Rome, the city that dominated the world and is full of corners with great history and beauty, being able to say that it is a great open-air museum. Its churches, monuments, squares and fountains together with a great gastronomy make it one of the most fascinating and visited cities in the world. There are many essential places to visit in Rome, we have made a selection of 20 that we believe you should not miss, especially if it is your first time in Rome.
To make the list we have based on the three times we have visited this impressive city, the last on a trip that we stayed for a month in Trastevere and from where we wrote this travel guide to Rome. We start!
1. The Trevi Fountain
After a few years in which you could only see scaffolding for restoration work, today we can say that the Trevi Fountain now looks at its best. They say that it is the most beautiful source in the world and although we will not confirm or deny, what we do know is that one of the essential places to visit in Rome.
Although normally always to overflow with tourists, if you go early in the morning or late at night, you can take good photos and enjoy it with more tranquility, although we must also consider that seeing it surrounded by people is also part of its attractive. By the way, don't forget to throw a coin if you want to return to Rome.
A good option to enjoy Rome at night is to book this tour with a guide in Spanish that passes through the buildings and squares, such as La Fontana di Trevi, best illuminated in the city.
Fontana di Trevi
2. Maximum Circus
It is in the Circus Maximus that the chariot races of Ancient Rome were disputed. Given that it could house up to 300 thousand fans to see up to 12 cars trying to get the victory, you can imagine the greatness of the place, right? Right now there are few ruins that remember what it was, although we are sure that with a little imagination you can recreate its history by seeing the huge esplanade that can be seen today. Free entry and not too visited, the Circus Maximus is one of those places what to see in Rome where you can go at any time of the day.
3. The Colosseum
The Colosseum in Rome is the most spectacular and well-known monument in the city and one of the most visited in the world. To see and enter this incredible place is to go back 2000 years, to one of the times of maximum splendor of the Roman Empire. In the past it served as a distraction to the people of Rome, formerly it was called Flavio Amphitheater and all kinds of gladiator fights were carried out, executions ... and today it is one of the most visited tourist attractions and how could it be otherwise, you can not Get lost in Rome.
To visit it you must take into account the large queues that are formed at the entrance, especially on weekends or holidays. A good option to not waste time is to book the guided tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine or this offer that includes the Vatican, both with a guide in Spanish with which you can skip the queues in addition to knowing first hand the history and crowd of curiosities.
A good option if you are going to visit its main monuments and buildings is to book the WMO Vatican and the Rome Card, you will save time and money.
The Colosseum opens every day at 8:30 a.m. and closing time is 4:30 p.m. in winter and 7:30 p.m. in summer. More information in this article of the Roman Colosseum, skip-the-line tickets and guided tour.
Coliseum
4. Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona is one of the most beautiful squares and one of the most essential places to visit in Rome. In this great square there are three Baroque fountains: Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, Fontana del Moro and the Fontana del Nettuno. Always in our opinion, the source of the 4 rivers is the most spectacular representing the 4 most famous rivers of that time: the Danube, the Nile, the Ganges and the Río de la Plata.
Piazza Navona
5. The Pantheon of Agrippa
The Pantheon of Agrippa is one of the best things to see and do in Rome. It is also the best preserved building of the Roman Empire, with an impressive dome that has remained unchanged over almost 2000 years in which, at the top, there is a circular window that illuminates the entire building with natural light. Inside you can find Rafael's grave and a vision that we assure you is totally addictive. Be prepared to return several times during your trip as it is one of the essential places to see in Rome.
Admission is free and opens from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day, except on Sunday which closes at 6:00 p.m.
The Pantheon of Agrippa
Our recommended hotel in Rome
UNA Hotel Roma, located in one of the most central areas of Rome and better connected, just in front of the Termini train station. It has a delicious breakfast, friendly staff and high speed wifi.
If you want to stay in a neighborhood with more tradition we recommend the Residenza San Calisto, located in a historic building a few meters from Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere.
6. Roman Forum
The Forum is next to the Roman Colosseum, the place that will transfer you most to ancient Rome, once the center of social life. In the Forum there are many buildings and corners that are worth visiting with a guided tour, if you do not want to miss much of its history and curiosities. To highlight the Via Sacra, the Arch of Titus and that of Severe Seventh, the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, the Temple of Castor and Pollux ... and we stopped as we would continue for months and that is if not You've noticed, this is one of our favorite places in Rome.
