How to experience Rome for the first time.
Updated: June 2021
Quando sei a Roma, fai come i Romani! Or, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
I visited Rome on a balmy weekend in the fall as the last stop on a two week trip. I met my friend Nadine for three days and we had a 28 degree meander through one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the world. Talk about bucket list!
We got through the historic sights much quicker that most probably do, and I’d highly recommend getting a written or audio guide, even a walking tour if you can!
Here is your bucket list itinerary for a first visit to Rome:
The Must-Sees:
- Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio)
- The Roman Forum
- The Palatine
- The Colosseum
- The Vatican
- St. Peter’s Basilica
The Need-to-Sees:
- The Spanish Steps
- Via Condotti (for very glamorous shopping, or just people watching!)
- Piazza Navona, my favourite
- The Pantheon
- Piazza di Spagna
We had a lot of gelato on benches, lattes in piazzas, and wandered in and out of the tiny, picturesque streets.
What was almost more interesting was the juxtaposition of the old and the new. Online and in books we see gorgeous photos of these monuments and ruins, but you don’t see what surrounds them! There were a few that were quite shocking (Trevi Fountain anyone?). It was the perfect mix of history and relaxation.
Below are my photos from my first trip to Rome (from way back in 2012!). Digital photo quality has improved a lot since then, but I have a feeling these places will be just as beautiful when you visit very soon.
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