Weekend in Rome

By Robert Heaney
Published: July 18, 2024
Fontana della Barcaccia at the foot of the Spanish Steps

Offering up a particularly unique blend of renowned cultural hotspots, booming nightlife, world-famous shopping and delectable local cuisine, Rome stands as one of Europe’s most popular city break destinations. Whether you’re a history buff or a jet-setting holidaymaker, a weekend in Rome is sure not to disappoint.

Visiting Rome at the Weekend

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Should you choose to take a weekend break in the Italian capital, it’s worth noting that this will by and large be the busiest time of the week. Though the exact scale of foot traffic throughout the city will depend on the time of year, weekends tend to see a consistent upsurge in foreign visitors, and many locals, too, choose to spend their days off visiting many of Rome’s traditional cafés, bars and restaurants.

That being said, anybody visiting Rome should already expect some amount of bustle given its sheer global popularity and appeal. In many ways, the increased local presence offers somewhat of a more relaxed and authentic feeling to the city, while its bars and nightlife become a whole lot more lively. Just be prepared to book your desired attractions and venues sufficiently in advance to avoid any potential disappointment.

Things to do at the Weekend

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Naturally, just about any trip to Rome is bound to be brimming with visits to many of the city’s world-class cultural and historical sites. As mentioned above, many of these attractions are likely to be busier than usual over the weekend, so you’ll want to plan accordingly to be sure to fit everything in.

Topping most lists is likely the Colosseum, the world’s largest standing amphitheater and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Following closely behind is the Pantheon, another UNESCO World Heritage site and a former Roman temple. Both of these incredibly well-preserved ancient sites offer visitors a glimpse into the daily lives and customs of citizens in a civilization now long since passed.

Another of Rome’s hugely popular boasts is Vatican City, the beating heart of Roman Catholicism and permanent residence to the Pope. Officially the smallest country in the world, nestled just outside Rome’s city center, the site is home to some of the world’s most impressive religious buildings, namely the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, not to mention the vast collection of the Vatican Museums.

Many visitors to Rome find themselves on the search for their next big photo op, with the majority drawn to the likes of the elegant Trevi Fountain and the iconic Spanish Steps joining Piazza di Spagna to Piazza Trinità dei Monti. These landmarks tend to get particularly busy at the best of times, so if you’re looking to snap a more authentic and serene photo, you’d be best off visiting early in the morning ahead of most of the crowds.

Those with a penchant for the Italian capital’s historical value will likely enjoy a stroll through the Roman Forum, where vague ruins now stand as mere whispers of a formerly grand administrative district. If ancient is truly what you’re looking for, though, there’s nothing in Rome older than the ruins atop Palatine Hill, considered the cradle of Roman civilization and the fabled location of the Lupercal cave of ancient Roman myth.

Bars and Nightlife

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If you’re spending a weekend in Rome, chances are high that you’ll be keen to get a piece of its renowned nightlife. Though the daytime tourist scene may already seem bustling and lively enough, you haven’t seen anything until the evening rolls around.

Whether you’re keen on a light appetizer in one of its charming squares, a hearty Italian meal or a tipple of some authentic local vino, the Trastevere district is easily one of your best options. Home to many of Rome’s largest tourist spots, it offers just about everything you could want from a Mediterranean night on the town.

Particularly popular with a younger scene are Campo dei Fiori and San Lorenzo, featuring all manner of bars, restaurants and leisure spots with an overall informal vibe. Given their following, these spots can get rather crowded as the night goes on, so be sure to keep your wits about you.

Retail Therapy

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Aside from cultural hotspots, bustling nightlife and diverse history, few things define a European city break like a perusal of the city’s boutiques and shopping districts. Whether you’re in the market to bag yourself some Italian fashion or simply want to explore some authentic, independent stores, Rome has you covered.

While Milan is famed as the fashion capital of Europe, Rome certainly isn’t far behind. If prestigious boutiques and luxury retailers are your thing, you’ll want to make your way to Piazza di Spagna and its surrounding streets, where you’ll find the likes of Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Armani and other such labels.

The key benefit of spending a weekend in Rome are the markets, where you can grab all manner of clothing, jewelry, antiques, books and fresh produce. The Porta Portese Market spread throughout the streets of Trastevere Railway Station is a particularly popular Sunday flea market, while the charming Mercato dei Fiori sells various flowers, plants and fresh fruit and vegetables.

