Meet Simona: Discovering the Eternal City with a Local Guide in Rome

There is a big difference between visiting Rome and truly getting to know it.

Behind the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the ancient streets walked by millions of visitors every year, there are countless small details and stories that can easily go unnoticed. A plant growing among ancient ruins, a game carved into a stone, or a centuries-old tradition can reveal an entirely different side of the Eternal City.

This is the Rome that Simona, archaeologist and local guide in Rome, loves to share with our guests.

Passionate about archaeology since she was a child, Simona combines historical knowledge with curiosity, spontaneity and a very personal way of experiencing the city. We sat down with her to talk about her love for Rome, the details she enjoys revealing to travelers and what it means to explore the city in the company of a true local.

A Local Guide in Rome

Simona, where does your passion for Rome come from, and what inspired you to turn it into your profession?

My passion for archaeology started when I was a child. My parents often took me to archaeological sites during holidays and special occasions, and I always loved visiting them.

After high school, I decided to study tourism and cultural heritage, and later I had the opportunity to explore my passion for archaeology in greater depth.

And, like every archaeologist, of course, Rome is one of my obsessions!

There is simply so much here. No matter how well you think you know the city, Rome always seems to have another story waiting for you.

What do you particularly love showing travelers that they might not notice if they explored Rome on their own?

My work naturally takes me to some of Rome’s most famous archaeological sites, but I always try to help guests look beyond the monuments themselves.

For example, when we visit the Colosseum Archaeological Park, including the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, I love pointing out the botanical side of the site. Some plants are connected to fascinating ancient traditions and beliefs, so even something growing quietly among the ruins can become part of the story.

I also enjoy looking for tiny details hidden among the stones.

You can find ancient board games carved directly into the paving stones of Roman roads or into the steps of buildings. They are easy to walk past without noticing, but once you see them, they make ancient Rome feel surprisingly human.

These are the details I love sharing as a local guide in Rome because they allow visitors to imagine the people who actually lived here, rather than seeing the city only as a collection of famous monuments.

Families, couples and first-time visitors can experience Rome very differently. How do you adapt your tours to the people you are with?

It really depends on who I have in front of me.

When I am with a young couple, for example, I like the experience to feel almost as though they were exploring Rome with a friend. Alongside history and archaeology, we might chat about events happening in the city, places to go in the evening or little tips about what they could do during the rest of their stay.

Families require a different approach.

When there are children, I try to give them plenty of attention and keep them involved in what we are discovering. If the children are interested and having fun, their parents can relax and enjoy the experience too.

For me, this ability to adapt is an important part of being a local guide in Rome. The city may be the same, but the way you tell its stories should change depending on the people you are sharing them with.

How does working with YouLocal Rome help you create a more personal experience for your guests?

Luckily, a lot of work has already happened before I even meet our guests!

Ilaria, Andrea and Aneta take care of them from the very beginning, before they arrive in Rome. A few days before the experience, they give me all the relevant details about the guests and their needs.

This means that when we finally meet, I already know something about the people I will be spending time with and can adapt the tour accordingly.

I think that preparation makes the experience much more personal and spontaneous. Instead of simply repeating the same tour every day, we can shape the visit around the people who are actually there.

Is there a particular encounter or reaction from a guest that captures what it means to explore Rome with a local?

There have been many.

I have stayed in touch with some of my guests, also through social media, and it is wonderful to discover that they still remember you after their trip.

But there is another moment I particularly love: when, at the end of a tour, we hug each other goodbye.

That is when you understand that you have not only done your job well. Somehow, you have also found a little place in someone’s heart.

Seeing Rome through a local’s eyes

Perhaps that is what exploring Rome with a local is ultimately about.

Of course, there are dates to learn, emperors to meet and extraordinary monuments to admire. But there are also conversations, unexpected details and moments of connection that turn sightseeing into something much more personal.

With an archaeologist and local guide in Rome like Simona, the stones of the Eternal City are not simply remains of the past. They become clues to the lives of the people who walked these streets centuries ago.

And sometimes, discovering Rome means looking beyond the monument everyone came to see and noticing the tiny game carved into the stone beneath your feet.

That is the Rome we love to share at YouLocal Rome: knowledgeable but never impersonal, rich in history but still very much alive, and always experienced at your own pace.

Discover our tours with a Local Guide in Rome! 

Keep reading:

• Rome Custom Tours: Interview with Ilaria – Tour Designer at YouLocal Rome
• Best Private Tours in Rome: Behind the Scenes with Andrea, Founder of YouLocal