Romantic Rome Itinerary
a full-flavored checklist for lovers, daydreamers, and creative souls
Pack light-hearted, strap on your Rome-colored glasses, and commit to looking on the bright side.
Lace up your walking shoes or comfy sandals, because this is a walking tour.
Romanticism is about losing yourself to rapturous emotions, soul-stirring beauty, a reverence of nature, and a healthy fantasy life.
If you love the melding of myth and reality and sometimes have trouble keeping your feet (figuratively) on the ground, there’s no better place on planet earth than Rome.
Rome Travel Tips
First rule in the world’s most romantic city: Don’t rush. They aren’t (except for the highway, which is terrifying).
Even during high season (May-July) it’s still possible to lose yourself in the narrow maze of Rome historic center or Trastevere neighborhood.
That said, late September and October are less frenzied and the weather is fantastic.
Make getting lost the goal, not just in space. In time.
When you see a road labeled, vicolo (lane), or vicoletto (extra tiny lane) take it. Add Via Giulia to your GPS. (Fontana del Mascherone).
It may dead end. Even better, you might find yourself at under an arched overpass, centuries-old architectural relic that screams secret meetings between forbidden lovers, gossipy nuns, or spies from the house of Borghese.
Sit outdoors whenever possible. When there are too many spots on the piazza, choose the sunniest one.
Don’t stress about things you cannot control. Shops and restaurants will close. Public transport is a gamble (hence the walking tour). Things you read online will be wrong.
Book guided tours in advance at all costs. You’ll save time, headaches, and money.
There’s no end to the number of picturesque piazzas, restaurants and cafés, or fascinating museums and perfect parks. This list is a suggestion.
Sleep
Book hotels or BnB in a central location, within or walkable to the historical center.
Proximity to hot monuments will drive up the cost and potential swarms of tourists. Maps apps will show you walking times.
Remember that Rome is built on a bunch of hills, which means potential for great views. Check for a balconies and terraces.
Caelian Hill (Celio) is close enough but not too close to the Colosseum.
Prati neighborhood is close to the Vatican and an easy walk across the river to everything else. It’s got its own high street shopping on Via Cola di Rienzo to rival Via del Corso.
Trastevere may be postcard perfection by day, but some parts are poppin’ at night. Piazza Trilussa and the surrounding streets are great for daytime spritzes with bottomless mimosa vibes and late-night partying among a young and international set.
Venture southeast, on the other side of Viale Trastere for more a more peaceful experience.
Testaccio and micro-zone San Saba are a doable walk everywhere. Leafy streets and low buildings channel the old center without as many crowds.
Ludovisi, Salustiano, and Salario border Villa Borghese. They’re quieter, quite posh, and many streets are overwhelmingly green and glorious. Salario is a large area, so check your map.
Eating and Drinking
This is an abbreviated list, curated for romanticism. For more wine bars, search Tastefully for the key words including enoteca and vineria.
Wine and dine at the deliciously charming Cuverie, a labor of real-life lovers. The pocket-size space inside a 15th-century palazzo oozes romance. Drippy red candles, decadent vintage furnishings, a highly curated wine list to pair with dishes including artful seafood crudo, charcuterie, and cozy comfort foods. Via dei Santa Cecilia, 1
Aperitivo at Salotto 42. Perennially stylish bar housed in a former bookshop, time and space meld here. Sip incredible cocktails outside with a view of a Corinthian colonnade built into contemporary walls. Piazza di Pietra, 42
Barolo, Barbaresco and Beyond at Fàfiuchè. Go full immersion at this wine bar dedicated to authentic Piedmontese flavors. Pair sought-after wines with regional specialties including duck lasagna and garlicky bagna càuda. Via Madonna dei Monti, 28
Chef-Artist Adriano and his brother Vincenzo have been running neighborhood trattoria Il Colibri for four decades. Come for the pasta, stay for the walls smattered in the brothers’ artwork and old pictures of famous patrons, including Mariah Carey! Via Famagosta, 69
Wait out the crowds for wine. Il Goccetto’s dark wood, floor-to-ceiling wine shelves and tightly packed tables exude timeless coziness. The bottle list borders on 800 labels, so curious connoisseurs take note and bring your cheese and charcuterie appetite. Via Banchi Vecchi 14
Nearby Enoteca il Piccolo is just for drinking, which you may do on the stoop next door. This buzzy spot has a rustic renegade quality and serves mostly “natural” and small-production wines. No matter how busy they are they’ll still let you try before you buy a glass, and pretention levels are sub-zero. Via del Governo Vecchio 74-75
Soak up local flavor in every way at Osteria delle Coppelle. Around the corner from the Pantheon, this institution dominates an otherwise quiet piazza. A timeless setting, casual sophistication and extraordinary cuisine, Roman and non. You’ll wish you’d stumbled on it yourself. Piazza delle Coppelle, 54
Slip away to the secret garden at Locarno Hotel: I’ve spent hours tucked away writing in their courtyard garden bar and bistro. Luxury at a lower key, the menu is short, sweet and includes an incredible amatriciana. Wine list is curated to perfection and the cocktails are amazing. Via della Penna, 22
*The rooftop warrants a mention as well.