To have good views and a good photo of the Roman Forum we recommend you go to the Palatine and the Plaza del Campidoglio, from where we assure you, you have unique perspectives.
Visiting hours are the same as those of the Colosseum, every day at 8:30 and the closing varies according to the time of the year. More information in this Roman Forum article, skip-the-line tickets and guided tour.
Roman Forum
7. St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica, one of the places to visit in the Vatican, is the largest and most important temple of Catholicism. Just to see the Pieta by Michelangelo or the Bernini Baldachin, is it worth the entrance. Its dome is also impressive and the climb to it will allow you to have stunning views of St. Mark's Square with all of Rome in the background. Your visit next to the Vatican Museums is one of the best tours in Rome.
Although admission is free if you want to know the interesting history of this church we recommend you book this guided tour in Spanish.
The visiting hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and the climb to the dome from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Entrance included with the OMMIA Vatican and the Roma Card, you will skip the lines.
Basilica of Saint Peter
8. The Trastevere
The Trastevere is one of the most famous and beautiful neighborhoods in the city, full of charming corners, craft shops and taverns with a Bohemian air, and another place what to see in Rome. A walk in the afternoon, after the visits of the day, to end the day having dinner in some of the many good restaurants, is one of the essentials of a visit to Rome. In the center of the neighborhood is the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, another of the places you should not miss.
A good option to try delicious Italian food is to book a gastronomic tour of the neighborhood, where you will enjoy some of the best restaurants to eat in Trastevere.
Trastevere
10. Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums is another of the best places to visit in Rome and the Vatican. It has one of the most important collections in the world, although we would highlight especially the Cartographic Map Gallery, the Bramante Staircase and the Raphael Stays. Although nothing can be compared with the visit to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment can lead you to have an overdose of beauty.
To learn more about all the details of the museum and avoid the big queues you can book this little tour guided by the Vatican in Spanish or this offer that includes the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine.
The opening hours are from 9 to 6 in the afternoon, and Sunday is closed except the last of each month, in which admission is free. Entrance included with the OMMIA Vatican and the Roma Card, you will skip the lines.
More information in this article of the Vatican Museums, skip-the-line tickets and guided tour.
Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish in Rome by travelers:
- Offer: Vatican + Colosseum, Forum and Palatine
- Guided tour of the Vatican
- Guided tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine
- Night tour of the illuminated Rome
- Excursion to Naples and Pompeii
- More excursions and tours here
Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish in Rome by travelers:10. Sant'Angelo Castle
The Castle of Sant'Angelo located on the bank of the Tiber River was built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian and is another place what to see in Rome that you can't miss You can take the best photo of the castle from the beautiful Sant'Angelo Bridge with its beautiful statues on each side. We recommend you to come through the area both day and night, at which time the city lights up and this area looks especially beautiful.
As a curiosity we will tell you that there is a corridor that connects the castle with the Vatican City, so that in case of danger, the Pope could escape.
A good option is to book this guided tour in Spanish to learn more about its history and save your queues. Visiting hours are Tuesday through Sunday from nine in the morning until seven in the afternoon.
Sant'Angelo Castle
11. Trajan's Market, one of the best places to visit in Rome
The Trajan's Market is what today could be compared to a shopping center. Built by Apollodorus of Damascus, one of the greatest architects in history by order of Emperor Trajan, although almost 2000 years have passed since its construction, it is preserved quite well and is one of the things to visit in Rome that we recommend not you lose
The visiting hours are from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 in the morning to 7 in the afternoon.
A good option to learn more about the history of the city is to book this free tour of Rome with a guide in Spanish. Free!
Trajan's Market
12. Hot Springs of Caracalla
The Baths of Caracalla were public baths of Ancient Rome built by order of Emperor Caracalla. The large and beautiful mosaic fragments stand out from among the extensive complex of ruins. Many of the sculptures that were found are distributed by the museums of Italy and the large marble bathtubs were used to build some of the fountains of Rome that can still be seen today.
Although they are a little far from the center they are easily accessible by subway or bus. They open at 9 a.m. and close at 6:30 p.m. except Mondays that close at 2 p.m.
