October 20th - October 26th, 2024
You might have been to Rome, but come with KCRW to see a side of the Eternal City that's largely inaccessible to others. A heady mix of haunting ruins, awe-inspiring art and vibrant street life, Rome is one of the world’s most romantic and charismatic cities. Alongside its extraordinary history, it continues to evolve with the times and our Roman week weaves 20th- and 21st-century elements into the rich historical fabric of the city.
A trip to Rome with KCRW is as much about drinking in and eating up the Dolce Vita lifestyle as it is about feasting on art and culture. We are building a trip that you won't be able to create on your own. So come to Rome with us!
Itinerary notes
Please enjoy the itinerary below and pay special attention to the recommended attire and the timing. Since this is such a packed itinerary, all of our departures will be prompt, so please be on time so that the group can stay on schedule.
You will find a printed copy of your final itinerary in your room on arrival at the hotel. Any last minute changes or information will be relayed via WhatsApp so please download this onto your smartphone.
Here is a google map with all locations marked. It will be updated during the week so please refresh it daily.
Day 1 - Sunday October 20
Independent arrivals into Rome
You may book your own transfer from the airport to the hotel here
Accommodation at Casa Monti (6 nights)
The brand new kid on the block, Casa Monti is set to be the most exciting opening in Rome this year. And it sits happily in the heart of its namesake - Monti – the quintessentially Roman neighborhood sandwiched between the Colosseum and the centro storico with its ivy-clad palazzi, narrow cobbled streets, one-off boutiques and wine bars, hardware stores and greengrocers.
Replete with a rooftop bar as well as its street-level bar and restaurant, we expect to see plenty of locals amongst the hotel guests. The hotel itself is the brainchild of an Italian-French-Spanish collaboration, bringing the best of European style and hospitality to this corner of the city. With just 36 rooms and our friend Andrea at the helm, they’re thrilled to host KCRW.
Address and contact info: Via Panisperna 210/212, Rome / +39 064 522 9523 / ciao@casamontiroma.com
18:00-20:00 - Welcome aperitivo at the rooftop bar at Casa Monti
Gather with the group for an informal aperitivo and kick off the trip! Monti is a delightful neighborhood and options for dinner and gelato afterwards abound.
Day 2 - Monday October 21
9:25 - Please gather in the hotel lobby
We have a day of adventure, and walking, ahead of us. The recommended attire is comfortable shoes and, as always, layers.
9:30 - Morning tour with cultural guides Agnes Crawford and Serena Giuliani
This is Rome 101. We will set off on foot into the centro storico. This is a refresher for those who know the city well and an all-important introduction for anyone visiting for the first time. We will see the big hitters including the Pantheon and Piazza Navona but we also see some lesser known spots.
13:00 - Lunch at Enoteca Corsi
Hidden away in a small alley behind the Piazza della Minerva, the wine shop next door to the restaurant closes at lunchtime so we lunch amidst the bottles and barrels. You’ll find all sorts of Romans and priests tucking into simple, good food.
On the menu: Antipasti, a choice of the holy trinity of Roman pasta dishes - carbonara, amatriciana, or cacio e pepe - and a choice of desserts.
14:30-15:30 - An afternoon visiting Alysa’s favorite boutiques
Alysa has distilled the finest purveyors of everything Roman from the softest monogrammed pajamas to the crispest gentlemen’s shirts, supremely flattering Panama hats to handmade leather loafers. This is the moment to take care of buying gifts for your loved ones back home (and for yourself!)
Independent return to the hotel at your leisure
19:00 - Depart from Casa Monti for Trastevere via minivan
19:30 - An evening listening session – featuring the golden age of Italian soundtracks – with Pierpaolo De Sanctis from Four Flies Records
Los Angeles and Rome will collide as Pierpaolo, one of the foremost experts on Italian soundtracks, takes us behind the scenes of iconic scores from spaghetti westerns, crime-thrillers, and other genre films between the 1960s and the early 1980s – a period known as the golden age of Italian cinema, ushered in by the filming of Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita at Rome’s Cinecittà studios. All of this will be happening at Studio 33, which has one of the best sound systems in all of Rome. Some exceptional bites and beverages will also be on hand.
On the menu: Drinks and a buffet dinner from the famed Roman restaurant Roscioli will be served throughout the evening.
22:30 - Return to the hotel by minivan
Day 3 - Tuesday October 22
9:25 - Please gather in the hotel lobby
Today's recommended attire: again, comfortable shoes and layers
9:30 - Morning market tour with Evan Kleiman and chef Alice Adams Carosi followed by a pizza masterclass at the Pastificio Cerere di San Lorenzo
Our first stop this morning is a small neighborhood food market with zero tourists. Miracolo! As well as shopping for ingredients, there will be a tasting of cheese and cured meats before we head back to the kitchen, stopping en route for an espresso. Our kitchen today is in the iconic Pastificio Cerere. Once upon a time a pasta factory and now a foundation supporting contemporary art (and Veronica's kitchen!). Together we'll make pizzas with all the seasonal goodies that we've purchased at the market, before enjoying the fruits of our labors afterwards of course!
14:00 - Depart from the Pastificio for the Ghetto via minivan
14:30-16:30 - A dive into Ancient Rome with archaeologist Darius Arya
Darius is a highly regarded archaeologist who will take us on an exploration of some of Rome's ancient sites, including Torre Argentina and the Theatre Marcellus, crossing the Ghetto together.
