What to see in Rome

Rome highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

1. Colosseum

   The Flavian Amphitheatre; combine it with the Forum and the Palatine.

2. Vatican · St Peter’s Basilica

   Michelangelo’s dome and the Vatican Museums (Sistine Chapel).

3. Trevi Fountain

   Nicola Salvi’s Baroque fountain; best at dawn.

4. Pantheon

   A Roman temple with the most famous oculus in architecture.

5. Trastevere

   Cobbled streets, Santa Maria and a Roman dinner.

6. Piazza Navona

   Domitian’s stadium transformed; the Fountain of the Four Rivers.

7. Villa Borghese

   A park and the Borghese Gallery (booking compulsory).

8. Testaccio Market

   A modern market for authentic Roman cooking.

9. Gianicolo

   A viewpoint west of the Tiber, the classic sunset.

10. Ostia Antica

    Rome’s ancient port, much less crowded than Pompeii.

Day trips from Rome

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

• Colosseum and Roman Forum ★ 4.8 (93,027 reviews)
• Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel ★ 4.5 (158,850 reviews)
• Tivoli and Villa d’Este
• Pompeii from Rome ★ 4.6 (11,112 reviews)

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Book ahead

Tickets that sell out or have long queues, and closing days.

• Sells out · 60 days ahead Vatican · St Peter’s Basilica

  The calendar opens 60 days ahead and the first slots go straight away. This is the link to the official website.

  Official ticket office
• Sells out · 30 days ahead Colosseum

  Sales open exactly 30 days ahead with a timed slot. It doesn’t mean you have a month: you have to buy on the day they’re released.

  Official ticket office
• Sells out · 60 days ahead Villa Borghese

  The park is free, but the Galleria Borghese inside is by booking and timed entry only, and the morning slots disappear within hours.

  Official ticket office
• Opening hours Vatican · St Peter’s Basilica

  It’s closed on SUNDAYS, not Mondays. On the last Sunday of the month it opens from 9 am to 2 pm and is free.

• Opening hours Villa Borghese

  Closed on Mondays. Booking compulsory, in one-hour slots.

• Opening hours Colosseum

  Open every day; free on the first Sunday of the month.

Typical food of Rome

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Rome from your kitchen).

Spaghetti alla carbonara

The most Roman pasta: crispy guanciale, egg yolk, pecorino and lots of pepper. No cream: the creaminess comes from the egg and the pasta water.

• Serves 4
• 25 min

Ingredients

• 400 g spaghetti
• 150 g guanciale (cured pork cheek) or pancetta
• 4 egg yolks and 1 whole egg
• 80 g grated pecorino romano
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt

How to make it at home

1. Cut the guanciale into strips and brown it over a medium heat in a dry pan until it renders its fat and turns crispy.
2. Beat the yolks and egg with the pecorino and lots of pepper until you have a thick cream.
3. Cook the pasta in lightly salted water (the cheese and guanciale are already salty). Save a cup of the cooking water.
4. Drain the pasta and tip it into the pan with the guanciale, off the heat. Wait 30 seconds for the temperature to drop a little.
5. Add the egg cream and a little pasta water, stirring quickly until it’s creamy without scrambling.

The trick: Always off the heat: if the pan is too hot, the egg scrambles.

Frequently asked questions about Rome