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Christmas holidays in Rome

Posted by (Upstate NY) on

Hi. I impulsively bought a ticket to Rome (JFK - Rome, r/t, $653 on Norse) and am looking for recommendations for events or sites that you might recommend I try to experience during my time. I arrive Christmas Day and stay until 1/3, which gives me plenty of time to explore, as well as make reservations for any suggested activities. Have any of you ever taken in the fireworks at Circus Maximus? Had Christmas dinner in a restaurant that you enjoyed?

This will be my 4th time in Rome, but I’ve not been there over the holidays before. I’ll be staying in the Ostiense area and feel very comfortable getting around the city by public transit or on foot. Thanks!

Posted by
90 posts

While I appreciate your providing all of those links gleaned from the search function of this site, I was hoping for some personal experiences that might be shared. Perhaps I should have been more explicit in my request.

Posted by
662 posts

There is a Christmas market at Piazza Navona, and there will be a tree and display in St. Peter's Square, as well as an exhibit of presepi that is free. I love walking into random churches just to see their presepi too. The tree that used to be in Piazza Venezia has been moved to Piazza del Popolo while the subway station in Piazza Venezia is under construction (a ten year project). For me the most enjoyable part of Christmas in Rome is the lights in the streets--most extravagant on Via del Corso but many of the side streets are beautifully lit as well. Everything will be in full swing through January 6. I have not experienced the New Year's fireworks but my daughter informed me it was rowdy and youth-oriented.

Posted by
5 posts

Since you'll be there for New Year's, I caught the fireworks at Circus Maximus in 2022 - it was quite spectacular but gets super crowded, so go early if you decide to do it. For Christmas dinner, I really enjoyed Roscioli (they were open last Christmas). Just make sure to book well in advance since many restaurants require reservations during the holidays. The Christmas lights along Via del Corso in the evening are magical - don't miss those!

Posted by
6379 posts

@redheadlibrarian, the link I provided does contain personal responses to questions similar to yours.

Posted by
90 posts

Thank you for those recommendations.

I’m going to keep my eye on Roscioli’s website to see if I can score a table for Christmas. My single complaint about Italian restaurants is that there doesn’t seem to be a “dine at the bar” culture as there is in the States.

As for NYE, I’m not certain if the crowds would be palatable for me (like, I’d never got to Times Square in NYC!), but if the weather isn’t too terrible, I may give it a shot - even if I’m not the demographic. :)

Yes, there were some personal recommendations in the myriad of results. Grazie mille!

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