I am throwing it back to our trip to Italy in December of 2018 for this post! We went to Italy to visit some of my husband’s family and decided to make a day trip to see Rome (about a 2 hour drive from where we were staying). It was a long day but 100% worth it. Between the history and the views, there is truly nothing else like Rome in the world. I am sharing below the 4 places you have to see in Rome, even if you’re only stopping by for a short time.
- The Colosseum: The first place we visited is probably the most obvious, but definitely something you can’t miss while in Rome! We bought tickets online for a guided tour of the Colosseum. There were about 20 people in the group, and we had headphones so we could hear the tour guide at all times. You can buy the tickets HERE or from TripAdvisor. I learned so much about the history of Rome during this tour so I was glad to have the guide.
2. The Roman Forum: Right next to the Colosseum you will find the Roman Forum. It is the ruins of ancient government buildings in what once was the center of Rome. The tickets that we purchased for the guided tour of the Colosseum were also good for entrance to the Roman Forum. We walked around the Roman Forum ourselves, but you can choose tickets that include a guided tour of this as well. Being able to walk through the ruins of these ancient Roman buildings was such a cool experience.
3. Trevi Fountain: From the Roman Forum, we walked about 2 miles to the Trevi Fountain. We stopped along the way to see some shops and buy some souvenirs. The Trevi Fountain is something you can see for free in Rome. Legend says that if you stand with your back facing the fountain and throw a coin over your left shoulder, you are guaranteed to return to Rome. It was very crowded when we made it there, but we did get a chance to get to the edge and toss a coin over our shoulders!
4. The Vatican: The Vatican is actually located inside Vatican City – the smallest country in the world! It was a little bit farther away, so we got back in the car to drive over. We were able to park for free on the side of the road nearby. The Vatican was also free to enter, but we did have to wait in line for about an hour. You can also purchase tours for the Vatican, but we were good with looking around ourselves. I don’t even know how to describe Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel besides spectacular! It was definitely worth the wait!
I know there are so many other places to see in Rome, and we are definitely planning on going back! Hopefully the Trevi Fountain legend is true! But if you’re like us and are visiting Rome in a day, these 4 places are must sees!
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