Woman enjoying a glass of wine at sunset in Rome

Relaxing Things to do in Rome

Here are our top picks for when you want to sit back and unwind in Rome.

Tired from ticking off all your bucket list Rome sights? Put your feet up and indulge in some peaceful Italian scenery, culture and cuisine.

What’s a vacation for if not relaxation? Sure, Rome has enough bucket-list monuments, world-class museums and swoonsome bridges to keep even the most avid sightseer busy for many days. But where’s the fun in rushing around all the time? Step away from the crowded tourist hotspots with their bustling crowds and blaring car horns and you’ll quickly discover another side to the Eternal City, one of hushed churches, hilltop picnics, and sunset strolls. Read on to discover our pick of the 10 most relaxing things to do in Rome...

Visit the Orange Trees Garden

Relaxing Things to do in Rome

Visit the Orange Trees Garden

This small garden (official name: Parco Savello) is known to locals primarily for the bitter oranges that grow on the trees here. Grab a pastry and an espresso and head for the park benches, where you can watch the world go by and drink in the garden’s citrusy aromas. There’s a glowering 16th-century marble face over the fountain at the entrance and the park’s elevated position affords some excellent views across the city. Step out into the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, where a peep through the keyhole in the door leading to the Villa dei Cavalieri reveals the dome of St Peter’s Basilica perfectly framed between the garden hedges.

Go Wine-Tasting

Relaxing Things to do in Rome

Go Wine-Tasting

When in Rome, do as the Romans do: drink wine! Whether it’s a barolo, chianti or valpolicella that floats your boat, you’ll find many moreish Italian varieties at VinoRoma. Their tasting sessions include information on how wines are produced and the best food accompaniments for each variety, as well as traditional taralli snacks and, of course, that all important trio of wine tastings. The venue is also handily located within stumbling distance of the Colosseum.

Relax in a Spa

Relaxing Things to do in Rome

Relax in a Spa

The Romans practically invented spas so, when in Rome... well, you get the general idea. Unsurprisingly, the city isn’t short of lavish wellness options. QC Terme Roma is among the very best: set in a former bath house within a Roman archeological site, its therapeutic facilities include an inviting outdoor thermal pool, revitalizing waterfalls, saunas, salt baths, and even pools with underwater music. Presumably ambient chillout tunes rather than AC/DC. Luxury hotels including the Trilussa Palace and Palazzo Montemartini promise similarly rejuvenative experiences.

See a Concert in a Church

Relaxing Things to do in Rome

See a Concert in a Church

Rome is possessed of some of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful churches on the planet, with most dating back many centuries. Concerts are a great way to experience these sacred spaces, amid the medieval frescoes, soaring stained glass windows, ancient artifacts, golden statues and occasionally weird relics. Whether it be a booming organ recital, a choir giving it their all, a full-blown classical orchestra or The Three Tenors, you don’t have to be religious to have a genuinely uplifting experience.

Take a Sunset Stroll

Relaxing Things to do in Rome

Take a Sunset Stroll

Rome is at its most romantic at twilight, as dusk settles across the city, the sky blazes in oranges, pinks, purples and reds and iconic monuments including the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain light up in spectacular style. Join a walking tour that takes in some of Rome’s most picturesque attractions, from the cascading Spanish Steps to the ancient – and beautifully preserved – Pantheon. Toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain and make a wish, and snap photographs that will make you the envy of all your Instagram chums. Above all though: relax, and enjoy!

Spend the Day in Villa Borghese

Relaxing Things to do in Rome

Spend the Day in Villa Borghese

If you’re in the market for relaxing things to do in Rome, you could do worse than spend a day gently exploring the many charms of Villa Borghese, one of the largest parks in the city. A wander around its tree-lined paths reveals stunning historic buildings and monuments, tranquil gurgling fountains and acres of lush landscaped gardens. Visit the many grand villas that pepper the grounds, including the one that gives the park its name and now houses the Borghese Gallery, with its fine collection of pieces by Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian and more. Rent a boat to paddle over the lake for close-up views of the 18th-century Temple of Aesculapius. And take in a show at the Globe Theater, based, of course, on Shakespeare’s London playhouse and featuring (mainly) Shakespearean plays on its roster.

