Things to do in Rome
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Open Bus Cristiana
- Rome, Italy
- Activities › Other
The Vatican-sponsored Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi runs a hop-on, hop-off bus departing from Via della Conciliazione and Termini. Tickets are available on board the bus, online or at the meeting point just off Piazza San Pietro.
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Notti di Cinema a Piazza Vittorio
Italian and international releases at two open-air screens in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II from June to September. Tickets cost €6.
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Muccassassina
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Miracle Players
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Made in San Lorenzo
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Gambero Rosso
- Rome, Italy
- Activities › Other
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DeSpar
Near Pantheon
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DeSpar
Near Palazzo Barberini
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Dark Rome
- Rome, Italy
- Activities › Other
Runs a range of themed tours, costing from €22 to €91. Popular choices include the Crypts and Catacombs tour, which takes in Rome’s buried treasures, and the Semi-Private Vatican Museums Tour, which takes you into the museums before they’re opened to the public.
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Bici & Baci
Bici & Baci runs daily bike tours of central Rome, taking in the historical centre, Campidoglio and the Colosseum, as well as tours on vintage Vespas and in classic Fiat 500 cars. For the Vespa and Fiat 500 tours you'll need to book 24 hours ahead. Routes and prices vary according to your requests.
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A Friend in Rome
- Rome, Italy
- Activities › Other
Silvia Prosperi organises private tailor-made tours (on foot, by bike or scooter) to suit your interests. She covers the Vatican and main historic centre as well as neighbourhoods such as the Aventino, Trastevere, Celio and the Monti. Rates are €50 per hour, with a minimum of three hours for most tours. Silvia can also arrange mosaic lessons, cooking classes and coastal cruises.
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Edoardo II
Restaurant-bar that feels like a private members’ club.
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Bike Hire
For riding around Villa Borghese.
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San Crispino
Possibly the world’s best gelato. What! You want a cone? The delicate, strictly natural and seasonal flavours are served only in tubs (cones would detract from the taste).
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Stazione Termini
Rome’s main train station and transport hub is Stazione Termini, from where there are regular trains to other European countries, all major Italian cities and many smaller towns. Opposite platform 5, the train information office is helpful, though often crowded. It cannot, however, make reservations. These must be made at the main ticket and reservation windows in the front hall or through the automatic ticket machines. Alternatively, go online at www.trenitalia.com or find one of the many travel agencies with an FS or biglietti treni (train tickets) sign. Further train info is available at www.trenitalia.com or, if you speak Italian, by calling 89 20 21.
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Museo dell'Ara Pacis
Many Romans detest Richard Meier's minimalist glass-and-marble pavilion (the first modern construction in Rome's historical centre since WWII), but it is no longer likely to be completely pulled down, as Mayor Gianni Alemanno had promised on his election in 2008. However, the wall dividing the busy Lungotevere Augusta from Piazza Augusto Imperatore – which has been criticised for obscuring the baroque facade of the church of San Rocco all'Augusteo – is to be dismantled, according to new plans approved by the architect.
Inside is the less-controversial Ara Pacis Augustae (Altar of Peace), Augustus' great monument to peace. One of the most important works of ancient…
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Palazzo Spada
The central attraction of this 16th-century palazzo is Francesco Borromini’s famous perspective. What appears to be a 25m-long corridor lined with columns leading to a hedge and life-sized statue is, in fact, only 10m long. The sculpture, which was a later addition, is actually hip-height and the columns diminish in size not because of distance but because they actually get shorter. And look closer at that perfect-looking hedge – Borromini didn’t trust the gardeners to clip a real hedge precisely enough so he made one of stone.
Upstairs, the four-room Galleria Spada houses the Spada family art collection, with works by Andrea del Sarto, Guido Reni, Guercino and…
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Ditirambo
This hugely popular new-wave trattoria offers a laid-back, unpretentious atmosphere and innovative, organic cooking. Vegetarians are well catered for, with dishes such as vellutata di ceci con rughetta e riduzione di aceto balsamico (cream of chickpeas with rocket and a balsamic vinegar reduction). Book ahead.
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Da Ricci
In a tranquil, cobbled cul-de-sac a step away from smoggy Via Nazionale, Rome’s oldest pizzeria started life as a wine bar in 1905, and its wood-panelled interior feels like it hasn’t changed much since. The sign says Est! Est!! Est!!! – Da Ricci’s other name (after its white wine from the north of Lazio). Pizzas are thick-based Neapolitan style (though you can get thin-based if you like), and work best with lots of toppings.
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Camponeschi
Elegant, elitist Camponeschi is the place to eavesdrop on Rome's high-level gossip. In a romantic setting on Piazza Farnese, it's a favourite of politicians, diplomats and rich industrialists. Inside it feels like a refined wedding reception, complete with floral decorations. The cuisine is a mix of French and Mediterranean, with game in the hunting season, lobster, black truffles and fish, and a lengthy wine list to satisfy its quaffing clientele.
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Da Augusto
For a true Trastevere feast, plonk yourself at one of Augusto's rickety tables and prepare to enjoy some mamma-style cooking. The hard-working waiters dish out hearty platefuls of rigatoni all'amatriciana and stracciatella (clear broth with egg and Parmesan) among a host of Roman classics.
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Bici e Baci
Bici & Baci runs daily bike tours of central Rome, taking in the historic centre and the Colosseum. Departure is at 10am, 3pm and 8pm daily between March and October, by request only from November to February; the cost is €35 plus tax. It also offers tours of Rome on vintage Vespas – the best and most authentic way to travel in the city. You’ll need to book 24 hours ahead. Routes and prices vary according to your requests.
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Ice Club
Novelty value is what the Ice Club, most tempting in summer, is all about. Pay €15 (you get a free vodka cocktail served in a glass made of ice), put on a thermal cloak and mittens, and enter the bar, in which everything is made of ice (temperature: -5 degrees C). Most people won’t chill here for long – the record is held by a Russian (four hours).
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Acanto Benessere Day Spa
This exquisite day spa near the Pantheon is the place for a divine designer detox. Settle back amid the mosaic mirrors, stained glass, soft lighting and curvaceous white seating, and get pampered. It offers a wide range of facials and massages – an hour-long massage costs around €90. Book ahead.
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La Gallina Bianca
The ‘White Hen’ is a friendly, handy pizzeria amid the minefield of tourist trash around Termini, serving thick-crust Neapolitan pizzas made from slow-risen dough. It’s large and airy, decorated in cool pale blue and old wood, with shaded outside seating on a not-too-busy street.
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