A Guide to Christmas in Rome

UPDATED JULY 2024

By Go City Expert

Christmas in Rome is an amazing experience and there are a vast array of different things to do. We made a guide to get you started on what you could do over the festive period:

See the Pope Over Christmas you have a lot of opportunities. If you can get tickets midnight mass is magical but if not ‘Urbi et Orbi’ on Christmas day is another opportunity, and you don’t need tickets!
Visit a Christmas market There are markets all over Rome during December and early January. The most famous is the market in Piazza Navona which is always bustling and is lit up with lights.
Go ice skating Here’s an ice skating rink in the shadow of Rome’s Castel Sant’Angelo which is perfect for getting in the Christmas spirit. You can also ice skate at the Auditorium which also houses a Christmas fair and lots of concerts.
Discover the tradition of nativity scenes Rome boasts a museum of over 3000 nativity scenes and also a pop-up exhibition over Christmas of a further 200 scenes imagined by artists from around the world.
Appreciate the Christmas lights Wander the streets of Rome and see it from a new perspective. The city comes alive over the festive period with lights lining the roads.
Go to a bakery The bakeries fill up with delicious holiday treats like panettone and torrone that aren’t sold in the other months. You won’t regret it!

Go City Expert

Rome Travel Expert

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Hop On Hop Off Rome: The Best Tours To Take

All roads lead to Rome and, once you’re there, a hop on hop off Rome bus tour is a great way to explore the city. Whether you want to get your bearings or plan to visit attractions that are further apart, it gives you the freedom to make your own way without being tied to a particular itinerary - as well as not having to spend the whole day on your feet. Brought to you by the OMNIA Vatican & Rome team, here is a handy guide to the best tours and how to get the most out them. Pulling out the stops Most of Rome’s hop on hop off bus tours follow a similar route through the city, with departure points at the Vatican and Termini station. This is partly because Rome’s authorities control the number of stops in the ancient city centre, to keep pollution and congestion in check. The main routes operate three or four buses an hour, providing similar open top buses with audio commentary in a number of common languages, including English. Completing the circuit A complete bus tour should take between 1.5 and 2 hours, depending on traffic. It’s a good idea to complete the whole circuit on your first day as you’ll get an excellent understanding of the layout of the city. Some of the central attractions are within easy walking distance of each other and once you have a rough idea of where they are, you’ll find it much easier to plan your visit. The main attractions The Pantheon, the ancient pagan temple built in 120 AD and later converted into a church, and Piazza Navona, a public square on the site of an ancient arena with beautiful examples of Baroque architecture, are close together. They can be conveniently visited by ‘hopping off’ at the stop for either attraction. Similarly, the Colosseum, the world’s largest amphitheatre ever, is located close by the Circo Massimo (or Circus Maximus), the ruins of an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium, so you can conveniently visit both without hopping on the bus in between. If you want to visit the Forum (Foro Romano), you will need to get off at either Piazza Venezia to the north or the Colosseum to the south and continue on foot, as it doesn’t have its own stop. The Forum was for many centuries the centre of Roman public life: originally a marketplace, it went on to become the site of processions, elections, speeches and trials. The site attracts over 4.5 million visitors and is one of the highlights of a visit to Rome. The must-see attractions at the Vatican are served by all hop on hop off Rome buses. They include St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the art of Michelangelo, Raphael and many others. You could easily spend a whole day here! Most bus tours also include stops along the river Tiber, including Tiber island (Isola Tiberina). However, if you wish to visit the Basilica of St John Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano) in the west of the city, you should book with Roma Cristiana, as it is the only operator with a stop here. Ticket to ride A Bus tour is included in the OMNIA Vatican & Rome Pass as one of our free attractions, but a bus tour ticket can also be purchased via company agents near the main stops or at hotels. It’s much better to book online, to avoid getting rushed into a purchase. There are also often online discounts. Make sure you know where tickets can be ‘activated’, so that you can include this in your travel plans for the day, and also look at the operating hours for your line. The tours mainly operate during the day, so if you are going out in the evening, you will not be able to hop on for a ride to your hotel. Routes may vary at the weekends. If you are travelling with children, it is worth shopping around, as there are significant differences in pricing for under-15s. Combo tickets Many of the bus tours partner with attractions and other organisations to offer combination tickets. This can save you money compared to paying for each entrance ticket separately and provide other benefits, such as fast track entry or public transport passes. It’s definitely worth looking into. While hop on hop off Rome tours remain a popular attraction in themselves, it is definitely worth spending some time exploring the city on foot. Although the main sites can get very busy, every Roman holiday should include a taste of the relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle. With picturesque fountains, traditional trattorias and tiny piazzas around every corner, the city is also a photo album waiting to happen.

