Things to do in Rome
Trattorias, baroque piazzas and one dinner worth every euro
This is Rome for people who want to eat well without performing luxury: great-value lunches, a creative splurge at Retrobottega, and afternoons spent at the Borghese and Pantheon rather than rooftop bars. The three days move from the centro storico through the Trevi neighbourhood and down into Trastevere, covering a lot of ground on foot and ending each night with a proper drink.
Day 1: Parione, Pantheon and Campo Marzio
Start with espresso at a local café, spend the morning inside Rome's greatest ancient structure, then work through lunch, Piazza Navona and a creative dinner at Retrobottega.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Pantheon
Rome's best-preserved ancient temple: stand under the oculus of the unreinforced concrete dome; entry is 5 euros.
Map - 12:30 PM
Hosteria Grappolo d'Oro
Great-value Roman trattoria steps from Campo de' Fiori, honest cooking at honest prices.
Map - 2:30 PM
Piazza Navona
Wander the baroque oval of Piazza Navona, fountains and street life included, a classic Roman afternoon stroll.
Map - 7:30 PM
Retrobottega
Counter seats facing an open kitchen near the Pantheon; the tasting menu is the one splurge of the trip.
Map - 9:30 PM
L’ANTIDOTO
Natural-wine bar in a Trastevere side street: ask what's open by the glass and pair it with a cheese plate.
Map
Day 2: Spanish Steps to the Borghese
A morning at the Steps and a long lunch in Trevi lead into the afternoon's real reward: a timed slot at the Galleria Borghese, followed by a storied dinner at Tullio.
- 9:30 AM
Babington's
Historic Anglo-Italian café near the Spanish Steps, a proper morning espresso or tea with old-Rome atmosphere.
Map - 10:30 AM
Piazza di Spagna
Climb the Spanish Steps to Trinità dei Monti for the view down Via dei Condotti; sitting on the steps is fined.
Map - 12:30 PM
Trattoria Della Stampa
Old-school Roman trattoria on Via dei Maroniti; get the cacio e pepe and book ahead.
Map - 2:30 PM
Galleria Borghese
Rome's best museum in a villa setting, Bernini's Apollo and Daphne, Caravaggio rooms; book a timed slot in advance.
Map - 7:30 PM
Ristorante Tullio
Tuscan-Roman old guard off Via Barberini: bistecca, porcini in season and white-jacket service.
Map - 9:30 PM
Prosciutteria Cantina dei Papi - Trastevere
Wooden boards of prosciutto and pecorino with cheap house wine, a casual last glass among Trastevere's lanes.
Map
Day 3: A full day in Trastevere
Roscioli pastries, the orange-garden views from the Giardino degli Aranci, cacio e pepe at Da Teo and the gold mosaics of Santa Maria before a final dinner at Taverna Trilussa.
- 9:30 AM
Roscioli Caffè Pasticceria
Excellent Roman pasticceria for a proper espresso and cornetto to start the day.
Map - 10:15 AM
Giardino degli Aranci
Orange trees and a terrace on the Aventine with one of the best views across the river to St Peter's dome.
Map - 12:30 PM
Trattoria Da Teo
Trastevere trattoria on Piazza dei Ponziani: cacio e pepe, carciofi alla romana and the house wine.
Map - 4:30 PM
Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere
Glittering 12th-century gold mosaics in Trastevere's medieval piazza, free to enter and unmissable.
Map - 7:30 PM
Taverna Trilussa
Old Trastevere taverna serving pasta in the pan it was cooked in; the amatriciana and the abbacchio.
Map
Where to stay
Chapter Roma
The only $$ option in the cluster, a short walk from Retrobottega and L'Antidoto: good value and well-placed for all three days.
Palazzo Navona Hotel
Sits right on Piazza Navona's doorstep, which makes Day 1 feel effortless and keeps you central for the other two.
Make Rome your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Colosseum: weeks ahead
- Roman Forum: weeks ahead
- Palatine Hill: weeks ahead
- Vatican Museums: weeks ahead
- Sistine Chapel: weeks ahead
- Pantheon: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Restaurants facing Trevi, Piazza Navona or the Pantheon with touts and photo menus: have a drink there if you must, eat two streets away.
- Costumed gladiators at the Colosseum demand 20 to 50 euros after a photo and can turn aggressive. Never pose.
- Neon gelato mounds by monuments are the tourist version. Real gelato sits in covered metal tins in muted natural colours.
- Skip the line tickets sold on the street and Colosseum tickets from non official sellers at multiples of face value.
The full Rome travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around