Rome
Top sights to see and tips for avoiding the lines!
Restaurant recommendations--jump to them HERE.
This basilica is huge - it's meant to be impressive as the home base of the Catholic religion and represent the power of the Church. The basilica was constructed on the remains of Constantine the Great's basilica (originally built in the 4th century but taken down to make space for St. Peter's basilica) starting in 1506, with construction and interior decoration complete in 1626. Designed by several architects including Michelangelo (di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni), Donato Bramante and Carlo Moderno, with many internal fittings and structures designed by Gian Bernini. Constantine built his basilica over the tomb of St. Peter, enclosing the tomb in a marble box with pillars around it. St. Peter's basilica was built here for the same reason, with additional walls, pillars and ornate fixtures.
We actually bought two different tickets for St. Peter's - one for the basilica and one for the Necropolis (see below). If you want to save money and time (by not standing in a big line), consider getting only the Necropolis ticket - when that tour is over, the guide leaves you inside the basilica (in the Vatican grotto, just below the main floor) so you can wander at your leisure. If you can't get Necropolis tickets, we suggest you still buy St. Peter's Basilica tickets in advance. There is a separate entrance (and of course a line) but it's shorter than the day-of ticket purchase line.
St. Peter's Basilica. Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City. 7 euros pp
Necropolis (below St. Peter's Basilica)
This was an incredible tour of an area not generally open to the public. You get taken to the lowest level of the basilica that has been excavated and see the funeral mausoleums from the 1st-3rd century Rome. Because most of these structures were buried under Constantine's basilica, they are in amazing shape. You can still see the painted walls and frescoes in bright, vibrant colors. In addition, you learn about the history of the basilica and see the actual tomb of St. Peter. The only downside of the tour was no photographs allowed...
This is a very limited tour that requires advance planning. Twelve people are allowed per tour and it runs every 15 minutes. I sent in a request for tickets 4 months in advance of our trip - I listed several days and any time during those days. Two months before our trip I received an email confirming a date and time, paid for and then got a QR code ticket. Note that there is a separate security check and (short) line to get to the Excavation Office where the tour starts. But, you do get to see (and talk to!) Swiss Guards. (photo at left; photos not permitted inside the Necropolis)
Necropolis. WF23+MJ7, Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City. On Google Map, enter "Uffizio Scavi" (excavation office). 20 euros pp
The Roman Forum was the center of ancient Rome. Arches dedicated to battle victories, giant temples dedicated to various gods and high podiums for speakers and vast crowds of listeners all dot this area that was used for at least 500 years.
After about 500 CE, the Forum fell into disuse and much of the carved and quarried material was repurposed for other buildings around Rome. By the 17th century, much of the Forum was underground and only some of the pillars and large arches were visible. Additionally, houses and apartments had been built over various areas. Initial excavations were begun in the early 19th century with the Italian government carrying out large-scale excavations after reunification of Italy.
Now, you can stroll along pieces of intact Roman road and view what remains of several temples (a few pillars), the intact Arch of Titus (celebrating the sack of Judea) built in 81, the Arch of Septimus Severus (celebrating victory over the Carpathians) built in 203 and a number of early Christian, medieval and Renaissance buildings.
There are several entrances to the Forum. The main entrance is near the Colosseum and is always mobbed except at or near opening time. We ended up finding an entrance near the Capitoline Museums - entering near the Arch of Septimus Severus. There is no ticket machine there; we just bought tickets online while standing nearby and walked through. There was no line at 9am
You can also get great views of the Forum from inside the Capitoline Museum, which we did the day before we visited the Forum. This was a good way to understand the layout of the Forum.
Roman Forum. 00186 Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital. 9 AM - 4:30 PM daily. 18 euros pp
The Capitoline Museum is an impressive complex. located on the Capitoline Hill, focusing on the history of ancient Rome plus special, temporary exhibits (while we were there, a Diego Rivera exhibit). There are a number of buildings that make up the museum complex - the two major buildings are Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Palazzo Nuovo, which face each other across Piazza del Campidoglio.
The collection originated from a donation from Pope Sixtus IV of a group of bronze sculptures (the so-called Lateran Collection, which had previously been housed in the Lateran Palace). The buildings themselves that house the collection date back to 1471. The Lateran bronzes are some of the most famous in the world and, when we were there, all of them were house in a central atrium now called the Exedra of Marcus Aurelius. Here you can find not only the Boy with Thorn, the Capitoline Wolf (an Etruscan, not Roman, sculpture that originally did not have two infant boys [Romulus and Remus] suckling), the Camillus, and two fragments from an enormous statue of Emperor Domitian but also a greater-than-life size statue of Marcus Aurelius on horseback, Hercules of the Forum Boarium and the Lion Attacking a Horse.