Know Before You Go

Most tourists want that ‘off the beaten track’ experience when visiting a new place; they might pour over articles, travel blogs or speak to people who have been to get a feel for what to expect before visiting. We’ve spoken to the locals to get some recommendations and top tips to share to make your trip to Rome seamless. 1. Ciao Most locals in Rome will understand basic English, however, it’s always courteous to learn a few useful Italian phrases before you go to make communicating a bit easier. Buy a pocket book of key phrases, such as how to say hello and goodbye, how to order in a restaurant and how to ask for directions, as a start. Even if you get something wrong, just by showing the effort will be more than most people! 2. Local dishes It’s common assumption that dishes in Italy consist only of pizza and pasta, and variations of – but don’t rule out other delicacies that dominate menus across Rome. The Italians are known for their fresh ingredients and locally sourced produce that make their food so healthy so you can forget lashings of butter and processed snacks. From imaginative aperitivi, to anything fritti, another one of the best things to try in Rome is arancini, tomato rice balls with mozzarella, or Bucatini, spaghetti with a hole through the middle. 3. Hidden Gems Veer off the tourist track and look down the cobbled side streets for hidden gems when looking for places to eat. Often you’ll find great family run tavernas that serve traditional Roman food at a snip of the price of a touristy restaurant on the main street. The menus will be understated but delicious all the same and you’ll always be served with a smile! It’s also where your key phrases will come in handy... 4. Queuing Many cultures are respectable queue-formers and will wait patiently and in an orderly fashion before getting into a busy attraction. Not the Italians. You can forget all rules when it comes to waiting in line – it’s each to their own in this dog-eat-dog queuing system. One of the great things about the OMNIA Vatican & Rome Card is that you can dodge the queues at some of the busiest attractions, such as the Vatican Museums (which can save you up to 4 hours in the busy months) and the Coliseum, too. 5. Drinking Drinking in Italy is a civilised affair and you’ll often find most Italians drinking conservatively at both lunch and dinner. Producing some of the best wine in the world, Moscato, Chianti, Amarone and Prosecco all herald from this country so you’ll be sure to find some of the best wine bars suitably stocked around the city. Spend a day tasting the different varieties, from red, to white, sparking and maybe even some limoncello, too, a zesty liqueur usually taken after dinner as a palette cleanser. Cheers! 6. Walking Rome is a relatively small city and most of it can be explored on foot. Although the Metro system is easy to use and cheap, we would always recommend bringing good walking shoes and exploring on foot. This way you’ll see more of the city and get a real off-the-beaten-track experience. Don’t be afraid to get lost and interact with the locals to really see the Rome not in the guidebooks. And whatever you do – avoid the taxis, they can spot a tourist a mile off and you’ll leave with considerably lighter pockets! 7. Green spaces For a city so full of ancient ruins, you might be surprised to learn that there are a considerable number of green spaces in the city, too. The city boasts three huge parks – the favourite being Villa Borghese, not forgetting Villa Ada and Villa Doria Pamphili, as well as hidden gardens which offer secluded spots for picnicking, people watching or gazing over the cityscape. The Rose Garden up on the Aventine Hill is a particular favourite, as well as the Orange Garden which offers a stunning panorama over Rome, too. 8. Street Art The street art scene is Rome isn’t one of its main features but the trend is certainly growing as the hipster population are becoming bolder at self-expression. Typically in the student area of San Lorenzo you can find vibrant murals along via degli Ausoni and via dei Sabelli. Or head out to Ostiense, an up and coming area for street artists and home to the Outdoor Festival and 999 Contemporary who invite big shot street artists to the city to create works of art legally. 9. Street Eats We don’t mean stalls and markets, we meet eating on the street. It’s very common in Rome to find the locals dining out with a taglio of pizza bought from an understated pizzeria and a cold bottle of Peroni. With rows and rows of rectangular pizza, you can pick how much you want and they’ll slice it up for you. Whether you fancy trying something a bit different, be it a white pizza without the tomato, or a truffle and vegetable inspired combo, take your pick and set to the street with your very own picnic. 10. Cinema Culture If you’re a movie buff, not only will you be able to recreate famous movie scenes at iconic locations across the city from the Spanish Steps, to the Coliseum, but a few miles out of central Rome you’ll find a whole district dedicated to filmmaking, Cinecittà (which literally means cinema city). These film studios have filmed over 3000 films, including the classic La Dolce Vita, so we’d recommend joining in a tour of the sets and exhibitions to learn about Italian movie culture.

