View this email in your browser Where to Eat in Rome Where to Eat Near the Colosseum A lot of people assume everywhere near the Colosseum is a tourist trap. That is not the case. There are some great places to eat close by, you just have to know which ones and which streets to walk to. Here are the spots I recommend. BEST RESTAURANTS NEAR ROME'S COLOSSEUM For a real Roman trattoria Il Bocconcino is one of the few Slow Food restaurants in the area. The cooking is fresh and traditional, and the...
10 days ago • 1 min read
View this email in your browser Unusual Things to do in Rome The City Beneath the City This Week: Rome is full of famous sights, but some of my favorites are the ones you have to go below the street to find. There's a whole second city under the surface, and most people never think to look for it. And in summer it stays cool, so when the heat peaks, this is one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon in Rome. ROME'S UNDERGROUND SITES A few I'd send you to first: Domus Aurea: Nero's golden...
14 days ago • 1 min read
View this email in your browser Planning Your Trip The Best Things to Do in Rome This Summer I love summer in Rome, and I know that sounds strange. The heat is real, but so is the other side of it. The city empties out, slows down, and gets peaceful in a way it rarely is. Summer is actually something of a mid-season here, not the peak most people assume. ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ROME IN SUMMER Beat the midday heat underground From noon to 5pm, do what Romans do and get out of the sun. The...
18 days ago • 1 min read
ST. PETER'S IN 2026 Want to visit St. Peter's Basilica without waiting two hours in line? Visiting the Vatican has changed since 2025, so I tested every option myself for this 2026 update. In this video I break down your four real choices,what each one actually gets you, and which one I would pick. WATCH NOW More Romewise Vatican Resources Planning the rest of your Vatican visit? The Romewise Vatican Hub is the place I'd send you next. It's the one page on the site I update most often,...
29 days ago • 1 min read
View this email in your browser Inside Ancient Rome THE HILL WHERE ROME BEGAN This Week's Deep Dive: Your Colosseum ticket covers three sites: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Palatine Hill. The Palatine Hill is the one people tend to skip, usually because they run out of time or energy after the first two. I think that is a mistake. In my opinion, it's one of the best ancient Roman sites you can visit, but it helps to know what you are looking at before you go. THE FULL GUIDE TO...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
View this email in your browser Special Churches in Rome The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore Santa Maria Maggiore has always been one of my favorite churches in Rome, and as of April 2025 it's also become one of the most visited. Pope Francis chose to be buried here rather than at the Vatican, and tens of thousands of people have already come to pay their respects. But there's a lot more to this basilica than the tomb, and I think it's worth going for the church itself. FULL GUIDE TO SANTA...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
View this email in your browser Food and Drinks in Rome The Best Rooftop Bars for Aperitivo This Week: Rome's rooftop season runs early April through late October, and May is one of the best months for it. The terraces are open and the sunsets are some of the best of the year. I've done a lot of rooftop-hopping over the years, and not all of them are worth the price. I put together a full guide to my favorites: which to splurge on, which to book ahead, and which you can walk into. MY ULTIMATE...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
🎥 NEW VIDEO OUT NOW WHAT TO EXPECT IN ROME IN 2026 Going to Rome in 2026 and wondering what's open, what's under construction, and what you'll see when you visit? In my new video I walk you through everything coming to Rome this year. The big projects underway, what's reopening, the new pedestrian zones, the Pantheon price change, and a few things you can plan around. WATCH NOW More Romewise Resources Planning a trip to Rome in 2026? We've got a full playlist of Rome 2026 updates, from new...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
View this email in your browser Inside the Colosseum HOW TO VISIT THE ARENA FLOOR This Week: One of the most common questions I get about visiting the Colosseum is how to get out onto the arena floor. It's where gladiators fought, animals popped up through trap doors, and prisoners met their end. Standing on it gives you a completely different sense of the place. Here's how to book this visit, what's included, and what to do if tickets are sold out. ROME'S ARENA FLOOR THE FULL GUIDE Book it...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read