7 Unique Things to do in Rome (Non touristy)

I’m pretty sure il colosseo, the Trevi Fountain, Trastevere, and the Pantheon are already on your sightseeing list. Below is a list of 7 unique activities to do in Rome that I personally enjoyed while I was studying abroad in Rome and hope that everyone gets a chance to experience.

1 Attend a Soccer Game
The word Italy and soccer are almost unanimous, which is why I don’t understand why more visiting tourists don’t make it out to a game at the stadium Stadio Olimpico. Don’t worry if you don’t like soccer, I personally thought it to be one of the most dreading sports to watch on tv growing up when my dad would spend weekends watching his favorite soccer team, Cruz Azul. But a soccer match, especially in Italy, is like a religious experience. During the game you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll hug along with thousands of Italians rooting for their team. Nothing in the world compares. You’ll also catch on to all of the chants and hopefully learn the ROMA ROMAAAA song, which can be thought of as the Roman anthem. Don’t forget to purchase a Peroni Forte at the game haha.

2 Shop at one of the many Roman Markets
One of the MANY reasons that I love Italy is the obvious awareness around food. It should come free from artificial preservatives, additives etc. One time my Italian friend Alberto and I were cooking up some bruschetta along with cacio e pepe. I was in charge of purchasing the ingredients. When it came time to cut up the basil and oregano for the bruschetta, you should have seen his face when I whipped out two packaged containers of basil and oregano!! IT’S NOT FRESH. I think its true that it makes a huge difference when you buy fresh ingredients for the final overall taste of the food.

Any ways sorry for the tangent. What I’m saying is that you should go and check out these markets to buy cheese from the cheese expert, some bread from the bread expert, some delicious meat from the meat expert (who are all specialized in their craft) and can all recommend the best product of the day or help you find exactly what you’re looking for. You’ll love the hectic environement of these markets. You can also purchase a liter of delicious wine for under 5 euros. Then go have yourself a picnic at beautiful Villa Borghese, Rome’s largest public park.

Also, make sure to visit these markets at least once in your life. I’m praying that they never go extinct, but as more and more supermarkets begin to open around the city, more and more of these stalls are losing business and beginning to shut down. So definitely go and support, I promise the ingredients will taste better.

3 Go to see a play at Villa Borghese (Silvano Toti Globe Theatre Roma)
I mean just imagine, it’s like stepping back in time. You’ll also get a feel for the locals. I didn’t see many tourist while watching Othello

4 Have an AM photoshoot around the city

Sacrifice one day of sleep by waking up at 5am (or just go to sleep earlier) and go watch the sunrise in front of your favorite monument, ie the trevi fountain, spanish steps, colosseo, vatican or at Villa Borguese. Imagine watching the sunrise by yourself or with your friends/ family without the crowds, emptiness. It’s like the area is closed off just for you. And can we talk about the cool pictures that you could take?

5 Go to a mass
Rome has over 1,000 churches and the architecture inside and outside of them is just immaculate. It’s almost impossible to see all of them in a lifetime. Even if you’re not religious, I think it’s still a once in a lifetime experience.

6 Visit more than the centro storico neighborhood

Rome has so much history, there’s more to it than meets the eye, more to it than just the centro storico (where the main sights are located). I recommend visiting different neighborhoods to really get a sense of the city and to dive deeper into its history (from amazing art scenes, to Mussolini standing architecture from the 20th century, to classic Roman dishes). Other cool/ interesting neighborhoods include- Testaccio, Jewish Ghetto, Ponte Milvio, Esquilino, and Ostiense to name a few.

1. Visit more than the centro storico neighborhood

Rome has so much history, there’s more to it than meets the eye, more to it than just the centro storico (where the main sights are located). I recommend visiting different neighborhoods to really get a sense of the city and to dive deeper into its history (from amazing art scenes, to Mussolini standing architecture from the 20th century, to classic Roman dishes). Other cool/ interesting neighborhoods include- Testaccio, Jewish Ghetto, Ponte Milvio, Esquilino, and Ostiense to name a few.