Things to do in Rome in the Morning

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that, if it’s a household-name attraction that’s also free to visit, you’ll have to jockey for position for that perfect snap with dozens of other selfie-stick-toting tourists. This is perhaps especially true of the Trevi Fountain, that ostentatiously baroque 18th-century water feature that has become one of Rome’s most enduring attractions. Early risers can dodge the crowds and possibly even capture that coveted coin-tossing Trevi selfie by pitching up at dawn.

The same applies at the nearby Spanish Steps. Get there early enough and you might even be able to flout the ‘no sitting’ rule untroubled by the hi-vis enforcers (disclaimer: we won’t pay your €250 if you do get caught). You might otherwise need to steel yourself for the 135-step trek to the top. Your reward when you get there: a morning date with the Renaissance marvel that is the Trinità dei Monti church.

Markets have been a part of Rome’s daily life for nearly 2,000 years, and there are several to pick and choose from across town. Pick up the freshest of farm-fresh cheeses, breads and pastries at the sprawling Campo de’ Fiori, then retreat to nearby 16th-century Piazza Farnese to people-watch while you picnic. It’s all about Campagna Amica Market on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Set right beside the Circus Maximus, this one specializes in local Lazio farm products – everything from pasta to pecorino; olive oils to fine wines. Tuck into your quarry on the hoof, en route to confessing your gluttonous sins at the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth), a huge marble mask in the nearby Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin.

Check out our guide to Rome’s best markets here.

Insta addicts will be in their element in trendy Trastevere, a riot of brightly-painted window shutters, cute cobbled piazzas, picture-perfect medieval churches, and animated locals gossiping at sidewalk bars and cafés. Cross Ponte Sisto and slurp a gelato by the ornamental fountain on Piazza Trilussa before exploring the district's extraordinary botanical garden and taking a hike up Janiculum Hill for fine views of the Vatican and St Peter’s Basilica. Don’t miss the rummagers’ paradise that is the Sunday flea market at Porta Portese, and take time to soak up Trastevere’s la dolce vita atmosphere at craft pubs, cafés and trattorias that feel just a little more authentic than their counterparts across the Tiber.

Read our guide to things to do in Trastevere here.
 

Morning is hands down the best time to beat the crowds at Rome’s most popular ancient attractions. Limber up with your best Maximus Decimus Meridius impression as you charge roaring into the Colosseum, spend time exploring the ruined temples and headless statues in the Roman Forum, and marvel at the masterpiece of Roman engineering that is the Pantheon. Only one of the best-preserved examples of Ancient Roman architecture anywhere in the world, its massive concrete dome and signature oculus has to be seen to be believed.

Top tip: admission to the Colosseum, the Forum and 50+ more Rome attractions, tours and activities is included with the Rome pass from Go City. To find out how you could save up to 50% and choose your perfect pass, just hit the buttons down below.

Who cares if it’s raining? Or if the mercury is barely into the 40s? Or if it’s only 9AM? Italian gelato – true Italian gelato – can be enjoyed whatever the weather or time of day. Try to identify independent or family run outlets for yours (tip: this is likely going to be somewhere outside of the immediate vicinity of the major tourist hotspots). Try the Frigidarium – far enough from Piazza Navona to be authentic, but close enough to reach its fairytale churches and palazzos and impressive Bernini fountain before your ice-cream melts. Or try the kaleidoscope of curious flavors at Otaleg in Trastevere. Artichoke sorbet, anyone? Last but not least, Gelateria Fassi has been trading on Via Principe Eugenio, a stone’s throw from the ancient ruins on Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, for a century-and-a-half, so you can be reasonably sure they know what they’re doing!

Quartiere Coppedè is one of those secret Rome neighborhoods that is rapidly becoming not-so-secret thanks to the rise of social media humblebragging. No surprise really, given it’s pretty much tailor-made for Instagram, a delirious pot pourri of architectural styles that runs the gamut from Ancient Greek to Art Nouveau. One of the entrance arches sports a massive iron chandelier and, once inside, you can expect Florentine towers, baroque palazzi, leering gargoyles, and fantastically monikered attractions – the Fountain of Frogs, the Spider Palace – that could have come straight from the pages of a C.S. Lewis fairytale. Visit in the morning to beat the crowds and capture that magical golden-hour lighting that’s manna for Insta addicts.

The Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Basilica, the Gallery of Candelabra: the Vatican Museums are a Rome bucket-list no-brainer. Again, this is an attraction best visited in the (relatively) quiet morning, when you can ogle Michelangelo’s magnificent ‘Creation of Adam’ ceiling fresco without fear of having your ribs bruised by the jostling crowd. Although, please note that a cricked neck is par for the course.

Top tip: skip-the-line entry to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel is included with the Rome pass.

Much of the ancient Appian Way looks precisely as it would have done when Caesar’s armies marched along it 2,000 years ago. It’s a superb cobbled avenue flanked by mature pines and dotted with points of interest along its 40-mile length – think ancient temple ruins, Roman baths, mausoleums and more. Don your comfiest walking shoes and immerse yourself in a piece of Ancient Roman history on a morning stroll along these  storied cobbles. Or, better still, grab a market-sourced picnic of cured salami, pungent local cheeses and – heck, why not – a bottle of Lazio wine, rent a bike and make a day of it.

Find more fun things to do in Rome in the morning and save up to 50% with a Rome pass from Go City. Click here to find out more about the various pass options and to bag yours!