Ancient Rome's Dark Side: Ghosts, Murders & Imperial Blood

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Stand above the very site where Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BCE. Hear the story of his brutal murder, the chaos that followed, and the chilling legends of his ghost returning to haunt the men who betrayed him.

   10 min

2. View the ruins of Rome’s oldest surviving theatre and learn about Livia, the empress accused of eliminating rivals — including her own stepson — to secure the throne for her son. Discover how imperial ambition may have been laced with poison.

   10 min

3. Look out over the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, once home to emperors like Caligula. Hear how his descent into madness ended in assassination — and how his ghost was said to haunt the palace halls long after his death.

   10 min

4. Stand beside the infamous steps where traitors and enemies of the state were executed and left to rot. Visit the entrance to the Tullianum prison, where powerful prisoners were strangled underground and denied a proper burial.

   10 min

5. Walk through the area of Domitian’s forum and hear how he tried to escape a prophecy about his death — only to be murdered at the predicted hour. Discover how his name was erased from history and his ghost feared by the servants who survived him.

   10 min

6. Enter what was once Rome’s seediest district, the Suburra. Hear the scandalous story of Messalina, the emperor’s wife who allegedly walked these streets at night — and whose ghost is still said to linger in the shadows.

   15 min

7. Visit the staircase near the ancient Vicus Sceleratus, where a Roman princess drove her chariot over her murdered father’s body. Learn how the Romans believed acts of violence could curse entire streets.

   10 min

8. Finish the tour with a dramatic view over the Colosseum. Hear how this arena was built from conquest, filled with blood, and possibly haunted by the countless gladiators and prisoners denied burial and peace.

   10 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 25 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Rome

• Its from-price is 87% below the median of the 8352 experiences we list in Rome.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 1542 of 8352.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Rome

Rome layers nearly three thousand years of history into one walkable city, from the Colosseum and Forum to Baroque piazzas and Vatican art.

Ancient Rome is still in plain sight. The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill sit together at the city's heart, the Pantheon still stands with its open oculus, and fragments of temples and aqueducts turn up between apartment blocks. Across the Tiber, Vatican City holds St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Top-ranked sights in Rome: Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel.

See all 8352 experiences in Rome