Date ideas by city

Date ideas in Rome

16 dates for Rome, in the order the city deserves, with real places near the centre for the stops.

Gelato and a slow walk through the centre: a date the city has had a long time to perfect.

Open the map in Rome Make them a gift

The ideas

16 dates for Rome

Rome gets more dry, bright days than most, so the outdoor ideas get their chance.
Rome has big museums and galleries worth an afternoon, so the culture ideas sit high.
Rome has hills and lookouts, so a sunrise or a golden hour is worth the climb.

Especially good here3 hDinner money
Dinner, then the long way home
A table for two, then a walk with no destination until somebody's feet hurt.
The twist: Order for each other. No vetoes.
In Rome, try
1. Appetito · Restaurant
2. Punto panoramico di Ponte Umberto I · Viewpoint
See it on the map
Especially good here1.5 hPocket change
Ice cream and nowhere to be
Two scoops each and a park to get lost in.
The twist: Order the flavour you think the other one will pick. Swap if you're wrong.
In Rome, try
1. Candy Lisa · Something sweet
2. Fontana del porto di Ripetta · Park
See it on the map
2 hPocket change
Golden hour picnic
Something sweet from a bakery, a blanket, and the best view in town as the light goes.
The twist: Each of you brings one thing the other has never tried.
In Rome, try
1. Pasticceria Cinque Lune · Something sweet
2. Piazza del Quirinale · Viewpoint
See it on the map
2 hPocket change
Up before the city
An alarm neither of you wanted, a view with nobody in it, and the first coffee of the day.
The twist: Phones stay in pockets until the sun is fully up.
In Rome, try
1. Terrazza Caffarelli · Viewpoint
2. Tazza dOro · Café
See it on the map
3 hDinner money
Museum, then a glass of something
One hour, not the whole building. Then a bar to argue about what you saw.
The twist: Each choose the piece you'd steal. Defend it.
In Rome, try
1. Gladiator Museum · Museum
2. Minerva Roof Garden · Bar
See it on the map
2 hFree
Gallery hop
Small rooms, free to walk into, and nobody minds if you whisper.
The twist: Title every piece yourselves before you read the label.
In Rome, try
1. Mancini - Vicollo Della Campana · Gallery
2. Napoletano's · Café
See it on the map
2.5 hPocket change
Mini golf, loser buys dessert
Eighteen holes of trash talk and a very serious scorecard.
The twist: Winner picks the dessert. Loser pays and takes the photo.
See it on the map
2.5 hPocket change
An afternoon in a garden
Slow paths, a bench with a view of nothing in particular, and tea after.
The twist: Find the plant that looks most like each of you.
In Rome, try
1. Chiostro della cisterna · Garden
2. Vitty al Pantheon · Café
See it on the map
2 hDinner money
Hire a boat, row badly
An hour on the water going mostly in circles.
The twist: Take turns rowing. The passenger narrates like a nature documentary.
See it on the map
3.5 hA treat
Dress up for the theatre
A reason to wear the good outfit, and a drink at the interval.
The twist: Guess the ending at the interval. Write it down. Loser buys the nightcap.
In Rome, try
1. Teatro Rossini · Theatre
2. Trinity College · Bar
See it on the map
2 hPocket change
Look up
A planetarium if the sky's against you, the darkest viewpoint in town if it isn't.
The twist: Name a star after the other. Make it official on a napkin.
In Rome, try
1. Forum Romanum view · Viewpoint
2. La Casa del Caffè Tazza D’oro · Café
See it on the map
2 hPocket change
Pick a book for each other
Twenty minutes apart in a bookshop, then coffee while you explain yourselves.
The twist: Write the first page a note before you hand it over.
In Rome, try
1. Libreria Antiquaria Borromini al Pantheon · Bookshop
2. Tempio Bar · Café
See it on the map
2.5 hDinner money
Bowling, bumpers optional
Bad shoes, worse technique, a plate of chips in the middle.
The twist: Every gutter ball is a truth. Every strike is a dare.
See it on the map
2.5 hA treat
Escape room, then the debrief
Sixty minutes to find out how the two of you work under pressure. Drinks after to recover.
The twist: No blaming until the first drink arrives.
In Rome, try
1. Escape Room Campo dei Fiori & Beershop · Escape room
2. Chocolat · Bar
See it on the map
3.5 hDinner money
A film and a late dessert
The back row, shared popcorn, and somewhere still open after the credits.
The twist: One of you picks the film, the other picks the seats and the snacks.
In Rome, try
1. Nuovo Olimpia · Cinema
2. ODStore · Something sweet
See it on the map
2.5 hDinner money
Arcade night
A pocket of coins, air hockey grudges, and a prize nobody needs.
The twist: Pool your tickets. Whatever they buy lives on the shelf forever.
See it on the map