Things to Do in Rome: the Tours and Experiences Worth Your Time

Rome is an unforgettable destination with more than three millennia of history behind it, which makes it the largest open-air museum in the world. 

There's so much to do in Rome that we've put together a list of the best activities and tours you shouldn't miss so you can experience the city to the fullest. We'll also tell you where to eat the best gelato and the best pizza, share a few curious facts, and point you to the best viewpoints for admiring the city.

Fai un buon viaggio!

1. Visit the Colosseum. A must!

One of your first stops in Rome has to be the Colosseum. Imagine getting up close to a monumental amphitheater almost 2,000 years old, where gladiator fights, animal displays and even executions took place. It's a genuine trip back in time! 

Colosseum tickets give you access to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, one of Rome's seven hills and the place where the Eternal City began. Keep in mind that this is Rome's most visited attraction, so it's best to arrive early to avoid long lines and get the best photos.

That's why we recommend this guided tour of the Colosseum, which covers the whole site over three hours, skipping the lines and with a Spanish-speaking guide. There's also a free tour of Imperial Rome that takes you around the Colosseum and the Forums. 

2. See the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel

The Vatican Museums are an essential stop on any trip to Rome. Along more than 7 kilometers of galleries you'll find works ranging from ancient Egypt and Rome to masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael and Botticelli. 

The highlight, of course, is the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's frescoes. Although museum admission includes the visit, it's far better to take this tour of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel so you get to know its most famous corners, without lines and with a Spanish-speaking guide.

Take the chance to also do a free tour around the Vatican and uncover the secrets of St. Peter's Square and Castel Sant'Angelo.

3. Step inside St. Peter's Basilica

If you're wondering what to do in Rome, put St. Peter's Basilica on your list. It's not only one of the largest religious buildings in the world (covering 23,000 m2), but its construction, which took almost two centuries, involved artists such as Michelangelo, Bramante, Bernini and many more.

As you walk in, you'll feel small beneath the soaring ceilings, surrounded by the silence, the smell of incense filling the air and the curious gaze of everyone who comes to see the Pietà up close, the statue Michelangelo carved, just to the right of the basilica's main door.

Since admission is free, the best option is a free tour of St. Peter's Basilica so you can take in all the details it holds, and there are plenty! You'll learn, for example, where to find the tomb of Pope John Paul II or that of St. Peter the Apostle, which draw so many visitors every year. 

4. Discover Rome's most beautiful squares

A perfect weekend plan is to spend time strolling through Rome's best squares and trying to feel like a real local.

Touristy as they are, you'll see how plenty of Italians gather in the squares for a coffee and sit watching the world go by. You're sure to recognize the famous steps at the Spanish Steps (Piazza di Spagna) that appear on so many postcards and in so many films, or you'll fall for the charm of the cafés lining Piazza Navona, one of the prettiest in the city. 

5. Admire the Pantheon

The Pantheon is one of the most impressive ancient monuments in the city and it should be on your list of things to do in Rome on a Saturday afternoon.

Just seeing it rise up over Piazza della Rotonda, among colorful buildings and charming cafés, is an experience in itself. There's something incredible about standing in front of the best-preserved Roman building in the world and admiring it over an aperitivo.

Since the most surprising part is inside, don't miss this guided tour of the Pantheon, where you'll learn about the dome, the architecture and even see Raphael's tomb. 

6. Be amazed by Rome's churches

Most of Rome's churches were built around 1600 AD, and touring them is like traveling back to the city's most baroque era. 

If you've already visited St. Peter's Basilica and don't know where to go next, we recommend the Basilica of St. John Lateran and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, two of Rome's major basilicas.

If you have time for more, carry on to the church of San Luigi dei Francesi and Sant'Agostino, where you'll find works by Caravaggio and Raphael that you really shouldn't miss. There's also the church of Sant'Ignazio di Loyola, Sant'Eustachio and the Basilica of Sant'Agnese in Agone, which stands on Piazza Navona and is known for its elegant marble decoration.

And the twin churches on the famous Piazza del Popolo deserve special attention: Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli.

7. Toss 3 coins into the Trevi Fountain

Are you superstitious? They say that if you throw one coin into the Trevi Fountain you'll return to Rome. Throw 2 and you'll find love; throw 3 and you'll marry the person you love. For the wish to come true, though, you have to toss them with your back to the fountain, using your right hand over your left shoulder.

Seen that way, heading to the Trevi Fountain to try your luck is one of the first things to do in Rome on your trip. You'll be keeping the tradition alive and admiring how architecture, sculpture and nature come together in one of the city's most important monuments.

Try going very early in the morning so you don't run into so many people and can take incredible photos. You might even get to make more than one wish. 

8. Taste Roman cuisine in Trastevere

There's no better place to try Roman food than Trastevere, one of the prettiest neighborhoods in Rome.

The best plan is to get lost in its narrow streets and let the smell of pizza or fresh pasta lead you to places like La Tavernette 29 Da Tony E Andrea, a classic Roman tavern, or Bono Bottega Nostrana, where getting a table on weekends is genuinely hard. 

If you're looking for ideas on what to do in Rome at night, know that Trastevere is the neighborhood Romans themselves head to for a drink and a good meal. Just go with the flow and you won't regret it.

9. Get lost in the streets of the Jewish Quarter

Walking through Rome's Jewish Quarter means discovering the home of the oldest Jewish community in the world. It's small and very little of the original quarter remains, but it's easily one of the more unusual things to do in Rome if you want a different kind of trip.

