Last month I spent four days in Rome. The city was busy, loud, filled with cars but also calm, monumental and beautiful at the same time. It was quite a special occasion to visit it, as well. Marijan and I were celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary. And, on top of that, it was our first trip as a couple after we had our son. So, it was like back in the old days, and we just wanted to relax, slowly stroll the streets of Rome and enjoy in Italian cuisine.
Four days in Rome
# – Day one
Our four days in Rome started a bit rough. There was a massive storm in Amsterdam the night before we went to Rome, so I was a bit worried about our flight. But everything was more than perfect at the end. It was a calm flight, and we came to Rome around 2 PM.
After we’ve checked-in in our hotel, we went for a short walk towards the Colosseum. It’s always exciting to see those very famous monuments for the first time in your life. I felt a bit like a child, remembering the time I saw that amazing building for the first time in my school book. And how far and distant it looked to me back then.
*TIP: If you’re planning to spend four days in Rome as I did, a good idea could be to get Roma Pass Card. It includes free public transport and free or discounted entrances to some museums and attractions. Take a look here for more info about it.
Learning how to cook like Italian
Oooh, Italian food… It’s probably my favourite cuisine! I could eat pasta every day and finish every single meal with tiramisu. We wanted to learn more about it, so we booked a cooking workshop for that evening. First, we made the dough for pasta and our teacher Roberto taught us which flour combination works best for it. To be honest, I was expecting it will be much harder to made pasta, but it was quite easy. We also made amatriciana sauce for pasta, tomato bruschetta, some antipasti as a starter and a nice dessert – ciambelle al vino. And I am very proud of us because everything was delicious!
⤷ Would you like to visit some other places in Italy? Check out my Guide to Lake Como here!
# – Day two
Exploring Vatican City
After a nice Italian breakfast and a coffee, we took a walk towards the Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona.
We planned to visit Vatican City in the afternoon to see its famous museums and St. Peter’s Basilica. Since it’s such an amazing piece of art and home to numerous paintings and statues, we wanted to have a guided tour there and learn as much as we could about it. After a long search, I’ve booked a small group tour in the Vatican with Angel Tours. And it was such a wonderful experience! Our guide Alessia took us on a three-hours-long walking tour around the museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican is so huge and filled with amazing artworks, it would be completely impossible to see it on our own.
Vatican Museum is without a doubt one of the best museums in Europe, treasuring so many masterpieces from the Antiquity to the Renaissance time. I especially liked mosaics and the gallery with frescoes depicting old maps of Italy. And the stories behind them – stories about artists, popes and aristocratic families of that time.
In Sistine Chapel, we were amazed by Michelangelo, his persistence and talent. And St. Peter’s Basilica is a masterpiece itself. It really is the Cathedral of the World. Every single detail in it is beautiful, from Michelangelo’s ‘Pieta’ to Bernini’s ‘Baldacchino’.
*TIP: Don’t wait in a long queue to get into the museum, but get your skip-the-line tickets for Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel on a link here.
After our tour, we went to St. Peter’s Square. While looking at the famous Basilica, I was just overwhelmed with the feeling of appreciation and respect to all the people working on those masterpieces I’ve just seen. Standing there and looking to the sky just cleared from the rainy clouds really gave me the feeling I am standing on a special sacred place. It was one of the moments I will remember forever!
# – Day three
Ancient Rome
Rome is probably the best known for the old Roman architecture, Colosseum and Roman Forum are the most famous sights there. We wanted to see both, so we came there early, right after breakfast and it was already quite busy.
Although the place could use a lot of organisational improvements, it is still stunning! It is a massive archaeological site with triumphal arches, columns and old temples. However, my advice here is again – take a guide. We made a mistake of getting there without buying the tickets in advance. But, it would also make such a difference if we would visit it on a guided tour.
*TIP: Here is an online ticket for Colosseum and Roman Forum. And here is a three-hours-guided tour around them.
After the whole morning there, we were so ready for a nice Italian lunch! We listened to the recommendation we got and went to Luzzi Restaurant, close to Colosseum. It has everything I would imagine the typical Italian restaurant in Rome should have. People were waiting in to get in outside, waiters were loud and funny, and the food was amazing! I just loved it! The food was actually so delicious that I didn’t have time to take any photos of it.
⤷ Check out these 20 Archaeological sites you have to visit in Europe
Afternoon in Trastevere
if you’re following my blog for some time, you know how I love to explore local residential areas of the cities I’m visiting. It always gives me a great insight into the local culture and everyday life of people living there. That’s why during our four days in Rome, we’ve spent one afternoon by exploring the charming neighbourhood of Trastevere. It is a colourful place with narrow streets, clothes drying on the balconies and plenty of small cute cafés and restaurants.
As a huge fan of ice cream, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to try some gelato during our four days in Rome. We went to an excellent biological patisserie at Trastevere (looks like biological is very popular in Rome at the moment, because we found a lot of places like that one) where I treated myself with a scoop of ginger-honey gelato that was delicious! Well, I am really craving for it right now…
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, so after the ice cream stop, we took a walk alongside the Tiber River. There are so many beautiful buildings next to it with the Castel Sant’Angelo being my favourite. The bridge in front of it with all those sculptures of angels is just stunning, and it would make a perfect setting for some exciting thriller movie.
*TIP: Would you like to visit Castel Sant’ Angelo while in Rome? Get your skip-the-line ticket here!
With a combination of beautiful Roman architecture and golden hour, we couldn’t resist taking our cameras out and trying to capture that beauty. We definitely understood why Rome is called the Eternal City.
# – Day four
It was our last day in Rome, and since we had a few hours left before catching our flight, we meet the Angel Tours again to join their short free Pantheon tour. I believe everyone knows that building well, but I started to look at it with a new pair of eyes after our guide explained its architecture, symbolism and significance. It’s such a magical place.
*TIP: Get your Pantheon entrance ticket on a link here.
After I’ve spent four days in Rome, I’ve realised it is not an easy city. You can feel it has its own problems. But it is an eternal city! The one that will always inspire people and the one to which they will always be coming back. Read about it before your trip, buy the tickets for museums and archaeological sights in advance, and if possible, go on a guided tour! And then just enjoy it.
And in the end, don’t forget to throw a coin to the Trevi Fountain, so you’re sure you’ll come back!
*At the end I really want to recommend Angel Tours and the great tours we had with them in Rome. I am not related to them, and this is not a sponsored post. I am just genuinely amazed by their work, great guides we had and a professional approach they have. So, a big shout-out here for the Angel Tours! Thanks for the lovely time we had in Rome with you!
**This post contains some affiliate links.