Rome The Eternal City
We had the pleasure of visiting Rome, the Eternal City during our honeymoon in Italy. I have to say that mid to late March is a great time to visit Italy. It's shoulder season and the crowds are small or nonexistent in some places. The weather is cool and pleasant during the day and tends to get chillier at night.
4 Nights In Rome
Rome is one of our most favorite cities. It holds so much rich history and charm. It's incredible to see how ancient history and modern day life coexist so beautifully in Rome. Because of this, walking around this city is a surreal experience.
Check out "Things to Know Before Visiting Italy for the First Time" for some great tips and info about visiting Italy
Day 1 - Arrival and The Baths of Diocletian
We arrived in Rome in the afternoon and decided to take a stroll and find lunch. I ordered a saffron pasta and it was amazing! That was the only time I found it on the menu. I look forward to going back there someday! After eating, we continued strolling through the romantic, ancient, and charming streets of Rome. We came across the Baths of Diocletian and spent some time outside on the garden there. Someone gave us a flyer for a Hop On-Hop Off bus. We ended up buying a one day pass as well as tickets to the Colosseum.
FYI- I'd left my walking shoes at home, so we also visited the Nike store to buy shoes on our first day.
Day 2 - Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Trastevere
The next day, we started early Colosseum and Roman Forum (They are near each other and our tickets included both). These was a long line to purchase tickets so we were really glad that we'd bought ours in advance.
The Colosseum
Once inside the Colosseum, we were struck with awe. The Colosseum is absolutely breathtaking! It is huge and truly overwhelming, in a good way. There we were staring at hundreds of years of history. We listened to Rick Steves' podcast while walking around and caught a comprehensive glimpse into the history of this ancient structure.
Roman Forum
Next, we walked over to the Roman Forum, which was just as grand and filled with history as its neighbor. Rick Steves' was a wonderful guide and gave us the background of each important site here.
Trastevere
For lunch, we took a walk across the bridge at the north entrance to a neighborhood called Trestevere. Little did we know, this would a memorable place for us. As you read on, you'll see that we came to Trestevere every day during our time in Rome.
TRASTEVERE, the MOST ROMANTIC neighborhood in Rome. Here's where you'll find those cobblestone streets, narrow alleys and pathways, cozy restaurants, and the Santa Maria piazza. We dined in Trestevere almost every night. The prices were amazing. We were able to get a nice 3 course meal with wine and dessert for about 15Euros per person.
Day 3 - Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Trastevere
We slept in a little and started our day a little later. Lesson of the day - When going to see popular attractions in Rome, go early! We hopped on our tour bus to go see some of Rome's main attractions. However, although it was March, these key attractions were packed!
Spanish Steps
We went to the Spanish Steps first and even explored the French Church at the top of the steps. The church was beautiful. We struggled to find a spot to take a photo on the Spanish Steps because there were so many people already there.
Trevi Fountain
We went to the Trevi Fountain which was adorned and surrounded by tourists. It was one of the warmer days during our time in Rome and we got gelato.
The Pantheon
We saw The Pantheon next, and it was absolutely incredible! I'd only seen it in my Art history book and seeing it in real life just blew me away. Entry is free, but I recommend going early to avoid the large crowds.
Trastevere
We visited our beloved neighborhood to end the night.There are night markets sometimes and we got attend one. We spent the rest of the night restaurant/bar hopping. One of the coolest things we tried was chocolate shots. Very tiny, but mighty.
Day 4 - The Vatican, Colosseum at Night, and Trastevere
We took an early underground metro the next morning to make it to our 10AM tour of The Vatican. Since we were there early, we had a chance to get some coffee from a nearby cafe. We met a couple from the same city as us there and got to talking for a while. What a small world!
The Vatican
Our 3 hour tour was very comprehensive and our guide taught us a lot about The Vatican, the art there, and more. We saw the Sistine Chapel, which is actually smaller than it looked in my Art History books. At the end of the tour, we got to spend time in the enormous and magnificent St. Peter's Basilica. We even got to witness the mass that was in progress. It was an incredible experience.
On our way back, we stopped at Trastevere again and got a yummy meal and took it all in one last time. On our way back to the hotel, we passed through the Colosseum area. I'd recommend you to see the Colosseum at night when it's lit up. It's absolutely marvelous.