There is nothing better after a crazy week than Rome for the weekend. If you’re showing two dearest friends around, it is better.
Here’s our itinerary to make the best out of 48 hours in Rome. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Where to sleep in Rome
If you want good price and local nightlife nearby, the area called Campo de Fiori is great. We slept between Campo de’ Fiori and Piazza Navona.
Once you arrive leave your bags at the accommodation and walk around to get a feel for the small local bars and restaurants in the area. Grab a drink and a bite and start your weekend the right way with delicious Italian food.
What to visit and do – Day 1 in Rome
Piazza Navona
Living barely 4 minutes away from the square, we visited it first thing in the morning, sat down for the first Espresso of the day and continued towards Piazza di Spagna.
Piazza di Spagna
Piazza di Spagna is one of the most visited attractions in the city for a reason. Always lovely to see the hustle and buzzle of locals and tourists on the stairs.
I remember my mum telling me on my first time in Rome – you always have to climb up the stairs to see the roofs of the city. So that’s what we did.
Fontana Di Trevi
Walking down Via del Corso we arrived to the always crowded Fontana Di Trevi passing through Piazza Colonna. We did the coin throwing ritual – legend says if you do that it guarantees your return to the city at some point in your life.
Pantheon
Next one is the Pantheon in Piazza della Rotonda. We arrived there when the light of the day started to fade, but when we finished admiring the ceiling and the whole building, there was an amazing singer and guitar player outside who got together a huge crowd and made us sing along to some well-played songs.
If you have more time in the day or want to add more days in the city, check out this Rome bucket list.
Night at Trastevere
Crossing the river there’s the Trastevere neighbourhood. The main square is Santa Maria in Trastevere.
We found a restaurant to eat pasta and pizza (of course) and then decided to do another of the typical things in the area: chocolate shots. They are served in chocolate glasses and have cream on top. Delicious!
What to do in Rome for 48h – Day 2
Piazza Venezia
One of the hubs in Rome, we walked around Palazzo Venezia and the Altare della Patria, part of the monument of the first king of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II.
Foro Romano and Trajan’s market
At both sides of Via dei Fori Imperiali heading to the Colosseum we can find ruins. On the left we can see the Trajan’s market, which is thought to be the oldest shopping mall in the world.
On the right we can see Foro di Cesare, and also on the right further down, close to the Colosseum, we arrive to the Foro Romano.
Colosseum
One of the new Seven Wonders of the World, the Colosseum is an imposing building in the middle of the city. We did half a tour inside.
I say half because we wanted to skip the queues to get in and after a bit we decided to wander by ourselves and let the building amaze us. From one side you can see the arch of Constantine. You can see lots of tourists taking the picture with the arch and the Colosseum from down there.
San Pietro in Vincoli
San Pietro in Vincoli is a church that’s known for having Moses statue by Michelangelo inside.
We didn’t have it planned, but after eating lasagne close to the Colosseum the lady in the restaurant suggested it, and because we were really close we decided to go visit.
Bone church – Capuchin Crypt
The guys had read somewhere that there was a bone church in the city, so we walked there. I like walking long distances. It usually takes you far away from the touristy spots. It is not allowed to take pictures, so if you are wondering how it is, you should go there yourself!
La Montecarlo
We finished our stay going to a very recommended restaurant (both by friends and TripAdvisor) and it didn’t disappoint. They serve delicious italian pizza and pasta.
Everything we did that weekend is on this post. Everything can be easily done with 48 hours in Rome. Have you ever been to the eternal city? Comment below!
