Planning a kosher-friendly trip to Rome? From amazing restaurants in the historic Jewish Ghetto to unforgettable visits of the Great Synagogue, Rome offers Jewish travelers an incredible mix of history, culture, and great food. Metziahs Travel visited firsthand to help make sure your trip is perfectly planned!
Our Rome trip was two nights and one full day — our goal was to see the city without feeling rushed.
We flew in from Israel (super easy flight, under three hours), and getting out of the airport was a breeze. We had a driver waiting for us, which we ordered via our Airbnb host for $100
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On the way back, however, we hit the jackpot: $60 for a giant sprinter van that fits 8+ people and like, 10 suitcases. (+39 338 430 1522)
The ride with Mohammed was about 45 minutes, the van had 3 seats in the front which was pretty cool. Mohammed tried to explain some landmarks to us, but his English did not allow for it 🙂
Hotel prices are quite expensive, and the rooms are tiny. Since we needed two nights and two rooms, we figured Airbnb made more sense. We found an amazing apartment with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a pull-out couch in the living room — all for just $750 for two nights. You can get a deal on the Airbnb by reaching the host directly HERE
Pro tip: if you get to your hotel/apartment after 11 PM, most kosher places are closed and you’re kinda outta luck.
We crashed early for the night, to be ready for our big day.
Note: There are Kosher stores in other areas, but we did not venture there, nor did we need to, since the Ghetto really has you covered.
The Great Synagogue
We started off by walking about 20 minutes to the Great Synagogue for the 7:45 Shacharis. The shul is breathtaking — built over 120 years ago, it’s massive (over 120 feet tall!) with 850 seats, and the ceiling a huge square masterpiece. It’s free to enter if you come during davening — otherwise, you are required to pay for a tour through the Jewish Museum (which we’ll get to later).
Make sure to bring ID (a driver’s license is fine) to gain entry to the Great Synagogue for minyan — security was pretty intense. We had to explain the origins of our last name…
My husband picked up breakfast from BaGhetto — croissants and danishes and we headed off to the Arch of Titus.
Pro tip: English is not widely spoken in Rome. If you ask around, you can expect roughly one in ten people to understand or respond in English.
Titus’s Arch, the Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
About a 5-minute walk from our Airbnb, right behind the Colosseum, was the Arch of Titus. Lines were already pretty long, so heads up: you need tickets to get in. We bought tickets to the Colosseum which included the Arch — but next time I’d definitely book earlier, especially if you want access to the Colosseum attic or basement (they sell out fast). Tickets are free for anyone under 18, and for adults, the basic tickets cost 18 pounds each.
Titus’s Arch was under construction (supposed to be finished by the end of summer), but still really powerful. You stand there realizing: the Romans destroyed the Beis Hamikdash, stole everything, and used the loot to build the Colosseum — with somewhere between 60,000-100,000 Jewish slaves. This arch was to celebrate Titus’s victory over the Jews.
We spent about an hour wandering through the ancient ruins called the ‘Roman Forum’ and a nearby hill with a great view of it all, called ‘Palatine Hill’. It used to be the heart of ancient Rome: markets, government buildings, temples, etc. We then made our way to the Jewish Ghetto.
[Our Colosseum time slot wasn’t until 5:15 PM (rookie mistake, we booked late!), so we had time to explore the Ghetto before heading back.]
Pro tip: Some gift shops are shockingly inappropriate — like, award-winningly bad. Just a heads-up if you’re traveling with kids — you might want to steer clear!
The Jewish Ghetto
The Jewish Ghetto in Rome is where Jews were forced to live, back in the 1500s, under orders from Pope Paul IV. It was pretty rough back then — cramped, gated, and locked at night. The area chosen for the ghetto was one of the worst in the city – where flooding was common. Fast forward a few centuries to today and it’s full of life, history, and tons of kosher food establishments!
You can find both meat and dairy restaurants, some Cholov Yisroel, you dream it they have it. We tried a lot — BaGhetto, Bona Pizza, and the BaGhetto dessert shop (the best desserts we have ever had – even little Shlomo polished off 3 mousse cups!) and Marlene’s Cholov Yisroel ice cream store.
