Souvenirs of Rome including a mug and a selection of fridge magnets

Best Rome Souvenirs

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak

A trip to the Eternal City is unforgettable for so many reasons: its world-class pizza, those beautifully preserved ancient monuments, romantic strolls through the gardens of the Villa Borghese. But, if your memory ain’t what it used to be, you’ll probably want a memento of your vacation to take home with you. Or maybe just a special gift for a loved one. Either way, we’re here to help, with our guide to the best souvenirs in Rome.

Best Rome Souvenirs

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One tourist’s trash is another’s treasure and, like most capital cities worth their salt, Rome is awash with affordable trinkets and knick-knacks that will continue to bring a wistful smile to the face of their owners for many years to come. We’re talking those ubiquitous Vespa fridge magnets – available in every color under the Italian sun – and little ornaments in the shape of the Trevi Fountain, the Capitoline Wolf, the Mouth of Truth and the Pantheon. Chief among these is, of course, the Colosseum. There's seemingly no end to souvenirs related to the world’s most famous amphitheater. Keyrings, wine stoppers, mugs, t-shirts, tea towels, gladiator figurines, even snow globes – if you can think of it, it probably exists.

What else? You can get rosary beads, crucifixes, jewelry and votive candles from the official Vatican gift shops in St Peter’s Square. Or, indeed, pick up the cheaper knock-off varieties elsewhere. You can even get an effigy of Pope Francis in bronze or marble. Or treat yourself to a more affordable plastic bobblehead Pope, though you’re unlikely to find the last of these in or around the Vatican itself...

And sure, you could go shopping for expensive Italian haute couture along the exclusive Via dei Condotti, but who needs to get their threads from Armani, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana when you can make like Pope Francis and head for Gammarelli instead? Opened in 1798, this shop sells a vast selection of ecclesiastical garments and is official tailor to the Pope himself. Pick up a pair of his famous bright red socks for yourself or for a relative, smug in the knowledge that these make a way better gift than the novelty ‘days of the week’ socks you send your dad every birthday and Christmas.

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Personalized Rome Souvenirs

Nothing says ‘thinking of you’ like a gift you’ve had personalized for someone, and what could be more Italian than a piece of marble? These two things come together in perfect harmony at La Bottega del Marmoraro on Via Margutta, just round the corner from the Spanish Steps. On entering this tiny hole in the wall, you might legitimately feel like you’ve inadvertently stepped into the workshop of an ancient Roman craftsman: walls are festooned with inscribed marble slabs and statues and busts crowd the corners. Friendly proprietor Enrico Fiorentini will happily inscribe whatever message you like into a marble tablet, for the ultimate in personalized gifts. Prices for small tablets with short messages start at just a few euros and you’re guaranteed a high-quality souvenir for your dough. Pro-tip: give some thought to an inscribed saying or motto that will mean a lot to a friend or loved one and try not to leave with a stone reading, for example, ‘Gaz woz here 2022’.

Liquid Gold

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Wine, glorious wine. Italy’s reputation for excellent vino is virtually unmatched, as anyone who has quaffed a chianti or guzzled a pinot grigio will no doubt attest. You’ll find fine wines just about everywhere here, from Tuscany to Puglia and Sardinia. But if you’re looking for something a little more local to Rome, try picking up a couple bottles of fruity red Cesanese, the Lazio region’s signature tipple, though certainly less ubiquitous than the (equally superb) local Merlot. Or grab some dry whites from Lazio’s Castelli Romani commune just south of the city. You’ll find these in any decent Rome wine shop, or at the Campagna Amica, a weekend market next to the Circus Maximus that deals almost exclusively in produce – including wine – from the Lazio region.

Easily one of the best food markets in Rome, this is also the place to get your hands on authentic local oils. Think rich, velvety extra virgin olive oil, and earthy aromatic truffle oil. Pair with some fine balsamics for the perfect souvenir gift... to yourself, natch.

Chocolate and Cheese

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While you’re there, why not really fill your boots and stock up on regional cheeses? Sure, you can also get these in Rome’s fantastic cheese shops, but what could be more authentic than getting free tasters straight from the farmer who made them? Pick your favorites and splash out on kilos of creamy buffalo mozzarella, pungent Pecorino Romano and soft, sweet ricotta. Your only challenge will be making it back onto home soil without scoffing the whole delicious lot.