The streets are narrow and it's fine to wander without a plan, letting the details guide you. You can also take a guided tour of the Jewish Quarter to learn the history of the synagogue, the cemetery and the curious Turtle Fountain in Piazza Mattei.

One thing you shouldn't skip: find somewhere to try fried artichokes, a classic Roman dish that keeps the flavor of old Jewish-Roman cooking alive. We recommend Giggetto, a longstanding spot for the famous fried artichokes (Via del Portico d'Ottavia, 21/a, 00186 Rome).

10. Tour Rome on a Vespa

If you want to feel like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday (romantic, adventurous, free), the best plan is to rent a Vespa in Rome and go at your own pace while you weave through the city traffic.

Picture stopping wherever you like for a whole day, riding down back streets, letting a local tip you off about places to go, and then being caught off guard when the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum or Vatican City suddenly appears. Rome is huge and beautiful, so you'll have plenty to see. 

There's no question that riding a Vespa is one of the most fun things to do in Rome, and it'll make you feel like you're shooting your own movie. 

11. Admire the best works of art in Rome

Rome has one of the richest artistic heritages in the world, and you only have to walk its streets to realize everything is worth a look. There are many places to see the best art in Rome, but here are the main ones:

Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums hold priceless artistic treasures such as the sculptures of the Allegory of the Nile, the Artemis of Ephesus, the Augustus of Prima Porta, the Apollo Belvedere and Laocoön and His Sons, among many others.

When it comes to painting, the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel are the first you shouldn't miss, though it's also worth seeking out Raphael's Transfiguration and Sanzio's School of Athens.

Borghese Gallery

The Borghese Gallery is one of the most highly regarded museums in Rome. There you can see world-famous works such as David, Apollo and Daphne, and the celebrated sculpture The Rape of Proserpina, all by Bernini.

You'll also find Caravaggio paintings such as «Madonna and Child» and «David with the Head of Goliath.» And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Be sure to book a ticket to the Borghese Gallery, where you can take in the work of Italy's greatest masters. 

Capitoline Museums

Set on the magnificent Piazza del Campidoglio, the Capitoline Museums building is another must if you want to see the best art in Rome. Inside you'll find hugely important sculptures such as Bernini's «Bust of Medusa,» along with the colossal statue of the emperor Constantine I the Great and key works by artists like Titian, Tintoretto, Rubens and Caravaggio.

We'd suggest booking your ticket to the Capitoline Museums with access to historic collections of immense value, including the famous «Capitoline Wolf.» 

12. Head down into the Catacombs of Rome

Taking a tour of the Catacombs of Rome is something different, full of curiosities and a shot of adrenaline, and it's well worth doing on your visit.

Not only will you walk through narrow underground labyrinths lined with tombs dating back to the 2nd century, but along the way you'll also admire and understand the importance of basilicas such as Santa Maria Maggiore and St. John Lateran, considered the oldest church in the world.

If just thinking about it makes you claustrophobic, luckily there's plenty more to do in Rome so you won't feel like you're missing out. 

13. Visit the best viewpoints in Rome

Rome is built across 7 hills, and all those changes in elevation deliver wonderful views over the city, perfect for taking photo after photo. 

The terrace of the Altare della Patria at the Victor Emmanuel II monument has incredible views of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Vatican. Others include the terrace of Castel Sant'Angelo, the dome of St. Peter's in the Vatican and, of course, the Palatine Hill.

It's true that the best viewpoints in Rome usually come with a ticket price, but there are other spots you can reach for free with beautiful panoramas of the city, such as the Orange Garden on the Aventine Hill, or the Gianicolo, considered Rome's eighth hill. 

14. Try the best pizza al taglio

Eating pizza in Rome is essential, and there are all kinds of places: some very good, others less so. But nothing beats eating it al taglio (by the slice) like a true Roman.

These are crisp-based pizzas baked in rectangular trays and sold by the piece all over Rome (and elsewhere in Italy). There are plenty of flavors, but the most common is the Margherita.

People usually eat standing up or order it as a snack to go. It's cheap and delicious, and places worth tracking down in Rome include Angelo e Simonetta, La Gatta Mangiona, 180g Pizzeria Roma and Il Carroccio. 

15. Take the iconic photo on Ponte Sant'Angelo

One of the most Instagrammed photos in Rome is the one from Ponte Sant'Angelo, the bridge that stretches 135 meters over the Tiber and links Castel Sant'Angelo with the rest of the city.

You'll feel escorted by the angel statues lining both sides of the bridge, built between 134 and 139 AD, while the castle rises imposingly at the end of the walk, which is entirely pedestrian. 

Before crossing the bridge, take the chance to book your ticket to Castel Sant'Angelo and uncover the story behind this emblematic mausoleum. 

16. Wander the streets of Parione

If you're wondering what to do in Rome to feel like a real local, let yourself drift through the streets of Parione, one of the prettiest neighborhoods in the city.

From Parione you can walk to most of Rome's monuments, but there's nothing better than browsing the market in Campo de' Fiori, ringed by plenty of cheap bars. And of course, falling for the charm of Piazza Navona at any hour of the day.

Since you'll be there anyway, grab a seat near the square and watch the world go by. Have a coffee or an ice cream at the famous Gelateria Tre Fontane and soak up the Roman atmosphere.