There’s no place like Rome – it’s a city filled with history, culture, and delicious food!
We visited Rome for a day on our Mediterranean Cruise honeymoon nine years ago, and ever since, we’ve wanted to go back – this time with our family! After four days filled with tours and travel to different towns in Amalfi, we wanted to take the second half of our trip at a slower pace and spend more time wandering the city by foot, enjoying leisurely Italian meals, and watching time go by.
GETTING AROUND
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and Rome Ciampino Airport (CIA) are Rome’s two international airports. We flew in and out of FCO, which is 45 mins from Rome. Since we were in Amalfi for the first half of our trip, we took a private car service to get to Rome.
We mainly walked to nearby attractions and restaurants, but to get to the Vatican and Colosseum, we downloaded the app MyTaxi – it made it easy to request a taxi, select the number of seats needed, and pay for the ride through the app. We also used it to get back to the airport, but next time, would use the GetTransfer app because it allows you to request the number of seats, luggage, and car seats up to 2 hours ahead of time.
LODGING
We enjoyed a wonderful stay in a beautiful and modern home rental, right in the heart of Rome. Our 4 bedroom, 2 full bathroom place had a large, fully-equipped kitchen, comfortable bedrooms, and a spacious living/dining room where we spent most of our time together. We loved the simple and elegant décor, and the location was perfect for us – a 3 minute walk to the Trevi Fountain, 6 minute walk to the Spanish Steps, lots of nearby restaurants, and a supermarket across the street.
3 of the stylish bedrooms of our home rental (top) , spacious living room and modern kitchen (bottom)
ATTRACTIONS
Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica Tour
We arrived in Rome in the afternoon and booked a 3.5 hour early access tour of the Vatican museum for the next morning. Vatican City is the smallest country in the world and one of Rome’s biggest attractions. The Vatican museum gets really crowded, so getting here early will help you avoid the long queues and enjoy the Vatican before it officially opens at 9 AM.
We met our tour guide at 7:30 AM and were able to enter shortly after 8:00 AM. Our first stop was to the incredible Sistine Chapel – I’m still in awe of the beautiful and realistic figures covering the vast ceiling. Afterwards, we went back to see the highlights of the Vatican museum – Michelangelo’s Masterpieces, Gallery of the Candelabra, Gallery of the Tapestries, Gallery of Maps, Raphael Rooms, and Borgia Apartments, to name a few. Our guide was very informative, answered questions, and was also very patient as our party (the only ones with kids) trailed behind.
Some of the magnificent ceilings in the Vatican Museum
The tour ended at St. Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest church and the grand centerpiece of the Vatican. It’s by far the most impressive church I’ve ever seen. Every corner housed beautiful architecture and works of art – you can really appreciate all of the little details up close. Being part of a tour allowed us to skip the line and access the Basilica through a side entrance.
You should definitely avoid bringing strollers. Even though there are some elevators, they would be impossible to use if you’re following a tour guide. With our tour, we were climbing up and down the stairs every few minutes with two single strollers – we were worn out by the first hour. Also note that strollers are not allowed in St. Peter’s Basillica, but there’s a designated area where you can check them in.
Cost: $101.20 per adult, $84.33 per youth (6-17), and free for children 5 and under for the Privileged Entrance Vatican Tour with Sistine Chapel
Colosseum and Roman Forum
The next morning, we met with our guide at 8:20 AM for a 2.5 hour tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum. The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater in the world and is known as one of the greatest works of engineering and architecture. With the tour, we were able to avoid the long lines at the Colosseum’s main entrance and access restricted areas. We were also able to walk through the first and second levels of the Colosseum where we could see where each social class sat and what a real gladiator match may have looked like. We continued our tour at the Roman Forum, which was much larger than I anticipated – I definitely got a feel for the size and importance of the Roman Empire in its time. Some highlights for me were the Temple of Julius Caesar and the Arch of Titus.
Cost: $73.08 per adult, $67.45 per youth (7-17), $33.70 per child (6 & Under) for the Skip the Line Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum
Exploring the halls of the Colosseum (top) + buildings of Roman Forum (bottom)
Fontana Di Trevi
One bonus of our home rental location was being so close to the Trevi Fountain. It’s the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. We were able to walk by this beautiful and grand site every day – sometimes just stopping to admire it or throw a coin in the fountain. Legend says if you throw a coin into the fountain, it will guarantee your return to Rome (Niu and I threw a coin in the fountain 9 years ago!) It’s always crowded, but not too difficult getting to the front if you’re patient. It looks spectacular during the day and is wonderful to see at night when the fountain is lit up.