There’s also prosciutto, pickles, preserves and pasta galore to be found at the market, so you’re unlikely to go away empty-handed. Re: pasta, we strongly recommend buying yours here rather than succumbing to the short-lived schoolboy giggles promised by Rome’s ubiquitous packs of phallic pasta shapes. Trust us: no-one will be laughing when you inadvertently serve them up to the in-laws at your next dinner party.

Prefer the sweet stuff? The Italian chocolate-making tradition is the stuff of legend, so expect to find dozens of places selling sweet treats. The best of these are to be found in the stores of genuine artisan chocolate producers, such as Moriondo and Garglio near the Pantheon. With almost two centuries of chocolate-making experience, you can be sure the quality is going to be high. Many of their chocs are made to traditional 19th-century recipes.

Classic Rome Souvenirs

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Some of the best Rome souvenirs are also some of the simplest. How about some fine Italian leather, for example? The century-old Mancini store is just a hop and a skip from the Pantheon and stocks the briefcases and suitcases that made its name way back in the day, as well as belts, purses, wallets, and plenty more well-crafted accessories. Or seek out smaller, family-run leather shops, which may well be more willing and able to make bespoke items for you on request. Leather gladiator skirt and sandals, anyone?

Meanwhile, the ceramics and glassware on display in so many shop windows and stall fronts around the city are not all destined to smash into a million pieces in your luggage on the flight home. For the good stuff – and we mean robust, good quality ceramics made by genuine artisans – dodge the tourist traps and make for Studio Forme, whose unique vases, plates, cups and ornaments are a color-popping cut above. Considered one of the very best souvenir shops in Rome, L’Artigianato on Piazza Navona is also great for ceramics... and so much more. Murano glass? Check. Designer Italian kitchenware and home furnishings? Yep, available right here. Chess and checker boards? You bet. Statues and busts of Roman emperors? Oh, go on then!

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Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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View of St Peter's Square and Basilica from a nearby apartment in the Vatican, Rome
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Where To Stay in Rome

