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Discover Rome’s 200 best spots for your trip

From the classic National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art and Villa Borghese, to lesser-known spots worth adding to your trip.

Prices & booking information
Opening hours & visit duration
Best time to visit
Location & practical information
Local tips for every spot

🎨Museum$$ · Mid-range

National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art

★ 4.6 · 11,050 reviews

Discover the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in its grand Beaux-Arts palazzo near Villa Borghese. Wander spacious, uncrowded galleries tracing Italian art into modernism, with works by Klimt, Cezanne, and Van Gogh alongside contemporary exhibitions.

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Reasons to go

Houses works by Klimt, Cezanne, and Van Gogh alongside Italian art from the 19th century through modernism
Set in a purpose-built Beaux-Arts palace near Villa Borghese with large, uncrowded exhibition halls
Runs an ongoing program of temporary contemporary exhibitions alongside its permanent collection

🌳NatureFree

Villa Borghese

★ 4.6 · 95,371 reviews

Discover Villa Borghese, Rome's grand 17th-century park. Wander shaded avenues, row across the boating lake, take in the view from Pincio Terrace, and step inside the Galleria Borghese's art collection.

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Reasons to go

Created in the early 1600s as the Borghese family's private pleasure grounds and art showcase
The Pincio Terrace offers views over Piazza del Popolo, especially at sunset
A boating lake within the park lets visitors rent rowboats to paddle around it

🎨Museum$$ · Mid-range

Galleria Colonna

★ 4.9 · 3,289 reviews

Step inside Galleria Colonna, a private princely palace that only opens its doors a few hours a week. Wander the mirrored, frescoed Sala Grande lined with ancestral portraits and Roman antiquities, one of the most theatrical rooms in Rome.

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Reasons to go

Still owned today by the Colonna family, one of Rome's oldest noble dynasties
The mirrored, frescoed Sala Grande was used as the filming location for the final scene of Roman Holiday
Open to the public only on Fridays and Saturdays, making it one of Rome's most restricted-access palaces

🏛️Landmark

Trevi Fountain

★ 4.7 · 519,201 reviews

Discover Rome's largest Baroque fountain, tucked into a small piazza where three streets meet. Watch Oceanus's shell chariot and sea-horses roar with water, then toss a coin over your shoulder for a promised return to Rome.

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Reasons to go

Designed by Nicola Salvi and completed in 1762 against the facade of Palazzo Poli
Fed by the Aqua Virgo, an ancient Roman aqueduct still functioning after about two thousand years
The coin-toss tradition for a guaranteed return to Rome was popularized by the film La Dolce Vita

🌳NatureFree

Giardino degli Aranci

★ 4.7 · 25,923 reviews

Discover the Giardino degli Aranci, Rome's quiet garden retreat atop Aventine Hill. Wander among the orange trees planted by Dominican monks and watch the sun set over St Peter's dome before peeking through the famous keyhole nearby.

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Reasons to go

The garden occupies the site of a medieval fortress on the Aventine Hill.
Its orange trees were planted centuries ago by Dominican monks from the adjoining basilica.
The famous keyhole view of St Peter's dome through the Knights of Malta gate is just around the corner.

🎨Museum$$ · Mid-range

Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica - Palazzo Barberini

★ 4.6 · 9,057 reviews

Step inside Palazzo Barberini, a Baroque palace built by Bernini and Borromini. Wander beneath Pietro da Cortona's dizzying ceiling fresco and stand before Caravaggio's Judith Beheading Holofernes, with far shorter lines than the Vatican.

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Reasons to go

The palace was built with contributions from both Bernini and Borromini, rival architects rarely credited on the same building.
Pietro da Cortona's illusionistic ceiling fresco in the Gran Salone creates a painted architecture that appears to open into the sky.
The collection includes Caravaggio's Judith Beheading Holofernes and Raphael's La Fornarina.

🏛️Landmark

Sistine Chapel

★ 4.7 · 96,233 reviews

Step into the most famous painted room on earth. Look up to trace Michelangelo's Creation of Adam and the sweeping Genesis scenes overhead, then take in the Last Judgment covering the altar wall.

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Reasons to go

Michelangelo painted the ceiling largely single-handedly between 1508 and 1512, then returned two decades later to add the Last Judgment on the altar wall.
It remains a working chapel and is the site where papal conclaves are held to elect a new pope.
Photography and talking are both prohibited inside, with attendants enforcing silence.

