Rome: 36,000 Steps and a City Worth Every One
- mmartin04275
- Jul 14
- 3 min read
A quick 45-minute flight took us from Nice to Rome, and from there, a 2-mile walk with full backpacks to our hostel — not glamorous, but a good way to see the city start to unfold around you.
Day one was for the essentials: the Trevi Fountain, packed shoulder to shoulder in the afternoon heat, and dinner at Piazza Santi Apostoli with complimentary prosecco and pasta that, honestly, wasn’t the best we’ve had in Italy. One thing worth knowing before you sit down anywhere in Rome: many restaurants bring bread to the table automatically, and then charge you for it if you eat it. Ask first if you’re not sure.
We ended the evening at the Vittoriano, watching the sunset over the massive white marble Victor Emmanuel II Monument — built to honor Italy’s first king after unification, and impossible to miss on Rome’s skyline.
The next morning, we got to Trevi Fountain at 6am to beat the crowds, and it was completely worth the early alarm — peaceful, nearly empty, a totally different fountain than the one we’d seen the day before. It kicked off a full day of walking, starting with a small corner café we noticed locals filtering in and out of. It turned out to be the cheapest cappuccino and croissant of the whole trip — so good we went back for seconds before continuing on. (We never did catch the name of it, unfortunately — if you find a nameless, packed-with-locals café near Trevi, that’s probably it.)
From there: the Spanish Steps, quiet in the early morning. One important etiquette note — don’t sit on the steps. It’s against the rules, and there are officers actively enforcing it out of respect for the historic site. We walked past the Pantheon next, deliberately saving it for later once it opened.
The long walk continued out to Vatican City — technically its own sovereign country, the smallest in the world at just over 100 acres, and home to fewer than 1,000 residents, most of them clergy. We made our way to St. Peter’s Basilica, and even arriving at 8:30am, the line was already an hour long. It was 100% worth the wait — genuinely one of my favorite places from the entire trip. One practical tip: dress code is strictly enforced, shoulders and knees must be covered, so bring a spare layer even in summer heat. We hadn’t booked Vatican Museum reservations in advance and the walk-up wait was too long to justify with our schedule, so we admired the exterior instead — but nearly everyone we talked to afterward said it was unmissable, so book ahead if you can.
Next, we found Piazza di Sant’Ignazio — a small, quiet square built around what’s essentially a private residence that opens to the public on Saturdays. Wandering through felt like stumbling onto a secret; the architecture around the square has a deliberately theatrical, almost stage-set quality that’s rare to see up close.
We made it back across the city in time for a 4:30 tour of the Colosseum — we only had time for the above-ground level given our schedule, but even that was extraordinary. Pair it with the Roman Forum next door and genuinely give yourself more time than we did; it deserves it. By the end of the day we’d walked over 36,000 steps. Obviously, it ended in gelato.
We spent the rest of the evening taking in more of the city’s layered history: the Arch of Septimius Severus, and the famous illusion ceiling inside the Church of Sant’Ignazio di Loyola — a painted dome so convincing from the right vantage point that you’d swear it was real architecture rather than a flat trompe-l’œil fresco. It costs about a euro to view properly and runs on a timer, so check the schedule before you go.
We finished the night at the Pantheon with a slice of what’s arguably the most famous tiramisu in Rome. I won’t name the place — it was a little too soggy for my taste, though plenty of people swear by it.
Highlights: Trevi Fountain at 6am · St. Peter’s Basilica · Colosseum & Roman Forum · Sant’Ignazio’s illusion ceiling · Spanish Steps (don’t sit down)
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