One lovely bonus was the view of the Roman Forum from the back of one of the buildings.
Capitoline Museum. Piazza del Campidoglio, 1, 00186 Roma RM. 15 euros pp. Open daily 9:30 AM - 7:30 PM. Note that many other museums and sites close at 4 or 4:30 PM so this could be a good place to visit in the late afternoon. We did (though not during peak tourist season) and found some exhibit rooms empty of people.
Great Synagogue of Rome and the Jewish Museum plus--the Jewish Ghetto
The Great Synagogue of Rome was constructed in 1904. Interestingly, it was designed by two Christian architects who took many aspects of grandeur from churches around the city into the design. For example, the synagogue has a very high ceiling, with various mosaics and paintings on them, and the synagogue has a unique, square aluminum dome. The main sanctuary is wonderful to visit, especially since it's still in active and frequent use as a place for worship for the Roman Jewish community. Today, there are 18 synagogues in Rome, of which the Great Synagogue is but one. A second synagogue also shares space with the Great Synagogue, though we weren't able to see their sanctuary.
The Jewish Museum is on the grounds of the Great Synagogue. This is one of the best Jewish museums we have visited anywhere. Though small, it is sign-posted well with interesting information, provided in a numbered (and chronological) way. Separate rooms for exhibits about silver religious items and the story of Italian-Libyan Jews were very well done. We also noted that many of the signs do not assume knowledge of Jewish holidays or events, and therefore, provide a lot of context and useful information even for those not familiar with Judaism.
The surrounding neighborhood is the Jewish Quarter, established as a ghetto in 1555. It has a Shoah Museum (across the street from the Synagogue), a street packed with Jewish Italian restaurants, and is a good spot for a guided tour.
In our pictures below, we also include two photos of plaques in front of various homes in central Rome - keep your eye on the sidewalk not just in the Ghetto but all around the city, and look at front doors to various apartment buildings and homes. These memorialize Roman Jews who were deported and murdered during World War II.
Note that it is possible to attend services at the Great Synagogue. See this link for more info.
Great Synagogue of Rome and the Jewish Museum. Lungotévere de' Cenci, 00186 Roma RM. Open 10 AM - 4 PM, except Fridays 9 AM - 1 PM and closed Saturday. 12 euros pp for entrance to the Museum plus a guided tour of the synagogue. (Note: in order to visit the synagogue, you must be part of a guided tour that starts inside the museum i.e. you have to buy a museum entrance ticket.)
This Palazzo contains the collection of Cardinal Bernardino Spada, starting in the mid-1600s and consists of a large collection of 16th and 17th century paintings and sculptures - only some with religious themes.
One fascinating item is a forced perspective optical illusion courtyard commissioned by Spada and carried out by Francesco Borromini. It's intended to look like a 37 meter gallery with a lifesize human sculpture at one end. In reality, the gallery is only 9 meters and the sculpture is only 60 cm (2 feet) high.
Galleria Spada. Piazza Capo di Ferro, 13, 00186 Roma RM, Italy. Open every day except Tuesday 8:30 AM - 7:30 PM. 8 euros pp
This fascinating museum about the history leading up to and beyond Italian reunification is housed in the Vittorio Emanuele II National Monument, which itself was built to honor Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of reunified Italy.
You can walk throughout the National Monument, visit the museum and then take an elevator to the top of the monument and look out over the entire city of Rome. Without a ticket, you can climb the first set of stairs
Central Museum of the Risorgimento. Piazza Venezia, 00186 Roma RM, Italy. Open daily 9:30 AM - 7:30 PM. Access to the Monument itself is free but access to the museum and the top of the Monument is 18 euro pp.
Markets
Although we had aspirations of visiting several markets in Rome, we ended up visiting just one: Mercato di San Cosimato (Mercato di San Cosimato.Piazza di S. Cosimato, 64, 00153 Roma RM, Italy. Open every day except Sunday 6:30 AM - 2:30 PM) This small, locals-only produce market was a block from where we stayed in Trastevere. It was a great place to pick up fresh produce and deli items. The photo below left shows about 3/4 of the whole market.
If you are looking for markets in Rome, this site has an extensive list.
In addition, we spent time at a supermarket called Celliachiamo. If you or someone you love is gluten-free, this is a must-visit. Photo bottom right shows some of their pasta selection.
