# Things to do in Rome: top sights and where to go

> Rome packs ancient ruins, the Vatican and Baroque squares side by side: the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine sit by Piazza Venezia, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain are a short walk apart in the historic centre, St Peter's and the Vatican Museums lie across the Tiber, and Trastevere and the Aventine are quieter for evenings. Allow 3–4 days for the essentials, plus a day for Ostia Antica or Tivoli.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome

## Ready itineraries

- [One day in Rome: a walking route](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/in-1-day.md): The Colosseum and Roman Forum in the morning, then the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona: Rome's essentials on foot, in order.
- [Rome in 2 days: day-by-day itinerary](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/in-2-days.md): The Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Trevi and Piazza Navona, then the Vatican: St Peter's Square and Basilica, the Museums and the Sistine Chapel, in order.
- [3 days in Rome: day-by-day itinerary](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/in-3-days.md): The Colosseum, Pantheon and Trevi, then the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, and finally the Capitoline, the Mouth of Truth, the Aventine keyhole and Trastevere.
- [Rome with kids: a family day out](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/with-kids.md): The Colosseum, free for under-18s, the Mouth of Truth, the Pantheon's hole in the roof, a coin in the Trevi Fountain and bikes in the Villa Borghese park.

## All 66 places with the YesGo score

- [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon.md): YesGo score 82/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · ≈ €5. The Pantheon is a 2nd-century Roman temple whose concrete dome, 43.3 m across, is still the largest unreinforced one in the world, lit…
- [Trevi Fountain](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trevi-fountain.md): YesGo score 79/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free; basin €2. The Trevi Fountain is Rome's largest Baroque fountain, finished in 1762. Viewing it from the piazza is free; since February 2026 stepping…
- [Colosseum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/colosseum.md): YesGo score 73/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · ≈ €18. The Colosseum is ancient Rome's great amphitheatre, opened in AD 80. A standard 24-hour ticket costs about €18 and also covers the Roman…
- [St Peter's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-basilica.md): YesGo score 71/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free; dome ≈ €8–15. St Peter's Basilica is the Catholic Church's principal church, built over 120 years from 1506 to 1626. Entry is free after a security…
- [Sistine Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sistine-chapel.md): YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25. The Sistine Chapel is the papal chapel in the Vatican, built in 1473–1481. Michelangelo painted its ceiling and the Last Judgement on the…
- [Archbasilica of St John Lateran](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/lateran-basilica.md): YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; cloister ≈ €5. The Archbasilica of St John Lateran is Rome's cathedral — older than St Peter's, founded by Constantine around AD 324 and still the seat…
- [Roman Forum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/roman-forum.md): YesGo score 63/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum. The Roman Forum was ancient Rome's main square: temples, law courts, the Senate house and triumphal arches along the Via Sacra. There's no…
- [Circus Maximus](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/circus-maximus.md): YesGo score 63/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free. The Circus Maximus was ancient Rome's largest chariot-racing stadium, about 600 metres long, with room for some 150,000 spectators. Today…
- [Spanish Steps](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/spanish-steps.md): YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free. The Spanish Steps are 135 late-Baroque steps climbing from Piazza di Spagna to the church of Trinità dei Monti, built in 1723–1725…
- [Santa Maria Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-maggiore.md): YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free. Santa Maria Maggiore is one of Rome's four papal basilicas, built in the 5th century and still holding mosaics from that time. Bernini and…
- [Vittoriano](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vittoriano.md): YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Terraces free; lift ≈ €12–18. The Vittoriano is the vast white-marble monument to King Victor Emmanuel II on Piazza Venezia, opened in 1911. Its lower stairs and…
- [Trajan's Column](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trajans-column.md): YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 15 min · Free. Trajan's Column is a marble column of AD 113, about 35 metres tall with its pedestal, wrapped in a 190-metre spiral of carved reliefs. Its…
- [Capitoline Hill](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-hill.md): YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free. The Capitoline is the smallest and most sacred of Rome's seven hills, once crowned by the city's chief temple. Today it holds…
- [Castel Sant'Angelo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/castel-sant-angelo.md): YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €15–20. Castel Sant'Angelo began as Emperor Hadrian's 2nd-century mausoleum and became a fortress and refuge for the popes. Today it's a museum…
- [Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-paul-outside-the-walls.md): YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free. St Paul Outside the Walls is one of Rome's four papal basilicas, built over the tomb of the Apostle Paul and second in size only to St…
- [Arch of Constantine](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/arch-of-constantine.md): YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 15 min · Free. The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch of AD 315 beside the Colosseum — at about 21 metres, the largest Roman one to survive. It…
- [Piazza Navona](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-navona.md): YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free. Piazza Navona is a long Baroque square in central Rome that follows the outline of Domitian's 1st-century stadium. Bernini's Fountain of…
- [Palatine Hill](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palatine-hill.md): YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum. The Palatine is the hill where, legend says, Romulus founded Rome and where emperors later built their palaces — the word 'palace' comes…
