The 20 Best Attractions in Rome

The Pantheon is the best-preserved building of ancient Rome, a nearly 2,000-year-old temple whose vast unreinforced concrete dome and open central oculus still astonish engineers. Now a church, it holds the tombs of the artist Raphael and Italian kings. Entry now requires a small paid ticket (free on some days) and it gets extremely crowded midday, so aim for opening time or a rainy moment when light pours dramatically through the oculus.

St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is the largest church in the world and a pinnacle of Renaissance and Baroque art, holding Michelangelo's Pieta and Bernini's soaring bronze baldachin beneath Michelangelo's dome. Entry to the basilica is free; climbing the dome (cupola) for a panorama over the square costs a small fee. Security and dress-code lines can be very long, and shoulders and knees must be covered or you will be turned away.

The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater of the ancient Roman world, built around 70-80 AD for gladiatorial games that seated up to 50,000 spectators. You can walk the tiered stands and pay extra for the arena floor or underground hypogeum where animals and fighters waited. It is Rome's single most crowded site, so book a timed ticket online in advance and expect long security lines even then.

Piazza del Popolo is one of Rome's largest and most magnificent historic squares, centered around an Egyptian obelisk and framed by twin churches and elegant fountains. Spend time walking the square, people-watching from benches, exploring the cafes, and climbing the eastern steps to the Pincio Terrace for panoramic sunset views. The square gets crowded with tourists, especially during peak hours, so visiting multiple times or at off-peak moments lets you experience how the light and atmosphere shift throughout the day.

The 12th-century basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of Rome's oldest churches, its apse glittering with Byzantine-influenced gold mosaics that glow in candlelight — and entry is free. The surrounding Trastevere neighborhood is the most atmospheric in Rome for an evening wander, with cobblestone lanes, ivy-draped facades, and a genuinely local residential feel that survives despite tourism. Avoid the main piazza restaurants; eat one street back for better food and prices.

Staggeringly vast ruins of a 3rd-century imperial bathing complex that once served 8,000 Romans daily — the scale of the vaulted halls rivals any cathedral. Mosaics, underground Mithraic sanctuaries, and intact hypocaust heating systems make this far more layered than it first appears. Far fewer tourists than the Colosseum yet arguably more atmospheric; combine it with a walk up the Aventine Hill for a perfect half-day.

The Roman Forum was the political, religious and commercial heart of ancient Rome, and today it is a sprawling field of temple ruins, arches and basilica foundations you walk through on the Via Sacra. It is usually sold as a combined ticket with the Colosseum and Palatine Hill. There is very little shade and the uneven ancient paving is hard going in summer heat, so come early with water and good shoes.

Saint Peter's Basilica is one of the world's most magnificent churches, featuring Michelangelo's breathtaking ceiling frescoes and an interior of extraordinary grandeur. Climbing the dome (about 700 steps) rewards you with stunning views of Rome and the Vatican. Buy tickets in advance online to avoid long lines and inflated prices from resellers.

One of the world's great small museums, housed in a 17th-century villa inside Villa Borghese park, holding Bernini sculptures and Caravaggio paintings that will genuinely stop you in your tracks. Highlights include Bernini's Apollo and Daphne and Pluto and Proserpina — tactile, almost impossibly alive in marble. Timed entry is strictly enforced with a two-hour limit, so book weeks in advance; walk-ups are essentially impossible.

One of Rome's four major basilicas and the largest Marian church in the Catholic Church, featuring stunning marble, mosaics, and a gilded ceiling said to contain gold from the Americas. Entry is free, and you can spend time in the adoration chapel or attend Mass in side chapels. Note that active religious services mean you'll need to keep your voice down while touring, and there may be a queue with security screening.

Piazza Navona is Rome's most elegant Baroque square, built over an ancient stadium and centered on Bernini's dramatic Fountain of the Four Rivers facing Borromini's church of Sant'Agnese. It is a lovely free place to stroll, watch street artists and admire the architecture. The restaurants ringing the square are notoriously overpriced tourist traps, so enjoy the piazza but eat elsewhere.

A still-inhabited aristocratic palazzo whose private art gallery contains Velázquez's portrait of Pope Innocent X and works by Caravaggio, Titian, and Raphael — all displayed in original gilded rooms as they were hung centuries ago. The audio guide narrated by a living Doria Pamphilj family member adds a genuinely intimate layer you won't find anywhere else in Rome. Crowds are light even in high season, making it one of the city's best-kept secrets.

An overwhelming 7-kilometer procession through papal collections culminating in the Sistine Chapel — Michelangelo's ceiling remains one of the most astonishing things a human being has ever made. The Gallery of Maps, Raphael Rooms, and Pinecone Courtyard are all genuinely worth your attention along the way. Book the earliest possible entry slot and move quickly through the early galleries to beat the tour groups to the Sistine Chapel.

Castel Sant'Angelo began as the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian, then became a papal fortress, prison and refuge linked to the Vatican by a secret elevated corridor. Inside you climb through spiraling ramps and papal apartments to a rooftop terrace with sweeping views over the Tiber and St. Peter's. The angel-topped Ponte Sant'Angelo in front, lined with Bernini angels, is one of Rome's most photogenic bridges; interior signage is thin, so an audio guide helps.

Rome's ancient port city, better preserved and far emptier than Pompeii, and a 40-minute train ride away. €14.80, open from 8:30 with seasonal closing, closed Mondays. Walkable ruins with a real theater, baths, and mosaics. A local's favorite half-day escape.

The Spanish Steps are a monumental 135-step Baroque staircase sweeping up from Piazza di Spagna to the Trinita dei Monti church, long a magnet for people-watching at the foot of Rome's luxury shopping streets. The Barcaccia fountain by Bernini's father sits at the base. Note that police now enforce a rule against sitting on the steps and will fine or move you along, so it is more a photo stop than a place to linger.

A single keyhole in the gate of the Knights of Malta priory on the Aventine Hill frames a perfectly composed view of St. Peter's dome through a tunnel of manicured hedges — one of Rome's most magical optical illusions and entirely free. The queue is usually short outside peak midday hours, and the surrounding Aventine neighborhood with its orange garden and rose garden makes for a lovely stroll. Go at golden hour for the best light through the keyhole.

Palatine Hill is the legendary birthplace of Rome and later the address of emperors, whose palace ruins and gardens still crown the hill above the Forum. It is included on the same combined Colosseum/Forum ticket and offers some of the best elevated views over both the Forum and the Circus Maximus. It is a steep uphill climb with limited signage, so a guide or audio guide helps make sense of the sprawling site.

A massive neoclassical monument honoring Italy's first king, dominating Piazza Venezia with white marble grandeur. Visit the free lower levels and panoramic terraces for impressive views, or pay €18 for the glass elevator to the very top for 360-degree vistas and museum access. The monument can feel crowded despite its enormous scale, so consider visiting during off-peak hours.

Piazza Venezia is Rome's most central and monumental public square, dominated by the massive white Altare della Patria (Monument to Victor Emmanuel II) with grand architecture, intricate details, and panoramic views from the top. Walk around all sides to appreciate the scale and craftsmanship, then connect to nearby major attractions. Fair warning: the piazza is extremely busy with heavy traffic and crowds, making it feel chaotic rather than peaceful.