Come spend 3 days in Rome with us!
Our first intro to Italy was the ancient city of Rome. I had always wanted to go to Rome and it did not disappoint. It’s hard to imagine another city in the world where every single place you turn is something as famous and ancient as the sites in Rome. We accomplished a lot in just 3 days, but we did a ton of walking and almost no relaxing. I think if you had another 2 days, it would make for a less stressful trip. Check out what we accomplished in the 3 days we were there.
- Day 1: First looks at Rome
- Day 2: Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Borghese Gardens and Piazza Navona
- Day 3: Jewish Ghetto, Roman Forum, Colosseum
- Day 4: Campo di Fiori, Castel Sant’Angelo and Vatican City
Day 1:
Our first day we arrived via lots of various modes of transportation! We disembarked a 2 day cruise that took us from Barcelona to Genoa, grabbed a train for a 5 hour journey to Rome!
When we arrived we grabbed a taxi to our airbnb. This airbnb was a 10/10 – great location, wonderful patio and super kind host.
Our evening was a relaxed one but we did do a bit of walking. Goal was to get a cheap and quick meal which we accomplished at Grano la cucina and then gelato right next door at Panna&Liquirizia. We liked this place because you could sit on the stairs and look our over Trajuns column which was really neat intro to Rome.
After that we walked towards the park right behind the colosseum to let my kiddo play basketball overlooking the colosseum. Great view and it was fun to get to see the big sites the first night. After that we went back to their airbnb and crashed.
Day 2:
First stop today was Sant’ Eustachio Caffee which was just a minute from our airbnb. It’s a very famous cafe and was crowded throughout the day. It had really nice coffee and pastries. Very close by is the Pantheon – it was closed when we walked by, so we just saw the outside for now. There are a lot less crowds in the morning, so pictures were better then anyway.
We then hustled over to the Trevi Fountain to try to get there early (it was maybe 8:15am) and still there were so many people. That’s the theme of this trip for sure – crowds. It’s a really beautiful fountain, but the crowds kind of made it not so magical. Maybe if you get there at 5am it would be nicer.
After that, we talked past Hardians Temple, and onto the Spanish Steps. We were going to go to the Basilica that had the skeletons in it but it wasn’t open until 10. This looks like a really interesting stop if you can work it into an itinerary.
We got a lot accomplished pretty early in the day, so we headed up to Borghese Gardens since we had a lot more time than expected. It was a decently far walk. I’d recommend picking up some snacks and drinks for the walk and a rest in the park. They have a few options in the park but they are expensive. We enjoyed a nice stroll in the park, played on the playground, saw the ponds etc before reaching a nice viewpoint and walking down to Piazza di Popolo.
After all that – we needed a break! We rested at our wonderfully located airbnb for a bit before lunch.
Lunch was at Miscellanea which was really yummy. It had a few outdoor seats but we had to sit inside. The food was delicious and it’s right in the center of all the things we wanted to see.
Finally – the much anticipated (for me!) Pantheon! The line for the Pantheon was honestly insane. It was so nice to see it in the AM without the crowds. Thankfully – the line went fast. It wrapped all the way around the plaza but only took 10 minutes or so to get in. Very beautiful.
Just a few minutes walk away was Chiesa di Sant’ Ignazio di Loyola. This church was gorgeous. It was not crowded at all, and we enjoyed just sitting in the pews looking at the stunning ceiling art. It’s really incredible to be in a place where everywhere you look is some ancient building or a church – not even a super famous one – has art that looks like the Sistine Chapel.
Next up we stopped by Piazza Navona – which ended up being really fun – there was some kind of festival or something with lots of stuff for kids to do. Made that really fun and we stayed there for a while letting the kids join in the activities and get some energy out.
Finally we spent our evening getting amazing pasta at Pasta e Vino. This dinner location was really nice and the food was amazing. After dinner, you’re right next to Largo di Torre Argentina – the site where Julius Caesar was murdered, but is now a cat sanctuary! The kids loved this! For dessert we tried Mr 100 Tiramisu which had an amazing selection of different kids of tiramisu.
Day 3:
On this morning we had a really nice stroll around the Jewish Ghetto. We enjoyed this because we were one of the few tourists and it was nice to be somewhere without crowds. We got amazing breakfast at Pasticceria Boccione – a bakery that’s been around for 300 years. We then spent maybe another hour or so wandering through the ruins, getting coffee, looking for the markers that showed families who had been killed at the hands of the Nazi’s. Additionally, my husband toured a small museum as well that was free. They didn’t allow children in, so I waited outside.
