We knew we had to see the iconic Colosseum during our first time in Rome, and I am so happy we booked GetYourGuide’s Rome: Colosseum Underground and Arena Tour!We were able to “skip-the-line” and walk right in with our tour group without worrying about fighting the crowds or wondering where to go.
What really sold me about this tour is that we were able to explore the underground section, which is often has restricted entry. This aspect made the tour stand out to me since we got to weave through the basement of the Colosseum and see where animals were housed and other parts of the mechanical systems of the venue.
Rome was the last stop on our honeymoon, and I couldn’t wait for this tour. We stayed at the luxurious St. Regis Rome, which we found to be centrally located and easy to explore around the city (see my full hotel review here!).
The morning of the tour, we walked over to our pre-arranged meeting spot and found our guide easily. We followed him to the Colosseum as he told us the history and stories of gladiators and the many different phases of the Colosseum throughout history. Because we went to the underground section, it felt like we had VIP access, and it was a nice break from the more crowded areas of the Colosseum.
We had plenty of time to take photos and explore the upper parts of the Colosseum as well. Seeing the Colosseum up close is an absolute must for any visit to Rome.
After we finished exploring the Colosseum, we walked with our group through the Roman Forum, and our guide told us more stories and insight into how it would have looked thousands of years ago. He narrated well, creating great visualizations for us and the beautiful ruins to life. Again, we had great opportunities for photos, and the views were stunning.
As a bit of a history buff, I loved the tour and exploring the Roman Forum. I also found that the tour wasn’t too long or drawn out either. It was the perfect amount of time for storytelling and solo exploration. After the tour was over, we had continued access through the Roman Forum and could leisurely stroll throughout for the rest of the afternoon.
Overall, the tour was easy-going, concise, and informative. I would definitely recommend the Colosseum and Underground Arena Tour to anyone looking for a more structured visit to the Colosseum and Roman Forum, and to learn lots of facts and stories!
After having the most incredible four nights on the Amalfi Coast at the Hotel Marincanto in Positano (see our review here!), my husband and I finished off our honeymoon at the St. Regis Rome. I had accrued tons of Marriott points through my work travel and saved them all to splurge on our honeymoon. I had Ambassador status for the year, and we were treated like royalty during our stay.
With my points, we were upgraded to a beautiful Corner King Suite, and my gosh, it was elegant. The decor at the St. Regis Rome is subtle, but luxurious, and the room was so comfortable and lush. If we didn’t have a jam-packed itinerary, I would have liked to just stay at the hotel for a full day and soak it all in!
The St. Regis Rome is located right near the Roma Termini train station and is in a nice part of the city. It isn’t too far from many main tourist attractions, but it also seemed like a quieter area of the city, which we enjoyed. It’s a less than 20-minute walk to the Trevi Fountain and less than 30-minute walk to the Colosseum from the hotel. The walks to these destinations are also filled with beautiful streets and sites to see along the way!
Before each day exploring, we had breakfast included at the hotel, which featured a beautiful spread of European pastries and upscale continental breakfast food. The service and concierge were so generous and had free champagne and dessert waiting for us in our room, along with rose petals, since they knew it was our honeymoon. Those touches really make a difference and made us feel so special!
See below for my TikTok featuring our full room tour!
I would love to stay here again the next time I’m in Rome and recommend it to any travelers looking for luxury in Rome! If you’d like to book a room at the St. Regis, make sure to use our link here! It helps us out if you use our recommended links and we truly appreciate it! Let me know what your favorite hotels in Rome are, and if you have stayed at the St. Regis Rome!
❤ Natalie Anne
(This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links.)
My husband and I got married at the Borgo Tre Rose in Tuscany, Italy, and knew we wanted to honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast. When picking out our honeymoon location, I found myself gawking at the views online of Positano. That had to be the place.
We booked the honeymoon suite at Hotel Marincanto, and it was perfect for us. It included a gorgeous view of the Mediterranean Ocean overlooking Positano, an indoor hot tub, breakfast every morning, and wonderful service in a central location. When viewing the hotel online, there are many unique rooms and suites to choose from, and I hope to stay there again in the future!
We took the train from Florence to Naples, and I had prearranged for Hotel Marincantoto book us a private transfer that was waiting for us at the train station. It was a 1.5-hour drive from Naples station to the hotel, with stunning views of Mount Vesuvius in the distance and the coastal cliffs.
Upon arrival in Positano, we were greeted with a complimentary fresh lemonade in the lobby and had our luggage taken to our honeymoon suite. Our room featured beautiful decor with classic blue and white Mediterranean tile and a large balcony where we could watch the boats roll in throughout the day.
The hotel has its own private beach area, a stunning pool, meticulous landscaping, and several lounging areas. Just be mindful that there are a lot of steps down to the beach, this is true across all of Positano because it’s built on a giant cliff. We didn’t mind the walking too much, but just be aware beforehand!
We spent a lot of our time relaxing on site and strolling around Positano itself. The hotel also has an amazing restaurant that we conveniently dined at a couple of times, including a wonderful apperitivo hour with lovely cocktails. Plus, the views at night are spectacular.
Hotel Marincanto is centrally located so we could walk into Positano for dinners, shopping, and to catch the ferry to other ports. While we stayed every night in Positano, we were able to take day trips to Capri and Amalfi to explore the coast. Next time, I definitely want to go to Pompeii and see the ruins. This tour and wine tasting looks perfect!
