Last year* my mum and I headed off to Rome for 3 days to kick start my 40th birthday celebrations (just before I continued the celebrations in St Lucia, which you can read about here)
As I did with my recent post on Iceland I’ve broken my trip down day by day so you can see what we did and our thoughts. Hopefully this approach is helpful if you’re planning to visit Rome (or are considering a visit), or just as a cheeky 5 minute read if you want to hear about what we did!
Day 0.5 – Travel day & first look at Rome
After an early morning flight we touched down in Rome, hopped in our transfer and made it to our hotel by lunchtime. One outfit change/ makeup refresh later and we were in an Uber heading for lunch.
I made a reservation at Poldo e Gianna after seeing it on Tik Tok (feel free to follow me on Tik Tok, by the way), which was an excellent decision. The only minor hiccup was that I’d booked our table for 2.45pm, and the restaurant closes for lunch service at 3pm…. fortunately, as it was a website error the staff were very accommodating and didn’t turn us away or make us feel rushed.
Random fact: we also learned that the restaurant is frequented by many Italian politicians as it’s very close to the key political buildings.
I have to say; as a first meal in a new city to me, the vibe was immaculate. The wine was recommend by the waiter and was delicious (it was called Monica and may be the nicest red wine I’ve ever tasted). I was absolutely DESPERATE to try Cacio e Pepe (pasta in a cheese and pepper sauce) as it’s dish Rome is known for, and it was absolutely unreal! Dessert was basically a deconstructed vanilla slice and equally as delicious.
After lunch we had a wander through some of the side streets (passing religious vigils, wine shops and a year-round Christmas boutique) until it was time for our next stop at Oro Bistrot (at the top of the Fori Imperiali Hotel, in case you get lost) which I also spotted on Tik Tok (spoiler: this will become a bit of a theme).
Another random fact: since visiting Oro Bistrot, I have recommended it to 3 of my pals, who have all since been and loved it.
You can take your chances and walk in but a reservation will guarantee you a table as it’s VERY popular. I booked for 5pm as I knew at this time of year we’d be able to enjoy view in daylight and evening. Because it was still early in the year they had an undercover area set up with heaters (there was a non-covered section too, but it started to rain so people sat there were asked to leave as there was nowhere else for them to sit).
The view and ambience were amazing. The cocktails were delicious but pricey at around €25 each, however the first round did some with some complimentary sliders and nibbles which meant we didn’t need to stop somewhere else for dinner.
Feeling very happy and the teeniest bit merry, we hopped back in an Uber back to our hotel for an early night, ready for an early start in the morning.
Day 1 – The main sights of Rome & more sunset cocktails
I’d seen loads of people advising a visit to Trevi Fountain super early in the morning to enjoy it without the crowds and get a few uninterrupted pics, so the plan was to arrive around 7.30am and then have breakfast at one of the cafes in the square to enjoy the views with a cappuccino.
We ended up arriving at around 8.45am as my mum was poorly and needed a little extra time to rest so she could enjoy our very busy day. Because of the time of year and the fact it was a bit chilly, the fountain was still pretty quiet and there were only about 20-30 other people around so there was plenty of room to wander round. A chap standing close by offered to take a picture of us in front of the fountain – I’m convinced he was a literal wizzard and somehow, without moving himself at all, managed to get a shot that got in the whole fountain and made it look like there was nobody else there (see below). One thing we couldn’t do is go up to the front of the fountain and throw in a coin because there was cleaning and maintenance work going on (you can see their hoses in the back of both pictures if you look hard enough).
Our timings meant we didn’t manage to get a seat at any of the Trevi cafes (they’re pretty tiny and only have a couple of tables) so we popped somewhere else for coffee and a croissant before carrying on with our sightseeing.
After walking past rows of beautifully curated designer stores, we arrived at the Spanish Steps. I didn’t really get any pictures of the actual steps (there were loads of people walking on them and, well, they’re steps) but I did take some pics of the views of the beautiful orange and yellow coloured buildings from the top after we climbed them.
Before we knew it, it was late morning, we’d been walking for a little while and decided it was time for a pit stop. We managed to get a really great table at a restaurant opposite the Pantheon where we treated ourselves to a beer and glass of prosecco.
Quick question: are prosecco glasses a myth in Rome? Every time I ordered one it was served in a ‘normal’ wine glass.
Fully refreshed, we had a brief trip inside the Pantheon (there was a bit of a queue but it went down fairly quickly). After that we strolled over to Piazza Navona (a couple of my colleagues had recommended that I visit) the plan was to stop here for some lunch but all of the cafes were full. Our feet were feeling a bit tired at this point so we hopped in an Uber (also a recurring theme of our trip) to our next stop of the day – the Colosseum.
I tried to book entry to the Colosseum three times before travelling to Rome, my booking was cancelled all three times! Instead we settled for a leisurely stroll around the outside taking in the structure, and of course stopping to take a “ooh I hopped up on this wall and there was the Colosseum behind me” picture for the ‘gram (I’m not very graceful at the best of times and my mother absolutely killed herself laughing at me as I jumped up on this wall).
Another quick coffee and snack stop later we headed to our final destination of the day (and another place that came highly recommended by Tik Tok) The Court Bar at the Palazzo Manfredi Hotel.
Apparently, I enjoy seeing the sights of Rome best with a cocktail in hand! This bar is highly sought after for its view – it sits right next to the old Roman training ground (which now, weirdly, is a cat sancturary) with an unobstructed view to the Colosseum.
The second reason we booked is because the bar has several awards for its service and cocktail making. Even more expensive than Oro Bistrot at around €27 each, they were delicious and came with a full stand of snacks for us to share (sliders, pastries and crisps) which massively softened the blow and again we didn’t end up needing any more food that evening.
