With its invaluable artistic heritage and spellbinding atmosphere, Rome is Italy’s most popular tourist destination as it welcomes over 29 million visitors every year according to data from Italy’s national statistics institute Istat. 

This means that some of its most popular attractions tend to get extremely crowded during the summer holiday season, with their congestion issues often being nearly as famous as the invaluable artworks they’re home to.

But if you’re looking to avoid long queues in Italy’s scorching summer heat and packed guided tours, don’t worry: the capital has no shortage of lesser-known sites which generally attract smaller numbers of visitors but are just as enjoyable as some of the more popular attractions.

National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia

Housed in the opulent Villa Giulia, the National Etruscan Museum showcases masterpieces from an era even more ancient than the Roman Empire. 

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Gems include sculptures such as the Sarcophagus of the Spouses (530 – 520 BCE), Apollo of Veii (510 – 500 BCE), and the Head of Leucotea (340 – 330 BCE).

The museum also has the golden Pyrgi Tablets, which are written in Etruscan and Phoenician – the language of ancient Carthage (now Tunis). The tablets are 2,500 years old. 

Where: Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9

How much: €12 and tickets can be purchased from the official site

Spezieria di Santa Maria della Scala

For something a bit more unusual, yet equally wonderful, check out the oldest pharmacy in Europe.

Nestled in the bustling Trastevere district, the Spezieria was founded in the 16th century by friars living in a convent nearby.

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The hall has old instruments for weighing medicine, apothecary jars, and frescoed ceilings.

It has quite an exclusive feel too: only 20 people are allowed inside at a time. 

Where: Piazza della Scala 23.

How much: €5 on site, but it is advisable to contact them via email at anticafarmaciadellascala@gmail.com first. 

Ara Pacis Museum

With its world-famous carved reliefs, the Ara Pacis (or ‘Altar of Peace’) is truly a marvel.

The altar was built to celebrate Rome’s power under emperor Augustus and was inaugurated in 9 BC. 

The museum that hosts it was designed by acclaimed American architect Richard Meier, and opened in 2006. 

Where: Lungotevere in Augusta.

How much: €12 but it is advisable to contact them via email at info.arapacis@comune.roma.it first.

Hendrik Christian Andersen Museum

Built between 1922 and 1925, Hendrik Christian Andersen’s museum hosts an array of sculptures chiselled by the famous Norwegian artist. 

There are over 200 of his sculptures inside, mainly on the ground floor.

Andersen died in Rome in 1940 and his grave can be visited at the Protestant Cemetery in Rome’s Testaccio area.

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Where: Via Pasquale Stanislao Mancini 20.

How much: €6 and they can be bought online here.

VIGAMUS – The Video Game Museum of Rome

If art is not your thing, there are still museums in Rome for you.

Take the 12-year-old VIGAMUS museum for instance, which is dedicated to the origins and culture of video games. 

Expect to find Game Boys everywhere, large figurines of game characters and games.

The museum offers an interactive experience for anyone seeking to do something unusual in the capital.

Where: Via Sabotino 4.

How much: €10 and tickets can be bought online here.