Exactly What to Do in Rome (for First Timers)

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The Main Sights in Rome

Look, we get it. When you visit Rome for the first time, you’re definitely going to want to see the main sights that everyone talks about – the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican and St. Peter’s, and the Centro Storico. 

The thing we want to make super duper clear is that we think that shouldn’t be the only thing you do while you’re in Rome. 

We also think it’s important to consider how you want to experience each of the main sights. Which is why we have detailed guides below that include our recommendations on how best to tackle each sight to get the most from the experience. 

Whatever you do, make sure to save time for the other stuff – the food, the views, soaking up the atmosphere – in between these main sights. 

The Colosseum & Roman Forum

This is the heart of Ancient Rome, at least in our minds. Coming from an American perspective – particularly being from the west coast, where our cities are MAYBE 200 years old – the depth of history and culture that exists within this little complex is mind boggling. 

Thousands and thousands of years old, some of the structures have been repaired, sure, but the fact that anything at all is standing here after milennia brings the grandeur and impressiveness of the Roman empire into full focus. 

Some guides will have these broken apart, and I totally understand why. They’re completely different experiences, and represent very different things in Roman history.

However, we feel like it makes the most sense to visit them both at the same time, which is why we’re including both under one heading. 

Before or after your visit, there’s an excellent view of the Roman Forum from OUTSIDE the boundaries located here.

We have personally done (and enjoyed) Walks of Italy’s Premium Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill – you can read about our experience here (spoiler: we loved it!).

It is a great tour option that includes both the Colosseum and Forum.

Unfortunately, Vespasian didn’t live to see it completed. Instead, it was completed under his son Titus in 80 C.E., taking just eight years to build (which is insane when you consider that some churches take several centuries). 

It’s most likely that the building, after some expansions and renovations over the years, could fit somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 spectators, though you’ll still hear numbers as high as 80,000 thrown around which most historians agree is a little aggressive. 

Another misconception about the Colosseum that is mostly perpetuated by media like movies and TV shows is that the gladiatorial games were brutal, bloody, and murderous.

That’s true to an extent, but our guide reminded us that, at the end of the day, the gladiators were highly skilled professionals AND they were the property of rich people who most definitely didn’t want their assets killed. 

It’s more likely that the gladiatorial battles were similar to modern-day boxing matches than the bloodbaths you’ve seen Russell Crowe participate in. 

It’s massive, and it’s an incredible feat of human ingenuity. I, Matt, have done the Colosseum four different times now, and each time my jaw hits the floor as I emerge onto the platform around the edge of the arena. 

The Roman Forum

The Roman Forum – known in Italian as the Foro Romano – is a little different than the Colosseum. Unlike the Colosseum, which stands tall and intact (having been rebuilt and renovated over the years), the Roman Forum is mostly ruins. 

Which makes it hard to understand what you’re looking at without a guide to help you decipher the difference between the Senate building and the Temple of the Vestal Virgins.

Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome, is just to the southwest and is accessible from within the complex (you’ll find one of the best views in Rome from the viewpoint at the top). 

This is the heart of the ancient city of Rome. 

The majority of the important buildings in Ancient Rome were within walking distance of this historic meeting place. 

Contrary to popular belief, while there is a temple dedicated to Julius Caesar here, he was actually not killed in the Forum, but over near Largo di Torre Argentina.

How to Experience the Colosseum and Roman Forum

We have a strong opinion here, mostly informed by the fact that we did an amazing tour of the Colosseum with our favorite Italian tour company (you can read all about it here) where we learned that some (really, most) of the things we thought we knew about the Colosseum were actually just fairy tales. 

No, the battles weren’t gruesome and bloody. No, they didn’t execute Christians en masse. No, they didn’t have naval battles inside the Colosseum (at least not on a regular basis, especially after the infrastructure in the floor was built).

The richness of the detail and context our guide was able to bring to our understanding took the experience to the next level for us, and we’d highly, highly recommend investing in a tour.

Without those stories, it’s hard to understand the significance of what you’re seeing, especially in the Forum, which is mostly ruins at this point. 

Remember, we had both experienced the Colosseum before. MULTIPLE TIMES. That, my friends, is the power of taking a tour with a guide who actually knows what they’re talking about.

