Step into the heart of ancient history and modern Italian enchantment as Rome makes you fall in love with its iconic architectural masterpieces, buzzing nightlife, and delicious cuisine, promising an unforgettable journey through time and culture.
There is honestly tons to do in Rome, which in addition to having strong historic and cultural roots, is a major metropolitan bustling city. Rome is accessible by two airports or by train, and does have a metro line (though overall the city is not very well connected by metro). We have visited Rome a couple of times and mostly grade our visits by the view. In our opinion, the hotel Royal House has the most stunning view of the Colosseum as it is directly across the street, which also makes it fairly easy access to several of the main attractions in Rome. Additionally, though not a cheap hotel, the price point is relatively more affordable than similar hotels and AirBnBs. Check out this view from our room!
The most famous attraction in Rome is the Colosseum, and along with that you should visit the Roman Forum. The lines for entry can be extremely long, and although we hate joining group tours, we did for this one so we could use the group entrance which is a shorter line than the main entrance. Honestly, it was overall a good experience (and we did learn some cool facts along the way!).
Once we were done with that, we walked over to the Trevi Fountain. If you toss a coin in over your shoulder, it means you’ll be returning back to Rome. It is very near the Pantheon, which is a must-see in Rome as well. It’s also worth walking by the famed Spanish Steps.
Another really awesome and slightly more unique thing to do in Rome is to visit the Aventine Keyhole. This is located on Aventine Hill – you can either get a taxi to drop you off, or hike up the hill (as we did). It’s not too challenging of a walk and the sights along the way include a beautiful park and fragrant orange grove. Find the green doors at the end of the courtyard and peep through to see a view of the Vatican through a garden! The view is difficult to capture on iPhone and is much more phenomenal in person.
Visiting the Vatican should also be on your bucket list for Rome. To get to the Vatican, you’ll want to take the metro or a taxi as it is quite a far walk from the Colosseum area. This is another situation in which you might want to join on to a group tour to avoid some of the line (oh boy, is there a line!). It’s worth it to see the inside of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.
Visiting the Villa Borghese is a great way to spend an afternoon. If you want to visit the museum, make sure to arrive early! If you’d rather take it easy, relax and walk around the beautiful gardens, where you’ll find ponds, fountains, statues, and lots of shady areas to picnic and read a book.
One of the best things you can do in Rome is eat! We highly recommend avoiding tourist traps and going for local dives instead. A couple of places we liked:
- Ditirambo (dinner in Campo de’ Fiori)
- Contrario Bistrot (dinner in Trastevere)
- Divin Ostilia (wine bar with great pasta in Trastevere)
- Li Rioni a Santiquattro (pizza in Trastevere)
- Cantina e Cucina (dinner in Campo de’ Fiori)
- Gran Caffe La Caffettiera (breakfast or tea)
- Pick up delicious bread, cheese and olives for a snack in your hotel room from the local Carrefour
- Monti neighborhood for bars
