Rome: Small Group Walking Tour of Trevi, Pantheon & Navona

4.87

(682 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect to feel so tiny standing under the Victor Emmanuel II Monument — it’s just this massive white thing looming over everything, kind of like Rome’s own wedding cake. Our guide, Marco, joked that locals still argue about whether it’s beautiful or just too much. I liked how he said “it’s part of us now,” shrugging like only Romans can. The morning was warm but not too hot yet; there was this distant hum of scooters and someone selling roasted chestnuts near the steps.

We wound through narrow streets toward the Trevi Fountain. I’d seen photos but hearing all that water crashing up close — it actually drowns out the crowds a bit. Marco handed us coins for the fountain (he said it brings you back to Rome; guess we’ll see), and then pointed out his favorite gelato spot just off the square. I went for pistachio — creamy but not too sweet — and tried to say grazie in a decent accent. He grinned anyway.

The Pantheon surprised me most. You turn a corner and suddenly there it is, huge columns and that dome just sitting in the middle of everything like it owns the place (which I guess it did). Inside the square, Marco told us about Emperor Hadrian building it almost 2,000 years ago. Sunlight spilled through gaps in the clouds onto the old stone — made me think about all those centuries stacked up right here under our feet.

By the time we reached Piazza Navona my legs were tired but I didn’t really mind. The fountains sparkled in late afternoon light and people lounged everywhere — couples laughing over espresso, kids chasing pigeons near Sant’Agnese church. Marco waved us off with restaurant tips (“avoid menus with pictures!”) and we lingered a while longer before heading off for dinner on our own. I still think about that pistachio gelato sometimes.