thrilled to look across the street and see a wall of the Vatican bordering the top of Gianicolo’s Hill. And that lucky feeling, and our learning, continued as we leisurely walked down past Garibaldi’s Mausoleum, the tomb and shrine of St. Peter, and then down the steps on the way to the Trastevere neighborhood. Chiara and Federico pointed out many small, and seemingly insignificant landmarks that would have otherwise escaped us along the way, such as the shrine in the wall as we entered Trastevere noting that the candle lights in shrines such as this gave protection from thieves to citizens who had to pass through the dark alleys at night in days long past. As we ended the actual tour we settled down at a table outside a small café where my wife and I we enjoyed an aperitif and a light repast with Chiara and Federico giving us the chance to chat and get to know our guides, and they us, a little better as well as to become friends. What a tour - it was one of the most enjoyable 2 ½ hours that we have spent, and we highly recommend that you consider and use “Ideas 4 Travellers” as your travel guides for your trip to Rome.

This was a great experience in Rome! The walk was easy and beautiful, led by local guides who have a clear passion for sharing the lesser-known side of this city with us. The view from the Belvedere was such a romantic spot and the Acqua Paola fountain was so beautiful. We also saw the Tempietto del Bramante which is such a unique monument! Of course there was a lot of fascinating history such as Giuseppe and Garibaldi’s battles for the independence of Italy. Having a drink with our guides at the end was the cherry on top, felt like hanging out with our new Roman friends!

One of the best place to get paranomic view of Rome. It would be much better if the city trim some of the trees a bit. Standing up on this hill, you can basically see most of the attractions in the city of Rome. It is an amazing view. I also loved seeing the roads below. If you are in Trastevere area and have time to spare, it is worth a visit by walking up here. It is quiet when we visited in December. We walked from Vatican city up here. It is a bit long walk but in Rome, there is always something nice to look at along the way. One note of warning when walking from Vatican city to here: on line Google street map offers one road which is quite dangerous when you start the up hill walk, there is no side walk and you are facing traffic on one way street so avoid “Via Delle Fornaci” street if you see it on Google map showing walking direction. It is a romantic place and worth a visit for the great view.

We enjoyed this walk away from the usual tourist spot of Rome, we love to walk downtown but the less crowded area around the Gianicolo’s hill was a pleasant surprise! The view of the city from above at sunset is something we highly recommend. Chiara and Federico made us discover a very interesting part of the history of this city and its historical characters. Ending the walk with a good glass of wine was the best way to end this experience with our local experts.