ROME, POMPEII, & VATICAN CITY IN 4 DAYS

Italy, bitches!!! One of our favorite countries we've been to. How can you not love it? The food, the people, the history, the BOYS! What more can you ask for?! We spent 4 days in the country on this trip but we will always keep coming back. Here's how we did Rome, Pompeii, and Vatican City in just 4 short days.

WHERE WE STAYED: Dolce Vita Residence / The Telegraph Suits - really beautiful hotel, super spacious and it's actually right next to Altare della Patria

OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Antico Caffe Castellino (Via Cesare Battisti 135) - was right next to our hotel, had the BEST service, and had all the different types of Italian food you could imagine - spaghetti, pizza, lasagna, gelato, and so much more! We ate there at least 4 times during our trip, so we'd definitely recommend it.

DAY 1 - ROME

Use this first day to walk around Rome's ancient ruins and really take in the culture.

• See the iconic Roman Colosseum - It's your first day in Rome, so what better way to start it off than with one of the Wonders of the World? Be sure to take a photo outside, but don't miss a chance to go on a tour of the inside! Tickets are available out front.

• Take in Palatine Hill - Right next to the Colosseum, you'll find "the first nucleus of the Roman Empire." It's basically hills of ancient ruins and is really interesting to look at.

• Walk around the Roman Forum - This is right down the road (very walkable) from the Colosseum. It's an area that include the ancient ruins of important government buildings.

DAY 2 - POMPEII

The second day of your trip calls for a fun day trip from Rome to see the ruins of Pompeii - the city that was completely destroyed and buried by the volcanic ash of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, and preserved the city! You'll also get to see Mount Vesuvius. Here is the tour we went with and a bit of the break down below:

• We left at 7:15AM from the city centre on a coach bus

• It's about a 3 hour drive from Rome to Pompeii each way, so get comfortable - bring a book but be sure you check out the scenery on the way

• Once you make it to the site, you will get to walk around at your own leisure for about 2 hours where you will get to check out the artifacts, ruins, and even people that were preserved by the ash. It's a sad sight, but an amazing look in to what life was like then.

• After your 2 hours are up, you'll head back to the bus and will be back in Rome by around 7PM.

DAY 3 - VATICAN CITY

Time for another day trip... this time, to Vatican City! It is technically a country if you didn't know - so don't forget your passport. Also, your knees and shoulders MUST be covered, so keep that in mind when you're packing.

I will admit, we slept in a little this day after the long trip to Pompeii the day before, so no judgement if you decide to do so as well. Eat a nice Italian lunch, walk around a bit, then head to Vatican City! Here is the tour that we did and a breakdown below:

Side note, if you decide NOT to sleep in, you can go see the Pope on most Wednesdays and Sundays.

• At 2:15PM we met at the bottom of the steps to the entrance of the Vatican Museums

• Include in the tour is priority access through the line which was a major plus because that line is LONG AF.

• The tour itself will last about 3 hours and includes a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. I normally don't do guided tours, but this one was MUST as I would not have know what I was looking at otherwise.

• Some of my favorite sites throughout the tour was seeing the famous "The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, the current Pope's apartment (if you're lucky, you may get a glimpse of him on his balcony), Raphael's Rooms, and see the bodies of past Pope's in St. Peter's Basilica (very creepy, I know, but really interesting and cool).

• Once you're done with the tour, go spend the night out in Rome. The city is beautiful and you will RARELY find a restaurant you don't like, because I mean c'mon. Who doesn't love all Italian food?!

DAY 4 - ROME

It's your final day in Rome, so finish it off with some of the city's iconic stops.

• Walk up Spanish Steps - I don't know about you, but all I think of when I see these steps is The Lizzie McGuire Movie and I am COMPLETELY judging you if you don't do the same thing. Anyway, walk up and down the 135 steps, take a seat, relax, and take in the view.

• Take a stroll around Piazza di Spagna - this is the square at the bottom of the Spanish Steps. In the center you will see Fontana Della Barcaccia which offers drinkable water.

• Go see the Pantheon

• Throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain - again, another iconic The Lizzie McGuire Movie reference. While we were planning our trip, Emily even said "are we going to the Lizze McGuire fountain?"be sure to bring some coins to toss in while you make a wish and hope that you meet your P̶a̶o̶l̶o̶ Gordo and impersonate your twin to become a European popstar!

XOXO, Cam