What to see in Rome: tips on the best places to visit

All roads lead to Rome, and years later, mine led here again. And I have to say, it’s another city I’m adding to my “I want to live here for at least a month” list. A city with a thousand year history of the Roman Empire, when Rome was a symbol of power and culture, today it meets in symbiosis with the modern world. Rome is not only the cradle of civilisation but also a paradise for lovers of good Italian food. And you can still visit two countries in one day, Italy and the Vatican. There’s something for everyone to come back for.

Where to stay in Rome

Ideally in the centre. You’ll probably arrive in Rome at Roma Termini Station and from there it’s a short walk to the centre. So ideally somewhere close by, in the direction of the centre. The closer, of course, the more expensive. Count on the fact that a nice central Rome apartment for two starts at around 3 grand.

Rome Tickets

Rome is a very popular tourist destination, so I definitely recommend buying your tickets in advance online. This will allow you not to wait in line and lose the dozens of minutes you might miss exploring the Vatican and Rome.

In Rome, you’ll probably be looking for these tickets:

• Sistine Chapel + Vatican Museums (skip the line)
• Colosseum, Forum Romanum and Palatinum
• Papal Audience (Wednesdays only, early morning)
• Roma Pass (48 or 72 hours)

Things to see in Rome

Vatican City

The Vatican City State covers an area of 0.49 km² and has only about 800 inhabitants. The Vatican City is made up of the narrow area enclosing St Peter’s Basilica, St Peter’s Square with the Apostolic Palace, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Gardens. It’s a little further from the centre, if you don’t want to walk there or back, there is a metro stop nearby called Ottaviano, you can easily buy single tickets from the machine right there. The borders of the Vatican at St Peter’s Square are unguarded, of course you can pass freely without noticing you are in another country’s territory.

Trevi Fountain

The Baroque fountain in the Piazza di Trevi is a place besieged by tourists. People throw coins over their shoulders, eyes closed, to make a wish come true, to find love and to return to Rome. At least that last one works, because after throwing my coin into the fountain more than 10 years ago, I have indeed now returned. I’ve actually found that love too, more than once since then.

The only time you can see the Trevi Fountain without a huge tourist siege is really early in the morning, before 7am or even earlier. After eight o’clock the crowds start to arrive and it doesn’t let up until at least midnight.

They say 1.5 million euros end up in the fountain every year and only the city can collect it, otherwise it’s a crime. It used to go to charity, but in 2019 Rome City Hall used it for city repairs.

Villa Borghese Park

In the northern part of Rome, behind the Pincian Gardens, there is a beautiful large park. There are museums, galleries, statues, a lake, summer houses, gazebos, fountains and the Villa Borghese. The Galleria Borghese houses collections of Baroque and Renaissance art. The Villa Giulia houses the National Etruscan Museum. The entire park has a circumference of 6 kilometres and an area of over 80 hectares. The only larger parks in Rome are Villa Doria Pamphili and Villa Ada. There is also Italy’s oldest zoo, the Bioaparco di Roma, founded in 1911.

At the very edge of the park, facing the river above the Piazza del Popolo, there is a beautiful view not only of the square with its monumental Egyptian obelisk, but also of the whole of Rome and the nearby Vatican. There is another viewpoint on the same side further on towards the Spanish Steps.

Spanish Steps – Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti

They lead from Piazza Spagna to the French church of Trinità dei Monti, where you can enjoy a magnificent view of Rome. The Spanish Steps have also become famous thanks to their depiction in many films and books and have become a symbol of Rome around the world.

Colosseum

Originally the Amphitheatrum Flavium is probably the most famous Roman monument. It was used for gladiatorial fights, executions or battle reenactments for up to 50,000 seated spectators. Nowadays, it’s just a tourist destination, but at Easter, every Good Friday, the Pope leads the Stations of the Cross here. You’ll find the Colosseum depicted on Italian quintos, among other things. The elliptical Colosseum is 527 metres in circumference and 48.5 metres in height.

From the outside you can see it without a ticket from practically zero distance, it is not “fenced” in any way, but it has quite thick walls.

Quattro Fiumi fountain in Piazza Navona

The Trevi Fountain may be the most famous (it was also famous in Federico Fellini’s Dolce Vita), but it is not the only fountain in Rome. Rome is full of fountains. I might even like the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) in Piazza Navona, which dates back to the 17th century (almost 100 years older than the Fontana di Trevi). Besides, it’s also much less crowded than di Trevi (but not very crowded either).

The fountain stands in front of the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone and is crowned by an Egyptian obelisk. There are two other smaller fountains at either end of the oblong square. The smaller Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune’s Fountain) in the Piazza del Popolo and the Fontana della Barcaccia just below the Spanish Steps are also nice.

Tiber River and Tiber Island

The Tiber River flows through Rome, over which there are many beautiful and quite ordinary bridges. Between the two bridges, Ponte Fabricio and Ponte Cestio, is the 270-metre-long island of Isola Tiberina. According to legend, it was formed when King Lucius Tarquinius Superbus was thrown into the river (sometime around 500 BC), and river sediments began to settle on his body, forming the island. This originally served as a quarantine area and is now a hospital. The view of the island is from Ponte Garibaldi.