Take a Purr-fect Coffee Break

Relaxing Things to do in Rome

Take a Purr-fect Coffee Break

The Romeow bistro in the Ostiense neighborhood is notable for two key reasons: its heart-melting clutter of resident cats and that pun-tastic name, a play on ‘Rome’ and ‘meow’, of course. The food ain’t too shabby either: there’s a selection of colorful Italian vegan dishes in the restaurant, while the bistro is the place for great coffee and decadent homemade cakes, accompanied by the soothing sound of several purring cats. Sure, it’s gimmicky, but with cakes so good you’ll want to order a second slice and cute kitty cats for company, what’s not to like?

Enjoy an Audience with the Pope

Relaxing Things to do in Rome

Enjoy an Audience with the Pope

Every Wednesday morning, the pontiff appears as if by magic to deliver his weekly benedictions and prayers in either St Peter’s Square or the Vatican’s Nervi Auditorium. Again, you don’t have to be religious to attend and to get something from the experience. There’s something relaxing about listening to murmured Latin prayers amid a hushed and reverent crowd. Tickets are free, or you can buy a combo ticket that also gets you a tour of the Basilica – an absolute must-see when in Rome, by any measure.

Dinner, Sightseeing and all that Jazz

Relaxing Things to do in Rome

Dinner, Sightseeing and all that Jazz

What do you get when you cross live jazz with dinner and a sightseeing tour? That’s right: it’s Tramjazz, a unique musical adventure in the streets of Rome. Step aboard the Stanga 1947, a candlelit vintage tram that's now a rolling restaurant and concert hall that weaves past city sights as you dine to the soothing accompaniment of a live jazz band. Your aperitif is followed by three courses, served as you coast gently through the metropolis, pausing in the Villa Borghese and enjoying photo opportunities at the Colosseum and Circus Maximus. As unique, almost dreamlike experiences go, this one takes some beating, whether you’re a jazz fan or not.

Picnic on Monte Mario

Relaxing Things to do in Rome

Picnic on Monte Mario

Just outside the city limits, and promising exceptional views across Rome, Monte Mario is the highest hill in town, standing 139 meters high at its peak. So sure, the climb to the top is perhaps not what you had in mind when you came here looking for relaxing activities in Rome, but the peace and relative solitude up here, coupled with those wonderful, far-reaching views, are well worth the effort. Take a picnic – burrata, pecorino, salami and fresh bread for starters, sweet cannoli and a bottle of barolo for dessert – and lay back in the long grass to give your quads a rest before setting out on the return journey.

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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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Ruined temples at Largo di Torre Argentina square in Rome
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Quirky Things to do in Rome

