Italy’s hot-headed capital is a mix of evocative ancient sites, bustling street life and some of the finest art anywhere in the world. We’ve been many times and keep coming back for more. Here is our guide to visiting Rome for the first time.

By: Paul Healy | Last Updated: | Comments & Questions

Rome has an unmistakable yet somewhat chaotic vibe.

There are monuments that have been standing for millennia, museums so vast in scale you don’t know where to start, and quaint churches with hidden masterpieces.

And yes, you’ll likely be standing in a long queue, with many other people, waiting to see them.

But it would be crazy to go to Rome and miss the Colosseum, skip the treasures in the Vatican Museums or bypass the colossal dome of St Peters.

As a result, the same realisation washes over all visitors to Rome: how am I going to fit everything in?

Hopefully, that is where we come in.

We’ve put this guide together to give you our opinion on the most important things to do in Rome.

Of course, you’ll find all the main attractions, but we’ve also listed a few of our favourite experiences, some of which you’ll have all to yourself.

Throughout this guide, you’ll find our personal tips on how to make your visit to Rome as successful, enlightening, and queue-free as possible.

Read this guide in conjunction with our 3-day Rome itinerary and you’re in for a great trip.

ROME JUBILEE 2025

In 2025, Rome will host the Catholic Jubilee, which takes place every 25 years. There will be a series of events in different locations worldwide, but Rome will be one of the most important pilgrimage destinations for Catholics.

The Holy Door or “porta Sancta” at St Peter’s Basilica will be open to pilgrims in 2025, something that only happens once every 25 years.

Even if you’re not Catholic or religious, it’s a great year to visit Rome. All the main monuments were cleaned up for the occasion. Big landmarks, including the Trevi Fountain, are looking pristine.

Use these links to navigate to the sections in this article. Click the arrow in the bottom left to jump back to the top. Questions? Leave them in the comments.


WHAT TO DO IN ROME?

There’s a lot to see in Rome, and there’s only so much you can fit into each trip before you get overwhelmed and stop truly appreciating the city’s incredible historic sights.

Mark and I did everything in this guide on our last trip, which was 3 days / 4 nights. We felt this was about the right balance between seeing a lot and not rushing around too much. 

This is our opinion, and other guides will have different views, but in the following section, we list the must-see attractions we think every traveller to Rome should visit.

MUST SEE ATTRACTIONS

1. COLOSSEUM

The Colosseum is the best and most recognised Roman amphitheatre in the world. It’s also one of the most-visited attractions in Rome.

Vespasian commissioned the building in 72 CE, and his son Titus completed it in 80 CE. Walking around this immense structure, it’s hard to believe it took only 8 years to build. Despite being over 2,000 years old, it is still in excellent condition.

Estimates suggest the Colosseum held anywhere between 40,000 to 70,000 spectators, perhaps even more.

Various public displays occurred in the arena, some of which were particularly bloody.

The morning show was an animal hunt featuring the slaughter of animals. Over time, criminals were thrown in as extreme methods of public execution.

It also became common to force the condemned to fight as gladiators, but the actual gladiator shows were between trained professionals, and they were nowhere as bloody as the movies suggest.

Shows around midday were novelty acts including women fighting dwarves, mock combats, mines and comedy acts.

HOW TO VISIT THE COLOSSEUM

To avoid long queues, purchase a timed-entrance ticket online in advance.

We arrived a bit early for our timeslot and they wouldn’t let us in until 15 minutes before the time on our ticket.

Tickets must be bought in the name of each individual, and you must present your passport upon arrival.

You can access a free audio guide by downloading the Colosseum App. The audio guide is highly informative and user-friendly, leading you along a one-way route through the arena. It’s much more convenient if you bring your own headphones.

There are two types of tickets you can buy:

TICKET 1: 24-HOUR COLOSSEUM, ROMAN FORUM & PALATINE

This is the regular ticket for the Colosseum. It follows a set route around the stands of the arena.