🎨Museum$$ · Mid-range

Ara Pacis Museum

★ 4.5 · 10,477 reviews

Step inside Richard Meier's glass-and-travertine pavilion beside the Tiber to see Augustus's Altar of Peace up close. Study the intricately carved marble reliefs of the 2,000-year-old monument, then browse rotating exhibitions on painting and design.

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Reasons to go

The altar was commissioned by Emperor Augustus to commemorate the peace of the early Roman Empire.
The enclosing glass hall was designed by American architect Richard Meier and completed in 2006, the first new monumental structure built in Rome's historic center since fascist-era times.
The carved precinct walls depict mythological scenes and a procession of the imperial family.

🏛️Landmark

Colosseum & Official Audio Guide (Optional Arena)

★ 4.3 · 3,134 reviews

Discover the Colosseum without paying for extras you don't need. Explore the amphitheatre at your own pace with an official audio guide, adding arena floor access if you want that closer look.

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Reasons to go

The optional arena floor upgrade lets visitors stand where gladiators once fought, viewed from above on regular tickets
The audio guide covers the amphitheatre's history in depth without bundling in the Forum and Palatine Hill

🏛️Landmark

Roman Forum

★ 4.8 · 145,665 reviews

Walk through the sprawling ruins of the Roman Forum, once the civic heart of an empire that ruled much of the known world. Wander among columns, temple foundations, and triumphal arches climbing toward the Palatine Hill, ideally with a guide to make sense of what stood where.

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Reasons to go

Served for centuries as the political, religious, and commercial heart of ancient Rome, hosting elections, trials, and public speeches
The site includes remains of temples, basilicas, and triumphal arches that once anchored the ancient city's civic life
Combined ticketing links the Forum with the Colosseum and Palatine Hill on a single entry

🎨Museum

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica Tour

★ 4.3 · 82,645 reviews

Get ahead of the crowds with an early-morning guided sweep through the Vatican's biggest highlights. Move through the Museums' galleries to the Sistine Chapel, then walk straight into St. Peter's Basilica, all in one efficient three-hour outing.

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Reasons to go

The route covers the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica in a single three-hour outing.
St. Peter's Basilica is one of the most significant churches in Christianity.

🏛️Landmark

Pantheon Timeless Marvel Guided Tour with Entry Ticket

★ 4.8 · 5,270 reviews

Explore the Pantheon with a live guide who reveals what the audio version can't. Stand beneath the coffered dome and its oculus while learning how Roman engineers lightened the concrete and why the building survived so intact, with room for your own questions.

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Reasons to go

Roman engineers reduced the dome's concrete weight as it rises, an early example of graduated material engineering.
The building's conversion into a church contributed to its near-perfect preservation over the centuries.
The painter Raphael is entombed inside among other notable burials.

🏛️LandmarkFree

Mouth of Truth

★ 4.3 · 25,497 reviews

Step up to the Mouth of Truth, the ancient marble face that made Roman Holiday famous. Slide your hand into its mouth for the classic photo, then explore the church behind it and the nearby ancient temples.

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Reasons to go

Likely began as an ancient Roman drain cover or fountain decoration carved as a river god's face
Medieval legend held it would snap shut on the hand of anyone who told a lie inside its mouth
Featured in the 1953 film Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, which sparked its fame as a photo stop

🏛️Landmark

Colosseum All Access Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

★ 4.4 · 1,560 reviews

Step onto the Colosseum's arena floor itself, where gladiators once fought. From there, take in views down into the underground hypogeum and up through the upper tiers, then continue on to explore the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

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Reasons to go

Access combines arena floor, underground hypogeum, and upper stands in a single ticket, rather than the usual either/or choice.
The hypogeum was the network of underground tunnels and chambers used to stage gladiators and animals into the arena above.
The ticket extends beyond the amphitheatre to include the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill in one visit.

🚶NeighborhoodsFree

Trastevere

Wander across the Tiber into Trastevere, Rome's ivy-draped, cobbled quarter. Stroll narrow ochre lanes to Santa Maria's piazza, then linger over a long trattoria dinner as the neighborhood comes alive after dark.

