Weekend Guide to Rome

In the three years that I have lived in Europe, there have only been two cities that have made me think “I need to come back and see more of this place”- Paris and London. And now…Rome. My weekend in Rome was absolutely incredible and I am 100% sure that it was so great because my good friend, Emily, is living there are was able to take me to all of the best spots in Rome. My weekend was extremely full from the moment I landed on Thursday night, to the moment I headed back to Madrid on Sunday afternoon. Instead of writing my normal recap post, I thought I would share a weekend guide to Rome since I thought what we did was absolutely perfect. This Weekend Guide to Rome will include: what to see, where to visit, and what (and where) to eat. I’ll also include some helpful tips and hints.

Weekend Guide to Rome by A Spoonful of TLC (and Americana Parker)

What to Do:

I saw the following three sites (Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill) on my first day with the company City Wonders. I booked City Wonders’ ‘Skip the Line Colosseum with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill‘ tour. It was a three hour, guided walking tour and I thought it was great- informative, interesting, you get to go right into these places (there were HUGE lines otherwise), and you will learn something. On my way out of the Roman Forum, I overheard another tour and thought the guide was also pretty good. He was with SPQR tours (the online reviews look good too).

Emily booked us tickets to go to the Vatican Museums at night. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING THIS! There was no line, it was basically empty, and the entire experience was much more enjoyable. I can’t really imagine being there with thousands of people, not being able to sit down, and hardly be able to see the important things. They are open until 11:00 pm, so you can go after dinner. We downloaded Rick Steve’s Vatican Museum audio guide (1 hour) and it was perfect. Definitely do this. We also used his Sistene Chapel audio guide. We found both guides to be very well done. They point out interesting facts about each room and tell you what to look for while you’re there. I wouldn’t recommend going to the Vatican Museum without some sort of a guide, as there is a lot of small-print information provided, but (I think) it is much more enjoyable to stroll through while listening and looking.

Vatican Museum (go at night)

The following list is a list of things you absolutely MUST do over the course of the weekend.

One of the best parts about Rome was just strolling through the neighborhoods, stumbling into the majestic plazas and feeling like a part of the buzz of the city.

visit St. Peter’s Basilica (I actually did not see this)
throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain
visit the Pantheon and admire the architecture (bring something to cover shoulders)
visit Piazza Navona and marvel at it’s beauty
Climb the Spanish Steps to take in the views and visit Piazza di Spagna

visit Piazza Venezia
visit Piazza del Popolo
shop at the market at Campo de’ Fiori
Explore Trastevere (very cool area)
Find the secret keyhole in Aventino for a perfect view of St. Peter’s Basilica

What/ Where to Eat in Rome

All of these recommendations are 100% thanks to Emily! She took me to the best places and I am just spreading the love.

WINE with CHEESE and PASTA: Ai Tre Scalini (we ordered a bottle of red wine, some dish that had melted cheese with gorgonzola crumbles and walnuts, with bread for dipping; and eggplant parmesan. Order it ALL!) (Via Panisperna, 251, 00184 Roma RM, Italy)
PIZZA: Antica Pizzeria Da Michele Rome (this is a pizzeria that is originally from Naples so you KNOW it was good!) (Explora Museum, Via Flaminia, 80/82, 00196 Roma) *Yes, we asked them to split it, and no, this is NOT a very Italian thing to do.

PASTA: Vecchia Roma (this was my favorite place we went! Order the cacio e pepe and the gnocchi with mushrooms and Gorgonzola! I wish I could relive this. Make a reservation.) (Via Ferruccio, 12B/C, 00185 Rome, Italy)

GELATO: Ornelli (Via Merulana 232, 00185 Rome, Italy)
COOL MARKET: Mercato Testaccio (Via Beniamino Franklin, 00118 Roma RM, Italy)
CANNOLI: I Dolci Di Nonna Vincenza (Via dell’Arco del Monte, 98/A/B, 00186 Roma RM, Italy)
STUFFED PASTRY: Dolce Notte Ostiense (Via dei Magazzini Generali, 15, 00154 Roma RM, Italy) (Eat this late at night like the Italians do. It was SO GOOD!)

That’s all I have for you! Like I said, I was there from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon and we jam-packed the weekend with all of the must-see sites and plates of food. Emily (Americana Parker) was absolutely amazing and showed me the best time in the city that she calls home! I feel so lucky to have a friend like her!