You’ll get to go a level deeper and learn about the structure beyond the fairy tales and myths that have been perpetuated for decades. 

Now, if you’re interested in a tour, the options are a little bit confusing. Do you need to see the Colosseum floor? What about the night tour?

Lucky for you, we’ve done most of the different kinds of tours (and talked to the tour guides to get their perspective on the best version), so we’re going to break it down for you right here. 

For more information and to buy tickets, go to the official website (we’re not giving you exact hours and ticket prices because they do change, and it’s better to just go to the official site to check them in real time). 

You’re going to need at least three to four hours to do them both justice. Even in late September, exploring the Roman Forum was HOT.

In the summertime, it will be borderline unbearable with very limited opportunities for shade and a brief respite from the sun. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen, you will need both. 

The Vatican Museums, The Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica

Arguably the most famous museum in the world makes its home in the collections of the Vatican. They show a whopping 20,000 pieces of art and culminate with the legendary Sistine Chapel, where the ceiling frescos bear the work of Michelangelo.

One contradiction that always pops up in the back of my mind when visiting huge, ornate churches has to do with the role of the church. 

Why, you might ask, does an organization that preaches the Bible, which unequivocally condemns rich people who do not give away their wealth, have such an ornate and over-the-top display of wealth? 

Great question to ask the Pope, if you run into him (or her, in case you’re reading this at a time when we’ve gotten a female pope).

As a religious site, I have questions about the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica.

If you put those questions aside for a second and just consider the Vatican Museums as a collection of art, it’s a pretty incredible display featuring a who’s who of Italian art history.

There are essentially two parts – the Vatican Museums (which include the Sistine Chapel) and St. Peter’s Basilica. You should visit both, and you should try to be either on the first or last tour of the day. 

We’d also say that it’s well worth climbing the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica for a nice view out over the square below and towards Rome’s historic center, with its various churches and government buildings towering above the rest of the city. 

This is another site that you should definitely buy tickets for in advance, especially during the summer. Buy tickets here – toggle the site to English with the language selector in the top right. 

I would strongly recommend booking the audio guide if you want to visit independently.

It’s a good middle ground between visiting independently and on a guided tour that gives you more information and context, but also allows you to move at your own pace. 

Visiting on a Guided Tour

One of the most important lessons we’ve learned over the past few years of traveling is to always opt for a guided tour when it comes to big art museums with sprawling collections, which certainly includes the Vatican Museums. 

We’d also recommend a guided tour here, but we think it’s less of a necessity than it is with the Colosseum and Forum, which really require a guide to fully enjoy and understand.

We think that a guided tour is a nice-to-have, but a self-guided tour armed with an audio guide (or, again, the Rick Steves audio guide app) is probably good enough. 

This last time, I decided that I wanted a guided tour to get a better understanding of the art I was looking at and the context around it, so I went with the “Pristine Sistine” tour with Walks of Italy, my favorite tour company in Italy. 

It was a great tour, though it’s important to know that there is no scenario where you’re going to be in the Sistine Chapel without crowds, on a tour or not. 

I did a little write up of my experience and what to expect, whether it’s worth it, and the pros and cons of the tour which you can read here.  

The guide will give you all of the context and history you need to actually understand what you’re looking at, and will help you figure out what to see and what to skip in order to help tell that story. 

Visiting The Vatican Museums & St. Peter’s Basilica Independently

If the tour isn’t in the budget (or you would prefer to go at your own pace), I have some thoughts about how to maximize your time when seeing the two main attractions at the Vatican. 

First of all, you’ll need to buy entry tickets for the Vatican Museums, while St. Peter’s Basilica is free to enter. For both, you’ll have to wait in the (sometimes long) security lines. 

Buy tickets for the Vatican Museums here – toggle the site to English with the language selector in the top right.

For the best experience, we’d recommend either picking the tickets that include an audio guide, or, even better, book a guided tour that includes a live guide. 

First of all, you should book your tickets as soon as possible so that you have access to the 8am and 8:30am entry slots. 

They go on sale 60 days in advance, and sell out within an hour if it’s peak season. You want those early entry times!