There’s no straight-out winner when it comes to deciding where to stay in Rome, so densely packed is the Eternal City with extraordinary things to see and do: think ancient monuments, baroque palazzi, lively piazzas and atmospheric mazes of cobbled alleys. And, in spite of its famed seven hills and seemingly impenetrable labyrinth of streets, it’s actually deceptively easy to get around, thanks to a relatively compact center and a user-friendly public transit system that includes metro, buses and trams. Check out our short guide to where to stay in Rome below... Best for Seeing it All Rome’s Centro Storico – the ancient city’s historic center – is where you’ll find almost all of the big-hitting attractions. We’re talking the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, the Circus Maximus, Piazza Navona and more. Plus, within a mere 20 minutes’ walk, more bucket-list beauties, including the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and St Peter’s Square. In short, if you’re a first-time visitor, an insatiable sightseer, or a family with kids who demand to be as close to the main action as possible, a stay bang in the center of town is likely to be your best bet. Sure, the noise – a 24-hour cacophony of tooting Vespa horns, over-excited tourists and partying locals – can be irritating at times, particularly if you’ve booked a hotel overlooking a busy piazza or thoroughfare. But, hey, what price that epic view of the planet’s largest surviving Roman amphitheater? Or the ability to step straight from your hotel or apartment onto a bustling baroque piazza for your morning espresso and cornetti? It goes without saying that there are hundreds of eating and drinking options in the historic district, from tiny trattoria to luxury fine dining and dive bars to classy cocktail joints. So you won’t want for places to fill your face with delicious pizza romana. There’s an equally impressive variety of accommodations on offer here, too: glam luxury hotels, roomy family apartments, modest boutique B&Bs and more, though you’ll of course pay a premium for the location. But, boy, is it worth it. Best for Luxury Strictly for those on an A-list budget, the Tridente neighborhood is Rome’s swankiest postcode. Named for the three huge prongs (oh ok then, roads) that radiate out from Piazza del Popolo, this area is packed with bucket-list attractions (hello, Villa Borghese, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain!) as well as picture-postcard palm-lined piazzas, elegant townhouses, and some of the most wallet-worrying designer boutiques in town. That’s right: it’s here you’ll find Via dei Condotti, Rome’s most exclusive shopping street, where the likes of Armani, Fendi, Gucci and Valentino – to name just a few – ply their trade. Unsurprisingly then, many of Rome’s glammest hotels can be found in this neighborhood from celeb hangout The Hassler at the top of the Spanish Steps to fashionista favorite Portrait Roma, where personal shoppers can be arranged for trips to nearby Via dei Condotti. Proximity to other big attractions including the Pantheon and Forum also make Tridente a surprisingly good choice for families – assuming you have deep enough pockets. Best for Living Like a Local Cute ocher-colored houses with brightly painted shutters and iron balconies that drip with vines and ivy, charming cobbled piazzas where locals chatter in the shade of olive trees, and some of the best gelato in town! Welcome to Trastevere on the west bank of the Tiber, arguably Rome’s most photogenic neighborhood. Still within walking distance of the historic center and with some fine close-up views of St Peter’s Basilica (especially from Janiculum Hill), Trastevere is la dolce vita writ large, all café culture during the day and lively nightlife as dusk descends. It’s well-connected to the city center by bus and tram, largely car free, and has plenty of affordable Airbnb accommodation to boot! What’s not to like? Join the locals for evening aperitifs on the steps of the monumental fountain on bustling Piazza Trilussa, as the sun sets over the medieval Ponte Sisto bridge. And make for San Cosimato market (daily except Sundays) for farm-fresh local produce including pungent Lazio cheeses, piquant Tuscan salamis and just-baked focaccia. You’ll quickly find that being on the edge of the main action needn’t mean missing out. Bars and restaurants are just as plentiful here as anywhere else, and trattoria, cafés and craft pubs have a pleasantly local feel. Best for Visiting the Vatican Wondering where to stay in Rome if you’re primarily interested in exploring the Vatican’s extensive museums, snapping selfies in front of St Peter’s Basilica, marveling at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel masterpiece and attending an audience with the Pope himself in St Peter’s Square? Prati may be the neighborhood for you. A little off the beaten track and therefore less touristy than more central districts, Prati is a suave suburb of smart shopping streets and broad Italian boulevards that makes for easy access to the Vatican and nearby Castel Sant’Angelo, an imposing cylindrical fortress commissioned by Emperor Hadrian as a family mausoleum 2,000 years ago, and now a fantastic museum packed with frescoes, sculptures, paintings and military weaponry, topped off with sweeping terrace views of the magnificent Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II and the city beyond. There’s a good range of mid-range hotels to be found in Prati and, should you wish to bypass the Vatican and go straight to town, it’s just a short hop on the metro’s A-line. Stick around for what some say is the best pizza in Rome, courtesy of dough demon Gabriele Bonci and his legendary local foodie favorite Pizzarium. Try a slice of potato and mozzarella heaven. Serious carb overload for sure, but there’s a reason it’s their best seller. Best for Hip Young Things Hip with a dollop of history is perhaps the neatest way of describing the post-industrial landscape of Ostiense, which is still dominated by the towering gasometer from the city’s decommissioned gasworks. Locals have taken the theme and run with it: here’s where to find trendy bars and experimental cuisine, and some of the best street art in the city. Metro subways, abandoned factories, apartment blocks: there’s no canvas too big or small for the up-and-coming Ostiense graffitos. Take a stroll and marvel at these impressive murals before heading over to the utterly amazing Central Montemartini museum, a former power station inside of which ancient Roman and Greek statues are juxtaposed against an industrial backdrop of huge turbines, vents and pipes. It’s really quite something. If this all feels a bit modern, fear not: Ostiense is also home to some excellent old-school attractions, including one of Rome’s four major papal basilicas, St Paul Outside the Walls, an enormous Neoclassical confection with sections that date back to the 4th Century. And the rather incongruous Pyramid of Cestius, a gleaming white marble tomb that’s almost as old as the city itself, Find it at the northern end of Via Ostiense, the district’s main thoroughfare. Note that Ostiense is a little way from the main city center attractions so may be best reserved for second or third-timers when deciding where to stay in Rome. Save on things to do in Rome Save on admission to Rome attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Hilltop town in Rome's seven hills
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Best day trips from Rome

