How To Spend The Ultimate Weekend In Rome, According To Someone Who Lived In Italy

With its amazing food, ancient sites, incredible art and culture, Rome will always be one of my all-time favourite places.

Between the pick-pocketers and tourist traps on every corner, I think lots of visitors miss the true gems hidden in Rome.

And one that won't cost you an arm or a leg, either.

Monti is one of Rome's oldest (and cutest!) neighbourhoods. It's also got a prime location, nestled right near the Colosseum and Centro Storico.

One of the best things about holidaying in Italy is Italian breakfast, which consists of my two favourite food groups: coffee and pastries.

If you love a milky coffee, the cappucino is the unofficial coffee of Italian breakfast. Be sure to grab a cornetto to accompany it. This Italian croissant filled with jam, cream or chocolate is a breakfast staple. Light, flakey and delicious, I could eat 10 of them in one sitting.

PRICE: Approx. €2.50 for a cappucino and cornetto.

You can, of course, find cornetti and coffee in thousands of bars dotted around the city, but the views and the vibes at La Casetta a Monti are unbeatable. And, it's just a 15min walk (downhill!) from the Generator.

A Roman icon, you can't go to Rome and not see the Colosseum — even if it's just to walk by and bask in its glory.

If you're interested in history, I'd definitely suggest opting for a Roma Pass, which gets you free access to two major Roman monuments, as well as free public transport for 48hrs. It also lets you fast-track entry to your first monument — which is a great way to skip the ungodly queue at the Colosseum.

PRICE: €18 for entry into the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, or €28 for the 48hr Roma Pass.

Entry to the Colosseum also includes entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, so definitely make good on that offer.

These aren't just great spots for an Insta pic, but incredibly important sites from the early days of the Roman Empire — but I'll let the audio guide fill you in on that.

PRICE: Included in your entry ticket to the Colosseum.

Piazza Venezia is one of the main squares in Rome. On one end, you'll find the grand Victor Emmanuel II National Monument (a monument honouring the first King of a unified Italy), and the start of Via del Corso (the street that goes through the historic centre of Rome) on the other.

As it's situated in the middle of pretty much everything, it's a great place to catch various modes of public transport. I suggest getting the tram across the river to Trastevere.

PRICE: €1.50 for transport for 90mins, or free with a Roma Pass.

In Italy, it's common to find lots of places that sell pizza al taglio — which are square or rectangular slices cut from a giant pizza slab. It's the best way to get pizza on-the-go in Rome.

My tip? Head to Forno La Renella in Trastevere. It's been operating for almost 150 years and dishes up tonnes of delicious baked goods. Plus, since you're paying for the weight of your pizza order, you can sample lots of different flavours in one meal.

PRICE: Approx. €6 for 500g of pizza.

Most meals in Italy should be accompanied by a gelato, right? This organic gelateria in Trastevere is my favourite in Rome. Their fruity sorbets are TO DIE FOR.

PRICE: Starting from €2 for a small cup or cone.

I think Trastevere is what people imagine when they think of Rome: Beautiful old streets, lush vines growing over everything and plenty of vespas parked in the laneways. Take some time to walk around this gorgeous area — you're sure to stumble upon grand churches, cute vintage stores and the odd market or two.

Built in 1630, this villa and surrounding gardens belonged to the Doria Pamphilj family, the royal family of Rome. Now, it's one of the biggest public parks in the city and it is seriously stunning. It's easy to spend an afternoon wandering around its grounds.

PRICE: Free — but I strongly suggest taking wine and cheese with you to have an afternoon picnic.

Catch the bus from Villa Doria Pamphili to Cipro metro station, before catching the metro to Roma Termini and walking back to the Generator. The whole journey should take between 30-40mins (depending on how quickly your bus arrives!).

PRICE: €1.50 for a 90min ride, or free with a Roma Pass.

Making a name for itself as Rome's nightlife capital, grabbing a drink in Pigneto is a great way to spend an evening with friends. For amazing cocktails, head to Co.So. Cocktails & Social. For a quiet evening in a beautiful courtyard, go to Necci dal 1924. If you want to get a bit boisterous, Cargo is the place to go — whatever your vibe, Pigneto will deliver.

PRICE: Wine starts from approx. €2.50, cocktails from €5.

What better way to kick off a Sunday than with brunch? Catch the metro from Roma Termini to Piramide, or catch the bus from Termini to Piazzale Ostiense or Ostiense/Matteucci, before walking over to the cafe. I promise you, the trek to get here is worth it.