- [St Peter's Square](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-square.md): YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free. St Peter's Square is the vast ellipse in front of the basilica, embraced by Bernini's 1656–1667 colonnade: 284 columns four deep and 140…
- [Mausoleum of Augustus](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/mausoleum-of-augustus.md): YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · ≈ €5, booking. The Mausoleum of Augustus is the round tomb of Rome's first emperor and his family, begun in 28 BC and about 90 metres across. After a…
- [Largo di Torre Argentina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/largo-di-torre-argentina.md): YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free from street; walkways ≈ €5. Largo di Torre Argentina is a central Roman square with the ruins of four Republican-era temples, from the 4th–2nd centuries BC, lying…
- [Church of the Gesù](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/church-of-the-gesu.md): YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free. The Gesù is the mother church of the Jesuits, built in 1568–1580 and copied by Baroque churches worldwide. Inside are Baciccio's ceiling…
- [Piazza Venezia](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-venezia.md): YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free. Piazza Venezia is the main crossroads of Rome's historic centre, at the foot of the Capitoline. The dazzling Vittoriano fills one side…
- [Pyramid of Cestius](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pyramid-of-cestius.md): YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free outside. The Pyramid of Cestius is the tomb of the Roman magistrate Gaius Cestius, built around 12 BC at the height of a craze for all things…
- [Sant'Ignazio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sant-ignazio.md): YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free. Sant'Ignazio is a 17th-century Jesuit church five minutes from the Pantheon, famous for Andrea Pozzo's optical illusions. Its flat nave…
- [Santa Maria sopra Minerva](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-sopra-minerva.md): YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free. Santa Maria sopra Minerva is Rome's only Gothic church, two minutes from the Pantheon. Inside are a blue vault with golden stars…
- [Piazza del Popolo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-del-popolo.md): YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free. Piazza del Popolo is the vast oval square inside Rome's northern gate, where travellers entered the city for centuries. An Egyptian…
- [Santa Maria in Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-in-trastevere.md): YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free. Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of Rome's oldest churches, where Christians gathered as early as the 3rd–4th centuries; the present…
- [Quirinal Palace](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/quirinal-palace.md): YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 15 min · Square free; tours by booking. The Quirinal Palace is a vast residence on the highest of Rome's seven hills: popes lived here from the 16th century, then the kings of…
- [Appian Way](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/appian-way.md): YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free. The Appian Way is the oldest of Rome's great roads, begun in 312 BC. Its first miles outside the city form a park of ancient paving…
- [Domus Aurea](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/domus-aurea.md): YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26. The Domus Aurea is Emperor Nero's 1st-century palace, buried within decades of his death and so preserved with its frescoes. Today it's a…
- [Mouth of Truth](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/bocca-della-verita.md): YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Donation ≈ €2. The Mouth of Truth is an ancient marble mask almost 2 metres across in the porch of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Legend says it bites off the…
- [Baths of Caracalla](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-caracalla.md): YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ €8. The Baths of Caracalla are vast imperial baths built in AD 212–216, where up to 1,600 Romans bathed at once. Walls over 30 metres high…
- [Villa Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-borghese.md): YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free. Villa Borghese is central Rome's great park — about 80 hectares of gardens, avenues and fountains on the hill above the Spanish Steps and…
- [Catacombs of Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/rome-catacombs.md): YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €10–12 with guide. The catacombs of Rome are underground cemeteries of the 2nd–5th centuries, dug into soft tufa outside the city walls — multi-level…
- [San Pietro in Vincoli](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-pietro-in-vincoli.md): YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free. San Pietro in Vincoli — St Peter in Chains — is a 5th-century basilica ten minutes from the Colosseum. It keeps the chains said to have…
- [Ara Pacis](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ara-pacis.md): YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €13–15. The Ara Pacis is a marble altar consecrated in 9 BC to celebrate Emperor Augustus's return and the peace he brought. Its carved procession…
- [Campo de' Fiori](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/campo-de-fiori.md): YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free. Campo de' Fiori is one of central Rome's liveliest squares: a daily market of fruit, vegetables, flowers and spices in the morning, bars…
- [San Luigi dei Francesi](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-luigi-dei-francesi.md): YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free. San Luigi dei Francesi is the French national church in Rome, three minutes from the Pantheon. Its Contarelli Chapel holds three…
- [Theatre of Marcellus](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/theatre-of-marcellus.md): YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free. The Theatre of Marcellus is an ancient theatre completed by Augustus in 13–11 BC and named after his nephew. Its two tiers of arches were…
- [Santa Maria della Vittoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-della-vittoria.md): YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free. Santa Maria della Vittoria is a small Baroque church near Piazza della Repubblica that people visit for one sculpture: Bernini's Ecstasy…
- [San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-carlo-alle-quattro-fontane.md): YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free. San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane is Francesco Borromini's tiny church of 1638–1641, one of the peaks of the Baroque. Architects worldwide…