If they are sold out, the first thing I would do before booking a tour is look at online resellers, who generally have more availability than going direct (though not unlimited availability).

Here is the Get Your Guide page where you can check if they have availability for your dates. 

Second of all, I would consider doing the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica on different days. 

The reason is that, by the time you’re done with the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, it will be around noon (maybe even later, depending on your pace). Which means you’re going to be waiting in the security line 

I would recommend, if you have the time, getting to St. Peter’s Basilica at opening (currently 7:30am) on a different day for a much more relaxing experience, and for the fact that the light will be better if you choose to climb the Dome (plus fewer people in the narrow passageways). 

The Historic Center of Rome (The “Centro Storico”)

There is nothing more charming or atmospheric in Rome than walking through the city center. 

However, that charm and atmosphere can be a little overwhelming in the afternoon and evening, when the narrow corridors snaking their way between the sights in the Centro Storico are crowded with people. 

Instead, we’d highly recommend doing a walk through the Centro Storico (here’s a map!) early in the morning – before 9:00 am if you can – when you’ll largely have it to yourself. 

You’ll start from Campo de’ Fiori, a historic square with a flower market (don’t buy souvenirs here – they’re overpriced and generally low quality), wander through the narrow alleys of Rome’s historic center, and end at the north end of the neighborhood near Villa Borghese, where you’ll be treated to an excellent view of the Vatican. 

Campo de’ Fiori

This historic square, at the southwestern end of the neighborhood just a few blocks from the Tiber, has roots in Ancient Rome.

That’s where it gets its name – “field of flowers” – which refers to the fact that this used to be open space before the expansion of Rome swallowed it up. 

Today, this square has two sides. In the morning, you’ll find a bustling market with flowers, fruits and vegetables, and the kind of over-priced, mass-produced souvenirs that you’ll find at every other shop in Rome. 

In the evening, it turns into an outdoor club, basically. The restaurants and bars on the square bring outdoor tables onto the square, and it’s generally full of people eating and drinking their way through the evening (complete with plenty of “untz untz” music). 

It’s a nice place to start a morning walk. If you’re looking for coffee nearby, either stop in at one of the many bakeries and cafes for an espresso at the bar, or detour a few blocks over to Barnum for specialty coffee. 

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is probably our favorite of the stops on this walk through the city center. It’s a huge, oval-shaped open space with a ton to see.

The shape comes from the fact that the square exists on the site of an old stadium, and it became the place it is today in the 15th Century (which explains the architectural style you’ll find here). 

You’ll be approaching from the south if you’re coming from Campo de’ Fiori, so we’ll start there. 

At the southern end of the square, there’s a fountain – the Fountain of Moro – with some scantily-clad, well-muscled men frolicking in the water. At the northern end is the Fountain of Neptune, which is another excuse to have a bunch of muscled half-naked men in the water, I guess. 

In the center is an obelisk – the Obelisk of Domitian – and just to the right there’s a massive church – Sant’Agnese – that looms over the square. 

Most importantly, there’s a Grom gelato location at the northern end of the square that serves our favorite gelato in Rome (plus, everything is gluten free, including the cones, which Matt loves). Is it ever too early for gelato?

More on gelato in the “Rome for foodies” section below!

The Pantheon 

Continue your journey, turning east from Piazza Navona to make your way a few short blocks to the Pantheon. 

The Pantheon is a huge former Roman temple that was built in the second century C.E. (though a temple existed before that on the same site before it burned down).

In the 6th Century, it became a Catholic church, and as a result of their care it is one of the more intact buildings from Ancient Rome.  

To be honest, we wouldn’t (and, in fact, didn’t) wait in line to go inside the temple/church on our latest visit. It’s cool, sure, but probably not worth waiting for more than 10 or 15 minutes. Unfortunately, the lines to go inside are LONG at all opening hours. 

If you do go inside, we think the intricate (and huge) dome and the skylight are the coolest parts, bringing some of that sweet Mediterranean sun into the cool darkness of the Pantheon’s interior. 

For a traditional coffee experience – head over to nearby Tazza d’Oro (here on Google Maps)  and order an espresso at the bar, which is a must-do experience for coffee lovers in Rome. Don’t sit down!

