4 Days in Rome

We took a 17-day trip to Italy, and spent 4 days in Rome. The two of us are both Italian, and a trip to Italy had been high on our priority list. When my cousin decided to get married in Positano, we took full advantage of this opportunity to see as much of Italy as we could.

We spent 1 night in Rome when we arrived, and an additional 3 nights in Rome before we left.

Where to Stay in Rome

Rome is a very walkable city, but it’s also very spread out. Public transportation isn’t great as it doesn’t run through the entire city. That’s why location is very important when deciding where to stay.

We stayed in an AirBnB in the Campo de Fiori area. Campo de Fiori is a large square that holds a big farmers market during the day.

Our AirBnB (Get $40 off your first AirBnB stay here) was off a side street of the plaza in a little courtyard called Arco deli Acetari. The courtyard is very cute and historic. It was made famous by postcards featuring a picture of it.

It was a bit noisy as people set up for the farmers market very early, but nothing earplugs can’t fix. And it wouldn’t be as noisy as places that are actually in the main square. The apartment itself was tiny and quaint, but a great value, especially if you aren’t planning on spending much time in it.

For the other 3 nights, we stayed at another apartment down a side street of Campo de Fiori. It was much larger if you prefer more space, but also had stairs where our first place was on the ground level.

If you prefer hotels, there is a very cute one covered in ivy just outside of the main square, Boutique Hotel Campo de Fiori. Another one next to that is the Casa de Fiori.

What To Do in Rome

If you don’t want to do a lot of walking, you might consider using a hop on hop off bus pass. You can get a 3-day pass if you want to maximize your time.

Pantheon

The Pantheon is one of the most popular sites to visit in Rome. It was built over 2000 years ago, and one of the best preserved ancient buildings in Rome. There’s no entrance fee here.

There are several ancient Egyptian obelisks around Rome. One of which you’ll find above a fountain in front of the Pantheon with hieroglyphics on the sides. It was built by Ramses II in the 13th century BC.

If you stay in Campo de Fiori, the Pantheon is only a 10-minute walk away.

Fontana Di Trevi

Walk another 8 minutes from the Pantheon and you’ll arrive at the Trevi Fountain. It was built in the 1700s and is one of the most famous fountains in the world.

Many people throw coins in for good luck. All the coins are collected and given to charity, so toss away!

Spanish Steps

8 more minutes out and you’ll make it to the Spanish Steps. The steps connect Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Trinita dei Monti.

Largo di Torre Argentina

This was my favorite place in Rome. From a historical perspective, it’s where Julius Caesar was murdered. From a cuteness perspective, it’s currently the home to an adorable colony of cats. Not to be missed.

Colosseum

The nice thing about the Colosseum is there’s a lot in this area that you can knock out all at once. Be aware in this area there are a ton of people actively approaching you trying to sell you things or tours.

If you don’t buy your ticket online ahead of time, there is usually a very long line at the entrance to the Colosseum. However, right across the grass is another ticket booth, near the entrance to the Roman Forum. We bought our tickets here and only had to wait a few minutes, then we were able to walk right in.

Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Entrance to the Roman Forum is included with the Colosseum ticket. This is a very large area you can explore with ruins of the original Rome.

When you first enter near the Colosseum and reach the Arco di Tito, make sure to go to the right.

You’ll come across the Piazza di Santa Francesca Romana, right in front of the Temple of Venus and Rome. You’ll get a great elevated view of the Colosseum without the crowds in your shot.

Arco di Costantino

The Arch of Costantine is right next to the Colosseum. No entrance or fees required for that one!

Castel Sant’Angelo

Since we were limited on time, we decided not to pay the fee to go inside. If you do go in, you can get a nice view of the city from the top. We went down the stairs on the bridge to get another perspective of the castle with the Tiber River.

Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum is huge. I wasn’t expecting how much stuff would be in it. It’s a good idea to look up what’s there ahead of time so you can plan out what you want to see.

Egypt has always fascinated me so I was very excited to stumble upon a room dedicated to it. And there were real mummies on display! I felt bad for them as I’m sure they didn’t want to spend their eternity in a glass case, but I was happy we were able to see them.

