Rome is on a lot of people’s bucket lists. It’s easy to see why so many flock to the Eternal City, from the amazing food to ancient ruins there is a little something for everyone. My recent trip to Rome was a whirlwind, we fit so much into just a few days!
On Day One we took on Ancient Rome, doing the three hour tour of the Colosseum. It’s incredible to stand in front of a structure built nearly 2000 years ago. In my opinion he skyscrapers we build today will never be as impressive as what civilization were able to create thousands of years ago with significantly less technology.
Throughout the tour you will hear stories of Ancient Emperors, gladiators, and executions. The Colosseum was much more than a simple sports stadium.
The Three Hour your also takes you to the Roman Forum, the birth of civilization as we know it today. Standing in the middle of the Roman Forum you are surrounded by ruins that once held important government offices, temples dedicated to the Roman Gods, and even housed the Vestal Virgins.
We did one of the Skip the Line tours with City Wonders and I highly recommend! The lines to get into the Colosseum were insane. Bring your camera, a reusable water bottle, and very comfortable walking shoes! I’m in my 20s, in pretty good shape and I was sore at the end of the tour. It is a lot of walking across uneven ancient paths, so be prepared, and whatever you do do not try to squeeze the Colosseum and Vatican City into one day. You will be so miserable by the end you won’t enjoy any of it!
In late fall the afternoons can still be pretty hot, we booked a 3pm tour, the first hour was a little warm but but 4pm the sun was starting to set and we got some relief. If you’re visiting Rome in the summer I would recommend going with an early morning tour so you can wrap up and get into the AC before the sweltering heat sets in. Definitely book your tours ahead of time, trust me this will save you a lot of stress when you arrive. The tour company will give you a meeting spot and when you arrive just look for the flags that have your tour company listed. If you’re only in Rome for a short period of time you should absolutely do the Colosseum, we all studied Ancient Rome in school but getting to see it first hand was really special.
Have you been to Rome or are you planning a trip? Let me know in the comments what the highlights are for you!
I used to work in London for an Italian bank whose HQ was in Rome, requiring me to regularly visit. It’s a fascinating place and I have many happy memories of my time in Rome.
Great pictures Katie look forward to seeing more. I agree with how amazing these structures are, how old they and are still here. Glad you got the most out of short trip!