Things to do

written by Eleanor Aldridge

updated 9/24/2019

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#01 The Pantheon

© Pavel Ilyukhin/Shutterstock

#02 Pizza

There’s nothing quite like thin, crispy-based Roman pizza, fresh from a wood-burning oven.

© Fabiano's_Photo/Shutterstock

#03 Museo Nazionale Romano

Palazzo Altemps and Palazzo Massimo make up the greatest part of the Museo Nazionale Romano, and between them hold some of the city’s finest ancient finds.

#04 Galleria Borghese

A fantastic array of Bernini sculptures, together with superb collections of Renaissance paintings, in a beautifully restored seventeenth-century villa.

© bompbeard/Shutterstock

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#05 Gelato

The traditional – and best – way to finish off an evening out.

© Irena Mila/Shutterstock

#06 Roman Forum and Palatine

The heart of the ancient world is almost unrecognizable today, but no less evocative for that.

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Related Rough Guides travel guides

#07 Vatican Museums

The world’s largest museum complex, jam-packed with treasures that include iconic parts of the building itself, like the Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms.

#08 Trevi Fountain

Stumbling upon the Trevi Fountain by accident is one of the greatest of all Rome experiences.

Fountain di Trevi, Rome

©

trabantos/Shutterstock

#09 Basilica of San Clemente

The epitome of Rome: an ancient temple under an ancient basilica topped by an ancient church.

#10 Domus Aurea

Take a tour of Nero’s fascinating Golden House, recently reopened after a lengthy restoration.

© Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock

#11 Piazza Navona

If Rome has a centre, this is probably it.

© Belenos/Shutterstock

#12 Ostia Antica

One of the best-preserved of all Italy’s ancient Roman sites, and within easy reach of the capital.

© Cosmin Sava/Shutterstock

#13 Ara Pacis

This ancient hunk of stone from the Augustan era gives perhaps the greatest glimpse of the Roman Imperial family.

#14 Football

If you can, catch a local Roma-Lazio derby at the Stadio Olimpico.

© horseman82/Shutterstock

#15 Campo de’ Fiori

The morning market here is one of Rome’s oldest, while in the evening the square’s bars and restaurants form one of the city centre’s main nightlife hubs.

#16 Capitoline Museums

In a city of great museums these two buildings, crammed full of Roman statuary and Renaissance paintings, are among the top-drawer attractions.

#17 Villa Borghese

The city centre’s largest open space has plenty to occupy you – superb galleries, a zoo and a boating lake.

#18 Colosseum

The most photographed of Rome’s monuments, and no wonder. In terms of size and ingenuity, it’s hard to beat.

#19 St Peter’s Basilica

Not the most beautiful church you’ll ever visit, but in terms of grandeur and significance, it may be the most impressive.

© Vladimir Sazonov/Shutterstock

#20 Protestant Cemetery

This evocatively overgrown corner of Testaccio is the final resting place of Keats and Shelley.

© Vinicio Tullio/Shutterstock

Top image © Fabiano's_Photo/Shutterstock

written by Eleanor Aldridge

created 4/27/2016

updated 9/24/2019

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