Port Guide: Rome

A rich layer-cake of history, with glorious gardens and authentic eateries round every corner, Italy’s capital offers an unrivalled city break. We've created three day-long itineraries for a perfect pre or post-cruise stopover

The adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day” takes  on a whole new meaning when you set foot in the Eternal City.

Thousands of years of history have shaped the stones of this extraordinary metropolis, where ancient temples and imperial residences graced with statues of Roman royalty stand beside ornate baroque churches.

Today, the city’s magnificent piazzas hum with snap-happy tourists as past and present sit comfortably side by side. 

Headline attractions are clustered in the city centre, making it easy to walk from one to another via cobbled streets and pedestrianised squares.

But it’s not just about ticking off the must-sees; the magic of Rome lies in hidden trattorias filled with chattering locals, espresso bars giving people their morning fix, and the subterranean ruins that reveal the city’s layered past.

A single day may be nothing in the mighty span of Roman history – but it’s more than enough time to fall in love.

FOR FOODIES

8am Start your day right with  the classic Roman breakfast:  a tiny, dark espresso paired with  a sweet and flaky cornetto pastry,  eaten at the counter. Unfussy, quality ingredients enjoyed without ceremony is the hallmark of Roman cuisine – just ask the team at Forno Campo de’Fiori, where you can watch the  city wake up as scooters fly past and locals crowd the cobbled streets on their way to work.

9am Campo de’ Fiori plaza was once, as its name suggests, a flower-filled meadow. Today the blooms are freshly cut and piled up  on market stalls, alongside crimson tomatoes and glossy aubergines. Admire the bunches of vibrant peonies and fragrant lilies as you pick up a freshly squeezed orange juice.

11am Stroll along the Tiber River to the foodie district of Testaccio for your next delicious hit of Roman culture. Here, among the street-food stalls and family-run trattorias, stands the Mattatoio. Until 1975 this was the city’s slaughterhouse (and source of its cherished “fifth quarter” dishes, such as beef tripe simmered in tomato and mint sauce). Recently restored, the building is now home to Rome’s Academy of Fine  Arts, which hosts regular exhibitions dedicated to Roman archaeology.

1pm What does ‘fifth quarter’ mean? Well, it’s the locals’ joky term for the parts of an animal that most of us throw away. And if you want to experience the true taste of Rome, husband-and-wife duo Mara Cipriani and Sergio Esposito serve it fast-food style at Mordi & Vai, where sandwich fillings include coratella e carciofi (heart and lungs with artichoke). If that’s a little rich for your blood, try salsiccia (sausage) instead.

3pm After munching your way around the city, return to the source at Museo della Cucina. The museum, which opened in 2022, pays homage to Italian cookery, with exhibits ranging from a 19th-century pasta machine to some of the oldest cookbooks in existence.

FOR NATURE LOVERS

8am Begin your day by escaping the bustle of central Rome and making for leafy Villa Borghese park, where birdsong replaces the rumble of traffic. Meander  along the gravel paths that wind beneath umbrella pines and citrus trees before emerging at the lake, where black-headed gulls and cormorants snooze in the sun. Rent a rowing boat and paddle to the centre of the lake, keeping your eyes peeled for the red-eared turtles that chomp  on the reeds along the water’s edge.

11.30am Cross the Tiber and discover one of the city’s quieter treasures, the Botanical Garden of Rome. Spread across the slopes of Janiculum Hill, this 12-hectare oasis unfolds in a painter’s palette of crimson roses, violet irises, yellow mimosas and blue agapanthus, all surrounded by lush green grass.

1pm Peckish after your morning’s walk, head to Fauno, the ground-floor bistro of the quaint Bosco Parrasio boutique hotel, which is perched on the edge of the botanical garden. Take a seat on the shaded piazzetta and dive into plates of carbonara, grilled octopus and polenta, paired with a chilled glass  of the local Frascati Superiore.

3pm Sated, make your way to 
Villa Doria Pamphili, the largest landscaped public park in the city, and ramble along its winding paths flanked by ancient oaks. Walk through the grand gardens, past the elegant Pamphili Casino (a 17th-century country retreat, not a place to make  a bet), and pause at the Lake of the Belvedere, where you can watch  white swans glide across the water  and listen to the splish-splash of ornamental waterfalls.

5pm After obliterating your average daily step count, it’s time for a reward. Head to nearby  La Mescita Monteverde, a cosy wine bar (and temple of the natural wine movement), offering a vast menu of carefully chosen reds, whites and pinks, complemented by a delectable range of Italian small plates.

FOR HISTORY BUFFS

8am Few sights announce themselves quite like Rome’s ancient Colosseum. Book your ticket in advance and beat the crowds by joining the line ahead of its 8.30am opening. Then step inside and let yourself hear the roar of the ancient crowds as gladiators take to the arena, swords gleaming  and hearts racing. Pause on the upper levels to look down on the underground chambers where lions, tigers and wolves were kept ahead of the Colosseum’s gruesome battles.

10.30am From the Colosseum, walk into the ruins of the Roman Forum, where broken columns and fragments of temples emerge from the grass like pieces of an enormous archaeological jigsaw. This was once the vibrant political heart of the city, hosting elections, public speeches, criminal trials and processions. Continue on to Palatine Hill where – as legend has it – Romulus founded Rome in 753BC, after a dispute with his twin brother Remus.

2pm No visit to Rome is complete without a trip to the Trevi Fountain. Round a corner into the Piazza di Trevi and let the crowd guide you towards the fountain, its 18th-century baroque façade gleaming in travertine stone. As cascades crash over carved cliffs beneath the gaze of Oceanus the water god, toss a coin over your left shoulder to guarantee your return to the Eternal City.

4pm End your day by taking a taxi to the Appian Way. Dubbed the “Queen of Roads”, this cobbled highway once sped Rome’s legions on their way to distant conquests, though today it offers an atmospheric stroll under towering umbrella pines. Traverse the sun-bleached basalt stones and breathe in the earthy air, knowing you are standing on infrastructure that helped build the Roman Empire.