Independent return to the hotel at your leisure
20:00 - Dinner at Ristorante Rocco
Recommended attire: smart casual
A short (less than 10 min) walk from the hotel is our dinner for the night. Run by Sara and her brother, this is the dream neighborhood restaurant: an intimate space decorated with illustrations and prints, starched white table linens and polished terrazzo. Exceptionally, the restaurant is ours for the evening.
If you want to keep your night going after dinner, one of the top 50 bars in the world, Drink Kong, is just around the corner on Piazza Giovanni Lanza
Day 4 - Wednesday October 23
9:25 - Please gather in the hotel lobby. We'll depart via minivan promptly at 9:30
Today's recommended attire: cycling-appropriate clothing and a warm sweater
9:30 - A morning exploring the Appian Way on 2 wheels
All roads lead to Rome and the most famous may just be the Appia Antica. Cyclists have the chance to admire the walls of Ancient Rome and the Christian Catacombs that date back to the 4th century, learning about the concept of death in ancient times and seeing the unbelievable skill of the Ancient Romans as engineers and builders. Plus, we'll enjoy a bucolic moment as we visit a working sheep farm where the most delicious ricotta is produced from the pastures that host the remnants of history. This is followed by a picnic lunch and informal tasting of the wines produced by the iconic Antinori Family here.
By 15:30 - Return to the hotel via minivan
Afternoon and dinner at your leisure
Day 5 - Thursday October 24
9:50 - Please gather in the hotel lobby
Today's recommended attire: comfortable shoes and warm clothes - we'll be travelling in open-top cars!
10:00 - A morning of time travel: from antiquity to the 21st century
We leave behind the Rome of the past today for a deep dive into modern Italy. Aboard a fleet of candy-coloured Fiats 500s and 850s we hurtle past the ancient ruins of the Roman forum and the Circus Maximus and dive into Rome of the third millennium to explore the neighborhoods of Testaccio, Ostiense and Garbatella where a gentle gentrification has been undertaken. Our morning features a pyramid, a defunct power plant filled with ancient statuary and Rome’s first garden city where a very good lunch awaits us at Piatto Romano, a re-styled Roman restaurant where the chef deploys wild herbs to produce outstanding salads.
14:30 - An afternoon exploring Rome’s arts scene – both antique and contemporary – with Alysa Weinstein Gravina
Spend the afternoon with Alysa exploring the knotted streets around the Piazza Navona where we find antique dealers with incredible treasures nestled alongside the bottegas of artisans who are re-gilding magnificent frames and restoring mosaics. Everyone has a story to tell and is proud to show off their skills. Rome looks forwards as well as backwards and the city is a haven for contemporary art, so we will also have the opportunity to visit some of the most exciting galleries in the city where we have privileged access to collections and to the wonderful characters who curate them.
Independent return to the hotel at your leisure
20:00 - Dinner at Taverna ai Fori Imperiali
Recommended attire: smart casual
Again, our dinner is just an easy walk away from the hotel. Taken over by the late-great owner's son and daughter, we love this restaurant even more in its new, slightly more elegant - yet still cozy - form. The location is outstanding: in the old-world quarter of Monti but just spitting distance from the Forum. They have a very good list of wines produced in Lazio.
For those who love Piedmontese wines, head to Fafiuché just a few doors up for a sharpener or digestivo.
Day 6 - Friday October 25
6:15 - Prompt departure from the hotel for the Vatican Museum via minivans
Today's recommended attire: comfortable shoes
6:45 - A before-hours private tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Just before dawn in Vatican City, we join Agnes and Serena at the monumental doors of the Vatican Museums for a truly unforgettable and once-in-a-lifetime experience: we will have two hours to spend admiring one of the world’s greatest art collections and of course the Sistine Chapel before the doors are opened to the general public. In high season, some 25,000 people pass through the museums each day so to have the works of art to ourselves is extraordinary.
8:45 - Return to the hotel for breakfast and rest of the morning and lunch at leisure
15:30 - Please meet directly at Domus Aurea
Recommended attire: warm sweater (we will be underground) and comfortable shoes
15:45 - An private visit to Domus Aurea, or Nero’s Golden House
Often called the most extravagant construction in the history of Rome, the Domus Aurea was part of Nero’s grand plan to transform the capital into a new city. Uncompleted, the ancient structures remained buried underground for centuries. It was rediscovered in the 15th century and inspired Renaissance painters such as Raphael, who recreated its paintings in their own. Subsequently it was allowed to fall into disrepair again until recently. This afternoon we step into the heart of a genuine archaeological dig where we will observe the recovery and restoration phases ‘live’ and at the same time relive the dreams of an extravagant emperor.
18:15 - Depart from the hotel for Molto Collectibles
Recommended attire: smart casual, with a touch of glamor 😉
19:00 - An aperitivo with local movers and shakers in an artist’s former studio
Some of our dearest - and most eccentric - Roman friends will join us for an aperitivo in a magical space hidden away by closed doors. Negronis, americanos and spritzes will be served together with elevated Roman street food.
21:30 - Return to Casa Monti via minivan
Day 7 - Saturday October 26
Independent departures from Rome
Please settle any extras upon check out and arrange your own onward transportation. Transfers to the airport can be booked here.
The hotel staff will be able to call taxis if you are departing the train station.