Valentine’s Day Rome 2024 with tips and ideas for lovers in Rome. Are you planning on surprising someone special with a trip to Rome on Valentine’s Day? In this article you can find useful information to help you plan a great trip to Rome on Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day Rome: The best tips for lovers
All year round couples come to the Italian capital to spend a few romantic days in the Eternal City. Many couples get engaged, get married or simply celebrate their anniversary in Rome. A very special day for lovers is of course Valentine’s Day on the 14th of February.
In the middle of February the weather is almost spring-like in Rome which makes Valentine’s Day in Rome is a great opportunity to celebrate an unforgettable feast of love between ancient monuments and world-famous sights!
Valentine’s Day Rome: Plan a romantic weekend in Rome
Valentine’s Day is not just like any other day. Since not only tourists, but also locals like to celebrate this holiday, you should plan your day ahead. Restaurants and events in the evening might be booked up if you don’t make a reservation on time.
The weekend just before the 14th of February is dedicated to Roman carnival and the Chinese New Year. These two events attract tourists from all over the world and lead to long waiting lines in front of Rome attractions and museums such as St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum and other attractions. Hence, I advise you to book your tickets in advance to avoid having to wait in line on Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day Rome: Romantic ideas and activities
What a romantic day in Rome on Valentine’s Day should look like is easy to explain. What follows is not a full day plan but rather ideas of what you can do on Valentine’s Day in Rome. Pick the things you like the most and take it easy! Being in a hurry just doesn’t go along with romance.
More than 2000 years of history have left impressive buildings and monuments in Rome. Kings, emperors and popes have left their mark on the city. Wander around the Eternal City and discover hidden streets and corners and Rome. Leave the crowded tourist paths and your Valentine’s Day in Rome will definitely be a success!
Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day in Rome no. 1: Early morning walk to start the day right
Rome in the early morning can be very special. You best pick a hotel in the city center so that you can reach all the famous attractions in Rome by foot.
To see the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain or St. Peter’s Basilica at sunrise is a great start to a romantic Valentine’s Day in Rome. Plus: you have the attractions all to yourselves. You might even see honeymooners on a photo shoot early in the morning. If you wish to wander around Rome early in the morning and experience the city’s early morning magic you should know that dawn starts as early as 6.30 am on Valentine’s Day in Rome and that the sun rises shortly after 7 am.
Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day in Rome no. 2: Romantic breakfast
After your early morning walk, continue Valentine’s Day in Rome with a hearty breakfast.
If you don’t want to have breakfast in your hotel, do it like the locals and have a coffee and pastries at a bakery or cake shop – Pasticceria in Italian – or at one of the historic ‘Gran Caffés’ like the Sant‘Eustachio behind the Palace of the Senate. If you are looking for an English Breakfast, go to Babington’s next to the Spanish Steps. You prefer sleeping in? You can of course skip the early morning walk and start with breakfast instead.
Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day in Rome no. 3: Discovery tour for two through Rome
After breakfast, take some time to discover Rome. You can continue your walking tour or book a guided city tour to discover the most beautiful parts of Rome.
Hop-on-hop-off bus tours allow you to get a first impression of the Eternal city. These bus tours are the easiest way to get from one attraction to another, like the Colosseum or St. Peter’s Basilica. For the adventurous among you, rent a Vespa or bicycles!
On two wheels you can decide where you want to go and discover Rome at your own pace. Personally, I find it very romantic to discover Rome in a little Fiat 500. Isn’t that so Italian? There is not much space in the back seat, no choice but to move together closely. And isn’t that exactly what you want on Valentine’s Day?
Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day in Rome no. 4: Visit romantic places in Rome
For many people the Eternal City Rome is just the right place to celebrate their love. The small dreamy pedestrian bridge Ponte Milvio in the north of Rome is a place where lovers like to express their love. Thousands of tiny love locks, whose keys now lie somewhere deep down the Tiber River, are attached to it. Unfortunately all these love locks are too heavy for this historic bridge and the city of Rome is forced to regularly remove the love locks from the bridge. If you still want to attach a love lock to a Roman bridge you can do so on one of the bridges connecting Tiber Island with the Ghetto and Trastevere.
There are many bridges leading across the Tiber River in Rome. Other romantic bridges are Ponte della Scienza oder die Ponte Sisto. Ponte Sant’Angelo is the perfect place to take romantic pictures with St. Peter’s in the background.
Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day in Rome no. 5: Light lunch
There is so much to see in Rome that you probably do not even want to waste much time sitting down for lunch. In Rome there is a great variety of sandwiches – panini – and fast food restaurants available. Many bakeries offer Pizza and other small meals to take-away. You can also find snacks in many small wine bars in the city center of Rome.
If you find yourself next to the Vatican you should visit Borgo, a neighbourhood where many servants of the Vatican used to live and which houses many nice restaurants and pubs today. A culinary challenge is the famous Eataly at the train station Ostiense near the metro station Piramide.
Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day in Rome no. 6: Eating gelato in Rome
The way to a man’s heart goes through his stomach. Clearly visible at Roman bakeries and pastry shops who create the most wonderful cakes and pastries for Valentine’s Day. But there are also many ice cream shops who produce artisanal gelato in Rome. Some even let you have a look into their kitchen, where only fresh ingredients are being used for the gelato.
One of the most famous ice cream parlors with tables in Viennese coffee house style is Giolitti at the House of Representatives near the Pantheon. Probably the best ice cream shop in Rome is Gelateria del Teatro in Via dei Coronari on the way between Piazza Navona and Ponte Sant’Angelo. Gelateria die Gracchi in Via di Ripetta at Piazza del Popolo also offers delicious gelato. As you see, no need to worry about ice cream, there are more than enough.
Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day in Rome no. 7: Shopping in Rome
Rome is a shopping paradise, no doubt. Valentine’s Day is no exception. Shops in Rome offer the prettiest pieces. You will find all the famous brands in the classy Via dei Condotti between the Spanish Steps and Via del Corso. Shops also continue between Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Venezia.
Take a break at the Vivibistrot on the upper floor of the luxury mall La Rinascente. There is nothing more relaxing than a fresh pressed juice and some pastries on the mall’s roof top terrace offering a great view over Rome. Downstairs you can visit the ancient aqueduct carrying water to the Trevi Fountain and other fountains in Rome.
Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day in Rome no. 8: Romantic photo shoot in Rome
The luxurious version of the selfie stick: a photo shoot. A photographer can bring you to the best places in Rome and make lasting memories of your Valentine’s Day trip to Rome. Great places to take pictures are the archaeological site around the Colosseum, Piazza Venezia, or famous squares and monuments like the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps or Piazza Navona.
The numerous view points in Rome, such as the Capitol Hill or the dome of St. Peter’s serve as a great background for your pictures. Taking pictures in front of historic churches and basilicas will make lasting memories as well.
Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day in Rome no. 9: Visit the museums in Rome
Nothing is more important than spending time together and doing something you both like on Valentine’s Day. If you are interested in art and history, Rome is the place for you. Visit the historic sights and attractions in Rome or have a look at the Museum of Modern Art and impress your loved one with knowledge about Rome and its attractions.
Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day in Rome no. 10: Romantic dinner in Rome
Restaurants in Rome are very popular on Valentine’s Day. Some restaurants even offer a special menu for Valentine’s Day.
If you plan on having a romantic dinner on Valentine’s Day, I advise you to reserve a table in advance. Well-known and excellent restaurants will probably booked up on Valentine’s Day and getting a table without reservation will be almost impossible. Reserve a table in an authentic Italian or Roman restaurant for your Valentine’s dinner in Rome. After dinner you should go for a walk on Campo de’ Fiori or in Trastevere, these areas are usually quite busy on Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day in Rome: Romantic places in Rome
Rome is a very romantic city. Since you are not going to be the only one looking for romantic places on Valentine’s Day, you will hardly ever be alone at romantic places in Rome.
In the following I will give you a list with lesser-known romantic spots in Rome that are usually less crowded as well:
- the lake in Villa Borghese: take a tour in a rowing boat or rent bikes to discover the park.
- Café Capitolino in the Capitoline Museums: accessible from Piazza Caffarell it offers a great view over the Ghetto and the city
- The terrace Gianicolo near Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi: a cannon ball is fired every day at noon to synchronise the sound of the church bell
- The baths of Diocletian: Relax at the cloister designed by Michelangelo.
- A ride on the tram in Rome can be romantic, too: some trains are quite old and nostalgia is inevitable.