Order from the cashier at the front, take your receipt to the bar, and show it to the (gruff) barista. It’s cheaper and a more unique experience that way, we think. 

Trevi Fountain

Continue the journey east to the most beautiful and the most crowded sight in the Historic Center, the Trevi Fountain.

Everyone who comes to Rome comes to Trevi to either a) throw a coin in or b) get the perfect picture in front of the fountain. As a result, this area and the surrounding few blocks is a veritable zoo at all hours, even at 8:30 am in October when we were last there. 

It’s a classic landmark, sure, but there are so, so many people. 

The fountain was built in the 18th Century out of Travertine stone, which, if you do a guided tour of the Colosseum and Forum, you’ll learn all about.

It’s a limestone – not a marble – that comes from quarries to the east near Tivoli (it also exists in Yellowstone National Park, I just learned), and was used for just about everything in Ancient Rome because it was relatively easy to get it to Rome.

It’s used in just about every famous structure in Rome, from St. Peter’s Basilica to the Colosseum, and pretty much everything else.

Originally, there was supposed to be a statue of Louis XIV here, but it never came to be. 

Walk up the stairs, making sure to turn around and admire the view.

If you’re up for a little more walking and want an even better view, head along the path in Villa Medici over to Terrazza del Pincio for an excellent view of the Vatican, with Piazza del Popolo in the foreground.

They moved to Rome from Siena and became one of the city’s most prestigious families (not to mention wealthiest), which led to them commissioning and purchasing all sorts of art. 

The gallery is relatively small, but it is PACKED full of beautiful pieces. 

The museum is laid out over two floors, and one of the floors was actually closed for renovation when I was there last. However, after spending two hours with Anna, my Walks of Italy guide, on just the first floor, I’m not even sure how you would fit both floors into just a couple of hours. 

I walked away more than satisfied, in awe of the emotional power of sculptures (something I don’t necessarily feel about paintings like I do about sculptures or other mediums like music).

It’s wild to me how much emotion and movement can come out of what is essentially a carved up piece of rock. 

I also love that sculptures have higher stakes than, say, paintings (with some exceptions). You can paint over a mistake in a painting with relative ease – not so in a sculpture!

Tickets for the Borghese Gallery are notoriously hard to get because of the extreme limits on people allowed inside at a given time, so book your visit as early as possible. Only 360 people are permitted into this exclusive art gallery every day. 

We recommend you pre-book tickets as soon as humanly possible so that you have a chance to experience what we think is the most interesting museum in Rome (sorry, Vatican). You can do so here. 

Things to Do for Foodies in Rome

Rome is an excellent food city, and we say that as two people who eat gluten free by necessity (sometimes Alysha gets to cheat, but Matt has Celiac Disease and will get deathly ill with just a crumb of gluten).

Italy happens to be a fantastic place to eat gluten free, so we largely got to eat and drink everything we wanted to while we were in Rome – gelato, simple pasta dishes (all with guanciale or pancetta), cannoli (which are Sicilian not Roman, but still very much worth eating), and things like fried artichokes and oxtail stew. 

There are a bunch of different ways to experience Rome’s rich food culture (and Italy’s) while you’re in town. From food tours to cooking classes, here’s our take on what to do (really, eat and drink) if you’re a foodie. 

For example, bolognese (which by the way is completely different from the Americanized version – here’s a recipe that we now make all the time and LOVE) is from Bologna and the surrounding area, while arancini (crispy fried rice balls) are a Sicilian specialty. 

In Rome, the food is relatively simple. And this is most evident in the pasta dishes you’ll find in Rome, which we’ve explored at home (through this excellent cookbook) and which usually are some combination of guanciale (or pancetta), cheese, and salt and pepper. 

Get Your Hands Dirty and Take A Cooking Class

We LOVE doing cooking classes when we’re traveling. It’s a fantastic way to experience the local food culture (especially if there’s a guided market tour involved), meet like-minded travelers, and add a few new recipes to your repertoire at home that will remind you of your time traveling whenever you make them. 

Now, Matt has Celiac Disease, which means no gluten for us. That means that a cooking class in Italy isn’t in the cards – too much flour flying around for Matt to be comfortable and avoid getting sick. 

