I spent five nights in Rome with my friend before exploring the rest of Italy. It was my first time in Rome and I read a lot of reviews and blog posts about Rome prior to my visit. Now that I've explored Rome, I know the things that were helpful and what to do differently next time. We stayed in the Colonna/Trevi area of Rome, which I loved because it was walking distance from different sites and restaurants. Here is how to spend five days in Rome:
Day 1: Explore Rome as a Tourist
Spend one day doing touristy Rome activities! On our first day in Rome, we woke up early to go see the Trevi Fountain without the crowd. By the time we made it to the Trevi Fountain around 6/6:30am, the sun was up and the timing was perfect. There were other tourists there, but it was not crowded like it was when we passed at 2pm later that day.
After taking in the Trevi Fountain and grabbing breakfast, we headed over to the Colosseum. I highly recommend buying a skip-the-line ticket to visit the Colosseum in the morning. We purchased our skip-the-line tickets a little over a month before we visited. We also had access to the Roman Forum with our tickets, which you can find here! The colosseum was pretty crowded when we visited at 10am, so I would recommend purchasing the earliest ticket possible. We spent quite a bit of time at the Roman Forum, so make sure you allow plenty of time to explore. The Roman Forum is an area of ruins of ancient Roman ruins. Just imagine you're walking where Julius Ceasar walked!! And in the Colosseum you''re looking at the spot where gladiators fought and humans and animals were killed. It's just unfathomable!!
Honestly, after this we were pretty tired from traveling late the day before and then getting up early to see the Trevi Fountain, so we just walked around and took a little nap. There are plenty of museums, monuments, and other sites near the Colosseum, so I recommend strolling through the streets.
Day 2: Adventure south of the river
Visit Saint Peter's Basilica first thing in the morning! If you get there before they even open, there's a line to get through security. You don't need a ticket to enter the basilica, but you do need to purchase a ticket on site to climb the dome! If you're able to, climb the dome to the top for INCREDIBLE views of Rome and Vatican City! The views were breathtaking, especially first thing in the morning. After you've met your steps for the day, walk through the basilica and take in all of the spectacular artwork and architecture. We ate lunch and visited the Vatican Museums after walking through the basilica, but the timing of our Vatican Museum was not great. I would recommend visiting the Vatican Museum later that same day (before they close) or early in the morning on another day. Do not miss the Vatican Museums, though!
After you've spent the morning in the basilica, grab lunch and head to Castel Sant'Angelo, the Mausoleum of Hadrian. We were not super familiar with this site and didn't actually plan on stopping here, but I am so glad we did. Castel Sant'Angelo was built between 123 and 135 AD (WOW!!) and served as a fortress, which housed prisoners, and castle over the years. It also offers epic views of Rome. End the afternoon in Trastevere, a picturesque neighborhood in Rome with plenty of shops and restaurants. If you want to eat at a popular osteria (restaurant) in Rome, make sure you get a reservation. There's an abundnace of restaurants in Trastevere, so it's pretty easy to find a good one!
Day 3: Traipse around Rome
Use this day to relax and take everything in. Via dei Condotti and Via del Corso are two popular streets for shopping luxury and popular brands if you're in the mood for shopping. There are also loads of beautiful churches to explore in the city. The ornate paintings on the ceiling and incredible statues in random churches scattered throughout the city are just jaw-dropping. If you haven't already heard, there are general dress codes for churches. Shoulders should be covered and so should your knees. I carried around a light, long sleeve button-up shirt and put it on each time I was entering a church. It was easy to take on and off, whereas a regular long sleeve shirt would've been a bit more difficult and annoying.
Day 4: Day Trip
We decided to do one day trip from Rome to Pompeii and Positano through City Wonders (booked through Viator, which I linked here). This tour was great because we did not have plans of heading south of Rome. I wish I would've been able to spend more time exploring Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, but the tour offers a nice taste. They bus you to Pompeii, where you tour for a few hours and grab lunch, then they drive you to Positano, where you have a few hours to taken in the views, grab a bite, and do some shopping or lay on the beach. I could've spent two weeks on the Amalfi Coast and I plan on going back to Pompeii to take it all in at a slower pace, but I really liked this opportunity to see the western coast of Italy and such a historical site. There are plenty of day trip options from Rome for you to explore!
Day 5: Explore Rome
This last day is just to take in Rome, visit any sites that you didn't make it to before, and savor every last bit of Roman dishes before you head out. There are a bunch of different plazas that have people sipping cappuccinos at cafes in the morning and are brought to life with performers and artists in the evening. Piazza Campo de'Fiori, Piazza Del Popolo, Piazza di Spagna, and Piazza Navona are great areas to explore. You can live out your Cheetah Girls dreams at the Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spagna haha! Grab a bottle of wine and some snacks and enjoy your last sunset in Rome at Terrazza del Pincio near Piazza Del Popolo. Trust me, the view is spectacular!!
Whether this is your first time in Rome or your fifth time, there is always something to see in this grand city. I wanted to write this post so that you don't make the same mistakes I did while there (not that we made a bunch of huge mistakes). Rome is amazing and visiting the city is truly a lucky experience.
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