You have 75 minutes to follow the set route before exiting, which is enough time to visit, although no one checks you leave on time.

You have 24 hours from your time slot to visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, which are just next door.

TICKET 2: FULL EXPERIENCE UNDERGROUND & ARENA

This is the full experience ticket. It includes everything in the 24-hour ticket, but you can access the arena floor beneath it in addition to visiting the stands.

You have two days to explore the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill on the Full Experience ticket (rather than 24 hours).

Buy your tickets on the official Colosseum Website.   

SHOULD YOU DO A GUIDED TOUR?

Mark and I have been to the Colosseum 4 times, both walking around on our own and on a guided tour.

We think the best way to see the Colosseum is through an audio guide on the self-guided tour.

The main reason for this is that the Colosseum is a busy place, and tour groups can be large. There’s some jostling to keep up with your guide and capture good photographs.

There’s no doubt a good tour guide will offer a fantastic history lesson about Rome, but you also get a good deal of information on the new audio guide.

Having said all that, most guided tours include the Roman Forum, and it is absolutely worth taking a tour here (more about this below).

If you think a guided tour is for you, we suggest looking at the top-reviewed tours on Get Your Guide or Viator.

2. ROMAN FORUM & PALATINE HILL

The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill are two parts of the same site. They encompass a large area with numerous entrances around the periphery. One entrance is located right next to the Colosseum, making it perfect for visiting immediately afterwards.

The Roman Forum is the historical centre of ancient Rome. From here, the Senators of the Republic and the Caesars governed much of the world.

It is a remarkable experience to walk through the crumbling government buildings, temples and marketplaces and think back 2,000 years. Mark and I never fail to be awed by the place.

Unlike the Colosseum, the Forum is mostly in ruins, so it takes some imagination to decipher what these structures once were.

This is where a guided tour of the Colosseum and Forum is most valuable. A good guide will really help bring Roman history alive.

The Palatine Hill, one of Rome’s seven hills, rises above the Roman Forum. On top of the hill are the ruins of grand palaces where the Caesars once lived. Temples, houses, and gardens surround them.

But the real highlight is the view over the Forum and the rest of Rome, with St. Peter’s visible in the distance. We spent a good hour up here exploring and taking photos.  

Buy tickets on the official Colosseum Website if you plan on a self-guided visit or via Get Your Guide or Viator for an organised tour.

3. VATICAN MUSEUMS & SISTINE CHAPEL

The Vatican Museums display an astounding art collection over more than 8 kilometres of connected galleries.

The huge collection includes tapestries, artworks, sculptures and historical relics that were either commissioned by various popes or donated by world leaders.

Mark and I have been through the galleries, I think 5 times now, and each time there’s something new to discover.

We recommend this Vatican Museums & St. Peter’s Basilica Tour as it’s the best way to see the most whilst avoiding the long queues.

On the tour, you’ll visit the Gallery of Maps, which showcases 40 huge and beautifully decorated maps of Italy’s different regions.

Also, don’t miss the Laocoön and His Sons sculpture in the octagonal courtyard. It is the Vatican’s equivalent of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre.

Another highlight for us is the Raphael Rooms, four stunning rooms adorned with frescos painted by Raphael and his students. Some tours skip these rooms, but we strongly suggest picking a tour that includes them. More details about this are below.

You’ll reach the Sistine Chapel at the end of your Vatican Tour. This awe-inspiring place is where you can witness Michelangelo’s brilliance.

We have a whole guide on how to visit the Vatican which includes important tips for avoiding the worst of the queues, the best tours to take and how to visit on a self-guided itinerary.

4. ST PETER’S BASILICA

St. Peter’s Basilica was designed by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, and Carlo Maderno, while Bernini designed the piazza. You would be hard-pressed to find an example of Renaissance architecture as celebrated as St. Peter’s.

It’s significant to Catholics because it contains the burial site of Saint Peter. However, it is neither the mother church nor the seat of the pope. That accolade belongs to the Archbasilica of St John Lateran.

