Celio

Celio is one of Rome's most famous neighborhoods and one of the city's seven hills. It was established in 1921 and despite the millions of tourists who pass through, it stays authentic and true to its character.

Where to stay in Celio, Rome

It's no secret that the neighborhoods of Rome's Centro Storico are the best place to stay in the city. The upside? You're close to the best things to see in Rome. The downside? Prices can run a little higher than in areas like the streets around Roma Termini or the Testaccio neighborhood.

In Celio you'll be literally next door to the Colosseum, the Forum and Palatine Hill, and it's very well connected by metro. On the other hand, at night the streets lose a bit of life and buzz. Even so, being so close to these two monuments has led to plenty of places to stay opening up here.

In Celio you'll find better prices on hotels in Rome if you book ahead.

What to see in Celio

The neighborhood's prime location in Rome hasn't become an excuse to fleece visitors, and many of its restaurants and cafes have stayed honest.

The well-known street Via San Giovanni in Laterano is home to some of the city's most popular gay-friendly bars. The surrounding streets are full of bars that come alive on weekends.

Porta San Sebastiano

Porta San Sebastiano is an important monument in this neighborhood. It's the largest and best preserved of the gates that made up Rome's ancient Aurelian Walls. You'll find it on the Via Appia, at one edge of Celio, the place to head if you want to visit the Catacombs of Rome.

Today it houses the Museum of the Walls, where you can see models showing how the walls and their gates were built across various phases. Although they're not part of Celio itself, the Baths of Caracalla, the Basilica of St. John Lateran and the Circus Maximus are neighboring attractions to this Rome district.

The Celio neighborhood lies just south of another of the most visited neighborhoods in Rome: Monti.

How to get there

Metro: Colosseo and Circo Massimo