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Reasons to go

Santa Maria in Trastevere's mosaics were created by Pietro Cavallini in the late 13th century, among the finest examples of Roman mosaic art.
The basilica anchoring the piazza traces its origins to the 3rd century AD, making it one of Rome's oldest churches.
Trastevere's centuries of separation from central Rome across the Tiber let it develop its own dialect and traditions, still felt in its narrow, ochre-walled streets.

🏛️LandmarkFree

Saint Peter's Square

Step into Bernini's vast elliptical piazza, framed by two sweeping colonnades of over 280 columns reaching out like welcoming arms. Stand by the central Egyptian obelisk, watch for papal appearances, and time your visit early or late for the best light and fewer crowds.

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Reasons to go

The colonnades comprise 284 Doric columns topped by 140 saint statues, designed by Bernini to resemble the outstretched arms of the Church.
Two circular stone markers between the obelisk and fountains reveal an optical illusion where the four rows of columns visually merge into a single row.
The central obelisk was brought from Egypt by Emperor Caligula and, according to tradition, marks the spot of Saint Peter's crucifixion.

🛍️ShoppingFree

Campo de' Fiori

★ 4.4 · 70,970 reviews

Discover Campo de' Fiori, a Roman square with two distinct personalities. Browse stalls of fresh produce, flowers, and spices by morning, then return after dark to join the crowds filling bars and restaurants around Giordano Bruno's statue.

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Reasons to go

A statue at the center of the square marks the spot where philosopher Giordano Bruno was executed in 1600.
The daily produce market has operated in the square for centuries, running roughly 7am to 2pm.
By night the square transforms into a bar and restaurant hub, drawing large crowds especially during major sporting events.

🏛️Landmark

Palatine Hill

★ 4.7 · 14,571 reviews

Walk the hill where Rome's founding myth began and emperors later built their palaces. Wander among fragmented ruins while taking in sweeping views over the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus below.

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Reasons to go

Iron Age huts found here align closely with the legendary founding site of Rome
The English word 'palace' derives from Palatium, the Latin name for this hill
Emperors built their sprawling residences here, with ruins overlooking both the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus

🏛️Landmark

Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Guided Tour

★ 4.8 · 88,682 reviews

Walk through 2,000 years of history on this guided tour of Rome's ancient core. Explore the Colosseum's arena, wander the Forum's temple ruins, and climb Palatine Hill with a live guide connecting the story across three unhurried hours.

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Reasons to go

The Colosseum was completed around 80 AD under the Flavian emperors and could hold tens of thousands of spectators for gladiatorial games.
Palatine Hill is traditionally regarded as the founding site of Rome.
The Palatine Hill offers a viewpoint over the Circus Maximus that's easy to miss without a guide pointing it out.

🏛️Landmark

Colosseum Sunset Tour with Entry

★ 4.5 · 1,521 reviews

Step inside the Colosseum as the evening light turns its stone walls gold. Explore the arena on a focused 90-minute visit, timed near sunset for thinner crowds and standout photos.

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Reasons to go

Departure times shift seasonally (around 17:30–18:30) to align with sunset light on the amphitheater.
The tour focuses solely on the Colosseum interior rather than combining it with the Forum or Palatine Hill.

🏛️Landmark

Colosseum

★ 4.8 · 503,734 reviews

Step into the Colosseum, Rome's monumental arena for gladiatorial combat. Walk the ring of ancient arches and, with the right ticket, descend into the underground hypogeum or stand on the arena floor itself.

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Reasons to go

Completed in AD 80 under Emperor Titus, it could hold tens of thousands of spectators for gladiatorial combat and staged animal hunts.
The arena floor could be flooded or fitted with sets for mock naval battles and elaborate hunts.
Underground hypogeum chambers, where gladiators and animals entered the arena, are still preserved and accessible on specialized tickets.

🎨Museum$$ · Mid-range

MAXXI - National Museum of 21st Century Art

★ 4.5 · 12,919 reviews

Discover MAXXI, Rome's bold answer to its own classical past. Wander Zaha Hadid's curving concrete galleries in Flaminio and explore rotating contemporary art and architecture exhibitions rather than a fixed collection.

