Rome can be a bit dangerous.

You fly in for 3 days with a plan of "Colosseum, Vatican, Trevi Fountain and home".

And then find out that a week isn't enough.

Book a hotel in advance at the best price

At first glance, Rome looks like a city of monuments. In reality, though, I was often most entertained by the things in between. A morning espresso standing at the bar. Evening walks with no destination. The ancient roads outside the center or the moments when one gets away from the biggest crowds for a few hours.

Here are my helpful planning articles

• 👉 Rome in 3 days: my plan to enjoy the city
• 👉 Discover Rome without the crowds
• 👉 Where advance ticket reservations are required

And below, my favourite activities in more detail.

Walk through ancient Rome

If there's anything that's virtually unparalleled in Europe, it's Rome.

In a matter of minutes, you can walk from the Colosseum to the Forum Romanum. A little further on, the Capitol. Then the Pantheon.

And you begin to realise what an absurd concentration of history in one place this is.

If you're going to Rome for the first time, I'd put the ancient center at the very top of your itinerary. You just have to experience this on your first day.

Does Rome suffer from overtourism? Yes. Is it still worth seeing the most famous ancient monuments? Absolutely.

Here are my experiences with each monument:

• Colosseum: don't forget to book your ticket early
• Forum Romanum: best time to visit
• Pantheon: is it worth buying a ticket in advance?
• The Capitol: the best view of Rome
• The Baths of Caracalla: my favourite monument

Not only antiquity: discover hundreds of other monuments

History has passed through Rome across the centuries until today.

Ancient monuments are just a fraction of what you can see here.

I know of no other city in the world that can captivate history buffs as much as Rome. Perhaps only Kyoto, Japan.

And I'm captivated. Despite being more of a nature, beach and mountain lover.

What were my favourite sights?

• The Vittorio Emanuele II Monument.
• Trevi Fountain (yes, despite the fact that it is realistically one of the most crowded places in the world)
• St. Paul's Basilica outside the walls

💬 Do you have a favorite other city with such a concentration of sights? Inspire us and other travelers by commenting below!

Visit the smallest country in the world

Technically, you'll be leaving Italy for a while. Practically speaking, it is one of the biggest attractions in the whole of Rome.

The Vatican City is officially the smallest state in the world - in size and population.

In fact, it is the seat of the Pope, a giant basilica, a square and famous museums.

If it's your first time in Rome, I wouldn't miss the Vatican.

👉 What to see, what are the conditions of entry, what does the border between Italy and the Vatican look like? Find out in my complete guide to the Vatican.

The best food and drink in the world

While writing this article, I wondered a lot if I've ever had such a great meal in the world.

No, not even the street markets in Kuala Lumpur or even the great Japanese cuisine have captivated me as much as the restaurants, pastry shops or bars in Rome.

In a few visits, I sampled everything available.

👉 Here are all my picks for where I enjoyed the food and drink the most in Rome.

I'll reveal that I absolutely loved the focaccia with mortadella and pistachio pesto just a short walk from the Pantheon.

Oh, and I was pleasantly surprised by the prices. Rome is a bit more expensive than, say, Sicily, but for such an extremely touristy city, I expected prices to be a lot higher.

Walk all seven of Rome's hills.

A bit of a challenge.

Kind of a good way to get to know the city.

Ancient Rome was built around seven hills.

Today, you can walk between them through much of the historic centre.

• Palatine: historically the most important and longest inhabited,
• Capitol: the largest concentration of monuments,
• Aventine: the southernmost with a beautiful rose garden at the top and the famous Aventine Keyhole.
• Caelius: the least interesting, but nearby you will find, for example, the Baths of Caracalla,
• Esquilin: the largest and most easterly of the hills, on which you'll find, for example, Trajan's Market,
• Quirinalis: the northernmost hill is the seat of the current Italian President (in the Quirinal Palace),
• Viminalis: the smallest and also the least important of them all is near Termini station.

Find a hotel in Rome by location

Tour of the fountains

Rome is the city of fountains.

Just walk around the centre for a few hours and you will see dozens of them.

And once you start to notice the fountains, you see them everywhere.

I liked these fountains the best:

• Trevi Fountain (yes, despite being extremely touristy)
• Fontana dell'Acqua Paola (a hidden gem between the Gianicolo and Trastevere viewpoints)
• Fontana Campo de Fiori (nice little boat-shaped fountain)

💬 Do you have any favourite fountains in Rome? Let us know your tips in the comments below the article. Thanks!

Relax in the parks

After a few hours of walking, you begin to understand why Italians know parks so well.

These are the parks that impressed me the most:

• Gianicolo for great atmosphere and the best views of Rome.
• Villa Borghese for its size
• Parco della Caffarella on the Capitol for the beautiful sunset views right in the centre

Taking an hour off from the sights sometimes works better than another museum.

Walks along the Tiber

Practically the entire Tiber riverbed is also a long little park in the middle of the city.

The river winds its way across Rome from north to south, boasting pedestrian promenades on both sides with many benches, mature trees and iconic views of St Peter's Basilica or the Castle of the Angels.

But what definitely caught my eye the most was the promenade on the beautiful Isola Tiberina between the historic centre and Trastevere.

You simply must come here. Especially in summer.

A trip to the sea

If you should happen to get tired of visiting the city or just catch an unpleasant heat wave, take at least a half-day trip to the sea.

The nearest beaches are in the coastal town of Ostia, 30km away, which is reached every 20 minutes by regional train (Roma-Lido) from Rome. T

It leaves from Piramide station near the larger Ostiense station, where it connects to the B metro line (Piramide station).

It takes about 40 minutes to get to Ostia and you can use normal public transport fares.

• 👉 My tips for transport and tickets in Rome

Ostia is a classic Italian seaside town with long beaches, a pier and several restaurants. Expect the beaches to be extremely crowded, especially on weekends.

A trip to Tivoli

Extend your stay in Rome by at least a day and head to the beautiful inland town of Tivoli, perched on a rocky promontory.

Here you'll see beautiful Renaissance gardens that are trying to emulate cities around the world, as well as some of the best-preserved monuments of Ancient Rome.

Find out what to see and experience in Tivoli, how to get here from Rome or where to stay in a separate guide to Tivoli.