With classic Italian pastries, as well as western favourites like avocado on toast, pancakes and toasted cheese sandwiches, you get the best of both worlds at this gorgeous eatery.

PRICE: Approx. €10-15 for breakfast and a coffee.

A short walk from Marigold, you'll find an actual, real-life pyramid. The Pyramid of Cestius is final resting place of Gaius Cestius, an ancient Roman magistrate and priest.

You can go inside the 36 metre-tall pyramid from 11 a.m. on the third and forth Saturday and Sunday of each month — but do be aware that tours are usually conducted in Italian.

PRICE: €5.50 for the tour inside the pyramid.

Nestled right next to the Pyramid of Cestius, you'll find the Non-Catholic Cemetery of Rome. While it might seem a bit strange to visit a cemetery as a tourist, I promise this is not one to miss.

Alongside interesting statues, poetic tombstones and gorgeous, overgrown grounds, you can spend hours discovering the final resting places of the likes of John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Antonio Gramsci.

PRICE: Free.

Ostiense has made a name for itself due to the incredible murals and street art that adorn its walls. And what better way to get to know the area than searching the streets for art?

Make sure you check out Via del Gazometro and Via del Porto Fluviale in Ostiense, as well as nearby Viale Tor Marancia, where you'll find huge artworks adorning the sides of buildings.

As fate would have it, two of the famous figures that have been laid to rest in the Non-Catholic Cemetery have also been immortalised in murals on walls of the underpass on Via Ostiense.

PRICE: Free.

You'll probably work up an appetite after all that walking, so head straight for the Testaccio Markets. This gorgeous, undercover marketplace is one of Rome's oldest — even though it moved to its current, more contemporary location in 2012. With fresh fruit and veggie vendors, clothing and homewares stalls, as well as ample bars and places to eat, you're sure to find something that tickles your fancy.

My tip for where to head? Grab a classic Roman panino at Mordi & Vai or a coffee at Chicchi & Lettere.

PRICE: €5 for a panino at Mordi & Vai, or approx. €1 for coffee at Chicchi & Lettere.

It might be cliche, but when in Rome, right? And who knows, you might even have your own The Lizzie McGuire Movie meet cute.

PRICE: Free — not including the cost of your coin.

Built between 27-25 BC, the Pantheon is the only ancient Roman building that has remained virtually in-tact throughout the centuries. While it was originally built as a temple to the Roman gods, it was converted into a Catholic church in the 7th century. As it's free, it's definitely worth the visit!

PRICE: Free.

After a morning full of walking, you'll probably want to nestle into a cosy, Roman eatery. With delicious, traditional food and drink, as well as warm, wood-panelled interiors, Armando al Pantheon ticks all the boxes.

The only downside is that this place only has 14 tables and there's always a queue, so I'd book ahead to avoid disappointment.

PRICE: Approx. €15 for pasta and a drink.

A short stroll down Via del Corso from the Panethon, you'll find Palazzo Doria Pamphilj. What still serves as the home of the noble Roman family the Doria Pamphiljs, some of the apartments have been transformed into a gallery and opened to the public — which, in my opinion, is one of the best museums in Rome.

Housing original artworks by the likes of Caravaggio, Diego Velazquez and Raphael, the architecture and interior design of this place will make you gasp in awe.

I strongly suggest listening to the audio tour voiced by Prince Jonathan Doria Pamphilj, who tells you about the history of his family, the significance of each room, as well as his adorable personal stories of growing up in this palazzo.

PRICE: €12 for adults.

This little square in the centre of the old city is famous for its daily markets. With its name literally translating to 'field of flowers', you'll be able to catch lots of flower vendors, as well as an abundance of fruit, vegetables, antipasti and leathergoods.

About 300m from Campo de' Fiori, you'll find Piazza Navona — one of the grandest squares in the city. Full of beautiful baroque buildings, fountains and monuments, this square is lined with bougie cafes and stores.

While it's pretty to walk through, I wouldn't recommend eating or drinking here, as everything is quite exxy.

Take the scenic route back to Trastevere, which, in my opinion, is one of the nicest areas of Rome. Plus, if you make the journey by foot, you'll be rewarded with cute bridge snaps like this one.

Would it be a trip to Rome without a trip to a pizzeria? Definitely not.

To eat where the locals do, head to Pizzeria Ai Marmi on Viale di Trastevere. As well as serving up some incredible pizzas, these guys make amazing supplì, which are Rome's answer to arancini.

PRICE: Approx. €10 (depending on which pizza you get).