Hello, TEA birds! Hopefully, you enjoyed our last post – “part 1 of our Winter Italy Trip- Sorrento, Amalfi, and Pompeii.” And now you’re ready for part 2 our winter adventure in Rome, Italy!!

Rome was a crazy 2-day adventure with lots to do and see and not enough time. It’s worth mentioning that Rome is a complete departure from the relaxing scenery of Sorrento. Just like any other big city in the world Rome is crowded with tourists, street vendors, scammers, and plenty of traffic. Not to mention winter is technically their “off-season” so I can only imagine how crowded it gets during the summer.

Anyway, I’m excited to share our 2-day winter adventure with you guys and our Italy Vlog so don’t forget to scroll all the way down for the video! 🙂 ♥ 

Day 1 – When in Rome!

With so much to do and so little time. We had no time to waste. So after driving 3 and a half hours from Sorrento to Rome we checked into our Hotel Room. We dropped off our bags, freshened up, and headed out to catch a shuttle that was leaving our hotel at 4 pm and heading into Vatican City.

Vatican City

I grew up Roman Catholic, so visiting Vatican City meant a great deal to me. Plus walking into the city feels like you stepped steped back in time.

Entry to the Vatican Museums ended at 4 o’clock and we arrived around 4:30 pm so we weren’t able to get inside that day. That was a bummer but no time was wasted, we took the opportunity to explore St. Peter’s Square which sits right at the center of Vatican City.  We admired the architecture, outdoor fountain, columns, and took in the beautiful views of St. Peter Basilica.

Castle Sant’Angelo

Once we were done with Vatican City we crossed the street and paid a visit to Castle Sant’Angelo. Like everything else in Rome, it’s full of history, amazing artwork and if you climb all the way to the top of the Castle you’ll catch some amazing views of the city of Rome.

Day 2 – When in Rome!

Vatican Museums

We made it in to see the Vatican Museums on Day 2!

Super helpful tip on getting into the Vatican Museums-  buy your tickets online the day before! That way you don’t have to wait in line. We bought our tickets Tuesday night and arrived at the museum entrance Wednesday morning just as they were opening and we walked right in. No waiting in line.

Another helpful tip -The Vatican Museums consist of a total of 23 museums. You could literally lose yourself for days inside those walls. So if there’s a specific gallery that you want to see I would recommend heading there first.

For us, it was The Sistine Chapel which is the last Museum in the self-guided tour pamphlet and also the most visited. So once we got inside we headed there first. We wanted to beat the crowds and also not feel rushed.

The Sistine Chapel is a Holy Place which means no cameras allowed. But in all fairness, no picture will ever do it justice. It’s just one of those things you have to experience in person. Drew and I sat on a bench looking up at the ceiling Michaelangelo’s masterpiece for about an hour.  There’s just so much to take in and admire.

Papal Audience

Once we were done with the Vatican Museums we rushed to go see Pope Francis. On Wednesdays, there is something called Papal Audience. It’s not mass but if the Pope is in town he usually addresses the crowd with a reading and a blessing. The Papal audience was held in Paul VI Audience Hall which holds about 6,000 people. It was definitely packed and we were all the way in the back. I still feel lucky that Drew and I were still able to get in the room, hear his message, and receive his Holy Blessing.

The Colosseum

Right after we received the blessing from the Holy Father we hopped in a Taxi cab and headed straight to the Colosseum.

• Side note- The taxi cab felt more like a roller coaster ride, it was raining, there was traffic and our driver did not care about any of it! He was speeding and swerving through traffic, apparently, this is how everyone drives in Italy soooo we made it all in one piece. Thank Goodness!

The Colosseum is massive! I would definitely recommend a VIP tour because it gives you access to the underground area and the very top level. Those areas are only accessible with a VIP a tour guide you. Otherwise, a general admission ticket only gives you access to the main level.

To think we got to stand where thousands of Gladiators did thousands of years ago to fight for their lives is insane! My favorite part was climbing all the way to what’s left of the 5th floor of the Colosseum for a top-level view.

• Beware • of people outside of the Colosseum trying to sell you tickets with “VIP” access. They look legit they even have name tags and are super friendly, but they do not work for the Colosseum. The best way to avoid these people is to not engage them at all just say “No Thank You,” and keep walking because they are persistent.

Also, one regular admission ticket to the Colosseum is valid for 2 days and gives you access to The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill so you definitely get your moneys worth.

The Roman Forum/ Palatine Hill

The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill are located directly across from the Colosseum.  So once we exited the Colosseum we walked over a cobblestone street to the entrance of The Forum.  We didn’t realize it at that time but we moved between both the Forum and Palatine Hill without realizing it. Although they are not the same sight they are right next to each other so it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain was our last stop on this crazy 2-day adventure through the city of Rome and it did not disappoint. It is was gorgeous and crowded with people trying to take pictures. As you will see in our Italy Video below we made a wish by throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain.

Italy Video

I know this was a long one guys about I hope you enjoyed all the images and our home video. As always any questions and or comments please leave them below and don’t’ forget to connect with me over on Instagram I love to say hello.

sweet blessings from us to you and thank you for following MyRoadToEverAfter,

Yaritza