Though Rome is much more of a stranger to shopping malls and department stores than much of Europe, there are certainly still some options. The Galleria Alberto Soldi, for example, offers a small yet impressive selection of retail boutiques, while the Stazione Termini Roma shopping complex offers a much more diverse and typical assortment of retail therapy options.

Getting Around

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With only a weekend to spare in the eternal city, you’ll likely want to make the most of your time. While many of the city’s top sights are easily accessible on foot and within relative walking distance of one another, you may find yourself looking for faster means of getting around to fit as much in as possible.

Fortunately, Rome has a fairly extensive transport system covering much of the city. The fastest options are naturally the metro and tram services, but with only a small few serviced lines running through the city center, they aren’t always of much use to most tourists. Buses, on the other hand, operate a much more convenient alternative, with over 350 lines servicing over 8,000 stops throughout the city center and wider suburbs.

However, most public transport in Rome tends to get rather busy at the best of times, let alone over the weekend. For somewhat of a more convenient, comfortable and entertaining means of getting around, a Big Bus Rome tour runs a main route passing by most of the capital’s top attractions, along with a hop-on, hop-off policy and optional audio commentary in several major languages.

Robert Heaney
Go City Travel Expert

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Tourist taking sunrise photos at the Roman Forum
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Things to do in Rome in the Morning

Rome’s embarrassment of ancient attractions – the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Roman Forum among them – are best explored in the morning before the crowds arrive. You’ll find all these and much more in our guide to all the best things to do in Rome in the morning…
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
A cobbled street full of typical ocher-colored houses in Trastevere, Rome
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Things to do in Trastevere Rome

