Rome Holidays

The Appian Way offers one of Rome’s best outdoor experiences, combining ancient paving, countryside and archaeological remains. Visitors can cycle through the Appia Antica Regional Park, passing tombs, villas and aqueducts along a route that feels surprisingly removed from the city centre.

Monte Mario rises above the western side of Rome and offers walking paths through wooded parkland towards panoramic viewpoints. Visitors can look across the city and surrounding hills while experiencing a quieter, greener setting away from the historic centre.

Riverside cycle routes follow long stretches of the Tiber and connect different parts of Rome away from the busiest roads. Visitors can ride between bridges, parks and neighbourhoods while seeing the city from a more relaxed perspective at water level.

The Caffarella Valley forms part of the Appia Antica Regional Park and combines open countryside with archaeological remains and historic farm landscapes. Visitors can walk or cycle through a surprisingly rural environment while staying within Rome’s wider urban area.

Villa Doria Pamphilj is Rome’s largest landscaped public park, with woodland, lawns, fountains and broad walking routes surrounding a historic villa. Visitors can spend several hours exploring its quieter paths, making it an easy outdoor break from the busy streets of central Rome.

The riverside park beside Ostia Antica combines walking and cycling with views across the Tiber landscape. Visitors can experience a greener side of Rome while staying close to one of the city’s most important archaeological areas.

Built between AD 212 and 216, the Baths of Caracalla were among the largest public bathing complexes in ancient Rome. Visitors can walk through vast brick halls and surviving structures that reveal how bathing, exercise and social life were combined on an extraordinary scale.

The Aurelian Walls were built in the 3rd century AD to strengthen Rome’s defences as the empire faced growing external threats. Visitors can still see long sections of the original fortifications, gates and towers surrounding parts of the historic city.

Rome’s Jewish Ghetto was established in 1555 and remained formally enclosed until 1870. Visitors can explore a neighbourhood shaped by centuries of Jewish life, with historic streets, religious buildings and cultural traditions centred around the Great Synagogue and surrounding area.

San Clemente reveals several layers of Roman history beneath one church, from the present basilica to an earlier Christian building and ancient Roman structures below. Visitors can descend through the different levels and see how successive periods of the city were built directly over one another.

The Pyramid of Cestius was built as a Roman tomb around the end of the 1st century BC. Its sharp white form reflects the Egyptian influence fashionable in Rome at the time and still stands beside the ancient Porta San Paolo and Aurelian Walls.

Markets remain part of daily life across Rome, from neighbourhood food halls to large open-air markets. Porta Portese is the city’s best-known Sunday market, where visitors can browse vintage clothing, antiques, books and household finds alongside regular local shoppers.

Aperitivo is a familiar part of Roman social life, usually beginning in the early evening before dinner. Visitors will see bars and terraces filling with people meeting over drinks and small bites across central and residential neighbourhoods.

Craftsmanship remains visible in workshops producing mosaics, jewellery, leather goods, ceramics and other handmade pieces. Visitors can find small studios throughout the historic centre, where older skills continue alongside contemporary Italian design and independent creative work.

Coffee in Rome is often quick, social and centred around the neighbourhood bar. Visitors can experience the local rhythm by ordering an espresso at the counter, watching regulars come and go and seeing how cafés work as everyday meeting points throughout the city.

Public squares remain important social spaces across Rome, especially in the late afternoon and evening. Piazzas fill with cafés, restaurants and people meeting outdoors, showing how these historic spaces still function as part of everyday city life rather than simply sightseeing stops.

Roma Summer Fest brings major Italian and international artists to the Auditorium Parco della Musica each summer. Its programme spans pop, rock, rap and singer-songwriter performances, with concerts taking place across the venue’s indoor and outdoor spaces.

Romaeuropa Festival is one of Rome’s leading contemporary arts events, bringing together dance, theatre, music and experimental performance. Shows take place across cultural venues throughout the city, making it an important part of Rome’s autumn arts calendar.

The Rome Marathon turns the capital into a major running stage, with participants following a 42.195-kilometre route through historic streets and past some of the city’s most recognisable landmarks. The event attracts runners and spectators from around the world.

Videocittà celebrates digital culture, immersive art, music and new technology at Rome’s Gazometro. The programme combines installations, virtual reality, live performances, DJ sets and talks, creating a contemporary cultural experience within the city’s striking industrial landscape.

Estate Romana spreads cultural events across Rome during the warmer months, with cinema, concerts, theatre, exhibitions and outdoor performances appearing in parks, squares and neighbourhood spaces. It offers visitors a chance to experience the city’s cultural life beyond its major permanent venues.

Festa de’ Noantri is one of Trastevere’s best-known traditional celebrations, combining neighbourhood festivities with devotion to the Madonna Fiumarola. Concerts, performances, religious processions and community gatherings bring the streets of Trastevere to life during the celebrations.

Trastevere becomes one of Rome’s liveliest areas in the evening, with bars, restaurants and small venues filling the streets around its piazzas. Visitors can move between relaxed drinks, late dinners and busier spots while enjoying one of the city’s most atmospheric neighbourhoods after sunset.

Testaccio has a strong evening identity built around bars, music, food and cultural venues. Visitors can experience a more local side of Roman nightlife here, with clubs, performances and late-opening venues adding variety to the neighbourhood after dark.

Open-air cinema is a major part of Rome’s summer evenings, with screenings taking place in parks, courtyards, squares and cultural venues across the city. Visitors can watch everything from classics to contemporary films beneath the night sky.

Rome has a well-established jazz scene, with venues such as Casa del Jazz hosting Italian and international performers. Summer programmes bring concerts into outdoor spaces, giving visitors an easy way to combine live music with a warm evening in the city.

Rome’s opera programme brings together opera, ballet and orchestral performances in prestigious venues across the capital. Visitors can experience major productions while adding an evening of Italian performing arts to days spent exploring the city’s historical landmarks.

Monti offers a compact evening scene, with wine bars, small restaurants and casual drinking spots tucked into its narrow streets. Visitors can spend the evening around Piazza della Madonna dei Monti before continuing through one of central Rome’s most characterful neighbourhoods.