Is Rome Worth Visiting?

If you’re planning a trip to Europe, you’ll find that there are several awesome places to visit. While London and Paris consistently top the list of most visited places each year, Rome often lags a bit in popularity. So if you have to choose where to go this summer you’ll have to ask “Is Rome worth visiting?”

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IS ROME WORTH A VISIT?

Yes, Rome is most definitely worth visiting. It’s a thoroughly fascinating city brimming with culture, history, spectacular food, and some of the most impressive landmarks that you’ll ever visit. There is so much to see and do in Rome but some of the best parts of visiting Rome simply involve walking around and experiencing the Eternal City. You’ll never regret visiting Rome and it should be number one on everyone’s bucket list!

WHY VISIT ROME

The Food

The food in Rome is spectacular. There are plenty of great places to eat and aside from the obvious tourist locations, you won’t have a hard time finding some amazing food. 

Of course, you’ll have the obvious Italian dishes which are available in abundance and are delicious, but we especially loved the Cacio e Pepe and the Suppli. 

Even a simple prosciutto sandwich was amazing. If you do find yourself near a famous tourist destination, all you have to do is head down the nearest side street or two and you’ll likely find a wonderful place for a meal. 

After the main course, there’s dessert, and in Rome, you’ll find one of the best desserts of all time, gelato. With so many flavors to choose from, it’ll be difficult trying to find your favorite. But it didn’t stop me from trying!

Historic Landmarks

Rome boasts a Hall of Fame-level roster of historic landmarks which includes The Colosseum, Palatine Hill, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museums, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, and plenty more.

Most cities would be thrilled to have 2 or 3 of these landmarks but Rome has them all and then some.

The challenge becomes trying to fit everything into a three or four-day itinerary because you’ll never run out of amazing things to see in Rome. 

Not only is the list impressive, but the landmarks themselves all live up to the hype. They’re impressive in size, design, and history. All cities that are tourist favorites have their landmarks but not many if any can compare to what Rome has to offer.

Rome is an open air museum

With so many great landmarks to visit you would think that that would be the highlight of a visit to Rome, but it’s not. For our family, the best part of visiting Rome was merely walking the streets and narrow alleys of the city.

Cobblestoned side streets that open into surprising piazzas offer some of the best discoveries in Rome. So much of what is great about Rome is out in the open including its many piazzas and fountains. 

The ancient monuments dot the historic center of the city and it’s impossible to miss them. 

The splendid architecture

Rome is a charming mix of Ancient Roman, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, Medieval, and Romanesque. All of these styles span centuries of history and give Rome a fantastic aesthetic across its historic center. 

The age and history are preserved remarkably well in so many of the buildings and landmarks that you’ll see when walking the streets. It’s also well represented in the famous landmarks of the city such as the Colosseum with its Ancient Roman architecture and the Renaissance architecture of Vatican City.

This collection of styles and designs helps to make Rome a truly unique place to visit.

The Colosseum

Of all of the impressive landmarks that are in Rome, the Colosseum is perhaps number one on the list. This ancient arena constructed in 80 AD is a fascinating structure to visit.

With it being largely intact, you’ll get to see what it felt like to be a first-century Roman citizen entering the arena’s gates. It was an amazing experience to be able to walk the broad corridors, climb the staircase, and walk out to the open arena.

A visit to the Colosseum is unlike any other landmark that you’ll visit and was worth the trip to Rome by itself!

Rome is actually affordable

For a city as famous and remarkable as Rome, you would think that it would be quite expensive to visit, but that’s not necessarily the case. While the food is amazing, as long as you go to the right spots, it’s very affordable.

We were surprised at how inexpensive it was to feed our family of four at sit-down restaurants. The wine and gelato were also quite affordable. So many of the attractions that you will want to see are either free or inexpensive as well. 

To save on accommodations we stayed in the Prati neighborhood which is right next to the Vatican, but just across the river from the main historic center. We were always just a quick bus ride away from where we wanted to go.

We also were able to save on our flight to Rome by coming in June which was more affordable than July or August. 

Rome is a walkable city

With so much to see, the historic center of the city is relatively compact so walking is the best way to experience Rome. For the areas that are a bit further out, you can easily take the bus. 

But once you reach the center of the city, you’ll want to walk as much as possible so that you don’t miss anything. One thing to watch out for is the fact that many of the streets and sidewalks are cobblestone, so wearing comfy shoes is a must. 

When planning out your day allow plenty of time for simply wandering the city streets because you’re always going to find something interesting that you didn’t plan on checking out. It’s one of the best parts of visiting Rome.

ENJOY YOUR TRIP TO ROME

Rome is a must-see destination and should be at the top of everyone’s list. It’s an amazing combination of culture, history, and delicious food. There’s so much to see in Rome that it’ll keep you busy for days. Before you start planning your trip to Rome, you should check out our essential itinerary for a trip to Rome as well as our handy guide which details the best areas to stay in Rome. Safe travels!