What’s on in Rome this month?

October is one of the best months to visit Rome. Temperature starts to drop, but a blue sky day can still give you that summer warmth on the hottest hours of the day.

That is why in October we have what we call the “Ottobrate Romane”, which are day trips, or picnics in the Roman countryside (or in the Rome city parks) where the Romans take advantage of the beautiful warm days that October brings.

This October 2023 is full of things to do and see in Rome, including glamorous red carpets, comic festivals and scenographic runs!

Without wasting a lot of time, let’s dive into these super exciting new things to explore in the city!

Things to do in Rome in October 2023

Romics – International festival of comics, animations, cinema and gaming

This is a great exhibition that takes place every year since 2001, dedicated to comics, animation, cinema and gaming.

If you are into one of those things, or if you just love being surrounded by high levels of creativity, this is an event you can’t miss! 

It’s four days of shows, exhibits, conferences, previews and Cosplays contests (“cosplay” stands for “costume play”).

The 30th edition of Romics will take place from October 5th to October 8th 2023.

Website: https://www.romics.it/en/

Festival del Cinema di Roma

The 18th Rome Film Fest edition will take place from October 18th to October 29th 2023. Red carpets, contests and projections, this is such a glam event that takes place in the Auditorium Parco della Musica.

Tickets become available closer to the start date, and they sell out fast, so keep an eye on their website: https://www.romacinemafest.it/en/

Looking for a 3-day itinerary for your first visit to Rome? We combined must-sees and hidden gems of Rome in this article, have a look!

Caracalla baths by night

From September 14th until October 26th there will be 9 evenings when the Caracalla baths will be open to visit in the evening. Because the ancient ruins are amazing to see, but when the night comes everything feels magical! You’ll be able to visit the site from 8PM to 10PM with either a guided tour or a “free” visit, including the undergrounds and the Mithreum.

For info and tickets: https://www.coopculture.it/it/prodotti/notti-imperiali-una-sera-alle-terme-di-caracalla-ingresso-accompagnato/

The Rose Garden of Rome

The Rose Garden of Rome reopens its gates for the fall blooming in October for about two weeks (dates to be confirmed yet). During these two weeks you’ll be able to admire and smell the beautiful roses in their fall blooming. The rose collection includes some of the most rare and ancient species of botanical roses. All of this with the spectacular background of the Palatine hill ruins! Open daily from 8:30AM to 5:30PM.

Are you looking to make your October Rome trip special? Are you looking for something fun, unique, personal? Our in person experiences grew from the legacy of our media content online. We won’t dwell on academic frills, only on insider’s knowledge with the fun storytelling of a local expert. Check our private and semi-private experiences here

Roma Urbs Mundi – October 15th

This is a run which takes place in the center of Rome on October 15th. It starts from via dell’Ara Massima, the continues to Piazza Venezia, then touches via del Corso, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza del Popolo, Colosseum, via dei Fori Imperiali, and ends in the Circo Massimo. The best of Rome in a 15km run!

Website: http://www.romaurbsmundi.it/

Planning a last-minute trip to Rome and didn’t have time to book a tour? Check our remaining availability in the next 20 days here 😉

National Roman Museum by night

More evening openings! From September 15th you’ll be able to visit 3 out of the 4 museums of the National Roman Museum – also by night! They are: Diocletian baths, Palazzo Massimo and Palazzo Altemps. Crypta Balbi is currently closed for restoration. The evening opening time will be from 7:15PM until 10:45PM.

For info and tickets: https://museonazionalerom

How was the artificial light in Ancient Rome?

This is one of the exhibitions we loved the most! 🤩 Artificial light is something today we take for granted, but thanks to that we are able to extend the length of our days (otherwise we would be in bed right after sunset!).

The Ancient Romans not only already extended their days. They also did it in style! In this exhibition you can see lamps of all types and shapes coming from different museums: Pompeii, Archaeological Museum of Naples and the Musei Capitolini.

You might think this is just a boring display of lamps. It is not. You’ll get to see incredible lamps in the shape of trees, bats, people.. which were not only illuminating, but also projecting their shadows on the walls, creating alluring and mysterious atmospheres.

You can find this wonderful exhibition inside the Musei Capitolini until October 8th.

More info here: https://www.museicapitolini.org/en/node/1013072

This is Wonderland

This is a new experience of light installations and shows inspired by the fairytale of Alice in Wonderland, that you can find in the EUR district of Rome: This is Wonderland!

The exhibition is located in the secret garden of the EUR district, which you can reach easily by metro (metro station: EUR Palasport). There’s a lot of photo ops, thanks to the colorful Chinese lanterns in the shape of the characters of Alice in Wonderland, that illuminate this beautiful garden and the waterfalls.

This is great for families with kids. Inside the park there are food stands, shows and also a relaxing Shisha bar inspired by the Caterpillar 😜

Better enjoyed after sunset 😉

More info and tickets here.

Live a unique experience with us when in Rome!

If you want to make your October Rome trip special and looking for something fun, unique, personal… you’re in the right place!

Our in person experiences grew from the legacy of our media content online, meaning that we focus on discovering the authentic side of Rome. We won’t dwell on academic frills, only on insider’s knowledge with the fun storytelling of a local expert. Our experiences include the hidden gems of Trastevere, Centro Storico and the heart of Ancient Rome. You can find them all here!