The food overall was really solid — a little pricier than what we’re used to on the East Coast for dairy, but it was an amazing experience.
The Jewish Museum
After eating our way through the Ghetto, we headed over to the Jewish Museum, which is actually inside the Great Synagogue. It was beautiful — they have old Judaica, ancient Torah scrolls, and shul decor that’s hundreds of years old.
It’s very reminiscent of the Crown Jewels (l’havdil). It’s very special to see the rich history of the Jewish community in Rome. They give a 10-minute guided tour of the shul, which is scheduled for specific times throughout the day.
Trevi Fountain
From there, we walked to the Trevi Fountain — which was absolutely jammed packed. The Trevi Fountain is over 250 years old and one of Rome’s most iconic and breathtaking pieces of architecture. It is close 85 feet tall and 150+ feet wide.
Protip: Visit the Trevi fountain at night – it is quiet & really nice! We came back here – as you’ll see soon… read on!
We got some great photos, soaked in the scene, and kept walking Rome’s beautiful streets back to our Airbnb.
We grabbed a quick 15-minute break before heading out to our 5:15 PM Colosseum appointment.
Note: You can arrive late to your ‘ticketed time’ – we tested 🙂
The Colosseum
The Colosseum is one of the most famous landmarks in the world — built almost 2,000 years ago, it was the largest amphitheater ever built and could hold more than 50,000 people. It was used for gladiator battles, public events, and all kinds of ancient Roman entertainment. A lot of the entertainment back then centered around gladiator battles — some were pre-planned, others changed based on the mood of the crowd. It wasn’t just about fighting; it was brutal and often deadly. Tragically, thousands of Jews were killed inside the Colosseum after being brought to Rome as slaves following the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. Historians estimate that the number could easily be in the tens of thousands.
It’s pretty overwhelming to stand there and picture it — this massive, impressive structure that tourists admire today was once a place of real suffering and bloodshed for so many of our ancestors. It definitely adds a heavier, more emotional layer when you’re walking through it and thinking about what actually happened inside those walls.
We were happy to see that they have an elevator for anyone who can’t climb the many stairs.
It was amazing to see it all in person and get a real sense of the history. We didn’t use a tour guide — we just read up a little before, played a video for the kids (This is a video for smaller kids) and Googled some stuff while standing there, and that worked out fine for us. But if you want all the cool stories and hidden details, it’s definitely even nicer with a guide.
We saw this guide in action – we recommend her if you want a tour!
We scheduled an Uber to the Jewish Ghetto for our 7 pm dinner at BaGhetto Meat — the food was Delicious. Artichoke is a popular dish in Rome and their artichoke soufflé was divine. The boys ended up joining my husband and the store owner for Mincha/Maariv at the Great Synagogue. After that, we Ubered back to our Airbnb to wrap up a busy day — my Apple Watch said we walked about 5–6 miles!
Night activity
We returned to the apartment about 9 PM. We put the kids to bed, and my husband surprised with an amazing night out — a spa experience at The One Spa Roma! It was incredible — they had a steam room, sauna, a scented shower that changes smells as you walk through (like a fancy car wash for people), and a beautiful heated pool with jacuzzi and wave pool features— and the best part? It was all just for us.
It only cost 75 euro per person (about $85 each), and it was an incredible two-hour experience. Totally worth it! You can book it via WhatsApp here.
After we left, we rented Lime scooters through the Uber app and scooted over to the Trevi Fountain — this time it was fairly empty, so we snapped a few more photos without the crazy crowds. Then we scootered back for a 10-minute ride to the Airbnb. At this point, it was after midnight, and we had a taxi booked for 9:30 AM!
We just wrapped up a short & fun trip to Rome and we’d love to hear your thoughts on our recap! Comment below! What city should we explore next? Whether it’s a favorite destination or a hidden gem, your suggestions are invaluable to us! Please comment below! To reach our travel team, click HERE
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Thank you!
Do you have a link for the Airbnb? Thank you so much for this amazing post!
Yes! Its in the post. HERE