When we visited Rome the first time, we had the intention to visit the ancient neighborhood of Trastevere but never made it.  This time around, it was at the top of my list to see.  Since this most recent trip we left most of our time in Rome just to wander and Rome’s best neighborhood Trastevere was the perfect spot to do that.  We actually wandered through this neighborhood multiple times and since it was just a 10 minute walk over the Tiber River from our hotel, it was easy to get to and oh so charming.  With ancient buildings, tiny pedestrian only alleyways and amazing food, Trastevere is easily (in my opinion) Rome’s best neighborhood to explore and wander!

Where to Stay in Rome

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When heading to Rome, the best thing to do is just to wander the city and take it all in.  But there are so many landmarks as well in the city that spending one day taking in the famous sites is a must do.  Since we’d been to Rome before and done most of the tourist sites the first trip, this time we still wanted to see some of Rome’s famous landmarks but we didn’t necessarily want to do the tours or wait in lines, so we opted for a walking tour exploring Rome’s Center to see famous sites like ruins and the Colosseum.  Exploring Rome’s center can be chaotic and crowded but filled with landmarks and ruins, it’s still definitely worth a visit!

Don’t Miss near Rome’s Center:

-The Rione/Monti neighborhood to the North of the Colosseum was a quiet haven away from the crowds.

-The Colosseum – well worth a tour inside but if you’ve already been, wander the Piazza in front and take in the views.

-Take in the incredible Arco di Constantino.

Where to Stay in Rome

Traveling to Italy?

Check out my archives for more posts on Italy!

After our second trip to Rome this past April, I finally figured out the best way to see the city.  Our first trip there we concentrated too much on the tourist sites, the famous landmarks and didn’t leave enough time to just wander and take in la dolce vita.  So this time, I found the perfect blend for your time in the Eternal City.  If you’re headed to the Italian capital anytime soon, here’s the perfect itinerary for Rome and how best to see the city for three days.

Day 1 – Wander

Spend your first day in the Eternal City just wandering in the areas near your hotel.  I would highly recommend the Hotel Indigo on the Via Giulia for your stay in Rome.  Close by is Trastevere, the neighborhood around the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.

The day should be spent tasting gelato at every chance as you wander cobblestone streets, stopping for long lunches with pizza and pasta, and listening to the sounds of accordion players in tiny narrow streets.  Try to find that balance between the crazy energy of Rome and the quiet stillness of this ancient city.

Later in the day, venture toward the Tiber River and spend your sunset watching the evening colors behind St. Peter’s Cathedral for the perfect first night in Rome!

Day 2 – See the Tourist Sites

On your second day in Roma, now is the time to see the tourist sites and famous landmarks that make this city so “eternal.”  My advice, instead of mixing these in with your wander days, do it all in one day.  It might be tiring, but here’s your plan:

Start the day at the Vatican.  Schedule a tour if you like, or just go it on your own.  Buy tickets in advance so you don’t have to wait in the long lines and be the first ones in when they open.

Next head to the Spanish Steps and the Via Condotti.  You can grab lunch somewhere off the main drag (don’t bother with the ones right in the tourist hubs, wander the alleyways a bit and find something there.)  Spend an hour or so browsing the shops, taking in the views from the famous Spanish Steps and seeing this crazy area a little bit less crazy than it gets in the afternoons.

Then, grab a cab or wander to the Colosseum.  This ancient landmark is truly remarkable.  If you can get here when everyone else is eating lunch, you might get less crowds.  (You could also switch this out with the Vatican and go here first of the day!)  Go inside and take a look, it’s truly amazing to see this place with your own eyes!

Continue your tour of Roma with a wander to the Pantheon.  Follow the narrow alleyways back into the little piazza in front of this famous spot and you won’t be disappointed.  This is one of my all time favorite landmarks in Rome and so worth seeing as the late afternoon light starts to fall.

As you leave the Pantheon, meander the little cobblestone streets toward the Trevi Fountain.  If you can hit this spot right around sunset, the evening light is gorgeous here.  Maybe grab some gelato along the way to fully embrace all you’ve seen today!

