📍Rome, Italy
We spent 2.5 amazing days in the historically beautiful, bustling city of 'Roma' and, though it was a short visit, it was magical! I can't wait to tell you about it!
We arrived in Roma on the 17th of April and left early in the morning on the 20th of April, which by most people's account, is right before peak season begins. Our weather was the perfect mix of mid-60s to low 70s and crowds were moderate [compared to what I've seen during peak season]. I truly could not have had a better visit, so let's dive in!
Accommodation
When planning this trip, we took the chance on Airbnbs, and boy did it pay off! We found this gorgeous Airbnb for ~$300 a night. It might be on the more expensive side for some travelers but split between two people and for the convenience of its location, we both thought it was worth every penny!
The Area: The location could not have been any better for us! All major tourist attractions take 30 minutes or less to walk to and there are several restaurants, gelaterias, souvenir shops, pharmacies, etc in the surrounding area, you can find literally anything you need!
Inside: The apartment has a comfy double bed [perfect for two people], a sizeable shower, enough vanity space for two girls to share haha, a desk with a functioning computer, a mini fridge, a microwave, a coffee bar, and an armoire with space for clothes [and a couple included umbrellas].
The View: Now let's talk about what really made us book this Airbnb... the courtyard view!!! Look at these gorgeous pics! There was so much space to sit and enjoy the view down in the courtyard and the view from the room was really such a treat to wake up to every morning.
The Host: Our host, Luca, was simply incredible! Before we even got on our flight to Rome, he messaged us about setting up a private transfer from FCO to the Airbnb! This transfer was amazing and took quite a bit of stress off of us! He was available to answer any questions we had, provided great restaurant recommendations, and even set up another transfer for us on the day we left! We could not have asked for a better host!
Misc. Notes: There was construction on an exterior wall close to the apartment. For me, this wasn't really a bother, they only worked from 8-5 and were not working the weekend we left. I didn't get woken up to it, but based on other reviews, some people did, so I wanted to note it! [p.s. the host does provide ear plugs though, which I thought was nice!] - and our only other note is that the key was a bit tricky to figure out, Liv got better at it by the time we left, but it did take several minutes of trying, and even help from our next-door neighbors a couple of times, before we got it. Again, not something everyone will necessarily deal with, but thought I'd note it!
Overall, I gave this stay a 9/10! We had a lovely experience and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to stay in this area of Roma!
Transport
While in Rome, we relied primarily on walking to get around to all the different tourist attractions, but we did take a taxi upon arrival and exit, and we also opted to take a taxi to the Vatican City as we had an early entry.
Day 1
04/17 - Our flight got in at about 12:30p and after a easy in and out trip through customs, we took an hour long taxi ride to our Airbnb.
After a short rest, we ventured out into the nearby area to eat at 'That's Amore Restaurant.' Now, I'm sure you can tell just from the pictures, this was the definition of a tourist trap, however, it was 5 pm and the last legit meal we had had was 18+ hours beforehand... so we were more worried about just getting any food rather than the quality.
From dinner, we took a peak at the Trevi Fountain, before taking a leisurely ~8 minute stroll to the Pantheon and wow!! The architecture is just stunning! We stopped and took quite a few pictures before heading to Piazza Navona, [~5 minute walk] which was so incredible to see in person! The beautifully colored buildings and fountains were gorgeous!
From the Piazza Navona, we made our way to the Spanish Steps [~20 min walk]. We were even lucky enough to catch the azaleas they put on the steps in the spring! It really just adds a sort of je nais se quois to the whole experience!
I know everyone says to go to the steps early so that no one else is there but... at 7 pm there was a moderate amount of people and the sun was starting to set, which I personally would like to capture more than a ghost town... but that's just me!
After the steps, we made our way back to the Airbnb, where we got a good night's rest before our exciting next day!
Day 2
04/18 - This day is my Roman empire. We started by making the short 2 minute walk to the Trevi Fountain at about 9:30. While there was a decent crowd, we managed to get pics without anyone in them so it wasn't THAT crowded. We took a moment to take it all in before heading a few feet away to a little cafe called "L'Antico Forno" where Liv got a cornetto and a latte, which she said was very good!
After people watching at the cafe, we decided to make our way to the Borghese Gardens. It took us about 20 minutes to walk to the gardens, and though a lot of the walk was up hill, it was beyond worth it for the beautiful park and scenery! Literally so stunning and it seemed to go on forever! I would have loved to spend more time here but we had to make our way to the Colosseum area for our 1:30 tickets!
Since we knew we'd spend a decent amount of time in the Colosseum, we opted to grab lunch at "La Biga" right across the street! - Here we had the first pasta of our trip! I had the Cacio e Pepe and Liv had the Carbonara. Both were delicious, but the real showstopper was the view of the Colosseum we had from La Biga! Truly could not have been more insta-perfect!
After lunch, we made our way down to the Colosseum and, after seeing the difference in the lines, I cannot recommend buying tickets beforehand enough! We barely had any wait!
After security, and climbing the steps to the top, we were in! I can't even describe the feeling of being in such an historically iconic place as a history nerd... WOW is it breathtaking! Not only is it visually beautiful, but also being imagining all of the history that has taken place right where you're standing is such a crazy cool thought.
