My husband and I took a three day trip to Rome, from Amsterdam, in February 2019. This itinerary is based on that experience. Additional information & tips along with a link to a video of the trip can be found at the end of the post.
Day 1: Vatican City
Fitting Rome into three days is possible! We started the trip with a morning flight; the Leonardo da Vinci airport is about an hour's drive away from the city center by bus (30-45 minutes by taxi, but $$$). We opted for FlixBus; you can get tickets online, 12€ for a round trip ticket. We found an airbnb near the Pantheon. You will pay more, but for a first time/short trip, I would highly recommend it. It also allowed us to walk to most places.
It was almost noon by the time we were settled; so we grabbed a sandwich at a local shop (look for anything with fresh pesto and bufala mozzarella) and we were off to Vatican City. About a 30 minute walk, first stop was the Vatican Museums; the 5th largest museum in the world. You can buy tickets online or in person (if going during high season, the latter is not recommended). We opted for one of the guided tours; 17€. There is so much to look at, it was nice to have someone talking and moving you along (2 hour tour). We are generally not museum people, but this is a must do, and the Sistine Chapel was breathtaking. We did not stick around due to time constraints, but you could spend an entire day here.
Next stop was St Peter's Basilica; the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and is one of the holiest Catholic shrines. All popes are buried here. Free to enter, but to climb the 551 steps to the top of the dome (which is a must do), will cost 8€. Be mindful of the time, as the dome closes at 17:00 (recommend to climb first, then visit the inside). When we were ready to head back towards the city centre, we made sure to pass by the Castel Sant’Angelo. Built in 135 AD, it was actively used as a defense structure. Today, it’s a 5-floor museum. Entrance fee 10,50€. We opted to simply take in the beauty of the outside as well as the St. Angelo Bridge.
And now for the reason we went to Rome; the food. We decided on the infamous Giolitti. A must eat. We kept it simple with two small cones - cono piccolo - (with two flavors each). It was incredible. We then took our time to wander through the streets and see various monuments and landmarks on our way to dinner. We settled on Sora Lucia; traditional Roman food with great prices (starters and pastas averaging 10€). The food was great - I discovered cacio e pepe; a dish I now dream off - and due to the prices we were able to eat "as the Romans do". Wine, starters, pasta, dessert and espresso (even as someone who does not drink caffeine after noon, this is highly recommended - not only because espresso is delicious in Italy but it will help you digest all that food). A must eat.
To finish the day, we wandered the Trevi area. There were lots of street artists performing, drawing and selling souvenirs. The Trevi Fountain being the highlight of this area. Built in 1762, originally it was said you have to drink a glass of the water in order to come back to Rome. Today the legend says you should stand with your back to Trevi and toss a coin over your left shoulder to ensure your return to the Eternal City. It’s closed on M/W/F from 8 am – 9 am for coin removal; which ends up being about 8,000€ per week (all donated to charity). To this day, I think it is the most mesmerizing fountain I have seen. A must do.
Walked: 10.6 m/17 km
Day 2: Ancient Marvels
As the Colosseum requires a time-slot, our day was planned around this. We had ordered our tickets online (need to select a time slot, pick up tickets at a nearby location one/two hours prior, then you get in line 15-30 minutes prior to the time slot). There are lots of options for tickets, most involve a combination of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Read tickets carefully; the ones we bought said we had access to the Colosseum floor, but we did not because we needed to add a guided tour as well (very confusing and irritating).
We opted to walk the 25 minutes to see sights along the way. This included the Piazza Venezia; a square with an elaborate Victorian monument. Right behind this is the Altar of the Fatherland; grand marble, classical temple honoring Italy's first king & First World War soldiers. We then took a side road so we could see the Trajan Forum; remains of a Roman square, built in the 2nd-century, with a column and Forum of Augustus; ancient ruins of a forum built to include a temple to Mars & provide space for legal proceedings.
**To pause and re-iterate, our trip was in February. The benefit; significantly less tourists than during summer months. Downside; it's very rainy. Long story short, we bought four umbrellas in one day. Lesson; spend a few more dollars on a sturdy one the first time around. After we picked up our tickets, we stopped for some espresso and a pastry. As we were waiting for our time slot, and hiding under our umbrellas between downpours, we were able to get outside photographs of the Colosseum as well as the Arch of Constantine; a 21m-high Roman structure made up of 3 arches decorated with figures & battle scenes. As tragic as the history is of the Colosseum, it is beautiful and easy to see why it is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. I would definitely deem this as a must do.