- [Galleria Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/galleria-borghese.md): YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €18. The Borghese Gallery is Cardinal Scipione Borghese's private collection in a 17th-century villa: Bernini's greatest sculptures, Canova's…
- [Tempietto](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/tempietto.md): YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free. The Tempietto is Donato Bramante's tiny round chapel of the early 1500s, in the courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio on the Janiculum Hill…
- [Santa Sabina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-sabina.md): YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free. Santa Sabina is one of Rome's oldest and best-preserved churches, built in the 5th century on the Aventine beside the Orange Garden…
- [Vatican Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vatican-museums.md): YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €25. The Vatican Museums hold five centuries of papal collections — ancient sculpture, Raphael's Rooms, the Gallery of Maps — and the route…
- [Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trastevere.md): YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free. Trastevere is the old quarter on the right bank of the Tiber and Rome's most picturesque: cobbled lanes draped in ivy, medieval churches…
- [Capitoline Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-museums.md): YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ €15–19.50. The Capitoline Museums are the world's oldest public museum, founded in 1471: two palaces on Piazza del Campidoglio holding the Capitoline…
- [Pincio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pincio.md): YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free. The Pincio is a garden-covered hill above Piazza del Popolo with one of Rome's most famous viewing terraces. You see the square and its…
- [Via del Corso](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/via-del-corso.md): YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free. Via del Corso is Rome's main shopping street: dead straight, about a mile long, running from Piazza del Popolo to Piazza Venezia. It's…
- [Aventine Keyhole](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/aventine-keyhole.md): YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free. The Aventine Hill holds two free and very different views. Through the keyhole of the Knights of Malta's villa gate you see St Peter's…
- [Baths of Diocletian](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-diocletian.md): YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12. The Baths of Diocletian were ancient Rome's largest, built in AD 298–306 for up to 3,000 bathers at once. Michelangelo turned their vast…
- [Basilica of San Clemente](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-clemente.md): YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Upper free; excavations ≈ €10–12. The Basilica of San Clemente is a layer cake of Roman history five minutes from the Colosseum. On top is a 12th-century church with a…
- [Galleria Doria Pamphilj](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/doria-pamphilj.md): YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €16–18. The Doria Pamphilj Gallery is an old Roman family's private collection in their palace on Via del Corso, where the Doria Pamphilj still…
- [Palazzo Farnese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-farnese.md): YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Paid, booking only. Palazzo Farnese is Rome's most celebrated Renaissance palace, the work of Antonio da Sangallo and Michelangelo. Inside, Annibale…
- [Imperial Fora](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/imperial-fora.md): YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free from the street; museum ≈ €13–15. The Imperial Fora are five public squares built beside the Roman Forum by Julius Caesar and later emperors, from the 1st century BC to the…
- [EUR District](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/eur.md): YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free. EUR is a district in southern Rome built for a 1942 World's Fair that never took place. It's a different city: wide boulevards, white…
- [Testaccio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/testaccio.md): YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free. Testaccio is an old working-class quarter by the Tiber that people visit for the food. It has a covered market full of street food…
- [Villa Medici](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-medici.md): YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Paid, scheduled tours. Villa Medici is a Renaissance villa on the Pincian Hill, two minutes from the top of the Spanish Steps, and home to the French Academy in…
- [Palazzo Barberini](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-barberini.md): YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €15. Palazzo Barberini is the Baroque palace of Pope Urban VIII's family, now home to the National Gallery of Ancient Art: Raphael's Fornarina…
- [Villa Farnesina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-farnesina.md): YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €12. Villa Farnesina is an early-16th-century Renaissance villa in Trastevere, built for Rome's richest banker, Agostino Chigi. Raphael and his…
- [Palazzo Massimo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-massimo.md): YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €10–12 combined ticket. Palazzo Massimo is the main seat of the National Roman Museum beside Termini and one of the world's great collections of ancient art, with…
- [MAXXI](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/maxxi.md): YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €12–15. MAXXI is Italy's National Museum of 21st-Century Arts in the Flaminio district, housed in Zaha Hadid's 2010 building. The building is the…
- [Ostia Antica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ostia-antica.md): YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €12–18. Ostia Antica is the ruined port city of ancient Rome at the mouth of the Tiber, with whole streets intact: apartment blocks, a theatre…
- [Villa d'Este](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-deste.md): YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €15. Villa d'Este is a 16th-century cardinal's villa in Tivoli near Rome, famous for its garden of fountains: dozens of fountains, hundreds of…
- [Hadrian's Villa](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/hadrians-villa.md): YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €12–15. Hadrian's Villa is Emperor Hadrian's vast 2nd-century country residence at the foot of Tivoli, 28 km from Rome. It's not a single building…

