A 48-hour guide to the historic, art-laden European metropolis of Rome
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Rome has been around for almost three thousand years and yet carries all that weight of history with a dolce vita lightness of heart. It’s a city that combines the intimacy and human scale of a village with the cultural draws of a historic, art-laden European metropolis.
Classical ruins and early Christian places of worship stand next to – or sometimes lie beneath – Renaissance palazzos and Baroque fountains. But there are also great neighbourhood trattorias, quirky shops and a buzzing aperitivo scene. The golden rule for visitors? Don’t try to cram too much in. Rome moves at a slower pace than many northern cities, and to enjoy it you should take time out in pavement cafés as well as ticking off all the big cultural draws.
Explore our in-depth guides to Rome’s best hotels, attractions, restaurants, shopping, nightlife and free things to do.
The former Grand Hotel de la Minerve has reopened as the Orient Express La Minerva, after a four-year renovation. This is the luxury rail brand’s first hotel in the world. The interiors now glow with Art Deco chic, and the rooftop restaurant has reclaimed its place as one of the most spectacular in Rome’s centro storico, with direct views over the Pantheon’s massive cupola.
Italian and international stars take to the stage for the city’s annual music festival, Rome Summer Fest. There are more than 70 concerts scheduled between June and September this year, including A-listers from Sting and Alanis Morissette to Nick Cave. Performances are held in the outdoor Cavea at Renzo Piano’s modern Auditorium Parco della Musica, a delight for architecture aficionados, as well as music fans.
Rome’s 2025 ecclesiastical calendar is filled with Jubilee-related events, but there’s one summer celebration that is uniquely Roman: The Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul, which honours the city’s patron saints each year on June 29. People will be out in droves for the Mass at the Pantheon and an infiorata (floral display) in front of St Peter’s. The main attraction however, is the Girandola, a spectacular fireworks display over Castel Sant’Angelo that lights up the sky around 10:30pm.
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Head up the steps of the Capitoline to admire two and a half millennia of history in the harmonious Piazza del Campidoglio, laid out by Michelangelo in the 1530s on a site that once bristled with Roman temples. In the centre, emperor Marcus Aurelius still greets you proudly from his saddle, though today’s equestrian statue is a replica of the second-century-AD bronze original conserved just across the square in the Musei Capitolini.
Dodge around the back of Palazzo dei Senatori for a panoramic view of the Forum. Then head across Piazza Venezia to the Antica Birreria Peroni, a vintage Roman-style bierkeller, where crowds of appreciative locals and tourists pack in to dine on filling carb and meat fare, washed down with draught Peroni. If you’re in a hurry, you can join the local office workers who eat standing up at the bar by the entrance.
Brave the crowds again and head for the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine complex. Rome’s most famous classical ruin (half circus, half sports arena) is unmissable – especially now that the visitor route has been extended to the underfloor passageways through which gladiators and wild beasts made their entrances. Walk from the Colosseum though the Forum to the pretty Palatine Hill, where Romulus legendarily founded Rome, and where emperors such as Augustus built their palaces.
If the throng proves too daunting, head to nearby San Clemente, one of Rome’s most worthwhile but least publicised sightseeing treats. This historical layer-cake descends from a street-level medieval and early-Renaissance church, with frescoes by Masolino, via a fourth-century early Christian church to the basement remains of a second-century insula (apartment block), complete with shrine to Mithras.
Head into Monti, the chic boho district of cobbled lanes and alternative fashion and vintage shops between Via Nazionale and Via Cavour. The best hunting ground for funky togs, shoes and jewellery is Via del Boschetto, where you’ll find the fusion restaurant Satiro Vino e Cucina serving up classic Roman and Asian-inspired dishes side-by-side (cacio e pepe followed by tuna tataki, anyone?).
For an aperitivo or after-dinner drink under an ivy-draped door, old-school wine bar Ai Tre Scalini offers a glimpse of pre-hipster Monti.