Rome is an absolute treat for sightseers, with attractions including the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain reading like the world’s most essential bucket list. In a city as old as Rome though, you need only scratch the surface to discover a hidden universe that’s teeming with weird and wonderful things to see and do, from secret fairytale neighborhoods to ancient relics. Heck, there’s even a McDonald’s with a section of 2,500-year-old city wall inside. We’ve put together a selection of offbeat ideas to help you dodge the tourist traps and experience the Eternal City at its most eccentric. Read on for our favorite quirky things to do in Rome... Step Into a Fairytale Tiny Quartiere Coppedè, with its peaceful gardens, huge ornate fountains and colorful gargoyle-and-fresco-festooned facades, is barely known to Rome locals, let alone the visiting tourist masses. Take a stroll through its hushed streets and piazzas to experience a fairytale mishmash of fantastical architectural styles, from Ancient Greek to Art Nouveau, and pretty much everything in between: gothic, medieval, mannerist and more. Expect Florentine towers, Baroque Roman palazzi and Moorish arches, as you wander, as if in a dream, through this fascinating enclave of the Trieste neighborhood. Look out for the Spider Palace, Fountain of Frogs, and the massive iron chandelier hanging beneath the archway at the entrance on Via Tagliamento. An Audience with the Pope You don’t have to be religious to attend the pontiff’s weekly benedictions and prayers at St Peter’s Square or the Vatican’s Nervi Auditorium. Just rock up with an open mind and let papa's calming tones wash over you. Tickets are free, or you can buy a combi pass that also gets you a tour of St Peter’s Basilica. Proceedings normally kick off around 9.30am on Wednesdays, assuming the pope is in town. We recommend arriving early to bag the best seats in the house. Dead Interesting If it’s crypts full of skulls and churches toting ancient relics you want, well, you’ve come to the right place. Treat yourself to a tour of the crypts at Santa Maria della Concezione, where the mortal remains of some 4,000 Capuchin friars decorate the walls, like some sort of ultra-macabre episode of Dream Home Makeover. Steel yourself for the bizarre crypt of pelvises and try not to be startled when you spot the skeleton on the ceiling clutching a scythe (made of bone, of course). If your hunger for dead things still isn't satisfied try San Silvestro in Capite, where a skull on display purports to be the decapitated head of John The Baptist. Meanwhile over at the Basilica di Santa Maria, young lovers can pay homage to the garlanded remains of their patron saint, Valentine. Quirky Basilica Views Of all the Instagrammable snaps of St Peter's Basilica available from various vantage points around Rome, the Aventine keyhole is perhaps the quirkiest. Here, curious tourists joining the queue to peer through this otherwise unremarkable keyhole are rewarded with a perfectly framed image of the Basilica flanked by the Villa dei Cavalieri’s garden hedges. Over on Via Niccolò Piccolomini, an optical illusion par excellence reveals itself as you stroll from the far end of the leafy avenue towards St Peter’s. Initially massive in appearance, the basilica’s distinctive dome seems to decrease in size the closer you get. Utterly baffling and even more dramatic when experienced at speed. From a Vespa sidecar, for example. Fries With That? Hungry for some history with your Big Mac? Make for the McDonald’s on the basement floor of Rome’s Termini train station, where you can view part of the Servian Wall that encircled the city as a defense against invading Gauls and Carthaginians in the 4th Century BC. It’s a pretty incongruous sight inside this otherwise identikit McDonald’s restaurant and fairly out there in terms of unusual things to do in Rome. There’s another, larger section of the wall to check out just outside the station. Visit a Circular Church With somewhere in the region of a thousand churches across Rome, you can be sure there are a quirky few among the more traditional styles. Take Santo Stefano Rotundo, Rome’s first circular church, which dates from the 5th Century. Cruciform from the outside, it's inside that things get really interesting, with a large circular central space replete with spiraling columns, and some amazing frescoes by 16th-century artists Niccolò Circignani and Antonio Tempesta depicting – in gruesome detail – the grisly demise of 34 martyrs. The Mouth of Truth Looking precisely like a character from the classic 80s movie Labyrinth, the Bocca della Verità – or Mouth of Truth – is a huge marble mask that lurks within the portico of Rome’s medieval Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin. Legend has it that pilgrims brave enough to place their hand inside the mask’s mouth will lose their fingers if they’ve been telling lies. You can test this for yourself, if you happen to be feeling particularly brave and/or virtuous. A Cacophony of Cats Amid the ancient ruins of the Theatre of Pompey and several Roman Republican temples, roam hundreds of homeless cats, protected here within the environs of the Largo di Torre Argentina square. You’ll spot them wandering among the ruins, peering out from behind columns and ancient stone walls. Some of the healthier and bolder cats have even been known to interact with the tourists here. A purr-fect afternoon out for cat lovers, in other words. Dinner and all that Jazz If you came here in search of quirky things to do in Rome, Tramjazz is unlikely to disappoint, for it is truly the jazz, dinner and sightseeing extravaganza you never knew you needed in your life. Until now. Your adventure begins when you board the Stanga 1947, a vintage tram that rolls gently through the streets of Rome while you enjoy a candlelit three-course dinner punctuated by bursts of live music from the in-house (or should that be in-tram) jazz band. This unique experience takes in various major attractions, with stops at the Colosseum and Villa Borghese for all your selfie-taking requirements. We defy even jazz haters not to love this one! Save on quirky 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
View over the Rome skyline
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Things to do in Rome

