Rome Must-do Guide 🍝

✿ I took a trip to Rome a few weeks ago, March 2026, and absolutely LOVED it. The food, the sightseeing, the activities, the people...all perfection! Here is my must-do guide for Rome so that you can make the most of you trip.

✿ This blog contains affiliate links, which means if you book or purchase through them (at no extra cost to you) I may earn a small commission. I only recommend experiences I genuinely enjoyed or that are highly rated and well reviewed.

1. Tour the Colosseum , Palatine Hill + Roman Forum

✿ Naturally, I had to start this list with possibly the most famous Roman landmark to exist: the Colosseum. It really is as amazing as it looks in all of the photos. It's sheer size and vibrant history makes it something you don't want to skip experiencing. I would highly recommend booking a tour to make the most of the iconic landmark. We chose to book one that included the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, as well as access to the Gladiator entrance and arena floor within the Colosseum itself. I would highly recommend pre-booking a tour to beat the queues with the included queue jump and to avoid disappointment as the venue frequently sells out weeks in advance.

Book Your Colosseum Tour

✿ The arena floor through the Gladiator entrance:

✿ The Gladiator Entrance:

Book Your Colosseum Tour

✿ I would also highly recommend heading on a little walk (about 5 minutes from the Colosseum) to get some great pictures whilst avoiding the crowds. It's so easy to get to, with such great views, I'm surprised more people don't know about it! Here is a Google Maps pin for the exact location. Along the way (coming from the Colosseum) there is also a fantastic view as you head up the steps on the hill just below the viewpoint.

2. Two Sizes Tiramisu

✿ I did some thorough research before I came to Rome, trying to find the best tiramisu in the city. I definitely think I succeeded. Two Sizes tiramisu was my absolute favourite sweet treat that I had in Rome. As the name suggests, the tiramisu comes in a small or big size in 5 different flavours. My favourites were the strawberry and the caramel, but the classic tiramisu was a star in itself.

3. Explore the Trasteverse area

✿ We stayed in the Testaccio neighbourhood, and, as we headed into the city centre one day, we detoured through the Trasteverse area. It was bustling with cafes, restaurants, a flea market and shops. There are some really beautiful streets and the area has such a lovely feel to it. There was also an art market by the Ponte Garibaldi bridge which was stunning and has some amazing pieces.

✿ If you're after some food recommendations, but aren't sure where to start, booking a food tour would be a great idea. I would suggest one like this that you can pre-book to guarantee you a tour with excellent reviews and a smooth experience:

Book your Roman street food tour

4. Villa Borghese Park + Buggy hire

✿ If you fancy some greenery and a break from the bustling city, head to Villa Borghese park in the heart of Rome's city centre. It is absolutely gorgeous to stroll around, with a cafe to sit and relax. You can also step it up a notch and hire a golf cart or a buggy to ride around the park. We went for the buggy option and it was hilarious and a speedy way to get around and see more of the park. No need to pre-book, just turn up and go. They take cash or card!

6. Gelato!!!

✿ Gelato is another fantastic, iconic sweet treat in Rome. Make sure to pick places that don't have towering piles of gelato in glass cabinets. They don't serve truly authentic gelato. As told to me by a local, pick places where the gelato doesn't exceed the height of the container. Bonus points if it's kept in metal cans. My favourite was Giolitti with a few different locations in the city. They serve whipped cream on top which takes the gelato to another level.

7. The Oddity Patch Bar

✿ I am an absolute sucker for souveniers, and I usually buy things that aren't very practical and gather dust in my house. However, I came across a shop called The Oddity Patch Bar, located in the Monti area. You can customise a variety of items like passport covers, bags, pouches and more. It's such a cool concept and a really unique and practical souvenier that won't sit around unused. I made a passport cover, and I must say it's lovely quality.

8. Campo de Fiori Market (Monday-Saturday)

✿ If you're in the central Rome area and have a spare hour, head to Campo de Fiori market. There are so many stalls with food, souveniers and flowers. It's not a huge market, but if you're close by it's a great little gem to explore.

9. Day trip to Tivoli

✿ If you fancy a day trip, Tivoli is the place to go. We headed just over an hour outside of the city to explore Villa d'Este and it was absolutely gorgeous. It felt so tranquil, with lovely views and fountains. It was a little more complicted to get there than just getting buses around the city, but the easiest way is to get a train and/or a bus from the Termini in the city centre.

10. Trieste pizza

✿ Although not a classic Roman pizza, Trieste Pizza in the Monti area was by far THE BEST pizza that I had in Rome. It was crispy, saucy, flavourful and so fresh. It gets busy, so turn up and munch on a suppli whilst you wait, or take it away to enjoy whilst you explore the Monti area.

✿ I hope you enjoyed my Rome top picks, happy travels <3