Just downriver from the Vatican, Trastevere shares with its ecclesiastical neighbor a distinctly different flavor to the rest of Rome: quieter, less hectic and, well, more Trastevere. Not for this laid back neighborhood the impatient car horns and frantic bustle of via del Corso, the chaotic crowds that plague the Trevi Fountain or the tat-toting tourist traps hawking trashy trinkets. No: the pace of life in Trastevere is far more gentle – well, during the day anyway (its lively nightlife is part of its enduring charm). Wander this medieval labyrinth of cobbled lanes, piazzas and hidden squares and you’ll soon feel a world away from Rome’s chaotic center. This in spite of Trastevere being a mere half an hour’s walk from bucket-list Rome attractions including the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Spanish Steps. But, trust us, Trastevere is another essential addition to your itinerary of must-sees when visiting the Eternal City. Without further ado then, here’s our guide to the best things to do in Trastevere Rome. Fill Your Instagram Feed Trastevere is a neighborhood that just begs to be photographed. And it’s easy to while away a few hours just strolling its atmospheric alleys, pausing to people-watch over espresso and cannoli in cobbled piazzas, and snapping its achingly photogenic medieval churches, brightly painted window shutters, quirky cast-iron door knockers and that ubiquitous Rome style icon, the strategically positioned Vespa scooter. Washing hangs from balconies across narrow lanes where ocher-colored houses fairly drip with ivy and flower-crammed window boxes pop with bright blooms. Heck, even the graffiti here looks great on Instagram! Get snapping! Have a Religious Experience Did you know Rome has close to a thousand churches? Well, you do now. Better still, every single one of them is free to visit: great news for art-lovers and aficionados of fine architecture. And, boy, does Trastevere have some beauties! The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of Rome’s oldest, with parts dating back to the 4th Century, and many of its finer features dating from medieval times, among them a striking 12th-century Romanesque bell tower and beautifully preserved religious mosaics by artist Pietro Cavallini. Visit the nearby Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere to view Cavallini’s huge Last Judgment fresco, considered by many to be his masterwork, and see the Martyrdom of Saint Cecilia, a baroque marble statue by Renaissance sculptor Stefano Maderno. Climb the Janiculum At 88 meters, Janiculum Hill is the second highest in Rome (after the soaring Monte Mario). Pack some piquant Italian salamis, freshly baked focaccia, a wedge of pecorino and that all-important bottle of barolo and reward yourself with a picnic overlooking the city when you reach the summit. It’s around a 25-minute walk (or 5 minutes in a cab) from Trastevere to the top. Take in those majestic views of St Peter’s and the Eternal City as you lunch, then have a stroll round the various attractions up here. Don’t miss the imposing statue of Garibaldi on horseback and the monumental 17th-century fountain with decorative marble carvings of dragons and eagles, the Borghese family emblems. Time your visit to catch the daily cannon fire at noon, a tradition that dates back to 1847. Have a Gelato on Piazza Trilussa A favorite place for locals to meet and mingle, Piazza Trilussa is a bustling small square that overlooks Ponte Sisto and the Tiber. Grab yourself an authentic gelato from nearby Otaleg! (yep, that’s ‘gelato’ written backwards) where the rainbow of unusual flavors includes kiwi, mango with chocolate and, um, an artichoke sorbet. Slurp slowly from the excellent people-watching vantage point that is the piazza’s monumental fountain, before taking a stroll across the medieval bridge. Visit the Museo di Roma The Museo di Roma in Trastevere is set inside a converted 17th-century Carmelite convent with a picture-perfect apricot-colored facade. Step inside to discover a treasure trove of art and artifacts relating to the Eternal City. As well as historical scenes lovingly recreated in life-size – one depicting boozy revelry at a local inn being a particular highlight – visitors can expect exhibitions that focus primarily on Roman life in the 18th and 19th centuries, with stories told through the eyes of local artists. Chief among these is 19th-century watercolor maestro Ettore Roesler Franz, whose many works of disappearing urban and suburban views are well represented here, providing a fascinating insight into the rapid development of the city in the late 1800s. Relax in the Botanical Gardens There are more than 3,000 species of plants to explore at the Orto Botanico, set on the slopes of Janiculum Hill overlooking the baroque 17th-century Palazzo Corsini. This peaceful oasis feels a million miles from the bustle of the city – stroll among the bonsai trees and trickling waterfalls in the ultra-zen Japanese Garden and you’ll soon see what we mean. There’s also a sensory garden, a rose garden, several greenhouses containing tropical plants, and a fine bamboo grove sited next to a section of the city’s ancient Aurelian Walls, built way back in the 3rd Century. Hop over to the Palazzo Corsini afterwards to view its collection of artworks by Caravaggio, van Dyck, Rubens and more. Hunt for Flea Market Treasure Porta Portese’s Sunday flea market is the biggest in Rome, stretching for around a mile from its entrance at the imposing city gate that gives the market its name. Incurable rummagers are in for an absolute treat here, where with the right amount of dedication to the hunt and an expert knack for haggling, you might just walk away with that rare 1994 Judge Dredd comic that’s eluded you all these years. But be warned: there’s an awful lot of trash here, too. Mountains of it, in fact. So be prepared to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince. Above all though, have fun! Pro-tip: take cash with you as stallholders here generally don't accept credit cards. Enjoy the Fabulous Trastevere Nightlife Trastevere really comes to life at night, as locals hit the piazzas for pizza, beer and a catch-up. Wood-fired, wafer-thin, ultra-crispy and hot from the oven, the pizza in Rome is – perhaps unsurprisingly – among the best on the planet. Locals swear by Pizzeria ai Marmi, a Trastevere institution with huge marble tables and a smattering of outdoor seating. Choose your toppings and get stuck in, but note that Romans consider pizza a meal for one. Trading slices is fine, but ask for a single pizza between two at your peril! Trastevere also has some great bars serving up fine local craft ales: dodge the ubiquitous Peronis and Morettsi and head to Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà on Via Benedetta for its ever-changing selection of artisanal ales. Just across the lane, Bir & Fud offers more of the same, with a side order of excellent, Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza. The best of both worlds. Save on things to do in Trastevere 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
Ruins of the Roman Forum
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Rome in April