So, this extraordinary place is number 2 in terms of buildings but the holiest of Catholic shrines.

Don’t miss the bronze statue of St Peter, whose right foot is worn down from pilgrims kissing and touching it. (Something you can no longer do.)

Another very important piece is The Pieta, one of the most famous Michelangelo sculptures in the world.

Read our guide to St Peters and the Vatican for important tips on how to avoid the crowds (as much as possible).

ST PETER’S DOME AND TERRACES

We also recommend going up to the top of the Dome for amazing views over St Peter’s Piazza and the city of Rome.

Once you get to the front of the queue, look for the signs to the Dome and Terraces to the right of the main entrance.

We didn’t have to queue for tickets (but it was January), and some people we spoke to on our food tour said they had the same experience

But if you are visiting during a busy period, it’s probably a good idea to book a ticket online in advance. You may still need to queue for security, even with the online ticket.

You can purchase a ticket to ascend over 500 stairs to the top for €17. Alternatively, you can reduce the climb to just 200 stairs by paying an additional €5 for the lift.

On the way up, you stop on a terrace inside the dome’s base. This was probably our favourite single moment of our last trip to Rome.

At the next level, you are on the roof, which has a café, souvenir shop and post office.

One last climb takes you to the viewing platform at the top of the Dome. The walk-up goes through a narrow corridor where you have to tilt your head under the curve of the dome.

The space is a little enclosed, so it might not be good for people who get a bit claustrophobic.

However, the views from the top are excellent. You can see them in the photos below.

VATICAN GROTTO

The Vatican Grotto is free to enter and contains the tombs of popes and the relics of St Peter.

The entrance is opposite the lift and stairs to the dome. So, if you head up to the dome, it makes sense to pop in when you are back down.

The exit from the grotto is via a staircase that leads directly into the church. It is a breathtaking way to enter the basilica.

5. PANTHEON

The Pantheon is one of the greatest monuments of the ancient world.

Hadrian built the building in 126 CE as a Roman temple and it was converted to a Catholic Church in 609 CE.

Almost 2,000 years after it was built, the Pantheon is still the largest unreinforced dome in the world.

It doesn’t take long to look around, but it’s well worth it.

The Pantheon contains the tombs of Vittorio Emanuele, the first King of Italy to unify the country, and the painter Raphael.

It was always free to enter, but as of 2023, you now need to pay (€5 per person).

There are two self-serve ticket machines at the entrance which had quite a long queue on our visit because you have to input your full name and email address before you can pay.

Alternatively, you can scan the QR code at the entrance to purchase your tickets online. This process is somewhat tedious since you must register for an account and verify it through an email they send you. Nevertheless, it gave me something to do while I was waiting in the queue for the ticket machine, and it turned out to be quicker.

Once you have a ticket, you can present it to the staff on your phone.  

6. BORGHESE GALLERY

The Borghese Gallery is such a great highlight in Rome; we recommend everyone visit at least once.

This exceptional art collection was developed by Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli, a member of the wealthy Borghese family and the nephew of Pope Paul V.

Cardinal Scipione used the privileges his uncle bestowed on him to cultivate the arts. In particular, he recognised the talents of a young Gian Lorenzo Bernini, whose works are some of the most remarkable in the gallery today. 

We believe four things make the Borghese Gallery a top attraction in Rome.

The first is the extraordinary statues by Bernini. The details in the Rape of Proserpina show off his talent for manipulating marble, and Apollo and Daphne, probably his most famous work, is mesmerising.

The second reason is the incredible wealth of art. There are several exceptional Caravaggios (Mark’s favourite artist), including Boy with a Basket of Fruit, which he painted at the age of 22, and St Jerome, which really shows his play of light and shadow.

The third reason is just how beautiful the space is. Marble floors and exquisite frescos showcase the artwork in a stunning setting. The ceiling fresco of Romulus being welcomed by Jupiter to Olympus by Mariano Rossi is incredible.