Day 3 – Wander

For your third and final day in Rome, just wander again and take it easy.  Places I would highly recommend wandering to: Trastevere, Via Giulia, and Piazza Navona.  But take a look at a map and pick some spots you want to see!  Rome is all about roaming, about seeing the city without a plan – so embrace that for your last day in Rome, stopping to eat at every chance as well!

Traveling to Italy?

Check out my archives for more posts on Italy!

Upon arriving at our hotel in Rome this most recent trip, we headed right out for lunch.  It was mid-afternoon and we were craving pizza and a charming spot.  We wandered the labyrinth of cobblestone alleyways around our hotel in the general direction of the Piazza Navona and within blocks, we came upon a tiny cafe and pizzeria in a tiny alley with orange stucco buildings surrounding it.  We promptly took a seat outside, ordered pizza and thus begins the perfect afternoon in Roma.

Following a long and leisurely lunch (as they should be in Rome), we wandered up to the Piazza Navona, grabbing straciatella gelato along the way (with heaps of whipped cream of course) and meandered our way through the piazza and up to the Pantheon.  After sneaking through the crazy crowds, we found some smaller alley ways that led us down quiet streets around to the Campo d’Fiori where we wandered the open market for a bit.  Along the way we picked up fresh pasta to take home and local spices for gifts.  And finally, after weaving through the narrow streets of Rome, we headed back to our hotel for a bit of rest before dinner that night.  The thing about Rome is that the city is best seen without a plan of action, with wanderings, with cobblestone streets and pizza.  The best thing about Rome is finding your way as you go along.

After our first trip to Rome 4 years ago, I was apprehensive about visiting this ancient city again.  And rightly so, sometimes a bad trip can ruin a place for you for years to come.  So when we were headed this direction and decided to re-try Roma, I wasn’t sure how we’d react this second time around.

Though, immediately this time there was something different.  We’re more traveled, we’ve seen more of the world since that fateful trip 4 years ago, we’ve grown, we’ve changed.  Upon arrival at our hotel, which we loved, and the gorgeous little local area around it, I knew this trip would be different.  And it took all of an hour after arriving, as we were wandering small tiny cobblestone alleys for a place for lunch, that I knew, Roma is special.

From the cobblestone alleyways, to the bright orange buildings, to the shutters seemingly falling off windows.  From the way the light falls in the late afternoon, to the Tiber River splitting the city, from the quiet stillness in an ancient alley, to the energy of the cafes and gelato shops – Rome is a city of magic.  And no wonder, for such an ancient city, just walking the streets in Roma is a right of passage, just seeing the ruins and the ancient Colosseum, knowing all those millions of people who have been there before us, that’s an incredible feeling all within itself.

But I think perhaps the most important thing about this ancient city and truly finding the meaning of Roma, is to grasp the energy of the city.  Life in Rome isn’t about seeing the tourist sites on tours, it’s not about the hords of school kids on a school trip.  It’s not about just knocking site after site off of your list, which is not to say that you shouldn’t visit and see all the major tourist spots in Rome.  But if you want the true meaning of Roma, it’s the long walks without a destination in mind.  It’s the long dinners as lanterns light the tiny roads outside.  It’s practicing Italian with the waiters and stopping for gelato just because you want to.  It’s finding spots along the Tiber to take it all in, to watch the sun set over St. Peter’s or to spend hours wandering Trastevere.  The true meaning of Roma is to live la dolce vita, even if just for a few days.  Enjoy the moments, take in the monuments and find the peace in the city that exists behind the hustle of tourists and the selfie sticks.

I promise you, if you can find the stillness in Roma, the quiet energy that buzzes all around in this ancient city, if you can find yourself just wandering for hours down cobblestone alleyways, I promise you’ll leave with a magic you can’t quite explain, a stillness within you as a traveler, an energy that will live on in your own life.  Roma, and Italy in general this most recent trip, captured us.  We fell in love with that energy, that ancient wisdom, that feeling you can’t quite explain.  And after 3 trips to Italy, I can finally say I found the meaning of Roma.