Rome walking tour & city guide
The Eternal City, where every street is a museum.
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Rome has been continuously inhabited for nearly three thousand years, and its layers of history sit side by side: Roman temples inside medieval churches, Baroque fountains in ancient stadiums, and ordinary cafés built into walls that are older than most countries.
Ancient Rome on foot
The Colosseum, completed in 80 AD, could hold tens of thousands of spectators and is still the city's great symbol. From there, a walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali passes the ruins of the Roman Forum, once the political center of the empire, with the Palatine Hill rising above it.
A little farther on stands the Pantheon, nearly two thousand years old and still crowned by the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. Light pours through the open oculus at its center, and when it rains, water falls straight onto the marble floor.
Fountains, piazzas and Baroque Rome
Rome's historic center is best explored without a map. Piazza Navona follows the oval shape of an ancient stadium and is decorated with Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers. The Trevi Fountain, hidden in a small square, is spectacular at night; tradition says that tossing a coin over your shoulder guarantees a return to Rome.
The Spanish Steps lead up from elegant shopping streets to the church of Trinità dei Monti, and across the Tiber, the ivy-covered lanes of Trastevere are full of trattorias and lively bars. Vatican City, the world's smallest country, is home to St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.
Tips for visiting
Book major sights like the Colosseum and Vatican Museums in advance. Refill your water bottle at the many public 'nasoni' drinking fountains, which run with fresh water all over the city. Churches require covered shoulders and knees.
Romans eat late, with dinner rarely before 8 pm. Spring and autumn are ideal, while July and August are very hot and many locals leave the city in mid-August.
Top sights in Rome
- 1
Colosseum
The giant amphitheater of ancient Rome, completed in 80 AD.
- 2
Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
The ruins of the ancient city's political and religious center.
- 3
Pantheon
A Roman temple with an awe-inspiring dome and open oculus.
- 4
Trevi Fountain
Rome's most famous Baroque fountain; toss a coin to return.
- 5
St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums
Home of Michelangelo's dome and Sistine Chapel ceiling.
- 6
Trastevere
A charming neighborhood of cobbled lanes, piazzas and trattorias.
Food markets & where to eat in Rome
Campo de' Fiori
A historic square with a morning market and restaurants around its edges.
Trastevere trattorias
Family-run restaurants serving classic Roman pasta in a lively setting.
Testaccio Market
A local food market famous for its sandwich and street food stalls.
Monti
A village-like neighborhood of wine bars, trattorias and cafés.
Jewish Ghetto
Known for Roman-Jewish dishes like fried artichokes.
Food to try in Rome
Cacio e pepe
Pasta with pecorino cheese and black pepper, Rome in a bowl.
Carbonara
Made with egg, guanciale and pecorino, never cream.
Supplì
Fried rice balls with a gooey mozzarella center.
Gelato
Best from artisan shops where the colors look natural.
Opening hours and prices change often. Please check with each place before you visit.
Plan your trip to Rome
Enjoyed the walk? Here is everything you need to see it for real.
- Hotels in RomeCompare places to stay and prices.
- Tours & ticketsWalking tours, museums and day trips in Rome.
- eSIM for ItalyStay online from the moment you land.
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