Finally, with only 20 rooms across 2 floors, the gallery is very manageable.

BORGHESE GALLERY TICKETS

There are only 360 visitors per 2-hour timeslot, so buying tickets in advance is absolutely necessary. The cheapest tickets are on the official Rome Museums website. This is the easiest platform we found to find a good timeslot.

Contrary to the website information, you can show your tickets on your mobile phone (no need to print).

BORGHESE GARDENS

Before or after your visit to the Borghese Gallery, make sure you allow a bit of time to stroll through the Borghese Gardens.

The 80-hectare gardens were developed in 1606 as formal Italian gardens, then redesigned in their current natural English style in the early 20th century.

It’s free to enter and wander around any time of day.

There are a few interesting architectural features, but the highlight for us is the viewpoints over the city.

Terrazza del Pincio has great views of St Peters. Terrazza Viale del Belvedere points in a slightly different direction towards the Vittoriano building.  

Nearby are 2 nicely situated cafes.

7. TREVI FOUNTAIN

Our final unmissable thing to do in Rome is the Trevi Fountain.

This baroque masterpiece is an imperious 26 metres high and 49 metres wide. It’s beautiful, colossal, and the most famous fountain in the world.

Visiting the fountain during the day will show you exactly what over-tourism in Rome looks like. It’s crazy.

But there are far more enjoyable ways to visit it.

Between 9 am and 9 pm every day, entry to the lower levels (where you need to be to throw a coin in) is restricted to a maximum of 400 people. Still quite a lot.

However, this is just the timeframe over which they start monitoring numbers; you can still get down to the fountain outside these times. We arrived at 7:50 in the morning. It was pretty quiet, and we didn’t have to queue up to get let in.

The other benefit of arriving just before 9 am is that you can be there when they clear the lower level to start the restricted entry process. This is a good time to snap a few shots without anyone in them.

On Mondays and Fridays (between 8 am and 12 pm), they stop access close to the fountain so they can clear out the coins, which amount to around €3,000 per day! You can still see the fountain, but you won’t be able to toss a coin over your shoulder.

OTHER THINGS WE LOVE IN ROME

That’s the main sights in Rome covered.

Below are some other things we love to do in Rome. We suggest you make time for them only after you’ve seen everything above.

We still have some fantastic things in here, but they are a mix of local experiences and the odd grand sight that did not quite make the essential list.

8. SMALL CHURCHES, BIG ART

One of the things we love about Rome the most is the small, unassuming churches, which are completely free to enter and house some of the masterpieces of Renaissance art.

Each of the churches listed below are located within Centro Storico, the tightly packed jumble of cobble lanes where you’ll often find yourself while collecting the sights in Rome.

They are all stunning in their own way, and you can visit them all in an hour or so on foot.

We suggest visiting between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. when it’s a nice time to stroll the streets of Centro and all the churches are open.

BASILICA OF SANT’AGOSTINO (BASILICA OF ST AUGUSTINE)

This handsome church is covered with frescoes and dripping with a moody atmosphere. Raphael decorated one pillar, and Bernini designed the main altar.

The highlight is Madonna of the Pilgrims by Caravaggio. In an inventive way to make money, you have to pop a €2 coin in a box to turn the light on.

SAN LUIGI DEI FRANCESI (ST LOUIS OF THE FRENCH)

This opulent Baroque church is dressed in gold from top to tail. It is most famous for housing three famous Caravaggio’s, collectively known as the St Matthew Cycle. The Vocation of Matthew was our favourite with his signature mastery of light and shade.

BASILICA DI SANTA MARIA SOPRA MINERVA (BASILICA OF ST MARY OF MINERVA)

The glorious blue vaulted ceiling is the first indication of how much wealth Rome’s only Gothic church once had. There’s plenty of art to see, so make sure you stop at the map on the way in which explains where everything is.

