Rome Bucket List
Four civilizations built this city, one on top of the other, and none of them cleaned up after the last one. Ancient ruins. Renaissance churches. Baroque fountains in every piazza. And the food will ruin you. Not in a charming way; you'll be angry about every single plate of pasta you've ever had before arriving in Italy.
Why Rome belongs on your bucket list
The past isn't behind glass here. You'll eat it for lunch and walk on it for dinner and lean against it to get your picture taken. Your cacio e pepe will be served to you in a restaurant built into a 2nd-century wall. You'll cross the bridge that actual emperors crossed. You'll watch the sunset paint the Forum gold from some random terrace in Monti and think to yourself, "This cannot be happening." The Romans themselves are half the fun. Opinionated about food, fiercely loyal to their neighborhood, and 100% sure that their grandmother's recipe for whatever it is they're making for you right now is the only correct way to make it. The city will drive you mad and make you want to rip your hair out and shout at the top of your lungs. It's also the most beautiful place you'll ever have the pleasure of eating a meal.
When to go
April to June. September to October. Those are the months. Good weather, pleasant temperatures, and the light of the Roman sun will make every picture you take look like it was painted by the Renaissance masters. Easter week? Well, it's busy and there are special events happening at the Vatican, so plan accordingly. August will be 35+ outside and everyone will be staying indoors and eating each other's food. Just stay out of it. Winter will get you the lowest prices and the fewest lines of the year. The tradeoff will be the comfort of eating outside and the fact that you'll have the Colosseum to yourself. Totally worth it. The Rome Film Festival happens in November; Christmas markets happen in December.
Must-visit places in Rome
Colosseum & Roman Forum
You know what the Colosseum is. What you don't know until you're there is how much the underground levels change the experience of it—being down there where the gladiators and the lions waited to be taken up to their death. That's visceral in a way that the floor of the Colosseum isn't. Get the combo ticket for the Forum and Palatine Hill. Plan half a day minimum. Time it so that you're in the Forum at sunset. The long shadows cast by the columns on that ancient road? One of the most moving things you'll see in all of Rome.
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
54 galleries. Arguably the greatest collection of art in one place. And it all leads up to the Sistine Chapel at the end, which—again, not going to lie—left me standing there with my mouth hanging open like an idiot. No photo you've ever seen begins to compare to the real thing. The scale, the detail... it's just... absurd. Go in the early morning or the Friday night opening. The regular daytime hours? A sweaty, shuffling nightmare. Three to four hours minimum. Real shoes recommended.
St. Peter's Basilica
Largest church in the world. Free admission. Yeah, that blows my mind. Michelangelo's Pieta is in here. Behind glass now, but still incredible. Bernini's Baldacchino is in here too. Bronze. Over the altar. And the dome? Climb the dome. For a few euros and through some very tight spiral stairs, you can have the best view in Rome. Go in at 7 a.m. when it opens. The silence in the nave is incredible compared to the middle of the day. Dress modestly or they won't let you in. Seriously.
Pantheon
Almost 2,000 years old. Still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. Let that sink in for a minute. There is a nine-meter hole in the ceiling – open to the sky, no glass, nothing. There is a beam of sunlight that moves across the walls, kind of like a sundial. When it rains, water just falls through and drains out through nearly invisible floor holes that the Romans put in 2,000 years ago. It's free if you make a small reservation. Just stand in the center and look up. Don't lose your mind in front of all that engineering.
Trevi Fountain
Turn a corner in some narrow alley and then – BAM – a wall of marble and rushing water stuffed into a piazza that is way too small for this wonder. The surprise is something you'll never get tired of, no matter how many pictures you've seen. It's a wall of tourists and cameras during the day. Go after 11 PM or before 7 AM – a whole different world. Flip a coin over your left shoulder with your right hand – you'll return to Rome. It works – everyone always does return.
Trastevere
Cross over the river during sunset – don't have a plan – just walk – and Trastevere will take care of the rest – cobblestone streets, ivy growing over trattoria walls, musicians on every other corner, and the sound and smell of dinner coming out of every available doorway. Da Enzo al 29 for some classic Roman dishes – get in line early or forget about it. Suppli for some incredible fried rice balls – order three of those – and any bar in Piazza di Santa Maria for some aperitivo with that gilded basilica shining in front of you.
Piazza Navona
It's shaped like a racetrack because it was built on a 1st-century stadium. Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers is in the center. The cafes that line the piazza? Overpriced. Hard pass. Gelato shop on a side street, sit on the edge of the square, and just observe. Especially at night when street artists and musicians come out. It's like Rome's living room. Everyone's there. Nobody's in a hurry.
Antico Forno Roscioli
Since 1824. The pizza bianca served here with olive oil, salt, and the best crust you've ever had is essentially free and is the best thing you'll eat in Rome. I know I just said that about your carbonara, but it's true. Three ingredients. Two hundred years. The Roscioli restaurant around the corner has some of the best pasta in Rome and a wine list that would make a wine expert cry.
Monti
Between the Colosseum and Termini Station, Monti is literally right in the middle of Rome but feels like a million miles away from the tourists. Vintage shopping, natural wine bars, artisans who actually make things like crafts and artwork – not junk souvenirs. At night, everyone comes to Piazza della Madonna dei Monti to sit on the steps of the fountain with wine bought from the shop around the corner. Cheap wine. Sundays there's a market on Via Leonina with curated vintage shopping. This is where Romans in their 20s and 30s actually come to hang out.
Borghese Gallery
Bernini's "Apollo and Daphne" is here too. You will be in front of it, and your brain will not believe that it is made out of marble. The fingers that are pressed against the flesh, the leaves that come out of the fingertips – it is not possible, but it is here. The entire museum is like that. Every room has something that cannot exist in stone. The visit is limited to two hours with timed tickets to ensure that it is not crowded. However, you must book your tickets well in advance.
Campo de' Fiori
Two different worlds in one place. During the day, it is an open marketplace with fresh produce, flowers, spices, and locals shopping for the week's groceries. At night, it is bars galore, with the piazza full of people having drinks and chatting. At the center is the Giordano Bruno statue marking the place where the man was burned at the stake for heresy in 1600. A very appropriate place to have a Negroni while sitting in the piazza. Come for the picnic supplies at the marketplace and then go to one of the side streets for dinner at a Roman restaurant.
Rome insider tips
- Water Fountains: Those small iron water fountains on every corner, the water is clean, cold, and free. Put your finger in the spout, and it shoots straight up through the small opening on the top. Bring your refillable water bottle. You will need it frequently.
- Coffee Rules: Sit at the bar. It's cheaper. "Caffe" means espresso. If you want more, ask for "caffe americano." And for the love of all things good, don't order cappuccino after 11 a.m. It's just not done. Italians will shun you. Not openly, just silently. Trust me on this one.
- Steer clear of tourist traps: Pictures on the menu? Don't eat there. Someone trying to get your attention from the sidewalk? Don't eat there. Restaurant with a direct view of one of the major landmarks? Eat one block away in either direction, and the quality of the food will increase exponentially. Trust us on this one.
- Sunday Closures: Many shops, and some restaurants, are closed on Sundays. Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays, except for the last Sunday of the month, when they are free, but packed. Take your pick of which kind of pain you want to endure.
- Walking: Rome's city center is tiny. Everything is within walking distance. And don't say it's not. Wear good walking shoes, however. Rome's cobblestones are treacherous, especially at night. Save the pretty shoes for dinner. Rome gives away the good stuff to the pedestrians.
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