## Rome travel guide

What to know before you go: best areas to stay, the Vatican and ancient Rome, the airport, metro, weather, costs and the city tax.

## Trip essentials

- How long: 3–4 days for the essentials, +1 for Ostia or Tivoli
- Best time: April–June and September–October
- Entry: Schengen rules; ETIAS for visa-free visitors when it starts
- City tax: Charged per person per night by your hotel
- Money: Euro; cards and contactless almost everywhere
- Airport: Fiumicino (FCO) — train to Termini ≈ 32 min
- Getting around: Metro A, B, C, buses, trams; the centre on foot
- Vatican: Book museum tickets online in advance
- Churches: Shoulders and knees covered
- Time zone: CET (UTC+1), CEST (UTC+2) in summer

## Key facts

- **1980** — Rome's historic centre joined the UNESCO World Heritage List (source: UNESCO World Heritage List, no. 91)
- **Vatican** — the world's smallest state sits inside Rome (source: Wikipedia, Vatican City)
- **7 hills** — on which, by tradition, the ancient city grew (source: Wikipedia, Seven hills of Rome)
- **≈ 2,000** — fountains, from Trevi to the street-corner nasoni (source: Wikipedia, Fountains of Rome)

## Things to do in Rome by area

Rome's must-sees are the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps — and across the Tiber, St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Every place with its YesGo score is in the list above.

| Area | Top sights | Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Ancient Rome** | [Colosseum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/colosseum), [Forum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/roman-forum), [Palatine](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palatine-hill) | 1 day |
| **Historic centre** | [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon), [Navona](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-navona), [Trevi](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trevi-fountain) | 1 day |
| **Vatican** | [St Peter's](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-basilica), [museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vatican-museums) | 1 day |
| **North centre** | [Spanish Steps](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/spanish-steps), [Popolo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-del-popolo), [Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/galleria-borghese) | 1 day |
| **Capitoline** | [Capitoline Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-museums), [Vittoriano](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vittoriano) | ½ day |
| **South** | [Caracalla](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-caracalla), [Appian Way](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/appian-way), [catacombs](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/rome-catacombs) | ½–1 day |
| **Across the Tiber** | [Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trastevere), [Santa Maria](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-in-trastevere) | evening |
| **Day trips** | [Ostia Antica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ostia-antica), [Villa d'Este](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-deste) | a day each |

Rather not plan it yourself? The list above has ready-made itineraries with the places in a sensible order.

