Europe • Travel
5 Awesome Things To Do In Rome, Italy
Posted on May 15, 2019
I’ve been to Rome 3 times and these are my Favourite Things to do in the Italian capital!
1: Hang Out in the Pantheon
Pantheon looks today – inside and out – much the way it has looked for nearly 2,000 years. These marble floors you’re walking on? Yeah, people have been walking on them for two thousand years.
The Pantheon in Rome is, hands down, my favorite building in the city. The Pantheon still manages to stand out in a city that is simply replete with important historic buildings and monuments.
2: Eat Something Typically Roman
I love trying out different pizzas and Rome is the place to do it!
Shops, pizzerias, takeaways, and restaurants all serve you some of the tastiest pizzas in the World and if you search well you can easily find pizza to low price with high quality.
One of my favourite places for pizza is ‘Pizza E Mozzarella,’ close to Trevi Fountain. The restaurant doesn’t look as much from outside, but the pizzas are absolutely incredible. Authentic Italian style, very tasty and fresh and the location is right in the centre of Rome. The bruschetta is good too.
Very affordable prices with a generous and nice owner! Check it out when in Rome!
Other common Roman dishes, which you may be familiar with from restaurants outside Italy, but you should try in the original place where they come from, are bucatini all’amatriciana (a tomato sauce cooked with onion and a fatty pork called guanciale) and spaghetti alla carbonara (the sauce is made from egg yolks, pecorino romano, and pancetta). Yummy!
3: Get a Tour of Vatican City
While Vatican City is its own independent city-state (and country), no one only visits Vatican City without visiting Rome as well. For most travelers, touring the Vatican is a one day trip from Rome, and that’s exactly what I suggest when people ask me how much time they should spend in Vatican City.
I go to The Vatican every time I go to Rome, because it’s such a cool place with breathtaking sights and spectacular artworks. And how cool is it to have a country inside of a city?!
Furthermore is St. Peter’s Basilic the most beautiful church I’ve ever seen from inside and it basically makes all other churches look average compared to it.
If you want to visit St. Peter’s Basilica, you can do it for free, but you’ll usually have to wait a lot of hours, because the queues are long and slow. The second option is you can pay for the fast track access with a guide for around $30, which my friend and I did back in 2013 and it was certainly worth it.
If you are in Rome for a short time, you might consider skipping the line, so you can hit up some of the other main attractions!
PS. The dress code is strictly enforced at St Peter’s Basilica. Men must wear long trousers (no shorts) and cover their shoulders, women must not have either bare shoulders or skirts shorter than knee length.
4. Do Some People-Watching at the Trevi Fountain
Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome and also the most famous one.
I admit that the Trevi Fountain is seriously touristy, and can be kind of a pain in the height of the tourist season because of the crowds. You can go early morning or in low-season to avoid most tourists.
After throwing your coin in the water (right hand over left shoulder, remember!), it can be a lot of fun watching other people taking pictures and making silly videos. Just relax, hang out, and watch the throngs of people repeating the same ritual over and over again. It gets pretty amusing, actually – especially when the designated photographer or videographer goofs up and the whole process has to be repeated (there goes another euro!).
Remember Trevi Fountain has garnered its worldwide fame because of its beauty and it is a must see site in every tourist’s route once in Rome. Beautiful place!
5. Visit Colosseum
One of the seven Wonders of the World. This mighty structure is one of the most renowned and iconic landmarks in the world and a trip to Rome would not be complete without visiting the Colosseum.
The Colosseum was constructed between 70-80 AD and at its peak was estimated to hold 80,000 spectators. I’ve watched ‘Gladiator’ countless times with my dad and admit I have a soft spot for this place.
Located to the south west of the main terminus train station, the Colosseum is easily accessible and has a metro station in close proximity, called Colosseo.
Check this famous structure from all angles, and ensure that you brave the queues and step inside to truly appreciate the enormity of this ancient place of celebration. Just like a Gladiator!
That’s all from me.. Enjoy Rome!
Gustav
gus1thego.com