That, however, does not mean you shouldn’t do one. 

Here are three cooking classes that would definitely be on our list if, you know, Matt could eat gluten. 

• Pasta-Making Class – Cook, Dine & Drink Wine With A Local Chef: Hosted by Walks of Italy, which we’ve already mentioned is one of our favorite tour companies in Italy, you’ll get a full rundown of handmade pasta, along with aperitivi and prosecco beforehand, and gelato for dessert. The class takes place in Trastevere. Vegetarians welcome. 
  
  
• Handmade Pasta & Roman Sauces with Riccardo: We love experiences that take us to real people’s homes, in neighborhoods where most tourists don’t make it to. This is that. Join Riccardo – who was born and raised in Rome – in his family home where you’ll make handmade pasta, classic sauces like carbonara and cacio e pepe (our two favorites), and get to connect with the food culture in Rome in a really special way. Plus, wine, obviously, because this is Italy. Vegetarians welcome. 
  
  
• Handmade Pasta with Grandma: Every culture has the phenomenon of “grandma cooks best,” with classic family recipes passed down from nonna to nonna, and unsurprisingly Italy is no different. You’ll make ravioli, fettuccine and farfalle – all from scratch – in their family home. Note that this tour is a ways outside of Rome (you meet here) so you’ll need to find your way there and back on the train. Vegetarians welcome. 

Explore Rome’s Rich Food Culture with a Food Tour

Here are some food tours that caught our eye though, sadly, we also skipped these because of the whole gluten and cross-contact issue. 

• Hidden Rome Food Tour in Trastevere with Dinner and Wine: Explore Trastevere – our favorite neighborhood in Rome – through the eyes of a local foodie. You’ll simultaneously taste amazing food from places that you wouldn’t have discovered on your own, and also get the background and context for how that food came to be a staple in Rome. Plus, wine and limoncello along the way! This tour combines the history and cultural aspects with great food, which is what we usually look for in a tour. 
  
  
• Twilight Local Food and Hidden Places: A local born and raised, Selene and her team will take you on a tour-de-Rome’s best food. Along the way, you’ll learn about the history and culture of Rome. Followed by pizza al taglio and carbonara, among other delectable tastings. This tour covers the Centro Storico, mostly. 
  
  
• Taste the Best of Rome (Evening Tour): This tour, which covers Prati, the neighborhood to the north of the Vatican, includes a tasting of meats and cheeses and the best pizza al taglio in Rome (which we already featured above in the Vatican section…). 25 tastings over four hours – so you’ll want to  show up hungry! You’ll meander through Prati, stopping at five locally owned spots to try a variety of delicacies from truffles, to meats and cheeses, and more. 

Experience Aperitivo (Ideally Every Day)

Aperitivo is a period during the late afternoon/early evening, between getting off work and dinner time (which is later than you’d expect in Rome) where people go out for drinks.

And those drinks are served with a selection of small bites, like bruschetta, olives, and things like that.

If you’re American or Canadian, it’s a little like happy hour, except the food is complimentary with your drinks. While the days of full-on aperitivo buffets are behind us, at least in most of Rome, the idea behind aperitivo is still one of our favorite parts about spending time in Italy.

During aperitivo, our drink of choice (and what you’ll see many people drinking) is the Aperol Spritz. 

It’s a light cocktail – perfect for a summer day – that is made with sparkling water, sparkling wine (all of the bubbles, please!) and Aperol, an orange-colored bitter aperitif. 

Your spritz is usually going to be something like 4-5 Euros (definitely don’t pay more than 6 Euros!), and is the quintessential aperitivo beverage to us. 

I made the mistake of ordering a Campari Spritz instead, just to try it, and won’t be doing it again. It was fine, totally drinkable if you’re into bitter liqueurs like Campari, but it wasn’t nearly as refreshing. 

Explore Rome’s Evolving Coffee Culture

The first thing you need to know is that Matt is a full blown coffee snob. If it ain’t a light roast coffee prepared meticulously by hand, he doesn’t want it! Okay, that’s a little bit of an exaggeration. Sort of. 

We spent almost two months in Italy – including a few weeks in Sicily – and because Matt wakes up every day in desperate need of a caffeine boost, we got to explore Italian coffee culture. We should really write an entire guide about it, but the gist is this.