Home to some of the world's most renowned cultural and historical sites, a visit to Rome is guaranteed not to leave you empty handed. Whether you're keen to walk in the footsteps of the ancient Romans or discover some of the impeccable craftsmanship of some of the city's top attractions, there's simply no shortage of fantastic things to do in Rome. Do as the Romans Did Ancient home to one of history’s most famous and influential empires, Rome is simply brimming with renowned historical sites and cultural hotspots. Taking pride of place, the iconic Roman Colosseum stands as the world’s largest standing amphitheater and boasts a deserved place among the seven wonders of the world. Once the epicenter of entertainment in ancient Rome, hosting all manner of battles, reenactments and plays, the site is now one of the most recognizable UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A similar reflection on the daily lives and pastimes of ancient Romans is the Pantheon. Rebuilt from the ashes of a former Roman temple during the second century, the site would continue to serve as a place of worship for many centuries to come, eventually transforming into a Catholic church. Another compelling UNESCO site, the Pantheon is most notable for its towering pillars and the open oculus in its ceiling, permitting both natural light and all weather into its domed hall. More pertinent whispers of the civilization long since passed exist among the ruins of the Roman Forum, now mere vague outlines of a formerly glorious and major administrative district for the city. Originally a marketplace, the site began to grow as the center of many important social, political and religious activities. Some of the city’s most impressive buildings and monuments stood here, still reflected in the imposing columns and architecture of the remaining ruins. As far as ruins go, there are none more pertinent in Rome than those built right at the beginning. Most central of Rome’s famous seven hills, Palatine Hill is widely considered to have been the cradle of Roman civilization. Credited in Roman mythology as the location of the fabled Lupercal cave in which the city’s supposed founding twins, Romulus and Remus, were raised by a she-wolf. Steeped in rich history and mysticism, Palatine Hill is home to the oldest ruins to be found throughout Rome. Somewhat lesser known but still rather remarkable are the remnants of Egyptian influence in Rome, most obvious of which being the impressive Pyramid of Cestius, resting place to priest and magistrate Gaius Cestius and his family from the 1st century BC. Also worth seeing are the Flaminian Obelisk and Obelisk of Montecitorio on Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Monte Citorio, respectively. Discover Vatican City One of the greatest draws of Rome is its role as the surrounding home to the beating heart of Roman Catholicism and the world’s smallest official country, Vatican City. At its core, the Vatican attracts huge crowds of devout Catholics for its hugely significant role as the permanent residence of the Pope. Though its grounds are accessible year-round, the micro-country is often the center of many major religious events to take place in Rome. Around the likes of Christmas and Easter, the Pope himself delivers special masses and sermons open to all, though given their popularity, you’ll want to apply for a free ticket with the Vatican directly. While naturally very popular as a pilgrimage for devout followers, the city is also home to a wealth of astonishing architecture and expert artwork. St Peter’s Basilica, somewhat of a distant beacon for Rome as a whole, stands as one of the most remarkable examples of Renaissance architecture, iconic in its arching dome and the impressive temple-style pillars at its entrance. Perhaps most famous of all, however, is the incredible craftsmanship of the Sistine Chapel. While not quite so lauded for its exterior as the St. Peter’s Basilica, the chapel is known the world over for its spectacular vaulted ceiling, adorned with various famous frescoes by the legendary Italian artist, Michelangelo, including his most famous fresco, The Creation of Adam. Explore the City All roads may indeed lead to Rome, but it’s getting around once you’re there that might leave you stumped. Though the eternal city has a host of capable public transport systems for getting you seamlessly across town, there are some alternatives that can make your trip just that little bit more exciting. If you’d like a whirlwind tour of some of Rome’s top landmarks and attractions with the option to hop on and off at your leisure, then a Big Bus Rome pass could be ideal for you. Operating a primary route passing by the likes of the Colosseum and Castel Sant’Angelo, tours also offer optional audio commentary in several major languages, brimming with cultural and historical insights into many of the capital’s most popular sights. If you’d like to truly live like an Italian, nothing beats swerving through Rome’s ancient streets on your own rental scooter. Besides being particularly well-suited to navigating some of the city’s narrower streets, they’re also typically very convenient to park and can be rented from vendors throughout the city. Average rental prices can range anywhere from € 30 to € 350 per day depending on the size, specs and classification of the vehicle. Most rentals will also require a rather hefty security deposit of several hundred euros. Among the most popular and reliable scooter rental operators are Eco Move Rent, Roma Rent Scooter and BigaBike. Take a Break Should you find yourself keen to get away from the bustle of Rome’s often busy streets, the city happens to be home to a number of serene, open spaces perfect for an Italian-style picnic or a leisurely stroll amid the city’s often idyllic Mediterranean weather. Most central of Rome’s parks are the 100-plus-acre wooded glades and grassy banks of Villa Borghese, perfect for escaping most of the traffic of the capital. Not wanting to be a one-trick pony, though, the space is also home to an arena used for equestrian events and an impressive art-house cinema, complete with three projection halls, exhibition spaces and an outdoor cinema during ideal weather. For some of the most impressive views overlooking the stunning city skyline, few spots can be considered quite as romantic as Pincio Hill. Though somewhat of a climb from Piazza del Popolo, you’ll find the effort to be more than worth it for the unique glimpse it will afford you over the likes of St. Peter’s and the Gianicolo Hill. Rome’s Botanical Garden easily offers the city’s most impressive collection of flora from around the world. Dating back to the 17th Century, the garden comprises roughly 30 acres of exotic plant-life, from the serenity of the Japanese Garden to the humid tropical greenhouse and the splendidly colorful Rose Garden.
Robert Heaney

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