Ten things to do in Rome: a guide for first timers
With new hotels, trendy bars and cool modern art galleries, there’s so much more to the Italian capital than ancient history.
Something has been stirring in the Eternal City of late. Take the hotels; last year, Rome had an eye-popping influx of upmarket places to lay your head – Six Senses, Anantara, Edition and Bulgari, among them – and more, including Nobu and the Zaha Hadid-designed ROMEO Roma, are on the way. In many cases, new properties, such as the just-opened baroque stunner Palazzo Vilon, part of Palazzo Borghese, are intersecting with the Italian capital’s best sights and traditions.
“We’ve seen a boom like we’ve never seen in Italy,” says Rome-based Megan Eckley of bespoke travel company Imago Artis, which works with five-star Rome hotels and unlocks some of the city’s best-kept secrets for clients. “Last year was huge, but 2024 is unprecedented.”
This Christmas also marks the start of one of Rome’s jubilee years, a holy time in which the church offers the faithful remission of their sins; it will run until Epiphany, January 6, 2026.
Beyond the posh hotels and pilgrims, however, Rome remains an exciting destination for all the old reasons, namely its unrivalled dichotomies – ancient history and modern art, fashionable bars and classic trattorie – that virtually guarantee the city’s universal appeal. Here are 10 suggestions to help make the most of your own Roman holiday.
1 Where to get coffee
Coffee ordered, and drunk, at the bar is a non-negotiable part of the day. Stop for a morning brew, and stock up on freshly ground beans in the roastery’s eye-catching yellow packaging at Sant’Eustachio Il Caffe. Situated just off Piazza Navona, it was state of the art when it was founded in 1938 and in the mid-70s inspired visiting Swiss inventor Eric Favre to come up with the Nespresso capsule coffee system. Or stop at Sciascia Caffe, which for more than a century has operated out of an atmospheric, wood-panelled cafe in the stylish Prati district. Its specialty is coffee served with a life-affirming pour of hot dark chocolate.
2 The best market
It’s been paved over since the mid-15th century, but Campo de’ Fiori remains as colourful as the wildflower meadow for which it was named. Wander through the market that operates here from 7am to 2pm, Monday to Saturday, and you’ll rub shoulders with locals browsing stalls that sell everything from knock-off Bialetti coffee makers and sunnies to seasonal fruit and flowers. If you want to really make like a Roman, stop at Forno bakery and order a slice of fior di zucca (zucchini flower and anchovy) pizza for breakfast.
3 Beyond the Colosseum
Rome can overwhelm with its abundance of ancient history. To the obvious – the Colosseum, Pantheon and Forum – add Largo di Torre Argentina to your radar. Infamous for being the site of Julius Caesar’s assassination in 44BC, this archaeological gem reopened to the public in summer 2023 after extensive renovations funded by Bulgari. While more recently known as a sanctuary solely for felines, its ruined temples, towers, porticos and paved squares are now accessible to all. If you do find yourself at the Colosseum, don’t miss the lesser known Celio district just to its south. Treasures here include the Case Romane al Celio; 20 underground frescoed rooms dating from the first to the fourth centuries AD. The Celio is also home to the Caelian Hill, the site of the new €5m ($8m) Museum of the Forma Urbis, housing the surviving fragments of a huge map of Rome, engraved on 150 marble slabs between 203 and 211AD under emperor Septimius Severus.
4 Avoid the crowds
Rome may never have been busier, but with the right contacts you can still find places that few tourists will ever have laid eyes on. Founded by a trio of Roman art historians, Imago Artis boasts strong links to the city’s best hotels and an A-list of clients, for whom it provides highly personalised visits to some of the city’s greatest arts and cultural attractions, many not available to the general public. Expect top-notch guides and bespoke itineraries that might include anything from an exploration of a one-time base of Crusader knights, to a peek at the chains used to bind St Peter.
5 Where to eat
A classic trattoria will often serve you well in the Italian capital – perhaps a place like Hostaria da Pietro, an old-school restaurant a stone’s throw from the Spanish Steps and dishing out a warm welcome and traditional specialities such as artichokes alla Romana. In buzzy Trastevere, Da Etta is winning fans for its impeccable wine list and Roman classics with a twist – think deep-fried lamb chops with cacciatore mayo. It’s right around the corner from another more recent opening: the contemporary, women-run Pianostrada, which has an open kitchen, counter seating and farm-fresh modern Italian food.
6 Must-see galleries
Eternal yet ever evolving, Rome remains culturally relevant, thanks to museums such as MACRO, built in an old Peroni brewery, and the Zaha Hadid-designed MAXXI, both vibrant hubs of the contemporary arts. There are plenty more idiosyncratic galleries to choose from, such as Testaccio’s Mattatoio, located in a late 19th-century slaughterhouse considered a masterpiece of industrial architecture and now a centre of modern art installations and performances. If you’re exploring the Appian Way, stop at Galleria del Bufalo. Occupying the former studio of postwar artist Salvatore Meli, it functions as a self-styled cabinet of curiosities for objects of ancient, tribal and modern art, and marble sculpture. For those drawn to the cutting edge, there’s Sant’ Andrea de Scaphis. You’ll need to make an appointment but be rewarded by its location in an ancient, deconsecrated church in Trastevere, and exhibitions featuring works by the likes of iconic American figurative artist Alex Katz.
7 Take a breath
For a break from the heaving crowds, escape to Villa Borghese, built in the 17th century by Cardinal Scipione Borghese and with unbeatable views over central Rome. Rent a bike if you want to easily cover the estate’s 80 verdant hectares. Sprawling over the Pincian Hill, they include sculptures, beautiful grassy lawns shaded by trees perfect for picnics, and a carousel for kids.
8 Where to drink
You’ll never lack for places to enjoy a sundowner in Rome, but the Italian capital’s watering holes go beyond the classic aperitivo. The talk of the town right now is Drink Kong, which has won a place on The World’s 50 Best Bars list for its imaginative mix of cocktails – “we imagine a drink as a polygon” – wines, spirits and sake. Locals swing by for these concoctions and its futuristic, nightclubby, Japanese-inspired interior. More traditionally, Il Vinaietto (on Via del Monte della Farina) is a tiny wine bar right around the corner from Campo de’ Fiori, with an interior plastered with vintage communist posters. There’s minimal seating indoors, so spill out on to the street and jostle happily with the chatty Roman crowd. It’s strictly wine only, but at these prices – less than €5 ($8) a glass – who needs Aperol spritz?
9 Grab a bite
Casual eating suits the Roman taste for speed. Street food is big here, and there’s no more popular incarnation than the deep-fried rice balls known as suppli. One of the best places to try these is Supplizio on Via dei Banchi Vecchi in the city centre, where there are various versions, from Amatriciana to cacio e pepe, along with other savoury bites, such as crocchetta affumicata, made with smoked pecorino and smoked mozzarella. For a sweet treat, you can’t go past the crema fritta, a concoction of egg, brown sugar, pecorino and cinnamon.
10 Best place to stay
There are many starry new properties on the Roman horizon, but few encapsulate such an aura of calm in the heart of the city as Six Senses, located a coin’s toss from the Trevi Fountain. Occupying a reimagined bank building, renovated in contemporary style, it offers guests an airy, tranquil break from the heat and hordes outside. The brand’s famous spa is a major draw, but so are the soothing rooms decked out in a neutral colour palette, courtesy of interior design by Patricia Uriquiola. The pizzeria is one of the best in town and another strong tip, even if you’re not staying at the hotel.
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