Hidden gems in Rome
Skip the tourist circuit. These Rome spots are the ones locals actually send their out-of-town friends to.
Top spots in Rome
The Colosseum & Forum
CultureCentro Storico
Book the underground/arena floor combo — skip the hour-long perimeter queue.
Trastevere
Food & DrinkTrastevere
Cobbled lanes, ivy-covered trattorias and Sunday lunch that runs until 5pm.
Villa Borghese
OutdoorsPinciano
Park above the Spanish Steps — rent rowboats on the lake, see the Bernini collection.
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
CultureVatican City
Book the first 7:30am slot or the Friday night opening — the rest is chaos.
Testaccio Market
Food & DrinkTestaccio
Working-class food market — supplì, trapizzino, fresh pasta.
Aventine Keyhole
OutdoorsAventine Hill
Look through the keyhole at Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta — three states framed.
Where to eat
Roscioli
$$$Roman · Campo de' Fiori
Salumeria-and-wine-bar with the city's most argued-over carbonara.
Pizzarium Bonci
$Pizza al taglio · Prati
Gabriele Bonci's slab pizza — point at slices, weighed, eat outside.
Da Enzo al 29
$$$Roman · Trastevere
Tiny 25-seat trattoria — cacio e pepe and the carciofi alla giudia.
Salumeria Roscioli — Pasta Tasting
$$$$Pasta · Campo de' Fiori
The dedicated pasta tasting room above the salumeria — five iconic plates.
Giolitti
$Gelato · Pantheon
Open since 1900 — order pistachio and stracciatella.
Frequently asked
- Locals' under-the-radar picks include The Colosseum & Forum, Trastevere, Villa Borghese. These are the places that don't show up on the first page of mainstream travel guides.