Travel guide · Italy
Rome travel guide
Ancient ruins, Vatican art, Baroque piazzas and long trattoria lunches
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Rome layers nearly 3,000 years of history into a walkable centre: the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Pantheon, Baroque piazzas such as Navona and, across the Tiber, Vatican City with St Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Most sights lie inside the Aurelian Walls, an area best explored on foot, with two main Metro lines and buses filling the gaps. The city also rewards slow time: an espresso at a bar counter, a long lunch of carbonara or cacio e pepe, and an evening stroll through Trastevere or Monti. Plan 4 days for a first visit; the best months are April–May and September–October.
Key facts
- Country
- Italy
- Best time to visit
- April–May and September–October
- Ideal stay
- 4 days
- Main airports
- FCO, CIA
- Mid-range daily budget
- $170–$300 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Colosseum, Vatican and Sistine Chapel, Ancient ruins and Baroque fountains
Why visit Rome
- Ancient Rome still stands in the middle of the city: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill and the Pantheon are all within a 20-minute walk of each other.
- The Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica hold some of the most celebrated Renaissance art anywhere.
- Baroque fountains and squares by Bernini and Borromini — Trevi, Navona, the Spanish Steps — cost nothing to enjoy, day or night.
- Roman cooking is simple and distinctive: carbonara, cacio e pepe, supplì and pizza al taglio, served in trattorias that have changed little in decades.
- Free churches hold masterpieces, including three Caravaggio paintings in San Luigi dei Francesi near Piazza Navona.
- Day trips by train reach Ostia Antica, Tivoli's villas, Orvieto, and even Florence or Pompeii.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 20 things to do.
Historic site · Colosseo
Colosseum
The largest amphitheatre of the Roman world was inaugurated in AD 80 and held an estimated 50,000 spectators for gladiator fights and animal hunts.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours (half a day with the Forum)
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Architecture
Historic site · Colosseo
Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
The Forum was the political and religious centre of ancient Rome: temples, the Senate House (Curia), the triumphal arches of Titus and Septimius Severus and the Via Sacra run through the valley.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Iconic
- Views
- Outdoors
Museum · Vatican City
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
The popes' collections fill kilometres of galleries: classical sculpture such as the Laocoön, the Gallery of Maps, the Raphael Rooms with The School of Athens and finally the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo painted the ceiling and The Last Judgement.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Religious site · Vatican City
St Peter's Basilica
One of the largest churches in the world, rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries with Michelangelo's dome and Bernini's colonnaded square, St Peter's holds Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's bronze canopy over the papal altar.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours with the dome
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Views
- History
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Historic site · Centro Storico
Pantheon
Rebuilt under Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century, the Pantheon still has the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, about 43 metres across, with an oculus open to the sky at its centre.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Landmark · Trevi
Trevi Fountain
Nicola Salvi's Baroque fountain, completed in 1762, shows Oceanus in a shell-shaped chariot drawn by sea horses against the back of Palazzo Poli.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- After dark
- Couples
- Photo spot
Where to stay
Centro Storico is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 7 areas.
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, culture and food lovers
Centro Storico
The Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori inside the bend of the Tiber
$$$$ · Best for luxury, shopping, couples and first-timers
Tridente and the Spanish Steps
Designer shopping streets between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps
$$$ · Best for couples, nightlife, food lovers and solo travellers
Trastevere
Ivy-covered lanes, trattorias and evening crowds across the Tiber
$$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, solo travellers and couples
Monti
Vintage shops, wine bars and the Colosseum around the corner
What to eat
- Spaghetti alla carbonara — Pasta tossed with guanciale (cured pork cheek), egg yolk, pecorino romano and black pepper — no cream.
- Cacio e pepe — Just tonnarelli or spaghetti, pecorino romano and plenty of black pepper, emulsified with starchy pasta water into a creamy sauce.
- Bucatini all'amatriciana — Thick, hollow spaghetti in a tomato sauce with guanciale and pecorino, named after the mountain town of Amatrice north-east of Rome.
- Supplì — Deep-fried rice croquettes with tomato ragù and a piece of mozzarella in the centre that stretches into strings when you bite — hence the nickname supplì al telefono.
- Pizza al taglio — Rectangular pizza baked in large trays and sold by weight, cut with scissors and topped with anything from potato and rosemary to mortadella and burrata.
- Roman-style pizza — Rome's sit-down pizza is thin, crisp and lightly charred at the edges ('scrocchiarella'), unlike the soft Neapolitan style.
When to go
The best times to visit Rome are April to early June and mid-September to October, when days are warm enough to eat outdoors but cool enough for long walks among the ruins. July and August are very hot, with some closures in mid-August, while November to February is cooler and wetter but brings the lowest prices and shortest queues.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Warm days, wisteria and outdoor tables, with Easter and Italian holidays creating some of the busiest weeks of the year at the Vatican. |
| Summer | June–August | Hot and dry, with temperatures often above 30°C, open-air concerts and opera, and some local closures around Ferragosto in mid-August. |
| Autumn | September–November | Warm September days, golden October light and the start of the rains in November, when crowds and prices fall. |
| Winter | December–February | Cool and sometimes rainy but rarely freezing, with a festive December, quiet January and February and the lowest hotel prices. |
Getting there and around
From Fiumicino, the non-stop Leonardo Express train reaches Termini in about 32 minutes, and regional FL1 trains serve Trastevere, Ostiense and Tiburtina. Ciampino has no rail link of its own: buses run to Termini in about 40 minutes, or a shuttle connects with trains at Ciampino station. Taxis charge fixed fares to the historic centre from both airports.
Central Rome is compact and best explored on foot; most major sights lie within about 3 km of each other. Metro lines A and B cross at Termini but skirt the historic centre, so buses and trams fill the gaps. The standard 100-minute BIT ticket covers buses and trams plus one Metro ride.
Plan your days
Three days covers ancient Rome, the Vatican and the historic centre's piazzas at a brisk pace. Four or five days adds the Borghese Gallery, Trastevere and the Appian Way; a week leaves time for Ostia Antica, Tivoli or Orvieto.
Practical information
- Currency
- EUR
- Language
- Italian
- Plugs
- Type F and L sockets (Type C plugs also fit), 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink, and free water flows from the nasoni fountains found all over the city.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected.
Rome is generally safe, but pickpocketing is common on crowded buses, Metro line A and at major sights such as the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum. Costumed 'gladiators' and people offering bracelets or roses expect payment for photos or 'gifts'.
Flights to Rome
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Rome?
Three days covers ancient Rome, the Vatican and the historic centre's piazzas at a brisk pace. Four or five days adds the Borghese Gallery, Trastevere and the Appian Way; a week leaves time for Ostia Antica, Tivoli or Orvieto. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Rome?
The best times to visit Rome are April to early June and mid-September to October, when days are warm enough to eat outdoors but cool enough for long walks among the ruins. July and August are very hot, with some closures in mid-August, while November to February is cooler and wetter but brings the lowest prices and shortest queues.
+What is Rome known for?
Colosseum, Vatican and Sistine Chapel, Ancient ruins, Baroque fountains, Pasta alla carbonara, Gelato, Piazzas and Churches. Ancient Rome still stands in the middle of the city: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill and the Pantheon are all within a 20-minute walk of each other.
+Is Rome expensive?
Rome is moderately priced for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $170–$300 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Rome?
No. The historic centre is a limited-traffic zone (ZTL) where unauthorised cars are fined automatically by camera, and parking is scarce. Rent a car only for countryside trips beyond the day trips.