Spanish Steps
Another attraction close to our home rental were the iconic Spanish Steps. Lea and Haden enjoyed climbing the 135 steps connecting the Piazza di Spagna to the Piazza Trinità dei Monti. In the centre of the piazza is the baroque Fontana della Barcaccia, which is a great place to sit and people watch. There are also lots of great high-end stores nearby!
If we had more time, we would have visited the Pantheon (the best preserved Ancient Roman monument in Rome) and stopped by the popular and lively Piazza Navona for a bite and a drink.
RESTAURANTS
II Chianti
We came here for dinner without reservations on our first night and were seated right away, although there was a line by the end of our meal. Since we arrived a little before dinner service, we were able to sit at the bar and enjoy a drink before the kitchen opened. We chose to dine al fresco to enjoy the romantic ambiance created by the lush decor and outdoor lighting. This restaurant offers traditional Tuscan dishes as well as a few Roman classics, and is located only a block from the Trevi Fountain.
I’d been in search for a truffle dish since arriving in Rome and was excited to see Truffle Raviolis on the menu. I savored each bite of the four over-sized stuffed raviolis in a buttery truffle sauce, with little bits of truffle throughout – it completely satisfied my cravings. Niu ordered carbonara spaghetti, which had the perfect balance of saltiness and creaminess, with nice big cuts of crispy pancetta and chewy spaghetti – definitely the best carbonara we’ve ever had.
Everyone else ordered the potato gnocchi with tomato sauce and basil, baked lamb with roasted potatoes, and a pizza with ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. The gnocchi was served in simple tomato sauce with basil – Lea approved! The baked lamb was cooked and seasoned just right, and was a generous portion. The pizza was also good with heaps of fresh ricotta, fresh basil, and sweet and tangy sun-dried tomatoes, but was dressed with too much olive oil for our tastes. It was an excellent meal, with good quality food at reasonable prices.
Recommendations: Everything was good, but the Truffle Ravioli and Carbonara were AMAZING.
Gelateria Antonietta Cecere
This is a nice little café with really good gelato, located right next to II Chianti. We got to meet the mother and son of this family owned business while trying the strawberry, pistachio, and chocolate chip flavors – all very smooth and creamy. There are three bistro tables outside, which look out onto the street leading to the Trevi fountain. We were also happy to discover that this place also serves beer and wine.
Piccolo Buco
We passed by this restaurant several times because it’s close to our rental home and saw that there was always a line outside the restaurant. We came here for dinner during our last night and were lucky to get a table for six (Haden sat on our lap) without making a reservation. The inside of the restaurant is small, but very charming and elegant.
We started our meal with a bottle of prosecco and toasted bread topped with eggplant, ricotta cheese, and mint, which was very light and creamy. For our main course, we had some tasty fettucine with tomatoes and a perfectly cooked beef filet steak, accompanied by a side of sautéed chicory which we especially enjoyed. We also ordered the rigatoni alla carbonara, which had the right amount of egg and peperino cheese with thick slabs of crispy pork cheek – I especially loved the bit of spice from the cracked black pepper.
Our favorite part of the meal was the authentic, artisan pizza, which was a thin pizza with a big, fluffy crust. There are three different types of sauce base to choose from –red tomato, yellow tomato, and white (no tomato sauce). We tried the red pizza margarita and white pizza with mozzarella and ham – it was put together so well and tasted so amazing as it almost melted in our mouths. It’s clear that they really put a lot of care into choosing the best, fresh ingredients to create a beautiful blend of flavor and texture.
For our dessert, we shared a tiramisu which was excellent and presented in a cute glass jar.
Overall, we highly recommend this restaurant for its intimate ambiance, as well as the delicious and authentic food that won’t break the bank.
Recommendations: Toasted bread with eggplant, ricotta cheese and mint, carbonara, white pizza with mozzarella and ham, and tiramisu. If you can, try each of the different pizza sauce bases.
Gelateria Valentino
Simply the best gelato we had in Rome. Conveniently located near our home rental and a short walk from dinner at Piccolo Buco, they have a wide selection of rich, creamy, and distinct flavors. We enjoyed the tiramisu, strawberry, pistachio, and coconut flavors while sitting on the bench inside the store. The staff was very fun and friendly – handing us more napkins and giving the kids extra little cones. The portions and prices were great.
Other restaurants we wish we had more time to try
Pane e Salame, Bella Carne Kosher Grille, Nonna Betta, Osteria da fortunate, Osteria Barbarini, Pinsere, Forno Campo de’ Fiori, Roscioli
For those of you who have been to Rome, what were your favorite things to do and eat?