The most famous piece is the Statue of the Redeemer by Michelangelo.

SANT’IGNAZIO DI LOYOLA (CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS)

The magic happens in this church’s ceiling. Andrea Pozzo’s fake dome is a cool optical illusion, but his fresco on the centre ceiling vault is incredible.   

To see it properly, you pay €1, and an attendant will turn on a mirror that gives you a couple of minutes to inspect the ceiling without straining your neck. This has become an Instagram favourite, so try to avoid peak times.

ONE MORE: SANTA MARIA DEL POPOLO

The final church on our list, Santa Maria del Popolo, is well worth visiting, but it’s about 15 to 20 minutes away from the others. It’s also close to the stairs leading to the Borghese Gardens, so we visited it on our way to the Borghese Gallery.

There are several interesting chapels inside, one of which was designed by Raphael. There are also two masterpieces by Caravaggio, the Crucifixion of St Peter and the Conversion of St Paul.  

9. CAPITOLINE MUSEUMS

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the number of museums in Rome, so you need to be selective. If you have the time, we think the Capitoline Museum is a great option.

Michelangelo designed the gallery, which comprises two buildings, the Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, facing each other across a central piazza.

The Capitoline Museum may lack the wow factor of the Borghese and the Vatican, but it offers a deeper insight into Roman history and features a number of standout highlights.

Room 16 has four remarkable bronze statues, which Pope Sixtus IV donated to the citizens of Rome in 1471. This began the Capitoline Museum’s collection.

The She-Wolf, the Sinario, the Camillus, and the head of Constantine are on display alongside the imposing statue of Hadrian on his horse.

Room 39 contains the best of the masterpieces, featuring works by Titian, Rubens, and Caravaggio.

Piazza Nuovo, accessed via an underground walkway from Palazzo dei Conservatori, has some truly remarkable sculptures, including the Dying Gaul, Bernini’s Medusa and the Colossal Statue of Marforio.

10. COLONNA PALACE & GARDENS

The Palazzo Colonna is a sumptuous private palace in Rome and one of the surprise highlights of our last trip.

The palace contains the Galleria Colonna, an extraordinary Baroque gallery with one of the most impressive halls we’ve seen anywhere. There are several beautiful rooms to stroll through, each featuring an impressive art collection, including works by Rubens and Tintoretto.

One of the coolest things about the gallery is the cannonball, which is still on the stairs where it landed in 1849 after the French Army fired it from Janiculum Hill.

There is also an interesting garden on top of the buildings across the road from the gallery. A whimsical staircase leads to a waterfall adorned with mosaics. At the top of the garden, you’ll be rewarded with another great view of Rome.

The Palace is only open to the public on Saturday mornings from 9:30 am to 1:15 pm (last admission).

You can purchase two different tickets. The standard ticket includes the gallery and gardens, while the full ticket also includes the Princess Isabelle Apartments. The standard ticket covers the most spectacular hall and the best of the art, which is why we recommend it.

If you cannot visit on Saturday, you can sign up for a private tour on Friday mornings.

Book tickets online in advance on the Palazzo Colonna website.

11. PALAZZO MASSIMO

The Palazzo Massimo is a museum dedicated to ancient Rome. It tells the stories of the different Caesars through art, with an engaging and educational look at Roman history.

Spread across four floors, the gallery has a few selected items to explore rather than a massive collection that you need to pick through.

We really like the Greek and Roman sculptures on the ground and first floors. The information boards explain the influences of Greek culture in Rome that we hadn’t understood much about previously.

The standout piece is the Boxer at Rest, one of the finest bronze sculptures that survived ancient times.

The highlight is the second floor, with the world’s best-preserved Roman frescoes and mosaics. This section offers a fascinating insight into domestic Roman life. It’s amazing that they have remained in such good condition for so long.

VISITING THE MUSEUM & PRACTICALITIES

The Palazzo Massimo is part of the National Roman Museum, which has 4 sites across Rome.