## Rome itinerary: 1, 2 or 3 days

One day in Rome is a walking loop: the Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Trevi. With two days, add the Vatican and St Peter's. With three, add the Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese and an evening in Trastevere. Day-by-day itineraries are in the list above.

- **Day 1** — Colosseum, Forum, [Capitoline Hill](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-hill), Pantheon, Trevi.
- **Day 2** — the Vatican Museums and [Sistine Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sistine-chapel), St Peter's, [Castel Sant'Angelo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/castel-sant-angelo).
- **Day 3** — the Spanish Steps, Galleria Borghese, the [Pincio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pincio), dinner in Trastevere.
- **Day 4** — the Appian Way and catacombs, or a trip to Ostia Antica.

## Where to stay in Rome: best areas

The best area to stay in Rome for a first visit is the historic centre: from Centro Storico, Monti or Trastevere you can walk almost everywhere. Prati, by the Vatican, is calmer with a metro line; the Termini station area is cheaper and handy for airport trains, but noisier and less pretty.

| Area | Best for | Keep in mind |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Centro Storico** | First visit, walk everywhere | Pricey, lively at night |
| **Monti** | Near the Colosseum, bars | Narrow streets, few taxis |
| **Trastevere** | Restaurants, evening strolls | No metro, noisy at night |
| **Prati** | The Vatican, quiet, metro A | Far from the Colosseum |
| **Termini, Esquilino** | Budget, airport trains | Less pleasant after dark |
| **Testaccio** | Market, Roman cooking | Few big sights |

## Rome airport to the city centre

Rome's main airport is Fiumicino (FCO, Leonardo da Vinci), 30 km from the centre near the coast. The fastest way in is the non-stop Leonardo Express train to Termini, about 32 minutes. Low-cost flights often use Ciampino (CIA), with buses to Termini in about 40 minutes.

| How | From — to | Journey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Leonardo Express** | Fiumicino — Termini | ≈ 32 min |
| **FL1 train** | Fiumicino — Trastevere, Ostiense | ≈ 30–45 min |
| **Bus** | Fiumicino — Termini | ≈ 55–70 min |
| **Taxi, transfer** | Fiumicino — centre | ≈ 45 min |
| **Bus** | Ciampino — Termini | ≈ 40 min |

## Rome metro and public transport

Rome's metro is small, with lines A, B and C. Line A serves the Vatican (Ottaviano), the Spanish Steps (Spagna) and Termini; line B serves the Colosseum (Colosseo) and Circus Maximus. The historic core — the Pantheon, Navona, Trevi — has no metro, so you walk or take a bus.

- **Tickets** — one ticket covers metro, bus and tram for 100 minutes; 24- and 72-hour passes exist.
- **Tap to pay** — contactless bank cards work at metro gates and on buses.
- **Tram 8** — from Piazza Venezia to Trastevere.
- **Taxis** — only licensed white cabs, on the meter or via an app.
- **On foot** — Colosseum to the Vatican is about an hour; the centre is compact.

## Rome weather by month

The best time to visit Rome is spring and early autumn: from April to June and in September–October, days reach ≈ 19–28 °C. Summer is hot at ≈ 31–32 °C, and many Romans leave in August. Winter is mild — ≈ 12–13 °C by day and 3–4 °C at night, with snow a rarity. October to December are the wettest months.

- **January in Rome**: day ≈ 13°C, night ≈ 3°C, sea ≈ 14°C, rainy days: 7. Cool, few tourists.
- **February in Rome**: day ≈ 14°C, night ≈ 4°C, sea ≈ 13°C, rainy days: 7. Crisp, shorter queues.
- **March in Rome**: day ≈ 16°C, night ≈ 6°C, sea ≈ 14°C, rainy days: 7. Spring, some rain.
- **April in Rome** (best time): day ≈ 19°C, night ≈ 8°C, sea ≈ 15°C, rainy days: 8. Warm; Easter is busy.
- **May in Rome** (best time): day ≈ 24°C, night ≈ 12°C, sea ≈ 18°C, rainy days: 5. A superb month.
- **June in Rome** (best time): day ≈ 28°C, night ≈ 16°C, sea ≈ 22°C, rainy days: 4. Hot, long days.
- **July in Rome**: day ≈ 31°C, night ≈ 18°C, sea ≈ 25°C, rainy days: 2. Heat — go early or late.
- **August in Rome**: day ≈ 32°C, night ≈ 19°C, sea ≈ 26°C, rainy days: 3. Peak heat, holidays.
- **September in Rome** (best time): day ≈ 28°C, night ≈ 16°C, sea ≈ 24°C, rainy days: 6. Warm, a great month.
- **October in Rome** (best time): day ≈ 22°C, night ≈ 12°C, sea ≈ 21°C, rainy days: 8. Mild, some downpours.
- **November in Rome**: day ≈ 17°C, night ≈ 8°C, sea ≈ 18°C, rainy days: 9. Wet and cool.
- **December in Rome**: day ≈ 13°C, night ≈ 4°C, sea ≈ 16°C, rainy days: 8. Mild, Christmas.