After that, we walked across the oldest bridge in Rome, Ponte Fabricio onto Tiber Island. Once in Trastevere, we grabbed coffee, wandered the streets, went in a few beautiful churches, then grabbed a snack at Suppli. Yum.
Next up, we walked across Pinte Sublicio to see the mouth of truth. Kind of fun I guess 🙂 Then we walked through the park at Circus Maximus.
We grabbed some pizza at Trattoria Pizzeria Luzzi before heading for our tour that we booked of the colosseum.
We booked a 3 hour tour of Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and Colosseum. This was pretty good. It was hot, a lot of walking and a lot of info. Given we had kids with us, honestly I’m not sure if I should have booked this. I kind of panicked because we had a private tour booked at a great deal, then he cancelled on us when he couldn’t get tickets. I was going to buy my own but they were sold out. I was afraid of waiting in a long line with my kids so I booked the tour. It didn’t give us much freedom to walk around though and we felt rushed at the Colosseum. Around 6:40 or so they started kicking people out of the arena floor, and I tried to ask our guide when it closes and can we still see top level. He was still giving lots of info downstairs and we didn’t want to miss it – so we ended up giving our headset back, tipped our guide and ran upstairs on our own. Glad we did because it closed 20 minutes later, but we had time to get some great pics and explore on our own. It was fine, but I’m not sure I’d always recommend tours.
After a LONG day we wanted to see Monti, so we headed over to find a restaurant. Tons of options, but we opted for a place called Pizza Drinks & Food with great reviews. It was super cheap, great food, and a huge place to sit with kids in the back. Perfect for tired kids. We then grabbed gelato from Fatamorgana – which honestly was one of our least favorites! Then long walk home.
Day 4:
Breakfast this morning was at Caffe Camerino – delicious. I loved the pistachio croissant.
Next headed to Altare della Patria to take the elevator to the top. This was very confusing for us somehow – lots of mixed reviews online about where to catch the elevator and such. But you basically walk up the main stairs – we went right when it was opened – and headed over to the entrance on the left. We were able to buy tickets there. This allowed us to get on the elevator to the top. It was gorgeous up there, great views of the surrounding area. It also got us into the museum downstairs, which honestly we just didn’t spend that much time in. We kind of wandered through quickly then moved on. But – the views from the top are totally worth it. This – I think – is kind of an underrated attraction. The building itself is impressive but being able to be on top and see all the sites of ancient Rome from above is really incredible.
Next up was Campo di Fiori which is a really nice market that has been around for a very long time. We grabbed some snacks and souvenirs there.
We then stopped for much needed ice cream at Frigidarium Gelato – this ranks as #2 fav all trip. Amazing with hard chocolate shell over top.
Next we went to Castel Sant’Angelo – we almost didn’t buy tickets for this but were so glad we did. It wasn’t nearly as crowded as other places, and was super interesting. Loved the structure itself in addition to the great views. We stayed there for a long time, finding places to sit along the way and rest.
We were heading to meet our guide for the Vatican City tour around 2:45, so just grabbed some quick pizza slices from a bakery on the way.
We took a tour through airbnb experiences and loved our guide. I was worried the kids would be bored, but I think the guide did a better job than the Colosseum even of keeping the kids engaged. We got to go through most of the main rooms of the Vatican Museums and then into the Sistine Chapel. I didn’t read carefully enough though and realized we didn’t get dropped off in the Basilica. So unfortunately we didn’t visit it because the lines were so long. By this time we were a long way into our vacation, had walked 25K steps or more a day and were kind of tired of waiting in lines. Instead we wandered out in front of the Basilica for views of the plaza, then decided to not wait in another line. If you want to see the museums, Sistine Chapel and the Basilica, make sure your tour includes them escorting you past the line and into the Basilica – or – be prepared to wait in a long line.
On way back to airbnb, stopped for a great dinner at La Montecarlo and then our favorite gelato of the trip (that we went back to again) La Romana/
Then we had an early evening with an airport pickup first thing next day
Final Thoughts
In summary, we enjoyed our time in Rome. Our airbnb was in a great location, the food was amazing (seriously – even the inexpensive places!), but we were very overwhelmed with the crowds, the cars driving by almost hitting pedestrians every second and the number of tourists. But I guess you go in expecting crowds 🙂 It was a bucket list destination for my since I was a kid, and the history you get to see there is unmatched. It did leave me wishing a little bit to explore a less touristy place in Italy one day though.
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