The Ultimate Roman Holiday: A First-Timer’s Guide to Rome

A bird's eye view of the Roman Forum from the Palatine Hill

From the timeless charm of classics like "Roman Holiday" to the nostalgic adventure of "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" for millennials, Rome has long been the backdrop for stories of travel and romance. Even the modern hit "Emily in Paris" couldn’t resist spending part of its story in this majestic city. With its golden sunsets, echoing church bells, and centuries-old streets, Rome naturally invites dreamy wanderings and cinematic moments. But this blog isn’t about renting a Vespa and recreating movie scenes. Instead, it embraces the more authentic magic of the Eternal City, offering a gentle reality check while guiding you through its breathtaking historical sites, which are all easily reachable by public transportation.

The Spanish Steps

We arrived in the capital city via one of the high-speed trains that take approximately 2.5 hours to travel between Florence and Rome. If you're interested in our adventures in the Tuscan region of Italy, be sure to check out this blog. We quickly switched metros to reach our charming Airbnb apartment near the Piazza del Popolo, preparing for the rest of the day. Much of Rome's historic centre is easily walkable, so we strolled to the Spanish Steps, which, in our opinion, were somewhat crowded in the afternoon. Nevertheless, we managed to take some pictures before deciding to leave and head towards the famous Trevi Fountain.

Pro Tip: To find affordable accommodations in Rome, consider booking Airbnbs in the area where we stayed or in the Trastevere or Prati neighbourhoods.

Unfortunately, we arrived at the fountain quite late in the day, and it was so crowded with tourists that we had to struggle to find a spot to take some decent pictures from a good angle. Later during our trip, we discovered that there are far fewer crowds there after sunset, allowing you to sit and appreciate its grandeur or even toss a coin into the water, hoping to return to Rome someday. Since we visited the city in early April, we were lucky not to have to wait in lines under the scorching summer heat! We're not historians, but we enjoy researching the history of popular sights before visiting them. This specific blog appeared quite fascinating for researching the Trevi Fountain.

Trevi Fountain in all its glory

Another very famous monument, which is about a 10 minute walk from the Trevi Fountain, is the Pantheon, one of the wonders of the ancient world. The Pantheon in Rome, completed by Emperor Hadrian, is celebrated as the world's oldest, best-preserved, and still-functioning Roman structure, known for its vast, unreinforced concrete dome and oculus. Although Hadrian retained the inscription from the original 27 BC temple built by Marcus Agrippa, the version we see today is his creation. Regardless of its initial purpose, whether for divinity or the emperor's court, the Pantheon was dedicated in 609 A.D. as the Church of Santa Maria Rotonda, or Santa Maria ad Martyres, which it remains today. You don't truly grasp the dome's immense size until you're inside the monument, utterly awe-struck!

The massive concrete dome of the Pantheon in Rome

Pro tip: Do expect long lines for purchasing tickets to the Pantheon but it is seamless and you can pay through cards.

For the rest of our first day, we decided to go on a food tour in the Trastevere area (reachable by bus from the historical centre). To read more about our favourite dishes in Rome, check out our latest blog post. We stayed there till sunset and Trastevere is magical during that time. Another place to enjoy a good sunset with panoramic views would be the terrace along Viale del Belvedere.

St. Peter's Basilica

The second day we spent in Rome might have been our favorite. We visited the city during the Jubilee Year of Hope, a unique occasion when the four major Roman Catholic churches open their Holy Doors, attracting pilgrims from around the world. Although we are not religious and this is not our faith, witnessing this event felt special. That day, we explored Vatican City, including St. Peter's Basilica (the largest Catholic church in the world), the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms, the Vatican Museum, and the crypt. While Michelangelo is renowned for the Sistine Chapel fresco, it wasn't the highlight for us due to the crowds. However, we appreciated the history and details surrounding it. We were captivated by the ancient treasures and maps in the museums, the frescoes in the Raphael Rooms, and our secret passage from the Sistine Chapel to the Basilica. We also visited the crypt, which houses most of the Popes, and from there, we climbed up to the Basilica. It was like entering a different world! With the Holy Door open, we could admire Michelangelo's famous sculpture, the Pieta, up close, and walking through the Holy Door felt special too.

The Stanza della segnatura ("Room of the Signatura") was the first to be decorated by Raphael's frescoes.