The nearest beach is at Ostia, 30 minutes by train; the sea is warm enough to swim from June to September.

## Food in Rome: what to eat

Rome's signature dishes are its four pastas — carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia — plus thin-crust pizza, fried artichokes, supplì (rice balls with mozzarella) and gelato. Lunch runs from 1 to 3 pm and dinner starts after 7:30; the best trattorias are in Trastevere, Testaccio and Monti.

- **Carbonara and cacio e pepe** — the classics, at any trattoria.
- **Pizza al taglio** — by the slice, sold by weight.
- **Supplì** — fried rice balls, the street snack.
- **Roman and Jewish-style artichokes** — in spring, in the Ghetto.
- **Gelato** — pick shops that keep it in covered tubs.
- **Coffee** — cheaper standing at the bar than at a table.

## Rules for visitors in Rome

Rome enforces city rules: no sitting on the Spanish Steps, no wading or bathing in fountains, no eating on monument steps. Churches and the Vatican turn away bare shoulders and knees. Fines are issued on the spot.

- **Spanish Steps** — no sitting on the steps; you can be fined.
- **Fountains** — don't climb in; drinking from the nasoni taps is fine.
- **Dress** — shoulders and knees covered in churches.
- **Pickpockets** — on the metro, bus 64 and at Trevi keep your bag in front.

## Rome attraction prices

Free in Rome: the squares and fountains, most churches including St Peter's Basilica, the Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese park and Trastevere. You pay for the Colosseum with the Forum and Palatine, the Vatican Museums, the Pantheon, Galleria Borghese and the Baths of Caracalla. State museums are free on the first Sunday of the month.