Towards the end of our reservation they even brought a little birthday dessert for us (I say us because, even though the trip was for my birthday, we actually travelled on my mum’s birthday).
The bar is completely ourdoors but had some coverings / heaters because of the time of year (and it did end up getting pretty chilly). We both really enjoyed our visit as it was a relaxed way to enoy the sights. It’s worth noting that the bar is ‘lengthways’ so if you happen to be sat towards the back or right on the side, your view of the Colosseum may not be that great (we were fortunately allocated a low table towards the front, there was one row of high stool tables in front of us). Like the night before, we made our reservation for 5pm so we could enjoy the sunset and see the Colosseum in the day and evening. Booking is required for this bar and can only be made a week or 2 in advance, so make sure your alarm is set!
Feeling very tired and a little bit tipsy (again), we headed back to our hotel to get some sleep for our final full day of exploring.
Day 2 – Vatican City & Trastevere food tour
We were actually based closer to Vatican City than we were to the centre of Rome so had already driven past several times by the time we actually paid a visit!
I made a bit of a boo boo when booking tickets – I booked for the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel (which is part of the museum) but thought we got to go through the Vatican to get to it and would therefor be allowed inside there too….nope!
Pre-booking a slot before you travel is an absolutely MUST as it’s so busy, particularly if you’re visiting on a weekend as we were. I purposely booked an early morning slot (9.30am) with an audio guided tour so we could jump the main queue and then wander round at our own pace and look at exactly the parts we wanted to (there were so many tour groups in there it was really noisy and I think we would’ve found it difficult to follow and hear a real-life guide). I really enjoyed our visit here and found all of the exhibits really interesting – I had no idea prior that The Vatican/Rome had any links to Ancient Egypt! I was also really surprised by how many beautiful outdoor areas there were around the museum and its gardens. I would also recommend taking the time to look up and out of the windows as much as possible to make sure you appreciate the ornate artwork and beautiful views of Vatican city.
It’s worth noting that you’re not allowed to take any photography inside the Sistine Chapel, however I didn’t spot any signs that we’d entered (it’s really beautifully painted, but looks very similar to other areas and wasn’t clearly marked outside) so I misguidedly kept snapping away until I spotted the no photo signs on the wall (which is why I haven’t included any pictures).
After we finished we took a wander around the city and stood outside The Vatican – by this time the queue was so massive we would’ve been waiting all day to go in so decided against it. Plus, look how STUNNING the weather was for early March!)
We carried on our wander out of Vatican City, over the bridge and towards the centre of Rome. We found a random cafe down a side street to stop for lunch (a lot of Italian people were there to so we took this as a good sign, we literally just pointed at their food and said we’ll have the same please, which was a very tasty decision).
An Uber ride back to the hotel for a freshen up and bit of chill before we headed out for our evening activity- a food tour of the Trastevere (known as the foodie haven of Rome. On the drive down we spotted somewhere we thought looked pretty amazing and vowed to head back to the next morning….
We booked the tour on Viator but it was run by Carpe Diem and we really enjoyed it.
Our guide Kopal (this is her handing out the tray of snacks) was really friendly and keen to share the magic of enjoying Roman food with us.
There was a mix of older families and couples on the tour from all over the world and we enjoyed a little bit of all local goods- deli meats and cheeses, red wine, suppli, pizza, pasta and gelato. Since I hadn’t had any yet, I picked up a takeaway tiramisu pot which I enjoyed in bed back at our hotel.
Day 3 – Hidden gems & more Trastevere
Last day, sob. We weren’t getting picked up for our flight until 3pm so had plenty of time to soak up a bit more of Rome. And we knew exactly what we were going to do – visit the amazing site we spotted the night before, that I personally think is a hidden gem of Rome (purely because I haven’t seen any other mentions of it on social media, before or since visiting) – Fontana dell Acqua Paola.
It was well worth taking the time to come back and visit the fountain up close. As you can see, it’s stunning, I think it has a lot of similarities to Trevi without the ornate statues. But, unlike Trevi, the area has another USP that made it an extra enjoyable place to be on a sunny Sunday morning – a view point looking out over the Trastevere area an over to Rome (the photos below doesn’t do it any justice at all).
After enjoying the view for a while we took a stroll down through some of the beautiful winding streets and into the ‘centre’ of Trastevere. It was a bit early for lunch so we stopped for coffee (MUM was v. annoyed when it arrived and was smaller than the palm of her hand).
After coffee, there was only one more thing to do before home- order some suppli, a huge pizza and Aperol Spritz to enjoy while enjoying a spot of people watching.
Once we’d finished, it was a quick Uber back to the hotel where our transfer to the airport was waiting.
I’ll share what I think are a couple of important pieces of advice to finish:
- The majority of the viral food places you hear about online are worth waiting in line for. If there’s two of you, have one person hold your spot while the other goes in search of takeaway drinks.
- Uber in Rome: You can also use the Uber app for local taxi companies, but the price shown isn’t “locked in” like regular Uber fares (we booked one a trip that should’ve been 13-18€ but ended up being charged 26€, though we did dispute this and get some money back). We also found that the lowest grade of car is slightly fancier, so prices are a bit more than you’d expect to pay in the UK. There never seemed to be any cars though, we only ever got vans, we were still charged for a car but make sure to check that after the ride ends.
Hope this was helpful/ enjoyable and thanks for reading if you made it this far!
J xx
*well, it was a few months ago when I started writing this post! For full transparency, the trip was in March 2023
Jenny Chat 