We spent about an hour roaming around and taking in all the viewpoints! [btw the views of Rome from the Colosseum are also amazing!] It was all so magical and we ended it by venturing through the gift-shop where I bought a couple of touristy souvenirs.
Thousands of pics of the Colosseum later... we made our way across the street to the Roman Forum. Our tickets for today were a joint Colosseum-Roman Forum-Palatine Hill ticket, so again, we pre-purchased tickets for this attraction and I cannot recommend it enough!
Once inside, we roamed around for an hour or two. Everything you see is so gorgeous and you could 100% find yourself getting lost, the forum is SO vast! The views are gorgeous and, because it's such a huge area, it didn't ever feel crowded for us.
After all the Roman Empire excitement, we made our way back to the Airbnb to chill for a couple of hours before we headed out for dinner! We ended up at "Il Chianti - Osteria Toscana" [just a couple minutes from our Airbnb] where, for the second time today, we got Cacio e Pepe and Carbonara! [It's also where yours truly decided I was very much a Moscato girly] And after that, we headed back to our room for a much-needed rest.
Day 3
04/19 - Our last day in beautiful Roma. We started the day by taking a taxi to meet our Walks tour group at 9:30. After getting acquainted, we made the short walk to enter the Vatican City with our group.
After security, our tour officially began! I literally cannot put into words how absolutely stunning the Vatican is. I'll put a bunch of my favorite pictures below to hopefully convey just a bit of how gorgeous it is, but I truly cannot recommend visiting enough! Religious or not, the history is so vast and can be enjoyed by all!
As I'm sure you can see in some of these pictures, the Vatican definitely isn't... lacking visitors lol it is quite packed all throughout. For some, this may be an instant buzzkill, but personally, I had expected it to be packed, and for me, the crowds are worth seeing allll of the historic beauty, but to each their own!
After the Vatican, we entered the Sistine Chapel, famous for Michelangelo's work on its ceiling. Unfortunately, once inside, you're no longer allowed to take photos, but hopefully one day you can get to the Sistine Chapel to see it's true beauty for yourself!
We got to spend about 15 minutes taking in the beauty of the Chapel's ceiling. It is truly so spectacular to see in person. I think we, or myself at least, are so used to seeing it in photos that you sometimes forget its 66 feet up on the ceiling, which just makes it even more impressive to view!
After regrouping with our tour, we made our way into St. Peter's Basilica. Now, as I have mentioned, I thought the Vatican was impressive, and don't get me wrong, it is, but... St. Peter's Basilica is on another level! Every inch of the Basilica is covered in detail, from the ceilings, to the walls, to the floors, to the smallest little corner, handcrafted detail is everywhere! We could have spent hours inside and still not seen everything.
I think our tour did a very good job at pointing out the most important bits of the Basilica, like Michelangelo's "La Pieta," sculptures that line the walls and the historical and religious significance of it all!
Overall, the tour was 3 hours long and I don't think we could have had a better tour guide! We learned a lot, laughed a lot, and were able to see so much that would have absolutely been overwhelming to take in if we had just been on our own.
After the tour was over, we made our way out of the Vatican city, and back onto the streets of Rome where we quickly found a lunch spot, Orange Cafe, which... I must add, was our least favorite meal of the trip, but c'est la vie [or should I say "questa è la vita"]
After lunch, we made our way back to the area of our Airbnb, where we both got gelato before heading to the Trevi Fountain to eat it! Such a fun experience! We ended up heading back to our Airbnb for a few hours of rest after all of our walking all day! For dinner, we decided to make our way to 9hotel Cesari for a roof top in Rome experience.
The view was so pretty, as was the rooftop's vibe in general, and this is going to sound hilarious but we both had the most DELICIOUS tacos here for dinner...
I know, I know! "Who goes to Rome, Italy... and raves about their tacos?" SHW, that's who! I am still thinking about those tacos and we've been stateside for over two months. What can I say? They were delicious and I would recommend them to anyone going!
With our full bellies, we made our way back to the Airbnb and dreamed about the amazing tacos before catching a train to Firenze the next morning! - And that concludes our time in the gorgeous Roma!
Daily Budget
Food - ~€40 a day - Most meals were ~€20 per person [on average €15 for food and €5 for drinks] considering city/touristy area pricing, we didn't find this to be bad
Transit - Most days we walked everywhere but the few taxis/private transfers we did take were priced as follows: Private transfer from FCO>Trevi Area €65, Taxi from Trevi Area>Vatican City €18, Private Transfer from Trevi Area>Roma Termini €40
Souvenirs - I found souvenirs here to be surprisingly cheaper than average. I got a couple of postcards for €2, a pin for €2.50, and a keychain for €5!
Accommodation - Our Airbnb was €300 per night.
Attractions - The Colosseum/Roman Forum/Palatine Hill ticket €18
The Vatican/Sistine Chapel/St. Peter's Basilica guided tour tickets were €130
For one of us, each day roughly cost: €200-€250 accomodation, food, transport and all!
What I Wore
Shop All of My Outfits [*contains commisionable links]
We had such lovely weather in Rome! The weather stayed high 60s-70s [19-21c] and it was always sunny and beautiful! I wore a dress/skirt every day and switched to linen pants and a tank at night, but carried a light jacket each day just in case, and for me, this was perfect.
What I Would & Wouldn't Do Again
Overall, I would absolutely do everything over again! I think we had a lovely trip and I don't regret anything we did or where we stayed!
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