Rome City Guide for Travelers

Rome is certainly known for the Vatican, but outside of that, this city is filled with rich history, beautiful architecture and a multitude of museums and monuments. Rome wasn’t built in a day and you can’t expect to see it all in a short amount of time either. In a four day time span, you may be able to see the major attractions, but you still wouldn’t have time to really soak in the splendor and culture that Rome has to offer.

Dining in Rome shouldn’t be a chore. A plethora of dining establishments line the streets and are on every corner. Most are superb and even the house wine is tasty. The restaurants serve up tasty yet simple dishes including pasta, pizza, veal chicken and seafood. Most waiters speak English, and are more than hospitable. Since there are so many delicious eatery’s, choosing may be difficult. Simply choose what landscape you want to view while dining, after all, there is little difference in the quality or food or service.

You will be seeing many sights during your stay in Rome, and your boutique or luxury hotel room may become lonely and the maid a little bored. To get from one attraction to another, it is recommended that you get the tourist tickets called BIT or CIS which are good for unlimited rides. The BIT is good for three days and the CIS is valid for one week.

Rome is rich in attractions, and there are far more than what can be mentioned in a city guide, but for now we will list the main attractions. This will give you more than a week’s worth of must do’s, and by the end you will need that luxury Roman hotel! Many of the attractions have sights from within such as the Roman Colesseum. Here you will find The Roman Arch, The Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum and Gladiators. At the Roman Pantheon you will find Pantheon’s Pronaos. St. Peter’s Basilica boasts The Vatican, The Colonnades, The Pope’s Windows, The Fountains and Museums. As if you aren’t already amazed enough, a visit to the various squares and fountains will amaze you further. Here you will see the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Novana, The Fountain of the Four Rivers, Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps. The Roman Forum holds the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Temple of Antoninus and faustina. The Campidoglio offers the Capitol, Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Piazza Venezia, Vittoriano and The Trajan’s Column. The Castel St. Angelo offers six sights including the Bridge of Castel St. Angelo and is absolutely breathtaking. The Aventine will leave you in awe with the Mouth of Truth, Circus Maximus, The Temple of Portunus, the Knights of Malta, Giardino degli Aranci, Isola Tiberina and The Temple of Hercules. Hadrian’s Villa offers The Canopus and the Maritime Theater. At the Roman Roads you will get to savor the Ancient Via Appia and the Roadside Tombs. For more lovely fountains, go to Tivoli Villa d’Este where you will find the Hundred Fountains and the Fountains of Ovato. The Ancient Ostia contains the Roman Theatre, Capitolium Temple, Tepidarium, Frigidarium and Caupona di Alexander. One of the most famous attractions are the Baths of Caracalla. At the Villa Borghese you will find the Temple of Diana and Galleria Borghese and lastly the Trastevere is an absolute must see.

It was difficult enough to just name the major attractions in a paragraph, imagine running all over the city to see them in person, snapping pictures, learning about the history and browsing the once in a lifetime scenes. Since the list is so extensive and Rome has such a robust culture, diverse architecture and extensive history, it is recommended that you research some of the above main attractions to narrow your itinerary. While some cities may appeal to different genre’s of tourists, Rome will please any type of visitor. Old, young, American, Asian, male or female…there is something here for you. At the end of the week, you may want to take a day to enjoy your luxury or boutique hotel, take a hot bath and soak up the softness of your plush bed and amenities; your body will need it and thank you.