The Catacombs of Rome - Unique Rome Adventures

Go off the beaten track and discover a hidden world in the catacombs of Rome Rome is a beautiful place to bask in ancient architecture and strolling its streets never get old, however there’s an entirely different world waiting below its surface. This ancient city has an entire network of catacombs criss-crossing beneath the streets that taxis and buses now frequent, named for religious heroes and filled with the residents of a time gone by. With five different locations open to the public, you’ll definitely want to put your walking shoes on for these eerie expeditions. Here’s everything you need to know about the catacombs of Rome below... San Sebastian Catacombs Rome As one the most famed catacomb sites in Rome, this underground burial site spans over 11 kilometres - though you’ll thankfully only get to explore a small fraction of it. Covered in Christian paintings, they’re regarded as the best in Rome and were named for a martyr named Saint Sebastian. A former soldier, he was later clubbed to death after his Christian faith was discovered before he was laid to rest in these very catacombs. Open between Monday and Saturday, it’s a place of particular interest to those of the Christian faith as the graffiti that lines the wall references the apostles Peter and Paul. In fact, the reason the place became so closely tied to the two was because it was apparently impossible to visit their actual tombs - so this became a popular place to pay respects to them While you’re here, make sure to make time for the San Callixtus catacombs - they’re nearby and absolutely amazing so you have no excuse. View this post on Instagram Catacombs San Callisto, Basilica of San Clemente and Capuchin Crypt and Museum 💀 tour with @citywonderstours #crypt #catacombs #rome #travel #wanderlust #skullseverywhere #travelgram #igtravel #eurotrip #italy #mustsee #tour A post shared by @ irenevy_ on May 10, 2018 at 2:46pm PDT San Callixtus Catacombs The sheer scale of these catacombs is more than enough reason to head over here. With four floors and nearly twenty kilometres worth of exploring to do, it’s a vitally important religious site as a number of saints and popes have been buried here. While it was originally both an above and below-ground structure, most of the bi For those of you who love a song and dance, you’ll want to stop by and pay your respects to St Cecilia - the patron saint of music buried here. It’s also a great shout for art lovers as it’s packed with small art galleries, filled with Christian art and frescoes to bask in. Open Thursday to Tuesday, it’s a popular destination and should be top of your list if you only have time for just the one. Saint Priscilla Catacombs This catacombs is widely regarded as the ‘regina catacumbarum’, or rather, the ‘queen of the catacombs’ when translated into English. Dating back to second century AD, it expanded monumentally over time and owes its name to a noblewoman called Priscila who is believed to have donated the field the catacombs lie under. With many martyrs buried here, one of the biggest highlights of the tour is an image of the Virgin Mary which is believed to be the oldest ever. View this post on Instagram Today’s outing was underground at the Catacombs! A post shared by Krina (@krina_lessard) on Jun 20, 2018 at 2:42pm PDT Catacombs of Domiitilia This is apparently one of the oldest catacomb sites in Rome, if not the oldest in the capital. Although it’s absolutely massive, only a few of the tunnels are open to the public. While there aren’t as many out and out highlights as the others, there are some stunning artworks of biblical stories like the Last Supper. Two of the most famed martyrs to be buried in these catacombs are two people named Nereus and Achilleus, both ancient Roman soldiers. View this post on Instagram #italia #italy #travel #catacombes A post shared by im’bloger (@travel_shmavel_) on Aug 30, 2018 at 1:59am PDT Where are the catacombs in Rome? This is a little tricky to answer as there’s a number of catacombs dotted around the city. In fact, there’s sixty of them all over the Italian capital. However, you don’t have to worry about making time to see all of them as only five are open to the public. The most famous are the San Sebastian Catacombs Rome, named after San Sebastiano - a martyr who was buried there and who’s also the namesake for the Basilica of St. Sebastian. Located at Via Appia Antica, 136, you’ll also be able to knock out the Catacombs of San Callixtus nearby at Via Appia Antica, 126. Further afield, the Catacombs of Saint Priscilla are in Via Salaria, 430, the Catacombs of Domitilia in Via del Sette Chiese, 280 and the Catacombs of Sant’Agnese at Via Nomenata, 349.

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