If you’re determined to include the Vatican in your brief Roman holiday, brace for queues at St Peter’s, and pre-book your slot at the Vatican Museums online to avoid an even longer wait there.
Otherwise, start your day with a Roman breakfast of cappuccino and cornetto (croissant) at elegant Bar Rosati, which at this morning hour, still has a relaxed vibe. Then cross the square to the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, an artistic treasure trove in which two strikingly dramatic canvases by Caravaggio stand out.
Head for the Ara Pacis, where Richard Meier’s boxy museum-container houses a graceful marble altar that honoured Emperor Augustus’s pacification of the Roman provinces. It’s a short stroll to the churches of Sant’Agostino and San Luigi dei Francesi in the piazzas of the same names, with more splendid Caravaggios.
Armando al Pantheon is a charming throwback to the days when the centro storico was full of family-run trattorias serving hearty old-fashioned home cooking. And its location right opposite the Pantheon, Rome’s most satisfyingly intact ancient temple, means you can fit in culture and pasta in a single lunch break.
It’s a short stroll from here to the Galleria Doria Pamphilj, which houses more Caravaggios plus works by Bruegel, Titian, Raphael and Velasquez, in an austerely aristocratic setting. You’re well placed, afterwards, for a shopping spree, either in the chic (and costly) boutiques of Via dei Condotti and around, or along cheap-and-cheerful Via dei Giubbonari.
Dine at one of Rome’s new breed of creative trattorias. In boho Trastevere, La Gensola offers a mix of tasty Roman specialities and Sicilian-style seafood dishes in an informal setting. Alternatively, head for Testaccio and grab a pizza at Da Remo or an aperitivo at the Enoteca Palombi, known for its selection of beers from around the globe.
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Planning to stay longer?
With the Jubilee set to draw record crowds in 2025, organising a trip to Rome during this monumental pilgrimage, which typically only happens every 25 years, will take careful planning. Expect the busiest times of year in Rome to be around Easter and the high-season months from about late May until early September. The summer months can be especially crowded and punishingly hot even in a non-Jubilee year.
Low season lasts from January until early March, and this is the best time to enjoy the city when visitor numbers are lower. Shoulder season lasts from about mid-October up through mid-November and from mid-March to mid-May when the weather is milder and the city is not as overrun with tourists.
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When Rocco Forte Hotels unveiled its lavish, Grand Tour-inspired Hotel de la Ville, it immediately set a new standard for stylish luxury in the Eternal City. A theatrical yet sophisticated vibe, next-level cocktails, and a panoramic rooftop done in chic riviera stripes reveal an invitingly playful side.
If Rome has left you footsore, you don’t need to be a guest to recharge at the Hotel de la Ville’s spa, which offers day passes from €80 (£66).
Read our full hotel review here.
Set so close to the Trevi Fountain that you can hear the water rush, Maalot Roma is one of the most exciting additions to the Italian capital city’s boutique hotel scene. This chic-yet-cheeky five-star serves up its bold maximalist luxury with a refreshing wink-and-nudge playfulness.
Read our full hotel review here.
With its stylish townhouse air, stellar staff and excellent breakfast, the Nerva Boutique Hotel offers luxe urban living at surprisingly affordable prices. The Roman Forum and trendy restaurants of Monti are just steps away, so you are perfectly placed to experience the best of the Eternal City by day and by night.
Read our full hotel review here.
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Rebecca Winke’s first visit to Rome was a coup de foudre, and her affection for the Eternal City has only grown over 25 years of living in Italy. She has mastered the art of navigating the city’s sampietrini cobblestones in heels but has yet to come away from a plate of bucatini all’amatriciana with an unsullied blouse.
Lee Marshall’s perfect day in Rome: Tiber walk, culture fix, watch AS Roma beat Juve, aperitivo with friends in Monti, pizza in Testaccio. Lee may now live in the Italian countryside but he still needs a regular dose of the Eternal City, where he lived for 24 years.

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