“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Every tourist who visits Rome does some usual things like seeing the Colosseum, walks the ruins of The Roman Forum, the Pantheon, St. Peters and throwing coins into Trevi Fountain and these are some of the must-see places. If you are already done with the regulars, it’s time you see the different side of Rome and experience it like a local. I am just back from exploring some hidden and some popular gems of Italy and two more countries. I am sharing few tips to explore the beautiful city of Rome. So come join me and explore while I relive my experience and beautiful memories from this vacation on my blog here.
1. Pyramid of Cestius Rome
Visit the ancient pyramid in Rome. Yes, there is a pyramid. The pyramid of Cestius was built in 12th century, stands next to the Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome. It is said to be older than Colosseum.
2. Museo Nazionale Delle Paste Alimentari Rome
Who loves pasta or rather let me ask who does not love pasta, there is a special museum dedicated to this favorite Italian dish. The National Pasta Museum in Rome. ‘MuseoNazionaleDelle Paste Alimentari’ celebrates the evolution of Italy’s favourite dish pasta. If you are an Italian Food lover like me don’t miss it.
3. Picnic like an Italian
Rome has enormous gardens to be visited like Villa DoriaPamphili, Villa Borghese, Villa Ada and many others. Grab some pizza or panini from the market or make your own if you were staying in aparthotel like we did and a carry a bottle of wine along with dessert or two and relax in a park or sit on a bench while soaking in the beauty of Rome.
4. Rome Vespa Tour
What is a better way to enjoy the small alleys big roads in Italy than riding on none other than Italy’s very own Vespa and Enjoy the sights and smell of Rome like an Italian, We booked half a day Vespa tour in Rome with one of the many Vespa tour operators and it became a great highlight of our tour. What could a better way to explore the streets with your partner and reliving the young and carefree time of your life!
Regarding the choice of the tour operator, most of them have almost same inventory so I suggest you to choose anyone who tie-up with your hotel that saves the time and hassle of communicating. Maybe you end up paying 5-7 Euro more or less but in my opinion gives you a better experience.
5. Take a food tour or a Cooking class in Rome
Learn to cook like a local. Take a cooking lesson from a local or a food and wine pairing class from an Italian master sommelier to amplify your experience of Roman culture and food. Again something that if you are a food lover you should not be missing this experience. There is so much to learn, from hundreds of pasta shapes and small tools to secret of making perfect pizza crust and handling delicate seafood you will come enriched :). At least I learned a lot more about real Italian recipes and Italian cooking techniques. That means I am going to share a lot of Italian food and tips and tricks of cooking Italian Food on my Food blog MyTastyCurry.com
6. Live like a Local in Rome
Rent an apartment, shop from the local market like Campo dei Fiori or even a local grocer in your neighborhood and cook a roman meal in your own kitchen. Drink wine from an authentic wine cellar at Spirito di Vino. Live a day like a local.
7. Watch the Rome city in Night
In the night Rome looks like a different city altogether, every building is bathed in beautiful lights looks enchanting but most of the tourists miss this view as sun sets very late in Europe and you are tired after such a long day. But I seriously advise you to visit it once during your Rome travel. We discovered it by chance when we landed in Ciampino Airport very late from a flight from Paris and discovered the streets and famous attractions on our way to the hotel. Surprisingly it was more buzzing with locals during the weekend but the tourist attractions were mostly empty, it gave a beautiful view which we are going to cherish forever.
Pay a visit to Trevi Fountain but when all the tourists are sound sleep. Visit the fountain at night to experience its magic uninterrupted. To get a full view of the city, head to Monte Mario, Rome’s highest peak. It is a 15-minute drive from city centre. The view will definitely leave you awestruck.
I will be sharing more attractions from Rome in coming days. If you love to travel come, join me when I take you through the journey of this beautiful city and see it through my eyes before you travel there to experience it soon <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/72x72/1f642.png" alt="