Restaurants
It is worthwhile to make reservations ahead of time when possible, and your hotel or B & B host can assist with this if online reservations are not offered. There are many, many ways to "waste" your meals in Rome at restaurants aimed at tourists, with overcooked pasta.
Trattoria Monti
(Via di S. Vito, 13, 00185 Roma RM, Italy. ph +39064466573)
Fantastic meals. We ate here 2 times and the service was excellent, food superior, and vibe local Italian only. You must reserve in advance. Our hotel helped us with the first reservation. After dining there, we made a second reservation for 48 hrs later, before we left.
The pasta is cooked perfectly and with excellent sauces. All dishes had a balance of flavors and top notch ingredients. I have never seen tuna sauce in a restaurant though enjoy it at home. The veal with tuna sauce was great. Eggplant Parmesan was a wonderful version with crispy bits on the sides. All meat was cooked well and sauces in general all flavorful and well matched
Our waiter in our second visit told us that an appetizer at the next table (stuffed and fried olives, battered and fried vegetables) was always on the menu and very popular because it featured foods traditionally eaten at holidays.
Above: fresh porcini salad (rare in Rome; available in east Sicily in the fall) with parmesan and pears; pasta with meat sauce; duck; veal with tuna sauce; eggplant parmesan; parmesan flan; red onion flan; eggplant rolls with ricotta filling; pear tartine; persimmon pudding.
(V. dei Coronari, 139, 00186 Roma RM, Italy ph +393667017362)
This is a very special farm-to-table restaurant, with staff (2) who are rightfully enthusiastic about their food. The food is sourced from a collective. They are only open for lunch!! The chef and front-of-house both speak perfect English (and Italian of course and Spanish). They opened in June of 2026. Our son visited in July and said it was amazing, and empty. We visited in October 2026 and walked in without a reservation. About 6 tables were full when we left. Do note that this restaurant is going to get more popular quickly, because it's that good.
We started with melon and prosciutto. The melon was super sweet and of course the meat was excellent
The bread service is good--nice crust and flavor. We enjoyed trying all the vinegars and oils they have for sale (and did buy one balsamic for home)
Pasta with an eggplant parmesan pesto--they made the eggplant parmesan, then blended it into a sauce. Fantastic
Ox tail with grilled vegetable side--delicious and slow cooked. They will serve it over pasta, but as we already had a pasta ordered we asked for a side of grilled veg instead. The chef asked us if there were any vegetables we didn't like. The choices were wonderful, with pumpkin, zucchini, fennel, and peppers. It really did justice to the vegetables.
Since everything was so good, we figured we had to get dessert. Their tiramisu is good. At the end of the meal we asked the chef if there were any cheeses we should take back to the US. He said aged cheese vacuum sealed was fine for import and gave us samples of 4. We took home wedges of 3 of these.
(Via Natale del Grande, 52, 00153 Roma RM, Italy MENU --scroll down for English)
One hopes that in Rome any restaurant will do pasta well. At Eggs, this was true. For many other spots in Rome it was not. So here's a spot you can probably get into without a reservation that does pasta well
Carbonara pumpkin-- fantastic pasta with pumpkin added.
Pasta with egg yolk and tomato sauce -- also excellent.
Egg sampler-- fun, even if they were not all outstanding
Where to eat in the Jewish Quarter
We tried 2 of the restaurants on the street full of kosher restaurants: Nonna Betta ad Bella Carne. They were each about an 8.5/10, with some dishes a great hit and others a miss.
Artichokes: Nonna Betta's were slightly better, though they needed salt. Bella Carne's were good. In both cases, the oil used was fresh and the coating not heavy.
Lamb shoulder with artichokes at Bella Carne was very good. The meat was tender and flavorful and the artichoke flavor came through.
Nonna Betta had excellent falafel, and a dessert (in the mixed desserts) that was described as a dessert matzoh ball and was very good and not something one would find outside of Rome's Jewish restaurants.
All of the restaurants on this street get heavy tourist traffic, and that has changed them, but it is the only spot we know of for this cuisine. Next time we will search for specifically Libyan Jewish cuisine, such as
Ba'Ghetto, which is on the same street in the Jewish Quarter as others listed above, is said to have more Libyan influences.
Little Tripoli (Via Cremona, 42, 00161 Roma RM, Italy);
Alfonso (son), address: Via Brescia 23, near the Porta Pia (beginning of Via Nomentana), tel. (+39) 0697612215, and also Alfonso 2 (father), Via Galla e Sidama 9b, tel. (+39) 0686200184.--They were the first Jewish Libyan restaurant in Rome.
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