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Reasons to go

Designed by Zaha Hadid, whose fluid concrete galleries won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2010
Opened in 2010 as Rome's dedicated museum for contemporary art and architecture, breaking from the city's ancient and Renaissance focus
Located in Flaminio outside the historic center, exhibitions rotate rather than a fixed permanent collection

🏛️Landmark

Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill Experience

★ 4.4 · 1,940 reviews

Get ahead of the crowds with an early-morning walk through the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Spend three unhurried hours exploring the Forum's ruins and taking in Palatine Hill's views in softer morning light.

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Reasons to go

The tour combines three connected ancient sites: the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill.
Early-morning entry is timed to avoid midday crowds and heat.

🏛️Landmark

Saint Peter’s Basilica

★ 4.8 · 182,291 reviews

Step into Saint Peter's Basilica, the largest church in Christendom. Marvel at Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's towering bronze baldachin, then climb the dome for a sweeping view over Rome's rooftops.

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Reasons to go

Built over more than a century starting in 1506 on the site of a 4th-century basilica, with work by Bramante, Michelangelo, and Bernini.
Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's bronze baldachin over the papal altar are housed inside.
The dome, also designed by Michelangelo, can be climbed for a panoramic view over Rome, with no lift for the final stretch.

🏛️Landmark

Exclusive Colosseum Arena or Underground & Forum Tour

★ 4.7 · 1,510 reviews

Step inside Rome's most restricted corners of the Colosseum. Choose between the arena floor or the underground hypogeum where gladiators once waited, then continue on to explore the Roman Forum in a small, attentive group.

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Reasons to go

Access includes the hypogeum, the underground network where gladiators and animals were raised into the arena via pulley systems.
Underground access is capped daily, making it one of the most tightly controlled areas of the Colosseum.
Small-group format allows a choice between arena-floor or hypogeum access, paired with the Forum.

🏛️Landmark

Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Hill Entry & Audio Guide

★ 4.2 · 29,700 reviews

Explore the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill entirely on your own schedule. Follow the official audio guide for context at each ruin while you linger as long as you like across this 2.5-hour self-paced visit.

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Reasons to go

The ticket covers three connected sites: the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill.
Palatine Hill sees far less foot traffic than the Colosseum, allowing for a quieter visit.

🎨Museum$$ · Mid-range

Mercati di Traiano Museo dei Fori Imperiali

★ 4.7 · 9,619 reviews

Step inside Trajan's Market, widely considered the world's first shopping mall. Walk through genuine 2nd-century brick vaults and shop fronts, following ancient ramps and passageways with sweeping views over the excavated Imperial Fora below.

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Reasons to go

Built in the early 2nd century under Emperor Trajan as a multi-level complex of shops and offices overlooking the Imperial Fora
Visitors walk through the original brick vaults and passageways rather than viewing artifacts behind glass
Less crowded than the nearby Forum and Colosseum despite being an extensive, well-preserved multi-level site

🎨Museum$$ · Mid-range

National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia

★ 4.7 · 4,511 reviews

Step into Villa Giulia, a Renaissance pope's country retreat turned home to the world's finest Etruscan collection. Marvel at the terracotta Sarcophagus of the Spouses, browse centuries of bronzes, jewelry, and tomb goods, then wander the villa's quiet courtyards and gardens.

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Reasons to go

Houses the world's most important collection of Etruscan civilization artifacts, including the terracotta Sarcophagus of the Spouses
The villa was built in the 1550s as a country retreat for Pope Julius III
Its collection includes ancient perfume and oil bottles alongside bronzes, ceramics, jewelry, and tomb goods

🏛️Landmark

Pantheon

★ 4.8 · 285,258 reviews

Step inside the Pantheon, the best-preserved building of ancient Rome. Stand beneath the massive concrete dome and watch light pour through the open oculus, shifting with the time of day.

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Reasons to go

Its dome is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, nearly 2,000 years after construction.
Built by Hadrian around AD 126 on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa under Augustus.
The central oculus is open to the sky, letting rain and shifting light fall directly into the interior.

🏛️LandmarkFree

Piazza Navona

★ 4.7 · 217,015 reviews

Step into Piazza Navona, Rome's grandest Baroque stage. Wander past street artists and Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, then settle in at a café to watch the square come alive by evening.

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Reasons to go

The piazza's oval shape follows the outline of the 1st-century Stadium of Domitian, whose buried arena arches survive underground and can be toured separately.
Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi sits at the center, with a popular legend claiming it was designed to rival Borromini's facade for Sant'Agnese in Agone across the square.