Rome was an absolute dream, even though we were only there for one full day. We arrived on Friday afternoon and left Sunday morning so it was a whirlwind, but we still managed to pack a lot in our weekend in Rome!

We stayed at Hotel Fellini, which ended up being the perfect location because it was less than a 10 minute walk to both the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Our room was small but very clean and comfortable, and for the price we really couldn’t ask for anything more! We also appreciated the 24 hour front desk staff who were readily available if we needed anything.

Roman Street Food Tour

As soon as we checked in on Friday, we dropped off our bags and headed toward Campo de’ Fiori for this amazing street food tour. This was a highlight for us because we got to sample lots of things we never would have found on our own!

We first stopped at a historic shop called Antica Norcineria Viola which is famous for all things related to cured meats. We tried lots of different kinds and sipped on red wine, but our favorite by far was the black truffle salami.

Next, we tried perhaps the most iconic Roman street food: supplì! Picture soft risotto rice mixed with rich tomato sauce, deep fried, with mozzarella in the middle. Its name actually comes from the French word for “surprise” because of the cheese in the center! We wondered why we had never tried it before, but it’s because it’s a staple you can only find in Rome.

The rest of the tour we tried Jewish fried artichoke, gelato, and the best pizza we’ve had yet (sorry Naples!). Where Neapolitan pizza is typically circular and floppy, Roman pizza is square and crisp. Fun fact: many bakeries in Italy sell pizza by weight and not by the slice, so you can grab as much or as little as you want! Perfect for trying a bit of everything.

The Colosseum

Saturday we woke up early because we had first entry 8:30 A.M. tickets to the Colosseum. Walking through the city that morning felt so strange because the streets were completely empty! We weren’t sure if it was because Italians just aren’t early risers or that it was the off season, but there was not a soul in sight.

If we have learned anything, it’s that January is such an underrated time to visit Rome! The winter brings crisp weather and fewer crowds, along with more affordable airfare, hotels, and tours. We will absolutely be planning more post New Year’s trips in the future!

Visiting the Colosseum was such an incredible experience. It’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that you are actually standing in a place that you’ve read and learned so much about! The tickets that we booked included access to the Arena floor but not the full Underground experience. We didn’t realize that the Underground tickets sell out far in advance so that is still on our bucket list!

The Vatican Museums

After the Colosseum we wandered around the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. Both of these places were included in our tickets and just a short walk away! To end the day we did a guided tour of the Vatican museums, where we learned that we could not have visited at a more perfect time!

We originally thought that we were going to miss Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel because it was scheduled to be covered for restoration. However our tour guide told us that we were really lucky because for some reason it was covered the week before, but they decided to delay the project for a few days so we got to see it unveiled!

It was a very busy weekend in Rome, but it exceeded every expectation that we had. We cannot wait to come back someday and spend more time in this beautiful city!