We followed the path to the Sistine Chapel which is located inside the Vatican Museum. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting it to be and I was a bit underwhelmed. I think it was probably because there is so much to see on the way there and a lot of other decorated walls and ceilings leading up to it, like the Map Room below.

We stumbled upon a room with vehicles on display, including all the popemobiles from over the years. I found it very interesting, as well as learning about the history of those.

Entrance to the Vatican Museum is free on the last Sunday of every month. Prepare to wait in a long line if you decide to do it. For us, it was worth it.

St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica is free to enter. We didn’t go because we were hungry and didn’t want to wait in another long line for security. We found out later that there’s an entrance to the Basilica from inside the Vatican Museum. After you exit the Sistine Chapel, there’s an exit to the left and a passageway to St. Peter’s on the right.

If you plan on visiting both, start with the museum first and then go to St. Peter’s Basilica to save the extra walk around to the main entrance as well as another security line. But make sure you visit while it’s still daylight so you can experience the light coming through the stained glass.

Where to Eat in Rome

Osteria da Fortunada

I’m a big fan of gnocchi, and ate it for almost every dinner. The best gnocchi I had on the trip was at Osteria da Fortunada. It’s a restaurant right next to our AirBnB, recommended to us by our host.

It’s popular with the locals, and isn’t a tourist trap like some of the other restaurants in Campo de Fiori. You can watch the women sitting in the restaurant hand-making the gnocchi.

L’Angolo Divino Wine Bar Enoteca

Another restaurant off a side street of Campo de Fiori is L’Angolo Divino Wine Bar Enoteca. For what it’s worth, this is where my cousin bought the wine from for the wedding. We had some wine and array of appetizers here that were delicious.

Al Biscione Cafe

It was hard to find good breakfast places open early. We found one on the outskirts of Campo de Fiori, right in front of the Boutique Hotel. They had a good American breakfast option that was pretty substantial.

Right next to this restaurant is also an old building with an 18th-century fresco on it, as well as a secret passage with paintings as well.

Ristorante al Gladiatore

When we were at the Colosseum, there didn’t look to be a ton of good restaurant options nearby. We did find a little place called Ristorante Al Gladiatore that had a good lunch deal. The food was pretty good and reasonably priced.

Osteria Delle Commari

After we finished at the Vatican Museum, we had lunch at the nearby Osteria Delle Commari. It was a very beautiful restaurant and very delicious food. We got a meat and cheese board that was fantastic, along with two pasta dishes.

Herada Gelato

We ate at all the gelato spots that looked good as we found them, but Herada Gelado is especially cute. It’s near Vatican City, and has an adorable storefront on a street that’s pedestrian only.

Venchi Gelato

If you love chocolate and fountains, check out this chocolate fountain. This gem can be found on the short walk in between the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain.

How Much Money Do You Need for Rome

For 4 days, we spent $570 per person, not including flights. That came out to $143 per day per person. Here’s the breakdown:

Transportation – $56

For transportation, we only took a taxi to and from the airport. We took one more short taxi when we were with my parents and they didn’t want to walk back to our AirBnB. Other than that, we walked everywhere around the city.

Accommodations – $291

Accommodations were our biggest expense. We could’ve easily spent less if we wanted to.

Dining – $199

Our daily dining usually consisted of a small breakfast, lunch, dinner, one or two gelatos, and some wine.

Activities – $24

The only activities we paid for were tickets to the Colosseum and a day pass to a gym. We didn’t do any guided tours, and we went to the Vatican Museum on the one day a month they offer free entry.

What to Pack for Rome

• Backpack – Especially if you’re planning on moving around or going city to city. It’s so much easier than lugging around traditional luggage. What we love and recommend is the Osprey Farpoint 55. It’s small enough to be a carryon and has a detachable day pack.
• Packing cubes – Keeps everything in your luggage organized and compact.
• Umbrella – We went during the second half of October. It was mostly sunny, but we did have one rainy day. We brought a small travel umbrella just in case which came in handy!
• Earplugs – For sleeping with noisy streets.
• Walking shoes – You’ll be doing a lot of walking, so make sure you have good shoes. My favorite travel shoe is the Nike Frees as they’re comfy and pack well with a collapsible heel.
• Converter – It’s best to use converters as opposed to adapters so you use the correct voltage for things you need to plug in.

What are your favorite places in Rome? Share with us in the comments below!

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