A photograph of Rome

City guide · Italy

Places to visit in Rome, Italy — page 3

Rome is a broad historic city whose central archaeological, papal and baroque districts are close enough to walk but too dense to compress into one route. The C...

Photograph · Bert Kaufmann from Roermond, Netherlands · CC BY-SA 2.0

11,530 Places
Suggested stay
4-5 days
Getting around
Walking, metro, tram and bus

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Rome

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Rome is a broad historic city whose central archaeological, papal and baroque districts are close enough to walk but too dense to compress into one route. The Colosseum and forums, the Pantheon-Navona core, Vatican-Prati and Trastevere form separate clusters. Public transport handles longer links, yet much of a visit still happens on foot over uneven surfaces. Plan fewer major interiors per day and keep each route on one side of the Tiber where possible.

Checked 2026-08-26

Practical information

Language spoken
Italian
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+39
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C, F and L · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor statement was recorded

Planning a visit

September · September cools Rome to a 26.5°C mean high, though normal rainfall rises to 73.3 mm.

  1. January: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  2. February: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  3. March: good time to visit
  4. April: good time to visit
  5. May: best time to visit
  6. June: best time to visit
  7. July: good time to visit
  8. August: good time to visit
  9. September: best time to visit — current month
  10. October: good time to visit
  11. November: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  12. December: viable with meaningful trade-offs

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Ara Pacis Ara Pacis
    32 45 min

    Ara Pacis

    Ara Pacis Augustae

    The Ara Pacis Augustae is an ancient Roman altar dedicated to Pax, the goddess of peace.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  2. Piazza di Spagna Piazza di Spagna
    33 45 min

    Piazza di Spagna

    Piazza di Spagna is a prominent public square in Rome's historic centre, named after the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  3. Piazza Venezia Piazza Venezia
    34 30 min

    Piazza Venezia

    Piazza Venezia is a major central square in Rome, Italy, located at the foot of the Capitoline Hill.

    • Must see
    • Activity
  4. Piazza della Rotonda Piazza della Rotonda
    35 30 min

    Piazza della Rotonda

    Piazza della Rotonda is a public square in the historic centre of Rome, Italy. The square takes its name from the Pantheon, the ancient Roman temple with its distinctive circular dome, which dominates the piazza.

    • Must see
    • Activity
  5. Piazza Farnese Piazza Farnese
    36 30 min

    Piazza Farnese

    Piazza Farnese is a historic square in Rome's Regola district, taking its name from the imposing Palazzo Farnese that dominates its northern flank. The square developed during the Renaissance as an expression of papal power and architectural ambition.

    • Must see
    • Activity
  6. Piazza Mattei Piazza Mattei
    37 30 min

    Piazza Mattei

    Piazza Mattei is a small square in Rome's historic Jewish Ghetto district, situated between Via della Reginella and Via dei Funari. The piazza takes its name from the Mattei family, a prominent Roman noble house.

    • Must see
    • Activity
  7. Fontana delle Tartarughe Fontana delle Tartarughe
    38 2 hours

    Fontana delle Tartarughe

    The Fontana delle Tartarughe is a compact late-sixteenth-century fountain in Piazza Mattei, in Rome’s Sant’Angelo district. Four bronze youths lean over a marble basin, with dolphins and turtles creating the fountain’s lively silhouette.

    • Must see
    • Activity
  8. Jewish Ghetto Jewish Ghetto
    39 45 min

    Jewish Ghetto

    Ghetto ebraico

    The Roman Jewish Ghetto is a historic district in Rome's Rione Sant'Angelo, established in 1555 by papal decree. It served as a compulsory residential area for the city's Jewish population until 1870.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  9. Theatre of Marcellus Theatre of Marcellus
    40 45 min

    Theatre of Marcellus

    Teatro di Marcello

    The Theatre of Marcellus is an ancient open-air theatre in Rome, Italy. Its local name is Teatro di Marcello. Construction began under Julius Caesar and was completed by Augustus in 13 BC, dedicated to his nephew Marcus Claudius Marcellus.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  10. Porticus Octaviae Porticus Octaviae
    41 45 min

    Porticus Octaviae

    Portico d'Ottavia

    The Porticus Octaviae, known locally as Portico d'Ottavia, is an ancient Roman portico in the heart of Rome's Jewish Ghetto.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  11. Isola Tiberina Isola Tiberina
    42 20 min

    Isola Tiberina

    Isola Tiberina is the only island in the Tiber River within Rome's historic centre.

    • Must see
    • Viewpoint
  12. Santa Maria in Trastevere Santa Maria in Trastevere
    43 30 min

    Santa Maria in Trastevere

    Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere

    Santa Maria in Trastevere is a basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the heart of Rome’s Trastevere district.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  13. Gianicolo Gianicolo
    44 2 hours

    Gianicolo

    Gianicolo is a hill in western Rome, rising above the Trastevere district. It is not one of the traditional Seven Hills of Rome but holds significance as a historic vantage point.

