5 Top Things to do in Rome for First-Time Visitors

As the capital of Italy, Rome is renowned for its culture and history, and is home to breathtaking and stunning architecture (such as the Colosseum), remarkable museums and art galleries (including the Pantheon), and delicious cuisine (pasta or gelato anyone?).

Vibrant, international, full of history, and sometimes chaotic, Rome is an amazing city worth exploring. Visiting Rome for the first time or just interested in what there is to do in the area? Check out these 5 must do things while in Rome!

1. Explore Ancient Rome

Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum

Let’s start with history! Beginning in the 8th century, ancient Rome grew from a small town to a vast empire, which at its peak consisted of continental Europe, western Asia, northern Africa, and the Mediterranean Islands. Through its dominance and reach, elements of ancient Rome continues to influence our modern day life, in aspects such as architecture, technology, literature, art, and much more. Take for example Latin and its influence on various languages! Interested in learning more about the way of life, culture, leaders, military might, and political institutions of ancient Rome?

Check out major historic sites spread throughout the city, such as Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, and the Colosseum, to get an insight into daily life in ancient Rome. Probably the most famous of them all? The Colosseum! This is ancient Rome’s amphitheater, which can hold up to 55,000 people and was built by Emperor Vespasian in 80 A.D.

The Colosseum

Not far from the Colosseum is the Roman Forum, which is also a delight to visit. Home to the center of daily life in ancient Rome, the Forum was the hub for political, legal, business, religious, and social activities. This is reflected in the site today, as it is a huge complex made up of arches, temples, and basilica ruins.

Want an amazing view of both the Colosseum and Roman Forum? Climb up to Palatine Hill, this is where the emperors and aristocrats of ancient Rome had their residences and called home. The view is stunning and really shows the might, depth, and strength of Ancient Rome.

View of Rome from Palatine Hill

Tip: What’s the best way to visit the sites?

Depending on your preference, you can choose to purchase tickets and visit the sites on your own, hire a guide, or join a group guided tour. As you consider the different options, think about what works best for you, and ask yourself the following questions. Is this your first time visiting? Do you have little or a lot of knowledge of Rome’s history? Do you enjoy group tours or would rather have the flexibility to explore on your own? What are the benefits or disadvantages ( to you) of going alone vs with a group or guide? Is there a financial impact? Does a group tour provide additional benefits, such as skipping the line, access to private entrances, etc?

Personally, I joined a guided tour because it provided 1. the opportunity to learn about history and gain insights about daily life from a local and 2. a seamless way to access and transition through all 3 sites. I booked through Get Your Guide and participated in the Ancient Rome and Colosseum Small Group 3 Hour Walking Tour with access to the Arena floor of the Colosseum, provided by Vivicos International Travel. Finding the departure location was easy and our tour guide was amazing! She was knowledgeable, funny, patient, and seamlessly took us through all sites.

2. Visit the Vatican (Vatican City)

St. Peters Basilica and The Museums

Home to the Pope, Vatican City is an independent city state in the heart of Rome. While visiting, major sights include St. Peter's Basilica (it’s a marvelous sight) and the Vatican Museums, which contains the famous Sistine Chapel Ceiling painted by Michaelangelo (just wow).

Visiting the Vatican does not require any formalities, since there are no borders that separate it from Rome. You can simply walk into the Vatican City for a visit! Access to St. Peter’s Basilica is free (except you’re climbing to the dome), while visiting the Vatican Museums does require paid tickets.

Keep in mind that you’ll be required to go through security to access both sites, entrance lines can be extremely long, and there are rules and restrictions on bag sizes that are allowed. Small bags and backpacks are generally fine but any bag, backpack, suitcase, or rolling luggage larger than 40 x 35 x 15 cm (double check for the latest guidelines) is not permitted and will have to be left at baggage storage (yes! There are baggage storage areas both at St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican Museums).

St. Peter's Basilica

Tip: What’s the best way to visit?

This depends on the purpose of your visit (religious, tourism, etc) and what sites you’re interested in visiting. Depending on your preference, you can visit the Basilica and Museum on your own, hire a guide, or join a guided tour.

Visiting by yourself:

As I mentioned, access to the Basilica is free, however the entrance line can be very long - but it’s feasible. Before visiting do your research to understand the history behind the Basilica or find an online audio guide that you can listen to during your visit.

As you plan on visiting the Vatican Museums on your own, keep in mind that security lines to get into the museums can be very long and require a long wait time. While buying your tickets, do research to find what options works best for you, and consider (maybe) spending a little extra on a skip the line ticket to get access to shorter lines and wait times (might just be worth it).

