Offbeat and fun experiences

Weird, random, offbeat, and just plain fun tours and activities you can sign up for in Italy

Gladiator school in Rome. For more info:
Viator.com

OK, ideally your entire trip will be fun. I get that. But this page is dedicated to exhorting you to seek out the quirky, oddball, weird, and turly memorable experiences throughout your Italian vacation.

After all, as long as you're shelling our big bucks for an overpriced 45-minute gondola ride, why not pay just a bit more to take a two-hour gondola driving lesson?

You can take gladiator lessons in Rome, or a cooking class in Florence. Shop the fashion outlets of Tuscany or Milan. Have an audience with the Pope, a dinner cruise on the Tiber, a Segway tour of Florence, or a ghost tour of Venice. Go horseback riding in the Chianti, explore Underground Turin, take a wine tour of Piemonte, or enjoy a private viewing of the Sistine Chapel.

You can book some of these experiences ahead of time via a site like our partner Viator. Here are some of their weirder and fun offerings in major Italian destinations: