The Ultimate Guide To Sightseeing Rome

Rome is full of history, amazing food, and a vibrant community.  No matter how much time you have to spend, there will be plenty of adventures to be had while in Rome. Sightseeing Rome is easy especially if you know what to see and how to navigate the city. Here are just a few of the places that are a MUST when visiting the Eternal City. Note: If you are traveling to Rome in the late spring to late summer the city WILL be PACKED with tourists. But with that being said you will be able to have yourself a Roman Holiday full of adventure!

1. Colosseum
2. Roman Forum
3. Palatine Hill
4. Vittoria Emanuele Monument
5. Getting Around The City
6. Trevi Fountain
7. Pantheon
8. Piazza Navona
9. Spanish Steps
10. The Vatican

Colosseum

I recommend starting at the Colosseum. If you are wanting to explore many sites in one day the Colosseum is centrally located and can work your way through the city. Most of the main tourist locations are further into the city from here. There is a cluster of monuments and sights to see around the Colosseum. This is what makes it your sightseeing tour number one!

You will have to purchase a ticket in order to take a look inside but every first Sunday of the Month the Colosseum and most museums are free.  They won’t tell you that and might make you try to buy a ticket especially if you look like a tourist. During the summer it is open majority of the time but if you are traveling in between peak seasons you might want to check tour times. From here you can walk to the Forum.

Roman Forum

This was once the center of Rome. The Senate, Central Marketplace, temples for their gods, and establishments of the richest men in Rome were once all located here in the Forum. You will have to pay to enter into the Forum but there are different pricing options available depending on the tour experience you want to take. Basically, if you want to just wander around it’s cheaper than an audio guided tour. No more than 20 Euros. If you want to take the same picture of the Forum below I would recommend visiting Palatine Hill on your walk towards the picture location.

To get to this spot take Via dei Cherchi, turn left onto Via di San Teodoro, and it winds around to Foro Romano. You will see the forum on your right and there will be a ramp ahead. Go up and to the right and you will be able to have this picture perfect view!

Palatine Hill

If you stop at Palatine Hill on your way to taking your Postcard picture of the Forum, that is a great view of the city as well. Palatine Hill is where the real Caesar’s Palace used to be. The ruins are beautiful and in some places, you can still see the original tiles. There will be a fee to get into Palatine but it’s not expensive.

Vittoria Emanuele Monument

After your postcard picture adventure and Palatine Hill, keep going around the corner you’ll find the Vittoria Emanuele Monument. You won’t be able to miss this masterpiece of architecture. It’s a museum and can take some iconic photos here in front or on the steps!

Transportation to Sightseeing Rome

Before I go on about the other attractions you will need to know how to get there. So far the sights have been in walking distance but to see the others on the list.

Depending on how you want to get around/ how much you want to accomplish per day, you can either take the Metro, buses, and taxi to other locations. Personally, I would recommend taking the Metro. It’s really easy to get around and most of the stops are named after the monument you want to see. The closest stop in this area is directly across the street from the Colosseum. For more on how to navigate the city check out my post Backpackers Guide To Navigating Rome

Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona

Once you go into the station there will be a machine for you to purchase a temporary metro pass. You can decide how long you want to take the metro and purchase that ticket. To go further into the city you want to take the Blue B Line and follow signs for Rebibbia. Get off at Termini (the central metro stop). From Termini, you will change from Metro Line B (Blue) to Line A (Orange). There will be signs in the station, inside the train, and it will announce the next stop (Prossima Fermata- Next Stop ….). You will have to exit the B Line completely and follow signs to Line A to Battistini. This will stop at Barbarini for the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona.

Most of the Metro stops will also indicate the attractions because most people that are sightseeing around Rome will make it easier!

Spanish Steps

If you want to walk to the Spanish Steps from the Trevi it’s an option. For only the Spanish Steps keep going and get off at Spagna and follow the signs to the Piazza. Around the steps, you will find MANY high-end shopping stores/boutiques. Not to mention restaurants to dine at and enjoy the area.

The Spanish Steps are usually always crowded so just be prepared. There are a few great restaurant around the corner from here but anything in this area will be pricy. From here you can get back on the metro and get off at Ottaviano to walk to the Vatican.

Vatican City

Vatican City is inside of Rome but still it’s own city state. In such a small space there is so much to explore! St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museum, and Sistine Chapel are all elaborate masterpieces to encounter while in Italy.

The basilica is free to enter and explore, however, the museum and the Sistine Chapel do require you to purchase a ticket. There are guided tours, audio guides, and prearranged personal tours available to experience this historical site.

Once you have gone through the security line you can purchase a ticket for the museum and chapel before entering into the basilica. There will be signs to help guide you in the direction of each activity. For more on the Vatican, check out my guide to Vatican City

I hope this guide helps you plan sightseeing Rome! Feel free to email me with any questions and don’t forget to follow my blog if you like what you see! Ciao!

*This is a simplified version of a sightseeing guide to Rome. If you need more details and topics to explore, check out some of the other blogs I have posted!