    • Must see
    • Activity
  14. Villa Doria Pamphili Villa Doria Pamphili
    45 1 hour

    Villa Doria Pamphili

    Villa Doria Pamphilj

    Villa Doria Pamphili is a historic villa and extensive public park in Rome, Italy. It is among the largest landscaped public parks in the city, situated on the Gianicolo hill.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  15. Orto Botanico dell'Università di Roma "La Sapienza" Orto Botanico dell'Università di Roma "La Sapienza"
    46 1 hour

    Orto Botanico dell'Università di Roma "La Sapienza"

    Orto Botanico

    The Botanical Garden of Rome, or Orto Botanico, occupies the slopes of Janiculum Hill in Trastevere. It is a university botanical garden and a historic landscape descended from the grounds of Palazzo Corsini.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  16. Palazzo Barberini Palazzo Barberini
    47 2 hours

    Palazzo Barberini

    Palazzo Barberini is a prominent palace in Rome, Italy, constructed in the 17th century for the Barberini family. The building exemplifies Roman Baroque architecture and now serves as one of the capital's significant cultural institutions.

    • Must see
    • Activity
  17. Palazzo Massimo alle Terme Palazzo Massimo alle Terme
    48 2 hours

    Palazzo Massimo alle Terme

    Palazzo Massimo alle Terme is one of the major sites of the Museo Nazionale Romano, close to Roma Termini. Its galleries present ancient Roman art across four floors in a nineteenth-century palace adapted for museum use.

    • Must see
    • Activity
  18. Baths of Diocletian Baths of Diocletian
    49 45 min

    Baths of Diocletian

    Terme di Diocleziano

    The Baths of Diocletian, known locally as Terme di Diocleziano, constitute one of ancient Rome's most massive bath complexes. Constructed between 298 and 306 CE, these public baths were commissioned by Emperor Maximian and named after his co-emperor Diocletian.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  19. Crypta Balbi Crypta Balbi
    50 45 min

    Crypta Balbi

    The Crypta Balbi is a museum and archaeological complex in Rome, Italy. It stands on the site of the ancient Theatre of Balbus, built by Lucius Cornelius Balbus in 13 BCE.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  20. Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia
    51 1 hr 30 min

    Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia

    Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia is Rome’s principal museum devoted to Etruscan civilisation and art. It occupies a Renaissance villa built for Pope Julius III in the sixteenth century, where architecture, gardens and fountains form part of the experience.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  21. MAXXI MAXXI
    52 1 hr 30 min

    MAXXI

    MAXXI Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo

    MAXXI is Italy's first national museum dedicated to contemporary art and architecture. The acronym stands for Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, meaning National Museum of 21st Century Arts.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  22. Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Roma Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Roma
    53 1 hr 30 min

    Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Roma

    Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea

    The Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Roma is Italy's national gallery dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Located in Rome, it occupies a neoclassical building within the Villa Borghese park complex.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  23. Centrale Montemartini Centrale Montemartini
    54 1 hr 30 min

    Centrale Montemartini

    Centrale Montemartini is a museum in Rome housed in a former thermoelectric power plant. The industrial building, with its preserved machinery and turbines, serves as an exhibition space for classical sculpture from the Capitoline Museums collection.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  24. largo di Torre Argentina largo di Torre Argentina
    55 45 min

    largo di Torre Argentina

    Largo di Torre Argentina

    Largo di Torre Argentina is a square in Rome that contains the remains of four Republican-era temples and the Theatre of Pompey. The ruins were uncovered during demolition work in the 1920s.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
  25. Museo di Roma Museo di Roma
    56 1 hr 30 min

    Museo di Roma

    The Museo di Roma is a museum dedicated to the history and culture of Rome. Located in the city center, it occupies a historic building that contributes to its significance as a cultural institution.

    • Must see
    • Museum

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

The historic centre lies east of the Tiber around the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori and the Trevi-Spanish Steps axis. Southeast, the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine, Aventine and Baths of Caracalla form the main archaeological corridor. Across the river, Vatican City and Prati sit north of Trastevere and the Janiculum. Termini, Monti and Esquilino form the transport-facing eastern centre, while the Appian Way, EUR and Ostia Antica are separate outings beyond the core. The official tourism map treats these as distinct visitor zones for good reason.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Walk within the historic centre and use metro, tram or bus for the longer jumps. Rome's official tourism service notes that the public network connects the principal visitor sites, while the Metrebus system provides the common ticket framework. Metro coverage is useful for Termini, the Colosseum, the Vatican side and selected outer districts, but many central sights sit between stations. Buses fill those gaps and are vulnerable to road traffic. For the Appian Way or Ostia Antica, plan the complete outward and return connection before leaving the centre.

Checked 2026-08-26

More city guides

Common questions

How many days does Rome need?

Four to five days suit a first visit. Three days can cover the ancient core, the baroque centre and the Vatican side, while extra time allows the Appian Way, Ostia Antica or less compressed museum visits.

When is the best time to visit Rome?

April through May and September through October generally offer more comfortable walking weather than midsummer. Rome remains busy in these periods, but lower heat matters because the historic centre is best explored on foot.

Is Rome easy to explore on foot?

The central clusters are walkable, but the whole city is not. Use walking for the Pantheon-Navona area, the forums or Trastevere, then use public transport between those zones rather than linking every district on foot.

Which Rome sights should be grouped together?

Keep the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine together; pair the Pantheon with Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori; and give the Vatican-Prati side its own day. Trastevere works naturally after a central river crossing.

Do visitors need a car in Rome?

No. Walking and the public transport network cover the principal visitor areas, while a car adds parking and restricted-access complications in the historic centre. Outer trips are generally better planned by rail, metro or bus.