Rome Food & Wine Itinerary: 3 Days of Eating

The short version: three days is enough to eat Rome properly — a first day in Testaccio and Trastevere for the market and a food tour, a second making pasta and tasting wine, and a third among the artichokes of the Ghetto or out to the Frascati hills. Below is a loose, food-first shape for the trip, not a fixed schedule.

A note on how to use this: these are suggestions and options, not a minute-by-minute plan. Opening times, ferry and train timetables, market days, tour availability and prices change through the week and the year, so treat the days as a flexible outline and confirm anything time-sensitive directly with the operator or venue before you go.

At a glance

Day one — Testaccio and Trastevere

Start in Testaccio, Rome’s old slaughterhouse district and the home of its working-class cooking, with a superb covered market full of pasta, cheese and the quinto quarto offal dishes. The easiest way in is a Rome food tour, which threads market stalls and family trattorie and explains what you’re eating; our what to eat in Rome covers the dishes and Trastevere or Testaccio helps you choose a neighbourhood. Save the evening for cobbled Trastevere and a plate of cacio e pepe.

Day two — make pasta, taste wine

Give the second day to your hands. A Roman pasta-making class teaches fresh pasta and the four Roman classics — carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia (see the four Roman pastas explained) — and a broader Rome cooking class adds sauces, saltimbocca and tiramisù. In the late afternoon, a Rome wine tasting in an enoteca introduces the wines of Lazio and beyond — a primer for a hills day trip.

Day three — the Ghetto, or the Frascati hills

For the finale, choose. In town: the Jewish Ghetto, for carciofi alla giudia, the whole artichoke fried until the leaves crackle (winter–spring), and one of Rome’s oldest food quarters. Out of town: the Castelli Romani in the hills south of Rome — Frascati for its crisp white, Ariccia for porchetta, and lunch in a fraschetta tavern. Either way, keep the last evening for a long, unhurried Roman dinner.

Where to base yourself

Base in the centro storico, Monti or Trastevere — all central, walkable and full of trattorie, wine bars and bakeries. Rome runs on walking plus the metro and buses; you won’t need a car, and the Castelli Romani are reachable by train or an organised tour. Book cooking classes and day trips ahead in peak season, and note that many trattorie close on Sunday evening or Monday. Plan the whole trip from the Rome food & wine hub.

Frequently asked questions

Is three days enough for Rome food and wine?

Yes — three days covers a market and a food tour, a pasta-making or cooking class with a wine tasting, and a day for the Ghetto’s artichokes or a Frascati wine trip, without rushing.

What food should I try in Rome?

The four Roman pastas — carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, gricia — plus supplì, pizza al taglio, artichokes and gelato. See what to eat in Rome.

Where should I eat like a local in Rome?

In Testaccio and the quieter corners of Trastevere, at lunchtime trattorie and the neighbourhood markets, a few streets from the big sights. A food tour is the shortcut.

Can you do a wine day trip from Rome?

Yes; the Castelli Romani hills (Frascati) are a short train ride or organised tour, with crisp white wine, porchetta and the fraschetta taverns.

Plan your Rome food trip

Start with a Rome food tour, a pasta-making class or a wine tasting, and see everything on the Rome hub.