If you stay at the Hotel Marincanto, I would love to hear your experience or recommendations! Positano is one of my favorite spots, and this hotel should not be missed!
❤ Natalie Anne
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Over the years, we’ve learned that one of the most complicated parts of traveling is figuring out how to get from Point A to Point B. It can be a lot to try to organize transportation, entry fees, restaurants, and tour guides, let-alone trying to figure out how to put gas in the car and get a license to drive in a foreign country! So instead of stressing ourselves out, we just book day trips from a central location so that we can see everything while staying in one hotel. It makes things so much easier. Not to mention, when we were in Italy, we were traveling with our parents, husbands, and siblings. It was a lot of people to satisfy and a lot of personalities to navigate.
As a photographer, I knew that I had to plan a day trip from Rome to see the Amalfi coast. When I found this tour – The Amalfi Coast and Pompeii from Rome in a Full Day Tour – I knew right away it was the perfect tour for our family. It included a 2 hour visit to the ruins of Pompeii (which I knew would make the history buffs in our group happy) as well as 2 hours in the coastal town of Positano for lunch and a 1 hour visit in the town of Amalfi. My sister and her new husband were actually honey-mooning in Positano at the time too, so it was absolutely perfect! We had all just spent a week in Tuscany for their wedding at the stunning hotel, Borgo Tre Rose, and then parted ways after a group day in Florence. You can actually watch our full wedding week in Tuscany on my YouTube channel here!
Our tour started bright and early at 7:00 am, but this specific tour included hotel pick-ups and drop-offs which makes such a difference that early in the morning. We didn’t have to waste time hunting for the meeting point, like we’ve had to do for some other tours we’ve taken in the past. It was a bit of a drive to Pompeii but we made a pit stop for espresso which broke up the journey a bit. As soon as we got to Pompeii, our tour guide handled the tickets and we were in right away. We were led throughout the ruins by an extremely knowledgeable guide who explained everything in exciting detail. Personally, I’m not a huge history fan, but this tour actually kept my interest, which is saying a lot! Pompeii is truly a fascinating place and the structures are beautiful. It’s incredibly amazing that there is still so much left of the ancient city after being buried under ash for over 1500 years!
After about 2 hours at Pompeii, we hopped back in the van to head to the coast. We stopped for gorgeous views and photo ops along the way, which helped those of us who were a little carsick from the winding roads along the coast. I always make sure to take Bonine, a motion sickness medication, that I prefer over Dramamine. It’s less drowsy and can be found on Amazon here. This tour wasn’t as bad as some of the ones I’ve taken in the past, like the Road to Hana in Hawaii or the winding roads in the highlands of Scotland on the way to Loch Ness!
When we got to Positano, our driver had to park at the top of the hill with the other tour buses, just because the roads are too tiny for cars to go down. The walk down the hill was charming though, with souvenir shops, gelato, clothing stores, and all kinds of things to keep our interest. We met my sister and her now-husband for light lunch at Ristorante La Pergola and then spent the rest of our time taking photos on the beach! Positano was so quaint and charming, we never wanted to leave! I made a promise to myself that if I ever get back to Italy, I’ll definitely spend a few days lying on the beach in Positano.
After stopping for a quick gelato on our way back up to the van, we made our way to the town of Amalfi. The sun was beginning to set and the town was absolutely glowing in the golden lighting. We watched sailboats coming in and strolled along the marina where our driver dropped us off. After taking a million photos, we headed into the town square, the Piazza Duomo, for a round of limoncello shots and a gander at the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea. We only had about an hour and a half in Amalfi, but honestly, it felt like plenty of time because the town is actually quite small. We were even able to pop into a few stores for souvenirs before it was time to jump back in the van.
On the way back to Rome, we stopped for one last view of the coastline and were able to catch gorgeous sunset colors over the coastal towns. The drive back to Rome felt a little long, but almost everyone fell asleep after our long day. We made it back to Rome around 7:00 pm, with just enough time left in the day for wine and pasta. It was a perfectly Italian day and was exactly what I was looking for when we were planning our trip.
I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to take a day trip to the Amalfi coast from Rome. We saw so much in a single day and made so many memories. It wasn’t necessarily on my list to visit Pompeii, but many of the people in our group found it to be the highlight of their day, learning the history of the ancient, buried city. It was a perfect tour for our large group and was absolutely way easier than trying to figure out a full day like this myself. If you’re interested in taking this same tour, you can find it here! Or you can check out all of the tours I recommend in Italy here!
I hope this post inspires you to take a trip to Italy or plan a day trip to the Amalfi coast if you’re staying in Rome. I promise you, you’ll never regret visiting Italy. It’s truly a magical, delicious, inspiring place! You can see more photos from our trip on my photography blog here!
If you’re still on the hunt for a hotel in Rome, I’d recommend the Hotel Le Clarisse al Pantheon if you’re a budget traveler, or the Pantheon Iconic Hotel if you don’t mind spending a little extra for luxury. If you’d prefer not to waste time planning out all of the details, check out some of the package deals to Rome on Expedia that include airfare & hotels all in one!
Happy travels!
❤ Myles Katherine
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