With the clocks now long since turned forward, the Italian capital embraces a season of fertility. As the country’s agriculture moves into second gear, so too does the influx of tourists to the eternal city. Between its bountiful springtime delicacies, charming weather and renowned historical hotspots, a trip to Rome in April is nothing if not a true seasonal delight. Visiting Rome in April Average Temperature: 46 - 68°F • Average Rainfall: 9 days/mth • Average Sunshine: 7 hours/day With springtime now in full swing, the city of Rome really comes into its own. Famous capital of one of Europe’s most agriculturally bountiful countries, Rome in April comes into full bloom with all-new, fresh seasonal produce throughout its restaurants and stores. For those chasing a genuine taste of Italian culture and cuisine, this is undoubtedly one of the best times to visit. While you’ll just about never see Rome in any state of quiet, its evergreen attractions bringing in everlasting appeal, April stands as one of the final months of the city’s tourism shoulder season. As summer draws closer, so too do the waves of peak-season tourists. Those choosing to get their Roman fix ahead of time will often therefore be rewarded with reduced airfare and accommodation rates, occasionally at somewhat of a significant discount against summertime prices. Throughout spring, Rome finally begins to truly embrace its famed Mediterranean weather. Though the lows can still be somewhat chilly, the highs make for some very pleasant days of exploring the ancient city or lounging on a traditional Italian terrace, and some pretty consistent sunshine only sweetens the pot. Contrary to the popular idiom, you can probably expect sunshine and rainbows during your stay, with rainfall likely on at least a couple days per week. Things to do in April It’s unlikely that you’d be taking a trip to the eternal city without making the rounds of its most famous landmarks and attractions. Explore the vastness of the Colosseum, the world’s largest amphitheater, alongside the remarkably intact architecture of the former Roman temple known as the Pantheon. Somewhat more reflective of a civilization now long since passed, the Roman Forum houses the bare ruins of a number of important government buildings, now mere specters of their former glory. Palatine Hill, in much the same way, is home to the most ancient part of Rome on the most central of the city’s seven hills, said to be the location of the fabled Lupercal cave. Among the most photogenic landmarks in Rome include the astonishingly intricate Trevi Fountain, with its enormous 160-foot wide footprint, as well as the wide, eighteenth-century Spanish Steps connecting the Piazza di Spagna to the Piazza Trinità dei Monti. The attractive craftsmanship of these architectural icons make them very popular with tourists as both great photo ops and delightful places to take a break from the bustle of the city. Equally remarkable but comparatively underrated are the likes of the 120-foot tall Pyramid of Cestius, resting place to priest and magistrate Gaius Cestius and his family from the 1st century BC. The site is a prime example of Egyptian influence in Rome in the wake of the empire’s conquest of Egypt in 30 BC, alongside landmarks such as the Flaminian Obelisk and Obelisk of Montecitorio on Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Monte Citorio, respectively. Those with a taste for the dark and macabre may enjoy exploring somewhat of a literal underside to the famous ancient city. Stretching for miles beneath the streets of Rome, six of the Roman Catacombs are open for public tours, lined floor to ceiling with skeletons dating back almost 2,000 years. What's On in April Spring Festival Each year in April, Italy bursts into celebration of the spring season with the Festa della Primavera, or Spring Festival. Typically running through to June, the country organizes all manner of seasonal events and activities in an historical tradition honoring agricultural fertility. Throughout Rome specifically, signs of the springtime festival are hard to ignore. Alongside glorious floral displays at the Orange Garden and Rose Garden on Aventine Hill, the Spanish Steps erupt with the flaming tones of pretty pink azaleas. Rome also organizes a vast program of events to take place throughout the season, from art fairs and street markets to diverse exhibits and installations throughout the city. Theater shows, concerts and sporting events often join in on the fun, while a variety of activities and entertainment also tends to sprout up along the banks of the Tiber. Birthday of Rome On the closest Sunday to April 21, widely considered the anniversary of Rome’s foundation in 753 BC, the ancient city jumps back in time as the streets are taken over by hundreds of historical re-enactors from across the continent in one of the season’s most locally-anticipated events. Parading through the historic streets of the city center, attendees come dressed in historically accurate costumes from various eras of Ancient Rome. The procession typically takes place between 10 AM and 4 PM, accompanied by a variety of re-enactments, historic events and activities throughout the city, often followed by an impressive light show and fireworks display. Romanesco Artichoke Festival Held each year in the nearby coastal city of Ladispoli, the Romanesco Artichoke Festival typically takes place over several days in mid-April in celebration of some of the region’s most traditionally lauded seasonal produce. The humble Romanesco artichoke was a staple of peasant diets for centuries, before becoming widely cultivated around Rome in the wake of the Second World War. Since the war, the typically sleepy seaside resort of Ladispoli now serves as the epicenter of the artichoke industry for one week each spring, blossoming in celebration of the popular crop. Throughout the festival, the city hosts an impressive program of events, including a traditional conference on the economics and cultivation of the artichoke, an artichoke-based cooking contest, sporting events and cultural activities, often accompanied by live music. Fried artichokes are often handed out to attendees, while many local restaurants serve special, fixed menus throughout the season featuring an assortment of artichoke-based dishes. Elaborate artichoke sculptures line the city streets in every imaginable arrangement, with a prize awarded to the most creative piece. Other such artichoke-centered festivals also take place in other Italian towns around April, but the Ladispoli is easily the biggest and most important of them all. The Romanesco Artichoke Festival is well worth visiting for those keen to explore a niche yet exciting aspect of Italian culinary culture.
Robert Heaney

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