A four-day itinerary in Rome

The first time I visited Rome was in 2017 and I will never forget that trip. It was, after all, my first time in Italy! It was everything I had imagined it to be and more. Rome is such an incredible and breathtaking city. I still remember the first time I saw the Colosseum and Trevi fountain, it was such a dream come true. Who would have thought that a few years later I would be living in Italy? When my parents came to visit me for the first time, I had to take them to Rome. Visiting the city with my parents was even more special, even more so, as it was their first trip after the pandemic. I recently put together this itinerary for someone that was visiting the city and thought I would share it with you all.

Day 1

The Colosseum

If you think of Rome, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? you probably instantly think of the colosseum, so that’s where we’ll start.

It’s best to book your tickets in advance as queues can get pretty long pretty quick – you can get a combined ticket that also includes the Roman Forum. For more ticket information click here.

Best spots to take photos without all the tourists? just walk towards the metro station for the colosseum and then walk up the steps (be careful here, there are a lot of people trying to sell tourists fake tickets and other misc. items) keep walking and you’ll see a bridge where you can take some photos from and as you cross the bridge to the right there’s a small public park called Giardinetto del Monte Oppio. You can get some amazing photos from there.

After visiting the Colosseum head across the road to the Roman Forum, this was the heart of the ancient city and one of the most important sites in Rome – entry is included in the Colosseum tickets.

Explore the area – there are so many ruins and monuments around the colosseum to see:

The altar of the Fatherland: The Victor Emmanuel II National Monument, also known as Vittoriano or Altare della Patria, is a large national monument built between 1885 and 1935 to honour Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy, in Rome, Italy. For 360° views of Rome, make your way to the Ascensori Panoramici (Panoramic lift). To reach the platform you will need to walk to the back of the building (12€ per person open until 19:30 last lift going up at 18:30/18:45)

The mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità) – a popular attraction due to the myth attached to it (if you tell a lie it’ll bite your hand off) and an iconic movie moment (made famous by Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in the film, Roman Holiday). It’s free admission and open from 09:30 – 17:50. Located in the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin.

Explore the area of Trastevere and head to Gianicolo Hill for the best view over Rome at sunset. From the belvedere, you’ll be able to see the Pantheon, the Altare alla Patria, Castel Sant’Angelo and St. Peter’s Basilica.

Day 2

Wake up early and head over to the Trevi Fountain to avoid the crowds, once you’re done here head over to La Citta di acqua (which translates as the city of water) – the ancient ruins under the fountain. It’s called Area archeologica – vicus caprarius.

Don’t miss out on seeing the Trevi fountain also at night as it’s even more special all lit up.

Next, head over to the Pantheon – Open from 09:00 until 18:45.

The Pantheon is a former Roman temple that later became a catholic church. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon’s dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. It is also one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings in existence.

Free admission from Monday to Friday. For weekends you’ll need to book at least one day in advance.

If you need a break, near the Pantheon you’ll find the best gelato in Rome at Giolitti – it’s one of my favourites. I always get a scoop of hazelnut gelato with a scoop of chocolate topped with fresh cream. The pastries look amazing too, but I haven’t had the chance to try them. Might just have to take a little trip down to Rome!

Once you’re done at the Pantheon, head over to Piazza Navona – a beautiful square from the 1^st century A.D. with lots of bars, cafés, places to eat and the beautiful Neptune Fountain.

Largo di Torre Argentina is a square where you’ll find the ruins of four Roman Republican temples and the remains of Pompey’s Theatre. It is in the ancient Campus Martius.

Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Curia of Pompey, and the spot where he is believed to have been assassinated is in the square.

For any cat lovers, there is also a cat sanctuary here.

Day 3

Start the day with a visit to The Vatican museum – make sure to book in advance to avoid queues. I recommend doing a self-guided tour with audio guides rather than going with a guided group as it gives you a little more freedom and you won’t see anything extra on a guided tour. I have been to the Vatican twice and enjoyed the self-guided tour much more than the group one.

The Vatican Museum is quite large so you will probably spend a lot of time there. The Sistine chapel and these incredible corridors full of paintings are spectacular. For ticket information click on the link below.

If you can’t find tickets on the main website check out tiqets.com or getyourguide.com

Once you’re done at the Vatican Museum head over to the Museo Nazionale Castel st Angelo – Open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 until 19:00. Don’t buy tickets from anyone outside of the Castle. Due to the number of tourists, it’s always advisable to book online in advance. Tickets are 13€ per person.

Next, head over to St. Peter’s Basilica – Free entry (open from 07:00 – 18:30) don’t forget to take advantage of the chance to go up to the Dome of the cathedral. From here you’ll be able to see the Piazza San Pietro. You can walk up the steps (551 steps) or pay a little extra and take the lift halfway. During October, the pope holds a service every Wednesday at 12:00. When visiting, shoulders and knees should be covered.

Day 4

The Spanish Steps: you’ll find the most famous steps in Rome between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church, at the top. On this Piazza di Spagna, you can also find a fountain by Pietro Bernini, called ‘Fontana della Barcaccia’. This literally means ‘Fountain of the ugly boat’. This does not refer to the sculpture being ugly, but to the story that the river Tiber flooded in 1598 and stranded the ugly little boat on this spot. That was Bernini’s inspiration. If the French had had their way, there would have also been a large statue of the French king Louis XII near the steps. But the pope at the time would not allow that, leading to construction being delayed. Nowadays, the area surrounding Piazza di Spagna is a luxurious shopping area, with the street Via Condotti being the highlight.

Villa Borghese (20€ per person, book in advance, check tiqets.com and getyourguide.com) Open Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 until 19:00 (Thursday closes at 21:00);

A gorgeous villa and museum and one of the largest parks in Rome. The ‘Galleria Borghese’ can also be found in the park. The gallery contains sculptures and paintings by artists such as Caravaggio, Rubens, Bernini and Leonardo da Vinci.

Another great scenic viewpoint of Rome is from Terrazza Viale del Belvedere which is what you can see below. It’s also a lot less crowded.

Where to eat:

Near the Pantheon – Antica Trattoria da Pietro al Pantheon

Osteria da Fortunata – a 4-minute walk from Piazza Navona

MAMI Pizza – near Piazza Navona

Tonnarello restaurant – Piazza della Scala. Get yourself a cestino (basket) to start (fried little rice croquettes with different fillings) and the carbonara is a must.

On-the-go food: Bonci just outside the Mercato Centrale Roma.

Dessert:

Said: a restaurant housed in a former chocolate factory, what more is there to say? If you’ve tried the one in London (Soho) this is the original. A chocoholic’s dream.

Chocolate Boutique is open from Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 am to 20:00pm and on Sunday from 11:00am to 20:00pm.

Chocolate Coffee Shop Bistrò Restaurant is open from Tuesday to Thursday 17:00pm to 01:00 am, Friday and Saturday from 16:00pm to 02:00am and Sunday from 12:00pm to 20:00pm. Monday closed.

Giolitti: Oldest ice cream parlour in Rome and so good. Address: Via Uffici del Vicario, 40 it’s just a few minutes from the Pantheon. Open from 07:00am until 1:30am

Pompi: They specialise in Tiramisu, and you can enjoy the classic Tiramisu, but I urge you to try their pistachio Tiramisu or the banana and chocolate Tiramisu. The Hazelnut (nocciola in Italian) flavour is also delicious. There are quite a few in Rome so just type it into google.

If you’ve reached the end of this post, thank you for reading and I hope this has helped you plan your trip to Rome. Have a wonderful trip!

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