St. Peter's Baldachin is a large Baroque sculpted bronze canopy, directly over St. Peter's tomb and directly under the dome of the basilica.

La Pietà or "The Pity" is a work of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo, housed in St. Peter's Basilica. It is the first of a number of works of the same theme by the artist and we were fortunate enough to see one of the last sculptures in Florence.

Pro tip: Book this tour if you want to experience Vatican city the way we did. If you have time after the tour, before exiting the premises of the Basilica, consider climbing to the top of the dome for exceptional views of the Piazza San Pietro.

Basilica di Santa Cecelia, Trastevere

Although we hoped to visit all four major cathedrals, time allowed us to see only a few. The Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major left us completely awestruck—its modest exterior gives little hint of the grandeur within, where Baroque elements and Renaissance-style ceiling frescoes create a breathtaking interior. It is also the resting place of Pope Francis. Beyond this basilica, three other churches stood out to us, and the best part is that visiting them is completely free. The Basilica of St. Cecilia in Trastevere, built on the home of the martyred Saint Cecilia, captivated us with its stunning ceiling fresco by Sebastiano Conca and the moving marble statue by Stefano Maderno. Another highlight was the San Pietro in Vincoli, famous for preserving the chains of Saint Peter and for housing Michelangelo’s powerful sculpture of Moses from the tomb of Pope Julius II.

Moses by Michelangelo in San Pietro in Vincoli

The reason we visited the third church in question is a little less religious and history-related. The "Mouth of Truth" makes an appearance in the "Roman Holiday" movie in a scene that alludes to the legend that speaking a lie while one's hand is inside the mouth of the statue might actually get your hand cut off! Today, this statue is housed in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin and sees long lines from tourists for them to create a Roman holiday postcard of their own. Believe us when we say, we are no better.

Pro Tip: Be mindful of the opening and closing times of the churches and visit them later in the afternoon for lesser crowds.

Piazza Venezia

We spent most of our third day in and around the Colosseum. We had booked a guided tour of the arena and the Roman forum together so that we didn't have the hassle of figuring out which direction to go. Learning about the life of Gladiators and the tremendous history of the Colosseum was truly eye-opening. We walked out of there towards the Palatine hill and enjoyed great views of the Roman Forum from the top. When we were back on the ground level, we marvelled at the Antoninus and Faustina Temple, the remaining arches of the Temple of Saturn and the ruins of many more such monuments like the massive and intricately design column of Trajan. After our tour ended, we got lost within the ancient history and took us time to find our way out. In situations like this, it's best to re-centre yourselves comparing the directions to a landmark, for example the Piazza Venezia. We were so famished after this, that we accidentally discovered our favourite pizza ever in this area (read our previous blog for more details).

Post-sunset views of the Colosseum

Pro-tips:

1. Choose the monument that you want to spend most time at and come back after sunset for moments of quiet reflection and great photographs

2. If you're looking to buy souvenirs and condiments, explore the markets near Campo de' Fiori. We found great bargains on cheeses, balsamic vinegar, and truffle oil.

Fontana dell'Acqua Paola

On the final day of our Rome adventure, we were quite tired after our extensive 20-day journey across Europe, so we opted for a leisurely day surrounded by nature. We began in the Villa Borghese area but soon realized that walking the entire gardens was too ambitious, and we regretted not planning better. Nevertheless, we quickly searched online for directions to the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola. A film shoot was taking place, and the monument was closed to the public, but we managed to capture a few photos. The views from the panoramic point on via Giuseppe Garibaldi made the visit worthwhile. Afterwards, we headed to Aventine Hill, known for the Malta keyhole, and were surprised by the long line to see the view of St. Peter's Basilica through it. An endearing elderly gentleman entertained us all with classic Italian songs, and his voice remains a cherished memory. We took the sought-after photo and strolled around the hill, enjoying the stunning city views. Watching children play in the parks and people walking their pets in the gardens was the perfect way to conclude our whirlwind encounter with Rome...

Disclaimer:

Rome is an expansive city, and we certainly didn't visit all the renowned sites or admire every monument. However, we explored the city at our own pace and encountered some challenges that required time to manage. The tips we've shared in this blog should help address most of those issues.

Did you like our story in Rome? Let us know in the comments if you found this useful and are planning a trip to the city.