Nightcap with the Colosseum at The Court, where cocktails delight senses and the view of Rome’s iconic monument feels like you dream you reach out and touch.
No-longer a secret, but very much worth the hype, the Jerry Thomas Project introduced speakeasy culture to Rome in 2010. Step out of one timeless town into another one. Red walls, embossed glass cases, and spectacular cocktails served with a smile and a wink. Reservations mandatory. Address is a secret.
Feed Your Soul
Slip away from crowded Piazza di Spagna and into the Keats-Shelly House, a monument to the Romantic poets.
Listen to live jazz, have a candlelit dinner and a tour of Rome by night in a vintage tram car.
Live La Dolce Vita for a day. Hire a vintage car and driver for a an extra-scenic spin around town.
Watch the Sunset Savello Park. Also known as Giardino degli Aranci (orange garden) for its signature citrus groves, Parco Savello reigns as the city’s favorite view. The park is perched atop Aventino Hill, south of the historic center and east of the Tiber River. Enjoy the most scent of orange blossom between March and April. For full fruit trees: October-December.
Insider tip: Just outside the park, in Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta is a giant door with a very famous keyhole. Peer through it for a swooping view of Rome with Saint Peter’s Basilica front and center.
Runner-up for panoramic views and sunsets: the terrace at Pincio Gardens, an extension of Villa Borghese.
Unleash your imagination at the Basilica Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Legend holds that Valentine, the patron saint of love, rests in peace (his skull, at least) near the alter. Outside a mythological mouth will bite off the hands of liars. Do you dare?
Relax on a Rooftop
Most rooftop bars and restaurants are part of a hotel, so expect higher prices and probably some tourists. That said, there’s no better view of Rome any time of day than a rooftop. These are my top three:
Masa: for transportive cocktails spanning Mediterranean to Middle Eastern.
Six Senses: Originally conceived as an urban oasis. From their basement Roman baths to their airy rooftop terrace, escapism is the theme.
Zuma: Japanese cuisine for the global jet-set. Indulge in a cocktail here. Set atop the iconic Palazzo Fendi, the view feels sandwiched in a good way, as if you could reach out and touch the dome of San Carlo and the jagged blue contemporary roof at neighboring Lanterna di Fuksas.
Lose Yourself in in the Villa Gardens
Heart-shaped Villa Borghese is the most popular and accessible. It’s quite large and easy to get lost in, even during high season. Villa Pamphilj is the third largest park in the city, and I have absolutely gotten lost here, and not in the hedge maze. Villa Torlonia is a bit of a walk depending on where you’re staying, but an absolute delight and rarely crowded.
Catch an Exhibition at Chiostro del Bramante.
Tucked into the winding streets behind Piazza, Navona, the art space was originally part of a 16th-century monastery. The cloister, designed Renaissance architect Donato Bramante, features graceful columns, arches, and a serene escape in the heart of a bustling city.
this show is on until September 2025. A retrospective of flowers in artwork since the Renaissance, a celebration of nature and beauty and the triumph of emotion.
Admire Raphael’s frescos a Renaissance Villa Farnesina, and wander the surrounding gardens in a lush and tranquil corner of Trastevere.
Immerse yourself in marble at Museum and Atelier Canova Tadolini.
Arguably one of the most romantic sculptures in existence, Canova’s Cupid and Psyche is on display in two versions, one at the Louvre and the other New York’s Metropolitan Museum. The stone emits impossible human tenderness, and like much of his work provokes a powerful emotional response, a hallmark of the Romantic Era.
This museum celebrates the legacy of both 19th-century Antonio Canova and his disciple, Adamo Tadolini, and showcases a rich collection of neoclassical sculptures, drawings, and plaster casts as well as tools and original material original workspace.
*Get your own creative juices flowing and plot your next masterpiece over coffee or a glass of wine at the adjoining café.
Gourmet Dining
Food as art, in an equally artful setting is another experience all together. If that’s more your speed, these three restaurants are at the top of my radar.
Love it ! Thank you - this is so helpful:) Baci!