Seen Inside the Vatican Museums

Seen inside the Vatican Museums

With a guide:

This is the option I went for! I joined a guided tour, which included skip the line tickets (going through security was a breeze), a tour of the Vatican Museums, and skip the line/back door entrance to St. Peters Basilica. I booked the tour in person with Tours About, however I would recommend checking out other tours providers. In my experience, Tours About had inflated prices, their staff should offer better customer service, and the tour guide was knowledgeable, but very talkative and went on tangents.

Ceiling in the Vatican Museum

Seen inside the Vatican Museum

To avoid facing a similar situation where you may be unsatisfied with your tour experience, I recommend doing extensive research to find a good tour company and booking ahead online! The tour company I really wanted to use was completely sold out once I went to buy tickets at their office (cries*).

3. Relax at a Piazza

Some of the most popular Piazzas include, Piazza Navona (the most popular of them, this beautiful and large Piazza is home to restaurants, shops, etc and is very busy), Piazza Venezia (is at the intersection of many roads and is home to an unmissable beautiful and powerful monument), Piazza Barberini (located close to the shopping district, it’s home to a beautiful fountain, and colorful buildings), and Piazza de Spagna (located at the bottom of the Spanish steps, has a nice fountain and is always busy). Others include Piazza del Popolo (this is another very popular square, which is large, beautiful, and home to churches, fountains, and the city gate), Piazza San Pietro (Vatican City), Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II (has a more down to earth feeling with children playing around. It also has beautiful gardens and ruins), and many more.

Piazza Navona

My favorites? I enjoyed the grandeur and business of Piazza Navona, driving by the powerful and beautiful iconic monument at Piazza Venezia, marveling at Piazza San Pietro, and stumbling upon smaller and random Piazzas like Piazza di San Silvestro.

Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna

Spanish Steps

My recommendations? Stop by and experience the very well known Piazzas (because why not?), such as Navona, Popolo, etc but also allow yourself time to wander and randomly discover less known Piazzas.

4. Eat, Eat, Eat

Home to a variety of restaurants, cafes, and small food shops, there’s a lot of food options to try in Rome (woooohooooo). Roman food includes staples such as pizza (of course), pasta (of course of course), grilled or fried vegetables, meats, and you’ll also find seafood options as well (this excited me a LOT).

So, what does this mean? Feel free to try some classic Roman pasta dishes such as Cacio E Pepe (pasta with pecorino cheese and black pepper), Amatriciana (pasta with pecorino cheese, guanciale, and tomato sauce), or other well known Roman food staples, such as Suppli (fried ball with marinara, mozzarella, and risotto), Trippa alla Romana (Tripe), and Maritozzi (pastry), if you’re interested in something sweet. Don’t limit yourself to these though, they’re m-a-n-y more staple dishes to try!

Apart from Italian food, they’re other types of cuisines available to check out in Rome, so feel free to do your research and find food and dining options that you’re interested in and work best for you. As an individual who does not LOVE or is not mesmerized by Italian cuisine ( I know a very unpopular opinion), I was curious and excited by the different types of food that would be available in Rome.

View from Vatican Museums

Colorful streets

View from Coromandel

Here are things that pleasantly surprised me:

1. The amount of seafood options: I eat a pescatarian diet, which consists of fish, seafood, and vegetables. Therefore I enjoyed trying seafood pastas, classic tuna sandwiches, or grilled fish and seafood dishes with vegetables or rice.

2. Breakfast! I understand that a typical breakfast in Rome consists of a coffee and sweet pastry, so I was pleasantly surprised to find restaurants that offered hearty, extensive, and delicious breakfast. Some of my favorites were La Licata (their pancakes, omelet, fresh fruit, and orange juice, hit the spot) and Coromandel (their pancakes, omelet, fresh fruit, and freshly squeezed juice was delicious. Can you notice a pattern? Yes I enjoy what I enjoy lol). Tip: La Licata is within walking distance to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum, so feel free to grab a meal before or after your visit. Coromandel is within walking distance to Piazza Navona, so feel free to grab a meal before or after people watching and relaxing in the Piazza ;)

Breakfast at Coromandel

View from Coromandel

Colorful Buildings

Gelato :)

View from Coromandel

3.) GELATO: I developed a new found love for gelato. Yes, I’ve always enjoyed ice cream and gelato, but for some reason the flavors of the gelato I tried were GIVING. They were rich and intense, and left an impact on your tastebuds. You’re probably wondering, was it all that Tiffany? Yes, it was :) LOL My recommendation? Try out different gelatorias and find YOUR favorite.

5. Explore the City by Foot

Whether you’re taking a free walking tour, guided tour, or just wandering the streets, Rome is an exciting and exhilarating city to explore by foot! From the beautiful architecture to the lively and colorful streets, Rome is a great city to get lost in. I enjoyed walking out of my hotel with no destination in mind and just exploring! I discovered ruins, found random parks and piazzas, and enjoyed getting to witness the city and people going about their daily lives.