Rome for Two: Why a Couple of Days Is Never Enough

A little note: a few links in this post are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and it helps us keep sharing trips for two. Our disclosure.

People love to say you only need a couple of days in Rome. We've been back more than once, and we still haven't run out of reasons to return. Rome isn't a checklist. It's a city you fall into slowly: a gilded ceiling in the morning, a long lunch facing the Colosseum, a sunset beside a baroque dome, and dinner in Trastevere that runs late.

Here are the places we've loved, in the order we'd do them again, plus the tours that made the history come alive.

Rome at a glance

• Ancient Rome: the Colosseum arena floor (our favourite), then the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
• The Vatican: a small-group, skip-the-line tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.
• The classics, slowly: the Trevi Fountain (from above, with a drink), the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.
• Golden hour: rooftop cocktails at Oro Bistrot and aperitivo facing the Colosseum at Royal Art Café.
• Evenings: dinner at Tonnarello and a night out in Trastevere.

Ancient Rome

The Colosseum: stand on the arena floor

Seeing the Colosseum from the street is one thing. Walking out onto the arena floor through the Gladiator's Gate, where fighters once waited for the crowd, is something else entirely. We did it on a small, semi-private tour, then carried on through the Roman Forum and up the Palatine Hill. Our guide turned every broken column into a story, and the small group meant we could actually hear, ask and linger.

On another visit we went down into the underground, the hypogeum, where animals and gladiators were held before being lifted into the arena. It's a fascinating maze of brick passages, cool and dim down there, and history lovers will adore it. But if you only book one Colosseum tour, make it the arena floor. Standing where the crowds once looked down is the moment that stayed with us. We compare the two side by side in Arena floor or underground?

The Roman Forum: walk through the heart of the empire

Right next to the Colosseum, the Forum was the centre of public life in ancient Rome: temples, law courts, triumphal arches and the road the generals paraded down. A few things to look for:

• The Arch of Titus, built after the conquest of Jerusalem in AD 70, the model for triumphal arches all over the world.
• The Temple of Castor and Pollux, three tall Corinthian columns that have become the Forum's signature.
• The Temple of Caesar, built where Julius Caesar was cremated. People still leave flowers on the altar.
• The Arch of Septimius Severus, at the foot of the Capitoline Hill.

The Vatican

The Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's

The Vatican is overwhelming in the best way, and a good guide is the difference between a blur of crowds and a morning you'll never forget. We joined a small-group, skip-the-line tour: through the sculpture courtyards and the Round Room with its coffered dome, under ceilings so gilded they barely look real, into the Sistine Chapel, and finally into St. Peter's Basilica. Our full guide, with crowd tips and the dress code, is in The Vatican for two.

The classics, slowly

The Trevi Fountain, from above

At street level the Trevi is beautiful and very, very busy. Our favourite way to see it is from the window of the RoofTop Lounge at Hotel Fontana, directly opposite the fountain. Non-guests pay an entry fee at the front desk that includes a welcome cocktail in the afternoon and evening (or breakfast in the morning). It was about €25 per person when we last checked, with a 45-minute limit unless you order more, so check the hotel's page before you go. Window tables aren't guaranteed, so be patient, and the view straight down onto the water is worth it.

While you're nearby, Parlamento Boutique Hotel is a place we've loved: a small hotel in a 17th-century building a few minutes' walk from the fountain, with a rooftop terrace made for a glass of wine at the end of the day.

The Pantheon and Piazza Navona

The Pantheon is almost 1,900 years old and still has the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, open to the sky through its oculus. Go early or late to avoid the longest lines. From there it's a short walk to Piazza Navona, where Sant'Agnese in Agone is worth stepping inside for its soaring dome.

Golden hour

Sunset at Oro Bistrot, beside the twin domes

For sunset, we go up to Oro Bistrot, the rooftop of the NH Collection Roma Fori Imperiali. You sit right beside the dome of Santissimo Nome di Maria, with Trajan's Column and the Vittoriano ahead and the sky turning gold behind them. It's one of the most romantic views in the city. Book ahead for a sunset table, and dress smart casual.

Aperitivo facing the Colosseum at Royal Art Café

Royal Art Café sits right on Piazza del Colosseo, with a roof garden looking straight at the amphitheatre and the Imperial Fora. We came for a spritz and stayed for a plate of pasta, with the Colosseum filling the view. It's open from breakfast until late, so it works as a long lunch, an aperitivo or a slow dinner.

Evenings

Dinner at Tonnarello, then a night out in Trastevere

Across the river, Trastevere is where Rome comes out at night: ivy-covered lanes, street musicians and every table full. We had dinner at Tonnarello, a classic Roman trattoria known for its tonnarelli cacio e pepe. They don't take reservations, so go early or be ready to wait a little, it moves quickly. After dinner, wander. Our full evening guide is in Rome after dark.

Handmade carbonara at Osteria da Fortunata

At Osteria da Fortunata the pasta is made by hand, and you can taste it. We ordered the carbonara with a glass of red: thick, chewy strands, crispy guanciale, pecorino and plenty of black pepper, served on the osteria's own terracotta plate. Simple, rich and very Roman.

Why a couple of days is never enough

You can see the Colosseum, the Vatican and the Trevi in a rush. But Rome rewards the couples who stay a little longer: the second espresso, the sunset you didn't plan, the trattoria you find on the walk home. Give it time, and it gives you so much back.

Back to the Journal