While places like Lisbon and Paris (I linked my coffee guides for those two cities, in case you’re interested) have evolving coffee scenes that have embraced specialty coffee relatively quickly, Italian coffee culture is extremely traditional – it’s espresso at the bar on your way to work with a pastry for breakfast.

It’s no cappuccinos after 10:00 am. It’s dark and bitter coffee roasted into oblivion.

I, like many Americans and Canadians traveling to Italy for the first time I imagine, have a story about ordering my first coffee in Italy. I ordered a “latte,” and the barista sniggered at me and asked me if I was sure (rather than just correcting me and helping me out).

I, of course, said yes, and was promptly delivered a hot steaming glass of foamed milk. 

Naturally, I ordered an espresso and dumped it in. 

The truth is, I (Matt, the coffee snob here!) really enjoyed the coffee in Rome. And I think that if you’re a coffee drinker, you should definitely do the “espresso at the bar” thing at least once, even if that’s not your preferred way of drinking coffee usually. 

Another pro-tip: You’ll pay more to sit down and drink your coffee with table service than you will ordering it at the bar or to-go. 

The main takeaways are to look for gelato that is, best-case scenario, kept in a covered stainless steel container. Next best is gelato that isn’t heaped high into a container, because it’s bad for the gelato to be exposed to oxygen and heat. 

Another thing to look out for is excessively bright colors.

A good example is pistachio gelato, which is among our favorite things on earth. If the pistacchio gelato is a bright neon green, rather than a dull greenish-brown (which is what pistachios actually look like), then it probably has some unnecessary stabilizers and colors involved. 

Grom

Covered stainless steel containers! We absolutely love Grom – partially because everything, including cones, is gluten free – and we’ve been to their locations all over the world.

Their pistachio is to die for, and they usually have a few seasonal flavors that are worth trying.

They have several locations in Rome, but the one we found ourselves going to is at the north end of Piazza Navona (here on Google Maps). 

Fatamorgana

Another classic, we first experienced Fatamorgana in Los Angeles before finally making it to their locations in Rome itself.

They have a bunch of flavors that are constantly changing, and use fresh seasonal ingredients wherever possible. They had a location around the corner from our apartment on our first stint in Rome, and we went multiple times (“is it gelato time?” we would ask each other).

Everything, including cones, is gluten free, but you’d never guess.  

Frigidarium

Just off of Piazza Navona is Frigidarium, which Alysha remembers because it is right around the corner from the school that she went to when she studied abroad in Rome.

The constant line out the door tells you everything you need to know. It’s not the best gelato in Rome, but it’s solid and the location can’t be beat (note: no gluten free cones here). 

Dive into the World of Italian Wine

Over the course of our Italy extraganza a few years ago, which lasted just about six weeks and was focused on Rome, the stretch between Milan and Florence, and a Sicily road trip, we tried a lot of wine. 

The interesting thing about Italian wine is that there are a nearly unlimited number of different grape varietals in Italy.

We’re from Oregon, so we’re not strangers to wine (though we’re not wine people – we prefer cider). However, here in Oregon, you’ll find maybe 10-12 different varietals. Mostly, you’ll find about five or six. 

In Italy, there are around 350 different varietals! Which is nuts. 

Rome is a part of the Lazio wine region, known for its white wines. But Rome is the kind of city where you can find wine from all over Italy, if you know where to look. 

When in Rome, you should drink good wine. And our favorite wine in Rome came from Enoteca Il Piccolo, a charming little wine bar in the Centro Storico known for a rotating selection of natural wines from local producers. 

Not only was the wine – specifically a pet-nat, lightly bubbly white wine – great, but the experience was unique too! For context, we speak minimal Italian – enough to get by, order food, and pay, but that’s about it. 

I attempted to describe, in Italian, what kind of wine I wanted (Alysha went straight for the bubbles – CLASSIC!), and it was a little bit of a disaster. 

An older gentleman, who I believe was the owner, was helping me, and he took my attempt, turned around, left, and brought me back a great glass of wine that perfectly matched what I was hoping for. All with about ten words spoken between us. 

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