Castel Sant’Angelo (Castle of the Angels)

The circular Castel Sant’Angelo is also known as Hadrian’s Mausoleum, built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 139. It stands right on the right bank of the Tiber, and the Ponte Sant’Angelo bridge, decorated with statues, leads across the river to it. Originally, the castle also served as a papal fortress and was connected to the Vatican by a tunnel in the walls. The name Castel Sant’Angelo comes from the legend that the Archangel Michael appeared above the castle to announce the end of a plague epidemic. To commemorate this, there is a statue of the Archangel Michael at the top of the castle.

Today it serves as a museum, where you can also visit the former papal chambers and the imperial mausoleum. From the galleries you have a beautiful view of Rome and the Vatican.

Pantheon

The Pantheon is one of the most famous monuments of ancient Rome, located in the Piazza della Rotonda, and admission is free. It was built during the reign of Emperor Hadrian around 126 AD and is still in good condition today, one of the best preserved ancient monuments in the world. The building was originally a temple to all the gods, hence the name “Pantheon” – derived from the ancient Greek words “panta” (everything) and “theos” (god).

The interior of the Pantheon is impressive with its large circular space with a dome and a central opening in the ceiling where daylight streams in. The opening also served as a symbol of the sun and the heavens. On the walls of the Pantheon are statues and reliefs depicting ancient gods and important figures of Roman history.

Forum Romanum

The ancient centre of the city and of all the action. It was located in the heart of Rome and was the venue for markets, festivals, parades, as well as courts and elections. Theatres and gladiator fights were also held here. These events attracted thousands of spectators and became popular entertainment for the Roman people.

If you want to get away from the crowds in the Colosseum, the Parco del Colle Oppio starts just across the street, where the tranquillity is quite a contrast.

Bocca della Verita – The Mouth of Truth

Legend has it that if you stick your hand in and lie, they’ll bite it off. I can’t confirm because I’m not lying. But for me, it’s a skippable experience. For one thing, it’s a bit off the main route, for another, you just walk in, there’s a line of people, when you get your turn there’s a dude you can give your phone to and he’ll take a picture of you sticking your hand in, which degrades the whole thing slightly.

What else to see in Rome

• Via del Corso – The main street with shops and restaurants, a kind of Roman Parisian.
• Il Monte Aventino – a hill with a beautiful view of the city.
• Via Appia Antica – one of the oldest streets in Rome.
• Via del Governo Vecchio – a Roman street with typical houses and courtyards.
• Trastevere – a neighbourhood with a lot of bars and restaurants where it’s alive.
• Terme di Caracalla – Roman thermal baths (excavations).

Can you reach Rome in one day?

Rome is huge and there are a lot of sights, it’s also a bit big. I was just here for the day on one of my 3 visits and I got to do a lot. To be exact, I had one full day (meaning I arrived in the evening, had a full day in Rome the next day, and left the next morning).

In that one day I walked 28 kilometers (I only shortened my trip by subway once) and I made it:

• Walk in Villa Borghese Park to the view of Piazza del Popolo,
• to go down the Spanish Steps,
• toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain (and have some great stuffed bread at Pane e Salame just down the road),
• walk to Piazza Venezia, past the Roman Forum and the Colosseum,
• walk around the river and Tiber Island and walk to Mercato di Testaccio for a meal,
• to return to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona,
• and across the bridge to the Angel’s Castle and from there to the Vatican,
• I only saw the Vatican from St. Peter’s Square and visited the local post office,
• From there, I took the subway to dinner and the hotel.

Roman food markets

To come to the centre of Italy and not taste Italian cuisine would be a sin. There are plenty of great restaurants all over the city, but if you want to enjoy a good cross-section of Italian cuisine and sample lots of goodies, the mercato is the place to be. There are two of the most famous in Rome: Mercato di Testaccio and Mercato Centrale.

Mercato di Verona

The best market in Rome is a bit further away from the centre, so I just had to make my way there, but it runs along the river. It’s about 2 kilometers from the Colosseum. The market has a glass roof, so it’s nicely lit. You tend to only see stalls with fresh vegetables and fruit in the morning, but there are loads of stalls with great food.

I guess I should have stayed here for at least a month and tasted from all the stalls, because everything looked very good. I’d pick out Altro pasta e vino (#30), where they have a lot of different kinds of fresh pasta that you can take to go or have cooked and eaten on the spot. I had a brilliant ravioli stuffed with ricotta and truffles, with carbonara sauce and porcini mushrooms.

They have similar stuff next door at Le mani in paste, I haven’t tried anything there, I’ll have to next time! At Mordi & Vai, Panino Romanesco (15) they have fresh stuffed baguettes. At Supplizio, several kinds of divine arancini, fried rice balls stuffed with different fillings. And Da Teo (16) sells pinsa, which is kind of like pizza but oval, crispier, lighter, healthier and made a little differently.

