Rome, Italy – home of 2,000 year old ruins, the most amazing street scenes and pasta galore.
It’s safe to say Andrew and I had an instant love affair with Rome. It started when we got in our first taxi from the airport. It’s hard to describe the awe that happens as you’re driving through a city and you look to the right and see something that is 2,000 years old. There’s nothing like that in The US.
One of our favorite things we learned in Rome is that it is so hard to build anything new there because every time they dig for a new project, they find ancient artifacts, have to stop the entire project and have the findings examined. How great is that?!
We made our way to Rome after a stop in Dublin, random trip, great flight tickets though!
This was Andrew’s birthday trip, so we had a list of key places in mind to fit in while we were on this visit… we will certainly be back to Rome!
Here’s our perfect three day Rome itinerary, we fit in all of the key stops, a sneaky little day trip, beautiful walks, and tons of pasta!
Rome: Pre-Day 1 [Or fit into another empty night slot]
Okay, I had to put this in here. We arrived to Rome after dark but fully energized from the drive through the city to our Airbnb. We wanted to do some exploring and we already felt safe in our area. Thank goodness we did because we found ourselves right in front of this…
The Trevi Fountain in the day is amazing, the Trevi Fountain at night is SPECTACULAR. And less busy, win-win.
We sat at the Trevi Fountain until the clock struck midnight, officially on Andrew’s birthday. What a way to start a year!
Okay that was just your little bonus Rome tip, whether you arrive at night like us and are close by or have an extra night to squeeze in, see the Trevi Fountain at night. It is a must.
Rome Day One
Stops:
Vatican City
Saint Peter’s Basilica
Castel Sant Angelo
Pantheon
Trevi Fountain [daytime edition]
The Best Pasta of your life
Gelato
Vatican City
Saint Peter’s Basilica
Day One for us kicked off bright and early with a tour of Vatican City, even if you are not religious, I highly recommend this tour. The artifacts alone here are incredible… I’m going to need a few more synonyms for this word because it basically describes all of Rome. I mean, just look at this…
Our tour included Saint Peter’s Basilica, I think most do..
We booked through Airbnb Experiences, this was the first time we used this Airbnb feature and we were HIGHLY impressed. The tour group was small and intimate, unlike the huge tours we saw passing through with groups of 50+ we had a cozy 5 person tour group. We were there during off season too, I can’t image the huge groups during high season. The Airbnb Experiences are also capped at a certain number of people, so they stay small and intimate.
Get $30 off your first Airbnb stay here!
Our Vatican Tour was with Slob, you’ll see the tour guides name under the experience!
Castel Sant Angelo
We just did a quick external tour of Castle Sant Angelo walking from the Vatican to FOOD. It’s a stunning building, I am sure you could fit a tour in on Day One too.
Pantheon
This is the oldest building in Rome, and HELLO, free to tour!
So funny story, that I promised Andrew I would stop telling… ooops.
The Pantheon is not labeled, there’s no giant tourist sign that says Pantheon HERE! So we were walking home from the Trevi Fountain the night before and saw this stunning building, the full moon was glistening behind it. The entire building was glowing.
Andrew and I weaved in and out of the columns, saying things like… “isn’t it so cool there’s just random old buildings like this in the middle of the city?!”
Well, yes, that was the Pantheon we toured unknowingly.
We were the only ones in sight of it, had the whole building to ourselves… what an experience!
Okay, so then we went back during the day with new eyes touring it as the oldest building in Rome.
Trevi Fountain [daytime edition]
If you’re by the Pantheon, mine as well head to the Trevi Fountain, they are close! It’s going to be busier during the day that’s for certain, but completely worth it!
The Best Pasta of your life
+ Gelato
I am certain of this fact. My friend Lauren recommended this restaurant to me and I am forever in debt to her, because this pasta, changed my life. I am 100% sure this is the best pasta I will ever have.
Ristorante Trattoria Antonio al Pantheon
And I must admit… Andrew and I are not huge gelato fans but you can find shops all around this restaurant and I feel like you just have to…
When in Rome.
Had to get that in there.
Rome (and beyond) Day Two
A little day trip, Naples and Pompeii
The most heavenly pizza of your life. You can thank me later.
Snuck this in here… you can do a day trip from Rome to many different cities, fast and cheap. We chose Naples to tour Pompeii, and let’s be real, to go to the birthplace of Pizza. Duh.
We grabbed train tickets for 12 euros, and it was about an hour train ride there.
Pompeii is an eerie sight.
It’s definitely worth a visit, the preservation is unreal.
But it is eerie to know what happened there that day.
We opted out of sharing any photos of the preserved bodies, this felt respectful… unlike the people posing for smiling photos with the remains. Here are some shots of the city, I think you can feel the energy of this site through the photos.
Also… it’s cold here in January… very, very cold.
On a lighter note, pizza is a non-negotiable in Naples. Go to Sorbillo, you will wait, you will not be disappointed.
Rome Day Three
Stops:
Lots of espresso
The Colosseum
Palatine Hill + The Roman Forum
The Capitol Building
A must do… Lots of espresso
Find a rooftop, drink some coffee, find a cafe, drink some espresso. It’s Rome, you’ll walk all of the caffeine off!
And you’re going to need it because today’s first stop is…
The Colosseum
We were so impressed with our first Airbnb experience, we did it again!
And were equally as impressed with this tour.
I mean honestly… you can’t come to Rome and miss The Colosseum. The tour is absolutely worth it, I will never forget this experience. The preservation work they have done to sustain this marvel is astounding. Peek inside and you’ll find that even more.
Just over that ledge is where the gladiators fought.
The view from one of the “windows.”
We definitely recommend a tour in the morning, the crowds were piling in on our way out. And if you go in winter like us, the wind whips through the Colosseum like crazy, be prepared! Still worth it.
Our tour included the next stop…
Palatine Hill + The Roman Forum
Palatine Hill is the center of the seven hills of Roman and home to some of the most ancient parts of the city. It sits above the Roman Forum.
The Roman Forum was one of the most important places in ancient Roman times. This was the city center of Rome. Surrounded by important government building and a marketplace inside, a massively cool spot of history.
The Capitol Building
This was our last stop, and then a little city walking.
Though this building isn’t ancient like some other Roman marvels… it’s still a work of art and almost all of it is free to tour, even the rooftop. You get some pretty incredible views from up there too!
I feel like I want to play I spy with that photo… I spy with my little eye The Colosseum!
Rome did not disappoint, we cannot wait to go back and explore even more in depth.
We love our Lonely Planet Guides, we went ahead and grabbed the full Italy edition for this trip. We can’t wait to use it for our Venice + Florence trip next. Grab your own copy for your trip to Rome here:
Have you been to Rome? Let us know in the comments your favorite stop.
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