It is located near three other National Roman Museum sites, so you need to make sure you’re at the Palazzo Massimo site. The address is Largo di Villa Peretti, 2.

You can buy tickets at the entrance, which will give you the option to buy a combo ticket for other sites.

We went to the Terme di Diocleziano (by mistake) and wouldn’t recommend it, so we’d suggest just purchasing the single ticket for Palazzo Massimo.

There are no lockable lockers, so you’ll need to carry everything you have with you.

12. TRASTEVERE FOOD TOUR

Trastevere is a bohemian neighbourhood in Rome that could trick you into thinking you are somewhere else. Grand boulevards and Roman monuments give way to rustic laneways made for a hipster-friendly day out in Rome.

We could almost hear the vintage Italian playlist reverberating off the graffiti walls as we strolled around.

Walking the streets is the best way to see Trastevere, but we also loved the Basilica di Santa Maria. It’s thought this could be the oldest church in Rome. The ceiling is covered in gold mosaics, similar to those of the Byzantine churches of Istanbul.

Trastevere is older than Rome and was founded by the Etruscans until the Romans conquered it in the late 6th century BCE.  Even today, many locals will tell you they’re not from Rome.

The unique character, tradition and independence of Trastevere has been retained in the food, and a great way to experience it properly is on a food tour.

We did the Twilight Food Tour by Eating Europe (gifted), who took us on an edible voyage through the area.

Over the course of four hours, we tried the pork stew in a cellar older than the Colosseum, sampled the real spritz (it’s not Aperol) and learnt that biscotti is a generic term for twice-baked biscuits, not what we thought it was.

It’s a fun, engaging tour backed by plenty of wine.

Although the food is great throughout Rome, the tour is a great way to experience traditional food that is often missing from tourist menus in central Rome.

13. VITTORIANO

Roman’s have a love/hate relationship with Vittoriano, the huge slab of marble dominating the skyline from most vantage points.

Some think it’s a fitting masterpiece to Italy’s first king; others find the stark contrast between it and the Roman monuments nearby too much to handle.

We think it’s an impressive-looking monument worth exploring, but it shouldn’t be your top priority in Rome.

You can go inside the monument for free and walk up to the café on the First Level Terrace. The café is aimed at tourists and overpriced, but the free terrace is a good place to take in the views over the Colosseum and Forum.

Most people who visit Vittoriano take the elevator to the Panorama Terrace at the top. The views are very good, but it’s €17 just to get up to the roof. So, if you are pressed for time, there are better and cheaper views to be had.

OTHER SITES TO SWING BY

The first section of this guide was devoted to the unmissable big attractions in Rome, the second was other great things to try and squeeze into your trip.

Finally, we have some sights that don’t require planning or scheduling and can be picked off as you stroll around.

14. SPANISH STEPS

The Spanish Steps are in a trendy part of Rome where you’ll find designer stores, some high-end restaurants and people hanging out in the main square.

15. PIAZZA NAVONA

This elegant square is a popular tourist destination in Rome, but we think it’s just worth a quick look. The flashy fountain by Bernini, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi is the main reason to visit.

16. TIBER RIVER

The walk along the south bank of the River Tiber between Ponte Umberto I bridge and Ponte Sant’Angelo has great views across to Castel Sant’Angelo and St. Peter’s.

Come around sunset and you can often get great reflection photos in the water.

ONE MORE SUGGESTION

We have one more suggestion for you that doesn’t quite fit into any of our categories above. It’s a good sight but not a top-tier sight; it’s also a bit out of the way, so you won’t walk past it without making a special trip.

17. GIARDINO DEGLI ARANCI

The Orange Garden is a little out of the way, but it’s well worth the trip if you have the time. It’s located on Aventine Hill, one of Rome’s four hills, and from its terrace, you can see wonderful views of St Peter’s.

A row of trees pointing towards the terrace creates an interesting optical illusion: the dome of St Peter’s appears larger as you move away from it.

