Roaming Rome Over 4 Days

So many things went wrong at the start of our very first trip since the COVID-19 pandemic hit 2 years ago. We received the news that Italy had banned Singaporean travellers from going into the country during our flight to Milan – on the very day we were arriving. Thankfully we managed to get through immigration without anybody stopping us! We were expecting to be turned back at the gate!

Then, while waiting at the luggage belt for my dad’s suitcase, we spotted it coming towards us missing 2 wheels. The luggage arrived cracked and with huge holes where the wheels were supposed to be. We spent almost an hour finding the service counter, filling up the paperwork, and purchasing a new suitcase.

Phew!

Aside from the tumultuous start, we had a pretty good time exploring the top sites of Rome. It was our first time in both Rome and Italy, so we mostly stuck to the recommended places to visit from online travel sites and forums.

And speaking of recommendations, please wear a pair of good walking shoes with thick soles that have been tried and tested for comfort. The cobblestones really killed my feet, and I bought a new pair of Ecco shoes thinking they would be comfortable enough. The soles were too thin for this particular pair though!

Where we went in Rome

St Peter’s Basilica & St Peter’s Square

Wow, the queue into St. Peter’s Basilica was long. I can only imagine the queue pre-COVID and in summer!

But the long wait was well worth it. The church is so grand and huge that it’s breathtaking, especially when you first step in and look at the expansive space.

We took the lift up to the dome, saving our breath for the 320 steps up to the very top of the dome. The climb up was quite claustrophobic with the narrow winding steps and the roof slanting inwards at the sides, giving you the illusion that you’re not walking straight. And there were parts of the climb that I had to just stop and take a quick break, especially toward the end – I’m really not in shape anymore!

At just €2 more to take the lift compared to the stairs, I highly recommend taking the lift if you don’t have that many days in Rome or are not sure of your fitness level! It’s just €10 vs €8 to take the stairs the whole way up.

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Piazza di Spagna & the Trevi Fountain

I’ve always seen photos with huge crowds around the Trevi Fountain, and I was half-expecting that even though it was during the post-COVID era. It could be because we were there in late December but there weren’t as many people as I expected. And of course, we did the touristy thing and tossed a coin in – so see you again, Rome!

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Colosseum & the Arch of Constantine

Many people were trying to get us to buy tickets from them as we were nearing the Colosseum, saying that the ticket booth was closed, or there were no more tickets being sold at the Colosseum. We waved them away.

But it turns out they were not scammers, the ticket booth was really closed, and we were the silly ones!
We decided to get the tickets from Klook in the end, but I’m not sure if that was the right choice as we had to walk all the way back to Piazza d’Ara Coeli to get the tickets (about a 15-minute walk) and walk back to the Colosseum again. But we did get to watch an insightful video that showed how many of the sites in Rome would have looked like back in the day.

The Colosseum is massive, but our visit didn’t take as long as expected even with the many panels of information and displays.

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Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

After our visit to the Colosseum, we walked over to the Roman Forum which was just a stone’s throw away.

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Piazza Navona & the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

If you have ample time, Piazza Navona is a great place to chill and people-watch. We didn’t, so we just had dinner at the piazza and admired the fountain for a little while.

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Pantheon

We finally managed to get into the Pantheon on our third try. The first day, we arrived too late and it was about to close. And on the second day, we didn’t realise that we needed a reservation to get in over the weekends and public holidays, and were turned away after reaching the head of the queue! It’s free on weekdays though!

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Castel Sant’Angelo

If you don’t have much time in Rome, I recommend skipping Castel Sant’Angelo. It’s great for panoramic views (especially of St. Peter’s Basilica), but it doesn’t offer much else for the costly €15 ticket!

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Vatican Museums & the Sistine Chapel

Even though Vatican City is technically a country separate from Italy, I’m including this here because it’s surrounded by and so close to Rome!

The galleries are extensive and I lost count of the number of rooms we went into. You can easily spend the whole day there if you’re a major art and history buff, and still not have enough time!

Sadly, we’re not allowed to take photos in the Sistine Chapel, whether with flash or without. And we followed the rules even though there were many who tried to take sneaky photos. The ones who were caught by the guards were just let go with a stern warning and some were asked to delete the photos.
But you have to be in the Sistine Chapel in person to fully appreciate its beauty – the photographs you see online or in print just cannot compare.

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Day trip to Tivoli

Always arrive at the train station earlier than you plan for! We missed the train which would take us to Tivoli more directly because the ticket machine we were using was faulty and the queues at the service counters were snaking!

In the end, we managed to find another way that would get us to Tivoli without losing half the day. But we could have arrived earlier, spent less and without so much hassle if we had just gone to the train station 10 minutes earlier!

Sadly, we only had enough time to visit both Villa D’Este Gardens and Villa Gregoriana and had to give Villa Adriana a miss since we arrived later than expected.

The Villa D’Este gardens was filled with countless fountains, water jets, and sprouts everywhere you looked. Even though not all were turned on, you can just imagine how gorgeous it looked back in the 16th century! It’s a great place for a slow, romantic stroll.

We were all so excited to watch the Organ Show at Fontana dell’Organo, but nothing much happened…

Villa Gregoriana gave us some nature from our otherwise city trip in Rome. And it was good to stretch our legs, enjoy the fresh air and even work up a sweat in winter.

I’m not sure why it’s called Villa Gregoriana though. There isn’t any villa, but it’s the entrance to a hiking trail with waterfalls, grottoes, and ancient ruins – a great breather from city life!

And after the hike, more bad luck befell on my dad – because the third time’s the charm. The soles of his shoes fell apart, and we had to find super glue to try and glue them back together while finding a store that still had bus tickets for sale. We didn’t realise that the stores could sell out of bus tickets!

After Rome, we went on to Florence.

Ending off the post with food pictures!