20 things to do in Rome year round

Find 20 things to do in Rome. Explore museums. Feast on pizza. Dig into catacombs. Climb domes. And ramble round ruins. Take a look at the best things to do in Rome all year round. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Italy your essential guide for visiting Italy.

1 Visit The Pantheon in Centro Storico

Rome's most intact ancient monument. The city's second largest dome.

Explore Rome. Book a private tour of the Pantheon.

The spectacular Pantheon dome and oculus, Pigna, Rome © Pavel Ilyukhin/Shutterstock

2 Eating pizza is always one of the best things to do in Rome

Rome's pizza is unique. Baked in a wood-burning oven. It's thin. And it's crispy based.

Take home a skill. Learn how to make pizza in Rome.

Roman pizza: thin, crispy and baked in a wood-burning oven © Fabiano's_Photo/Shutterstock

3 See Rome's finest art at Museo Nazionale Romano

Museo Nazionale Romano has several locations.

They hold Rome's finest collections.

Short on time? Visit Palazzo Altemps. Then visit Palazzo Massimo.

Immerse in culture. Book Gigli d'Oro Suite on Piazza Navona.

Explore ancient art at Museo Nazionale Romano in Rome

4 Browse Galleria Borghese for Bernini sculptures

Beautiful 17th century villa. Go for Bernini sculptures. Browse the Renaissance art.

Skip the line. Buy Galleria Borghese tickets in advance.

continued below

Related articles from the blog

5 Finish the evening with Gelato

End a night the Roman way. Buy gelato. Then take a stroll.

Stay authentic. Book Hotel Santa Maria in Trastevere.

An evening stroll with gelato, one of the best things to do in Rome with kids © Irena Mila/Shutterstock

6 Go gaze at the Roman Forum and Palatine

Visit the heart of Rome. It's unrecognisable today. Yet still evocative.

See it all. Get a Best of Rome all-access pass.

See the heart of the ancient world at the Roman Forum and Palatine

7 Make time for the Vatican Museums

Plan a Vatican visit. It's the world’s largest museum complex.

Don't miss the Sistine Chapel. And see the Raphael Rooms.

continued below

Related Rough Guides travel guides

Or catch everything. Book a small group tour of the Vatican.

A visit to the Vatican is one of the essential things to do in Rome

8 Find the Trevi Fountain by chance

Have a classic Rome experience? Don't look for the Trevi. Find it by accident.

Or do the opposite. Stay at Hotel Fontana next to the fountain.

One of Rome's most iconic sights, the Fountain di Trevi © trabantos/Shutterstock

9 Basilica of San Clemente, the epitome of Rome

San Clemente epitomises Rome.

It's an ancient temple. It sits under an ancient basilica. And it's topped by an ancient church.

Go even deeper. Explore San Clemente catacombs with guides.

Uncover the layered mystery of Basilica San Clemente in Rome

10 Domus Aurea, Nero's remarkable Golden House

See Nero's Golden House. It's a work in progress. And the restoration's incredible.

Drive the sights. Take a half day tour of Rome by car.

Domus Aurea, the fascinating restoration of Nero's Golden House © Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock

11 Stroll around Piazza Navona

Visit Piazza Navona. It's the centre of Rome.

Stay central. Book Hotel Teatro Pace near Piazza Navona.

Graceful Piazza Navona is the unofficial centre of Rome © Belenos/Shutterstock

12 Ostia Antica, ancient Rome's harbour city

Explore fascinating Ostia Antica. It was ancient Rome's harbour city. And it's 26km west of Centro Storico.

Find out more. Take a guided walking tour of Ostia Antica.

Ostia Antica, one of Italy's best preserved ancient Roman sites © Cosmin Sava/Shutterstock

13 See Ara Pacis, the Altar of Augustan Peace

Looking for insight into Imperial Rome? See Ara Pacis from 9BC. It's in Museo dell'Ara Pacis.

Skip the line. Book tickets for Ara Pacis in advance.

The intriguing Ara Pacis in Museo dell'Ara Pacis, Rome

14 Catch Roma-Lazio at Stadio Olimpico

Like football? Catch a derby at Stadio Olimpico. See Roma-Lazio play.

Prefer to leave planning and booking to experts? Have a look at some sample itineraries. Both Complete Italy or Italy Itineraries offer inspiration. All Tailor Made Trips can be modified together with your local expert, then booked for a stress-free holiday. Click 'Modify this itinerary' to contact a local Italy expert.

70,000 seater Stadio Olimpico is Rome's largest sports' stadium © horseman82/Shutterstock

15 Head to Campo de’ Fiori, day or night

Visit Campo de' Fiori in the morning. It's Rome’s oldest market.

Or come at night. It's also Rome's nightlife hub.

Miss nothing. Stay at Casa Fiori next to Campo de' Fiori.

16 Explore the Capitoline Museums

Give time to the Capitoline. Both museums are among Rome's greatest.

See the Capitoline and more. Book a Full Roman Experience tour.

The Capitoline collections cover Roman statuary to Renaissance art

17 Villa Borghese, green space in Rome's centre

Villa Borghese is Rome's largest park. Go for galleries. Visit the zoo. Sail on the lake.

Catch a breath. Book Sofitel Roma Villa Borghese by the park.

18 The one and only Colosseum

Rome’s best known monument. And it's most photographed.

Don't queue. Book tickets for the Colosseum in advance.

Nothing compares in size and ingenuity to the Colosseum in Rome

19 St Peter’s Basilica, the most visited church in Rome

It's not Rome's loveliest church. But it is the most visited. And it's also immense.

Explore top to bottom. Take the St Peter's Dome to Grottoes tour.

St Peter's Basilica, the most impressive and significant church in Rome © Vladimir Sazonov/Shutterstock

20 Wander the evocative Protestant Cemetery

Keats and Shelly are buried here. Find it in Testaccio.

The wild and poignant Protestant Cemetery in Rome © Vinicio Tullio/Shutterstock

Ready to travel to Italy? Find out about the best time to go and the best places to see and things to do in Italy. For inspiration use the Italy itineraries from The Rough Guide to Italy and our local travel experts. A bit more hands on, learn about getting there, getting around the country and where to stay once you are there. And don't forget to buy travel insurance before you go.

We may earn commission when you click on links in this article, but this does not influence our editorial standards - we only recommend services that we genuinely believe will enhance your travel experiences.

Find even more inspiration for Italy here