Rome is like a lasagne – it’s a city of layers. It’s been buried and built on over the centuries, with so many statues, churches and monuments packed into its corners that will keep surprising you no matter how many times you come back. Despite that, it can be oppressive – it’s very hot and there’s a lot of stone and concrete about, so if you have time escape for a day and explore the regions and delicacies around Rome’s famous seven hills. Here are our best suggestions, from just outside the city centre up to a couple of hours away: The ancient Via Appia Antica Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli Hilltop views from Orvieto Lake Bracciano St Francis' Assissi The art and architecture of Florence Pompeii Cycle the Ancient Via Appia Antica All roads may lead to Rome, but they also lead away from it, so if your feet are getting a little cobble-sore swap them for a bicycle and head out to the Via Appia Antica – the old Roman road originally linking Brundisium (modern day Brindisi) to the capital. It’s an ideal choice if you’re in town on a Sunday (when the Vatican is closed), as it’s closed to motorized traffic. The entire road is 350 miles long but don’t worry, the most scenic bits are all in the first few miles from the visitor center, which is 15 minutes from Circo Massimo. Companies like Go City offer full day bike rental with map and helmet, so you won’t have any trouble finding the churches, monuments and catacombs along the way. Visit Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli Emperor Hadrian liked to get out of the city when he could, so follow in his footsteps and head to the Tiburtine Hills – although unlike Hadrian, you can take the train from Termini Station and be there in an hour. Hadrian also liked to build things, and along with the Pantheon and his very own wall he left a magnificent villa complex in Tivoli, complete with baths, temples, theatres and gardens. If ruins aren’t your thing, you could visit the nearby Villa d’Este, a 16th century palace. Its extensive grounds feature one of the earliest Italian renaissance gardens, and inspired the fashion in other European gardens for geometric shapes, fountains and ornamental statuary. Enjoy hilltop views from Orvieto 90 minutes from the city is the hilltop town of Orvieto, perched on an enormous volcanic rock and overlooking the hills around Rome. Take a cable car ride up to the Duomo (or walk and enjoy your lunch guilt-free), then climb the clock tower for 360 degree views of the surrounding hills. If you have a car – or a Vespa – you can take the long way home and meander through the rich agricultural regions of the Sabine Hills, sampling locally produced olive oil and truffles as you go. If not, you can still get your foodie fix by heading back to the city in time for a traditional pasta dinner by the Trevi Fountain. Lounge by Lake Bracciano If you don’t have time to visit the Alps, then the next best thing is a day trip to Lake Bracciano, an hour north of the city. A popular spot for canoeists, scuba divers and swimmers, the volcanic lake is protected both by the surrounding hills and its location within a national park, which restricts the number of motorized watercraft. Day-trippers can also visit the small town of the same name, and the medieval Orsini-Odescalchi Castle, which holds an impressive collection of medieval armour and weaponry but is perhaps more famous for being the wedding venue of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Go on a pilgrimage to Assisi Less famous but just as pretty as Tuscany is its neighbour, Umbria, where pilgrims and art devotees have been journeying for centuries to the Basilica di San Francisco in Assisi – some for the celebrated cycle of frescoes by Giotto, others to pay respects at the tomb of St Francis. Near the basilica, the town of Assisi has plenty of charm without the tourists, with narrow cobbled streets and lanes packed full of family-owned shops. Stay for a quiet dinner or head back for an evening walking tour when the crowds and the heat have gone down a bit. Marvel at the art and architecture of Florence Rome has its fair share of great masterpieces (most of them are in the Vatican and Capitoline Museums), but art lovers won’t be able to resist Florence, which had more artists-in-residence during the renaissance than any other city – a fact which is evident in its architecture as well as its impressive galleries. An early train will get you there to tour the Uffizi Gallery in the morning, leaving the afternoon to visit the Accademia or climb the Duomo. Finish the day with a self-guided walking tour that takes in the Ponte Vecchio and the Piazza Della Signoria, where you can soak up the atmosphere over a cooling aperitif before heading home. Be immersed in the past at Pompeii Destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD, the city of Pompeii was only rediscovered in the 18th century, perfectly preserved by its covering of ash. As a result, almost everything we know about everyday Roman life comes from what archaeologists have discovered at Pompeii – which includes everything from vegetable gardens, bakeries and brothels to lamps, kitchen wares and even graffiti. You can easily spend a couple of hours wandering the ruins, but you’ll need to set off early to avoid being there in the middle of the day – there isn’t much shade in Pompeii. Once that’s done, you’ll have the afternoon free for hiking up said volcano, or you can backtrack to Naples for a pizza and spend the afternoon lounging on the beach with a gelato. Explore Rome with Go City Rome wasn’t built in a day, but you can easily see a lot of it in that time. Whether you prefer ancient ruins, renaissance splendour or baroque fountains, with a Go City Explorer Pass you’ll save time and money with discounted tickets and priority entry – so be sure to have a look at what else the eternal city has to offer!
Karleen Stevens
Couple with umbrellas in front of St Peter's Basilica in Rome
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Things to do in Rome when it rains

Not even Rome can escape the rain sometimes. But don't worry, there's still plenty to do that don't involve you getting soaked! Here are our suggestions to ensure you see the sights while staying dry.
Karleen Stevens

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