13. Plaza Spain
The Plaza España is one of the most popular squares in Rome, surrounded by some of the most famous shopping streets such as Via dei Condotti. In addition to the views that you can have from the streets that surround it, you can not miss spending a while sitting on the steps of 135 steps, which reaches the church of Trinità dei Monti, to enjoy the good atmosphere of the square and of course, taste An ice cream from one of the many ice cream shops in the area.
Spain Square
14. Catacombs of San Calixto and Via Appia
There are many catacombs in Rome, we recommend that you do not miss those of San Calixto or those of the Vatican, although in the latter you have to book with enough time. The Roman catacombs are underground galleries that were used as burial sites. In the case of Rome they are huge and we can find up to 60 locations both inside and outside the city. Visits are made with a guide since getting lost in one of them could be quite dangerous and not recommended.
Near the Catacombs of San Calixto you can also visit the Via Appia Antica, one of the most important roads of ancient Rome.
As we mentioned, being a little away from the center the best option is to get there from the center by bus. Another option is to take a tour of the Catacombs and the Via Appia in Spanish or this tour of Christian Rome and the catacombs in Spanish.
The schedule is from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday closed.
15. The Capitoline Museums
Located in the Plaza del Campidoglio, the Capitoline Museums are formed by the Palace of Conservatives and the New Palace joined by an underground gallery, the Galleria Lapidaria.
Among its many famous sculptures and paintings we can highlight the Venus Capitolina or the Capitoline Wolf, the wolf that nursed Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome, from which you can find a copy next to the Campidoglio Square.
Visiting hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. You can book the ticket here in advance.
Capitoline Museums
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
16. Palatine
The Palatine Hill is one of the seven hills of Rome and was one of the most important places of the Roman Empire. It is located between the Circus Maximus and the Roman Forum, with great views of the latter. In the mountain they built their residences the upper class of Rome among them the home of the Emperor, the Domus Flavia palace, where we can still see parts of the building.
You can also see archaeological remains of Casa Livia, Casa Augusto or the Domitian Racecourse, among others. If you do not want to miss anything you can combine this visit together with the Colosseum and the Roman Forum and thus enjoy one of the best guided tours in Spanish that you can do in Rome.
They open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
17. Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli
The Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli is one of our favorites among the hundreds of churches in Rome. This basilica, which is a little hidden, was built in the 5th century to keep a relic, the chains of San Pedro. The church is not very decorated and that makes the mausoleum of Pope Julius II stand out, a monument made by the genius Michelangelo, in which a large statue of Moses stands out. Other important basilicas that you can visit in Rome are that of San Pablo Extramuros, that of San Juan de Letráno or that of Santa María la Mayor.
Admission is free and can be visited every day between 8:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli
18. Campo dei Fiori
Campo dei Fiori is another beautiful and lively square in Rome where there is a lot of atmosphere both during the day with its street market and at night with its terraces and bars. It is one of the most popular squares in Rome especially for the market that is held every day in the morning, except Sunday, and we recommend you not to miss out on your visit to the city. There you can see how the Romans are going to buy fresh products or flowers and also, being very central, many tourists looking for some original souvenir.
19. Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II
Not all places to visit in Rome are ancient, the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II was completed in 1911 and it is difficult to leave Rome without seeing it. Located in the beautiful Piazza Venezia, it was built in honor of Victor Manuel II, the first king of Italy. The monument is immense and its 70 meters high allows you to have a panoramic viewpoint with great views of the city. Among the citizens of Rome its construction was not very well seen since they destroyed one of the historic hills and a medieval neighborhood and within the many nicknames it receives, one of them is "The typewriter" Because of its peculiar shape.
The times to go up with the elevator are from Monday to Sunday from 9.30 to 19.30.
Vittorio Emanuele II Monument
20. Villa Borguese
Located near Plaza España we found the last site to visit in Rome We recommend you. Villa Borguese is a park to relax and enjoy the mix of nature with Roman art in the form of fountains, monuments or sculptures of great artists. Inside the park you will find the Borguese Gallery, with works by painters such as Rafael, Tiziano Caravaggio or Rubens, which make it one of the most important museums in the world.
A good option to not miss anything about the museum and not run out of space is to book this visit with a guide in Spanish or buy this ticket in advance.
The Borguese Gallery is open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Closed Monday.
If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 20 places to visit in Rome, add yours in the comments.