- [Pantheon](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pantheon) — ≈ €5
- [Trevi Fountain](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trevi-fountain) — Free; basin €2
- [Colosseum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/colosseum) — ≈ €18
- [St Peter's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-basilica) — Free; dome ≈ €8–15
- [Sistine Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sistine-chapel) — Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25
- [Archbasilica of St John Lateran](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/lateran-basilica) — Free; cloister ≈ €5
- [Roman Forum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/roman-forum) — ≈ €18 with Colosseum
- [Circus Maximus](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/circus-maximus) — Free
- [Spanish Steps](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/spanish-steps) — Free
- [Santa Maria Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-maggiore) — Free
- [Vittoriano](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vittoriano) — Terraces free; lift ≈ €12–18
- [Trajan's Column](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trajans-column) — Free
- [Capitoline Hill](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-hill) — Free
- [Castel Sant'Angelo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/castel-sant-angelo) — ≈ €15–20
- [Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-paul-outside-the-walls) — Free
- [Arch of Constantine](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/arch-of-constantine) — Free
- [Piazza Navona](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-navona) — Free
- [Palatine Hill](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palatine-hill) — ≈ €18 with Colosseum
- [St Peter's Square](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-square) — Free
- [Mausoleum of Augustus](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/mausoleum-of-augustus) — ≈ €5, booking
- [Largo di Torre Argentina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/largo-di-torre-argentina) — Free from street; walkways ≈ €5
- [Church of the Gesù](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/church-of-the-gesu) — Free
- [Piazza Venezia](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-venezia) — Free
- [Pyramid of Cestius](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pyramid-of-cestius) — Free outside
- [Sant'Ignazio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sant-ignazio) — Free
- [Santa Maria sopra Minerva](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-sopra-minerva) — Free
- [Piazza del Popolo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-del-popolo) — Free
- [Santa Maria in Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-in-trastevere) — Free
- [Quirinal Palace](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/quirinal-palace) — Square free; tours by booking
- [Appian Way](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/appian-way) — Free
- [Domus Aurea](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/domus-aurea) — ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26
- [Mouth of Truth](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/bocca-della-verita) — Donation ≈ €2
- [Baths of Caracalla](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-caracalla) — ≈ €8
- [Villa Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-borghese) — Free
- [Catacombs of Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/rome-catacombs) — ≈ €10–12 with guide
- [San Pietro in Vincoli](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-pietro-in-vincoli) — Free
- [Ara Pacis](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ara-pacis) — ≈ €13–15
- [Campo de' Fiori](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/campo-de-fiori) — Free
- [San Luigi dei Francesi](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-luigi-dei-francesi) — Free
- [Theatre of Marcellus](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/theatre-of-marcellus) — Free
- [Santa Maria della Vittoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-della-vittoria) — Free
- [San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-carlo-alle-quattro-fontane) — Free
- [Galleria Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/galleria-borghese) — ≈ €18
- [Tempietto](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/tempietto) — Free
- [Santa Sabina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-sabina) — Free
- [Vatican Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vatican-museums) — ≈ €25
- [Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trastevere) — Free
- [Capitoline Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-museums) — ≈ €15–19.50
- [Pincio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pincio) — Free
- [Via del Corso](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/via-del-corso) — Free
- [Aventine Keyhole](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/aventine-keyhole) — Free
- [Baths of Diocletian](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-diocletian) — Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12
- [Basilica of San Clemente](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-clemente) — Upper free; excavations ≈ €10–12
- [Galleria Doria Pamphilj](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/doria-pamphilj) — ≈ €16–18
- [Palazzo Farnese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-farnese) — Paid, booking only
- [Imperial Fora](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/imperial-fora) — Free from the street; museum ≈ €13–15
- [EUR District](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/eur) — Free
- [Testaccio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/testaccio) — Free
- [Villa Medici](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-medici) — Paid, scheduled tours
- [Palazzo Barberini](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-barberini) — ≈ €15
- [Villa Farnesina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-farnesina) — ≈ €12
- [Palazzo Massimo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-massimo) — ≈ €10–12 combined ticket
- [MAXXI](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/maxxi) — ≈ €12–15
- [Ostia Antica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ostia-antica) — ≈ €12–18
- [Villa d'Este](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-deste) — ≈ €15
- [Hadrian's Villa](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/hadrians-villa) — ≈ €12–15

## Tips

- Book the Colosseum and Vatican Museums on their official sites — in high season slots sell out weeks ahead.
- Carry a refillable bottle: nasoni drinking fountains are on almost every square.
- Start early: at 8 am Trevi and the Pantheon are nearly empty.

## Questions

### What are the top things to do in Rome?

The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums.

### How many days do you need in Rome?

3–4 days for the main sights, plus a day for Ostia Antica, Tivoli or the Appian Way.

### How do I get from Fiumicino to Rome city centre?

The Leonardo Express train to Termini takes about 32 minutes; buses and the FL1 train are cheaper.

### What's the weather like in Rome in October?

About 22 °C by day and 12 °C at night, with occasional downpours — good walking weather.

### Where is the best area to stay in Rome?

Centro Storico, Monti or Trastevere for walking everywhere; Prati for a quieter base near the Vatican.

### Does Rome have a metro?

Yes, three lines (A, B, C). It's handy for the Vatican, the Colosseum and Termini but doesn't reach the historic core.

### What is the Rome city tax?

A charge per adult per night, collected by your hotel; the amount depends on the type of accommodation.

### When are Rome's museums free?

Many state museums and the Colosseum on the first Sunday of the month; the Vatican Museums on the last Sunday morning.

### Can you drink the water from Rome's fountains?

Yes, the street nasoni fountains supply drinking water.

### Is Rome expensive?

Mid-range for Western Europe: many top sights are free, food at trattorias is reasonable, and hotels in the centre cost the most.

### Is Rome walkable?

Very — the historic centre is compact; the Colosseum to the Vatican is about an hour on foot.

## Sources

- UNESCO World Heritage List, no. 91 — Historic Centre of Rome and the properties of the Holy See
- Wikipedia, Rome; Vatican City; Seven hills of Rome; Rome climate (1991–2020 normals)
- Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) official site; Trenitalia — Leonardo Express
- ATAC — Rome public transport, official site

Facts checked: 10.11.2026

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