About the Colosseum; used mainly for gladiator battles but also for animal hunts, executions and reenactments of famous battles. The spectacles often gathered more than 80,000 people (the biggest stadium in Rome now, The Olimpico, is 72,698) and they were divided by class. The first tier, called The Podium, was reserved for the Imperator and senators, the second tier was for the noble class and the worst seats were for the common folk.
Next stop was Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. The entrance to Palatine Hill is close to the colosseum, so we entered there. There is so much to see, my suggestion would be to mark a few major monuments (found easily on google maps) and zig zag your way through. A highlight is the Orti Farnesiani sul Palatino; a restored, terraced 16th-century garden where you can get a great view. This area was my favorite thing to see during the entire trip; filled with ancient ruins of a marketplace, temples and political buildings where ancient Romans had processions, public speeches, and even gladiatorial matches; a must do.
At this point, we had spent about 5 hours sightseeing. We ended up exiting through a small exit point, walking up and around and ending up in Campidoglio Square. We then had lunch at Taverna Romana; again, wanting to get traditional Roman food with good prices (starters and pastas around 10€). This time I went for carbonara as it is another Roman classic (along with wine and an espresso of course).
As we were exhausted, but had a few more stops, we decided to use public transportation. (One way ticket on the metro from Colosseo to Piramide, 1.50€). It was straightforward and easy to navigate. Walked by the Pyramid of Caius Cestius; Egyptian-style pyramid built between 18 and 12 BC; built as a tomb for a rich Roman magistrate. It was closed when we walked by, but you could go inside. From there, we walked to the Aventine Keyhole. It is a big white building with green doors. If you glimpse through the keyhole, you can see straight through the trees to the Dome of St. Peter. I thought it was a fun experience, and a camera cannot do it justice. A few minutes away is the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Gardens); considered to be one of the most romantic places in The City of Love. The gardens are located on the idyllic Aventine Hill and you get a beautiful view of the city.
Fully exhausted, we started back to our hotel along the River Tiber. We paused for a moment at Curia of Pompey/ Largo di Torre Argentina; an archaeological site close to where Julius Caesar was killed, now a cat sanctuary. Feeling the need for gelato, we stopped at Günther Gelato. This shop prides themselves on seasonal and organic products. It was time for us to take off our very wet shoes, and take a nap.
For dinner, we made a reservation at Emma Pizzaria; a beautiful restaurant with wonderful Romain Pizza. A must eat. We had a little time while we were waiting to go to dinner, so we were able to find a brew hall with a great selection of beer; Open Baladin Roma.
Walked: 12.1 m/19.5 km
Day 3: Final City Sights
Before grabbing our luggage and checking out, we visited the Pantheon; built between A.D 118 and 125 as a temple to the gods, the Pantheon was converted into a Catholic church in 609 and still serves as one today. Free to enter. A must do. Next was the Piazza Navona; a public place since the 15th century, the plaza is most famous with its three fountains.
Moving onward to the Spanish Steps; which was built in 1725 to connect the Spanish embassy with the Trinità dei Monti church. At the base of the steps is the Piazade Spagna and Fontana della Barcaccia. Behind the Steps is the Pincio Promenade; which offers more great views and the Villa Borghese; a landscape garden and contains a number of buildings, museums, and even a zoo.
For lunch, we popped across the river to L'Osteria Di Cicerone for one last plate of pasta. We then could not help but to have one more gelato, resulting in our trip to Neve di Latte, which was fantastic, a must eat. After this, we wandered our way toward the bus stop to take us to the airport, after a successful trip to Roma.
Walked: 9.2 m/14.6 km
Notes:
Watch the video of our full trip.
Things I would change:
We underestimated the rain; if you have room pack umbrellas to save money and make sure your walking shoes are weatherized.
As mentioned before, be careful when buying tickets for the Colosseum; I would have liked to get onto the floor or even the catacombs.
Foods to try:
All the pasta (cacio de pepe and carbonara), Roman style pizza, artichokes (in the winter months) and gelato. Everything was amazing; from olives, oils, antipasti plates, cheeses - you cannot go wrong.
Travel tips:
Figure out an idea of sites you want to see; this will determine a centralized area for where you should stay.
Google reviews seem to be the most accurate rating system for restaurants around Europe. If you want good food, stay away from main streets with lots of neon signs.
Mark everything on your google maps. This also seems to be the best (walking) navigation app.
This trip involved a lot of walking (which I think is the best way to see a city). Make sure you are prepared - a backpack/purse with water and snacks to tide you over.
Other:
Planning for a trip, especially overseas, can be stressful and overwhelming and a lot of blogs are an overflow of information. I try to do as many quick links as possible, to send you directly to the website of the attraction, restaurant, hotel etc. so you can get the most accurate and up-to-date information possible (fees and timetables).
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Safe and Happy Wandering.
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