Mercato Centrale

The other market worth mentioning is, on the other hand, right next to Roma Termini main train station. It’s much smaller than Testaccio and there are no fresh food stalls at all, just small restaurants for quick meals and desserts. Beware, although it’s open from 8am, most of the stalls don’t wake up until around lunchtime. But they’re open until the evening.

Practical tips for Rome

Basically, the same applies in Rome as in all major European capitals:

• if you want to save time, get your tickets in advance,
• head out early in the morning so you can see at least one sight without people,
• wear comfortable shoes, you’ll walk a lot in Rome and mostly on cobblestones.

Where to go in Rome for good food

Aside from the Mercato di Testaccio and Mercato Centrale, where you could probably eat all the time, you can grab a small snack-sized lunch a short walk from the Trevi Fountain at Pane e Salame. They focus on stuffed breads here and they’re really good, full of juicy fillings like smoked cheese, porchetta or artichoke cream.

In fact, after my last visit, I decided that I really needed to live in Italy for a while, just for the food. I love those bakeries on every corner you walk in and you have a huge selection of savoury and sweet pastries, desserts, stuffed paninis and several types of great pizza by the portion. Antico Forno Roscioli is one such place.

Great Osteria Oliva for dinner, where they cook locally and have a small bar. For coffee in Faro – Caffè Specialty. And they had great ice cream at Venchi 1878.

What to taste in Rome

Rome is a city that offers countless culinary experiences of Italian cuisine. From a variety of pastries and succulently stuffed breads, to pasta and pizza, to the sweet wonders of Italian pastry.

You should try the most traditional Cacio e Pepe, a simple pasta with black pepper and pecorino cheese. The well-known specialty Carbonara is a sauce made of egg yolks, pecorino cheese, black pepper and guanciale (dried pork cheeks), usually on spaghetti. Another symbol of Roman cuisine is Amatriciana, a slightly spicy tomato sauce with guanciale and pecorino cheese, with pasta or even gnocchi.

Saltimbocca alla Romana is veal slices coated in prosciutto and sage. Carcioffi alla Romana are slow-braised artichokes with garlic, mint and olive oil. You’ll often see them in markets or ‘delicatessens’, as well as supplì, fried rice balls filled with mozzarella and tomato sauce.

The sweets are maritozzi, which are sliced buns filled with whipped cream, ideal for coffee. Frascati white wine also comes from a wine-growing region near Rome.

Where to go on a trip from Rome

• Tivoli – a town just half an hour by train from Rome. There’s Villa Adriana, the former summer palace of Emperor Hadrian.
• Ostia Antica – an ancient town on the Tiber coast where you can explore Roman ruins such as the city gates, marketplace and theatre.
• Circeo National Park – a beautiful natural park with sea views and ancient ruins.
• Sperlonga – a picturesque coastal town with white houses and beautiful beaches.
• Bracciano – a lakeside town with the beautiful Orsini-Odescalchi Castle.
• Castelli Romani – a series of picturesque mountain towns near Rome, where you can explore ancient ruins and taste local wine.
• Orvieto – a beautiful town on top of a cliff with a rich history and architecture.
• Naples – Naples is just over an hour by train. Nearby you can also visit Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius or the Amalfi Coast. We did this by buying tickets to Naples, spending a few days in the area, then taking the train to Rome, touring it, and flying back home from Rome.

Where is Rome

Rome (Italian: Roma) is in central Italy, in the Lazio region, on the western coast of the Italian peninsula, about 25 kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies on the Tiber River, which divides it into two parts.

Rome is spread over several hills, the most famous of which are known as the Seven Hills of Rome – Palatine, Aventine, Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline and Caelius. To the east, Rome is surrounded by the Apennine mountain ranges.

How to get to Rome from Fiumicino Airport

The fastest way to get to the centre of Rome is by train, which takes about half an hour but costs 14 euros. A slower train and 8 euros takes about an hour, and the cheapest, though least comfortable, option is the airport shuttle express at 6 euros. This stops right in front of the Mercato Centrale, where you can have a good meal straight after arriving in Rome (or before leaving Rome).

Transportation around Rome

The city is perfect for hiking. The individual sights are always no more than a few hundred meters apart (probably because there are so many), so if you live within walking distance of the center, you don’t even need other transportation. Maybe just to get to the first place of the day, which might be the Vatican due to the heavy traffic, which might just be a bit further away. Of course, Rome is served by both metro and buses.

Metro in Rome

The metro has 3 lines, A (orange), B (blue) and C (green). A one-way ticket costs €1.50. The following stations are likely to be useful:

• Roma Termini (lines A and B) – buses to/from the airport, trains to/from the airport and other cities in Italy.
• Ottaviano (line A) – Vatican City.
• Spagna (line A) – Piazza di Spagna under the Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese, Trevi Fountain (5 minutes on foot).
• Barberini (line A) – Piazza Navona, Pantheon.
• Colosseo (line B) – Colosseum.

Travel tips not only for Rome