To get here, we walked up from the Colosseum, which took about 20 minutes. It’s also about 15 minutes from Capitoline Hill or Trastevere.

WHERE TO EAT IN ROME?

Rome is regularly crowned the best city in the world for food, and it’s easy to see why. It’s not just that the food is consistently great, it’s also very good value compared to other European capitals.

On our last trip, we learnt all about the four classic Roman pastas, which are:

  • Alla Gricia – The foundation of many of Rome’s pasta dishes: Pecorino Romana and guanciale (cured pork cheek).
  • Cacio e pepe – A staple pasta sauce in Rome made from Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
  • Carbonara – A traditional Roman Carbonara has four ingredients: guanciale, eggs, Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
  • Amatriciana – Guanciale and tomatoes with a little Pecorino Romano. 

You’ll find these pasta in restaurants all over Rome, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try them all.

However, our favourite way to eat, especially at lunch was to have a small bite at 2 or 3 places.

Grabbing a focaccia, panini or slice of pizza on the go, followed by gelato or a cannoli, was a great way to try lots of different stuff without getting stuffed.  

Here are some of the restaurants we loved.

  • Amando al Pantheon – The reception was a bit icy, and apparently, we ordered the wrong colour wine but the carbonara was the best we had in Rome.
  • Pizza Florida – This tiny, unassuming bar served the best pizza we had. The crema di zucca, pancetta and provola was absolutely delicious.
  • I dolci di Nonna Vincenza – This old-school café is famous for the cannoli and other vintage sweets from Sicily.
  • Spirito di Vino – A historic restaurant in Trastevere with a fantastic traditional pork stew recipe.
  • Rione XIV – Our top pick! This little restaurant just around the corner from the Vatican had the best Alla Gricia in Rome.

COFFEE IN ROME

I’ve saved this section till last for a reason.

As an Australian, I take coffee research very seriously. I always spend a good deal of time looking for the best coffee in a new city.

While traditional coffee is great, I like to supplement that with a top-quality, artisanal brew and find out what the city is up to when it comes to the latest and greatest in coffee production.

In my honest opinion, Rome just isn’t about that.

The best way to have a coffee in Rome is to knock back an espresso standing at a bar. Otherwise, you’ll get a fairly lazy cappuccino, often with UHT milk.

There are a few “third-wave” coffee houses that do OK coffee, but nothing I was terribly excited about.

Most Rome guides list the same ones, they are:

The main issue is that most are not central, so you need to make a special trip to get to them (except for Barnum and Pergamino as indicated above).

Given how much there is to see and do in Rome, I don’t think getting to these places should be much of a priority.

Personally, I think it’s better to embrace the traditional coffee scene in Rome.  

WHERE TO STAY?

Rome doesn’t have the best public transport system, but it does have excellent streets for strolling around. We highly recommend staying somewhere central so you can walk to many of the best sights. Here are the main areas we suggest.  

CENTRO STORICO

The historic centre of Rome is by far the best area to stay in for first time visitors. It contains many big monuments you’ll want to see, including the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps. Walking to most attractions in Rome is easy from centro.

  • Dei Borgognoni Hotel – This is where we stayed on our last trip. The facilities are good and the location couldn’t be better.
  • Babuino 181 – Smart, stylish hotel near Piazza del Popolo in the north of the historic centre.

VATICAN AND PRATI

This is a more residential area in Rome, with elegant streets and local shops. It’s not as busy but also not as atmospheric or convenient as the other areas. The Vatican and St. Peters are close, but much of the historic centre is a 30-45 minute walk, and the ancient sites even further. It does, however, have some great restaurants.

TRASTEVERE

Trastevere is a cool bohemian neighbourhood that feels removed from the tourist side of Rome. It has a buzzing nightlife, and its tight cobbled lanes are pedestrianised and a joy to explore. The Centro Storico is just over the river, and the Vatican and St. Peter’s are not too far away. However, it is a bit of a trek to the Colosseum.

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