Free things to do · Rome · Italy
10 free things to do in Rome
Rome without the ticket prices: sights, walks and views that cost nothing.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
You can fill at least 3 days in Rome without paying an entry fee: St Peter's Basilica, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona are all free. St Peter's Basilica and most churches, including San Luigi dei Francesi with its three Caravaggios, are free to enter.
Key facts
- Free sights in this guide
- 10
- Low-cost extras
- 4
- Cost level
- Moderately priced
- Lowest hotel prices
- January–February and November
Free sights and experiences
Religious site · Vatican City
1.St Peter's Basilica
Arrive early to beat the security queue, and cover shoulders and knees or you will be turned away.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours with the dome
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Views
- History
Landmark · Trevi
2.Trevi Fountain
Come early in the morning or late at night to see it without a wall of people, and keep a hand on your bag in the crowd.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- After dark
- Couples
- Photo spot
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Landmark · Tridente
3.Spanish Steps
Walk up the steps and continue along to the Pincio terrace above Piazza del Popolo for a sunset view over the domes.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Views
- Shopping
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Landmark · Centro Storico
4.Piazza Navona
Skip the terrace prices for coffee and come back after dark, when the fountains are lit and the crowds thin.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- After dark
- Architecture
Neighbourhood · Trastevere
5.Trastevere and Santa Maria in Trastevere
Wander in the late afternoon, climb the Janiculum for sunset, then come back down for dinner.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Couples
- After dark
- Views
Park · Villa Borghese
6.Villa Borghese park
Hire a four-person pedal cart near the Pincio for a family loop of the park, then watch the sunset from the terrace.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Views
Historic site · Appia Antica
7.Appian Way (Via Appia Antica)
Take a bus to the Appia Antica park information point, rent a bike and ride out past the Tomb of Caecilia Metella.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Outdoors
- Active
- Off the beaten path
- Free
Market · Centro Storico
8.Campo de' Fiori
Buy a piece of pizza bianca from a bakery just off the square and eat it in Piazza Farnese next door.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- After dark
Neighbourhood · Ghetto
9.Jewish Ghetto
Come for lunch in spring when Roman artichokes are in season, and see the synagogue on the museum's guided visit.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Food
- Free
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Aventine
10.Aventine Hill and the Knights of Malta keyhole
The keyhole queue is shortest early in the morning; return to the Orange Garden for sunset if you can.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Free sights by area
| Area | Free sights | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Vatican City | St Peter's Basilica | 1.5–2 hours with the dome |
| Trevi | Trevi Fountain | 20–30 minutes |
| Tridente | Spanish Steps | 30 minutes |
| Centro Storico | Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori | 30–45 minutes + 45 minutes |
| Trastevere | Trastevere and Santa Maria in Trastevere | Half a day |
| Villa Borghese | Villa Borghese park | 2–3 hours |
| Appia Antica | Appian Way (Via Appia Antica) | Half a day |
| Ghetto | Jewish Ghetto | 1–2 hours |
| Aventine | Aventine Hill and the Knights of Malta keyhole | 1 hour |
Worth a small ticket
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Historic site · Centro Storico
Pantheon
Visit during a shower to watch rain fall through the oculus onto the marble floor, which has drainage holes beneath.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Historic site · Aventine
Baths of Caracalla
Visit in the late-afternoon light, then walk downhill to the Circus Maximus.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
Religious site · Celio
Basilica of San Clemente
The upper basilica is free; pay for the excavations below, which are the real reason to come.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
- Architecture
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Museum · Termini
Palazzo Massimo alle Terme
Go straight to the top floor for the Villa of Livia frescoes and the mosaics, then work down to the bronzes.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
More ways to save
- St Peter's Basilica and most churches, including San Luigi dei Francesi with its three Caravaggios, are free to enter.
- Refill a bottle at the nasoni drinking fountains instead of buying water.
- Drink coffee standing at the bar, where prices are lower than with table service.
- Eat pizza al taglio or supplì for lunch and save restaurant meals for dinner.
- Rome charges a nightly city tax per person, added to hotel bills on top of the room rate.
- State museums and archaeological sites are usually free on the first Sunday of the month, when queues are long; check before planning around it.
- Book Vatican and Colosseum tickets on the official sites to avoid reseller mark-ups.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Rome expensive to visit?
Rome is moderately priced for most visitors, but 10 of its best-known sights are free, which makes a tight budget workable.
+What is the best free thing to do in Rome?
St Peter's Basilica: Arrive early to beat the security queue, and cover shoulders and knees or you will be turned away.