What to see in Rome

What not to miss in Rome? The 10 things to see

The Colosseum with the Forum and the Palatine, the Vatican Museums with the Sistine Chapel, St Peter's, the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. Then Piazza Navona, Trinità dei Monti, Trastevere, the Galleria Borghese and Castel Sant'Angelo.

It is the list of almost everyone arriving in Rome for the first time, and it makes sense: in three days they all fit, with a bit of planning. The first five are worth the trip on their own. The others fit in between one and the other.

Two warnings before the table. The prices are the official 2026 rates for an adult, and under 18s get free entry to state sites: Colosseum, Pantheon, Borghese and Castel Sant'Angelo (at the Borghese the €2 booking fee remains). And on Sundays the Vatican Museums are closed, except on the last Sunday of the month.

What are the 20 things to see in Rome?

Add Campo de' Fiori, the Capitoline Museums, the Circus Maximus, Trajan's Markets, the Domus Aurea, the Appian Way, the catacombs of San Callisto, the Capuchin Crypt, Villa d'Este in Tivoli and Ostia Antica to the first ten.

These are the stops for those with more than three days or who have already been to Rome. Three are civic museums of Roma Capitale: the Capitoline Museums, the Circus Maximus and Trajan's Markets. In 2026, on the first Sunday of the month they are free for everyone, and for residents of Rome they are free all year round. The others are outside the centre or underground, and each takes half a day.

Watch out for closing days. On Mondays the Appian Way Archaeological Park is closed, and Villa d'Este opens only at 14:00; on Wednesdays the catacombs of San Callisto remain closed. The Domus Aurea opens only from Friday to Sunday, and never on the first Sunday of the month.

The Capuchin Crypt holds the remains of almost 4,000 friars who lived between 1500 and 1800, according to the tourist portal of Roma Capitale. It is best visited together with the catacombs: the coach tour starts from Piazza Barberini and combines them in the same outing.

What are the three major attractions in Rome?

The Colosseum, the Vatican and the Pantheon. These are the three visits that almost everyone puts at the top of their list, and each has its own rules.

If you have only one day, these are the three. The Colosseum tells the story of imperial Rome, the Vatican brings together the Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica, the Pantheon is a Roman temple that has been a church since 609, with the open eye at the top of the dome. According to the audio guide listing, that dome measures 43.44 metres in diameter.

The Colosseum and the Pantheon are connected on foot. The Vatican is on the other side of the Tiber and deserves a separate morning: at least three hours, basilica included.

The tour listings also use the expression. The Vatican has its three great sites, namely the Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's, and the three-hour guided tour covers all of them, with pre-booked entries. For the Pantheon, much less is enough: the ticket with the official audio guide starts from $8.

How do you visit the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine?

With a single €18 ticket, valid for 24 hours: one timed entry to the Colosseum, and one to the Roman Forum and the Palatine. The ticket is named and is bought on the official website of the Colosseum Archaeological Park, ticketing.colosseo.it.

In the Colosseum you stay a maximum of 75 minutes, on the first and second levels. The Arena, the underground (hypogeum) and the upper level (Attico) are in the Full Experience ticket at €24, valid for two days. From 9 November 2026, the Attico is visited in groups of a maximum of 25 people every half hour.

Two rules to remember. The name on the ticket must match the document, and if it does not match you do not enter. And from 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027 the Colosseum closes at 16:30, with last entry at 15:30: in winter it is a morning visit.

With a guide everything changes. The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine tour lasts two and a half hours, has 93,170 reviews with a 4.8 rating and includes the official ticket; the Arena is an option. At the time of booking it asks for the full name and date of birth of each participant, as on their ID document.

The Colosseum with a guide, then the Roman Forum and the Palatine, with the official €18 ticket included and headsets. Free cancellation up to 3 days before.

★ 4.8 · 2.5 hours · from $55

Discover the guided tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine → Tour details

What to see in the Vatican in one morning?

The Vatican Museums with the Sistine Chapel, then St Peter's Basilica. The Museums open from Monday to Saturday at 8:00, with last entry at 18:00.

The Vatican Museums ticket costs €20 at the ticket office and €25 with online booking; the reduced ticket is €10, €15 online, and under 7s enter free. Tickets are non-refundable and are valid only for the chosen day. St Peter's Basilica is free.

In the Sistine Chapel a rule still surprises many: no photos and no videos, with any device, and absolute silence. In the rest of the Museums, photos for personal use are allowed, without flash.

The route of the Vatican guided tour goes, according to the listing, through the Pio Clementino Museum with the Laocoön, the Gallery of Candelabras, the Gallery of Tapestries and the Gallery of Maps. Then the Sistine Chapel, and in the basilica Michelangelo’s Pietà and Bernini’s baldachin. For dress code and other rules, see the guide to mistakes to avoid.

What to see in the historic centre on foot?

The Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, with Campo de' Fiori along the way. They take half a day and comfortable shoes.

The Pantheon costs €7 from 1 July 2026, before it was €5. The reduced ticket for those aged 18 to 25 is €2, under 18s enter free, and those attending mass do not pay. It opens every day from 9:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:30, in time slots.

At the Trevi Fountain, from 2 February 2026, you pay €2 for the area in front of the basin, from 9:00 to 22:00, first Sunday included. Residents of Rome and the Metropolitan City, children up to 5 years old and people with disabilities with a companion are exempt. Payment is made at the terminals at the entrance to the area.

On the Spanish Steps you pass through, you do not sit: the city police regulations have banned it since 2019 and, according to the press, the fine is €250, €400 if you dirty or damage the steps.

With a guide the tour lasts two hours: the walk between Pantheon, Trevi and Navona starts from Piazza d'Aracoeli, between Piazza Venezia and the Campidoglio, and ends in Piazza Navona.

Two hours on foot with a local guide, from Piazza d'Aracoeli to Piazza Navona passing through the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

★ 4.9 · 2 hours · from $28

Discover the walk between Pantheon, Trevi and Navona → Tour details

What to see in Rome for free?

St Peter's Basilica, the piazzas, Trastevere and churches, every day. On the first Sunday of the month, the Colosseum, Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo and civic museums are free too; on the last Sunday, the Vatican Museums are free.

Much of Rome has no ticket. Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori, the Spanish Steps from below, Trastevere at night: you only pay for gelato. Water is free too. The city has nearly 2,500 nasoni, public fountains with drinkable water.

Free Sundays change the math. On the first Sunday of the month, state sites are free under #domenicalmuseo: in Rome, the Colosseum, Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, Galleria Borghese, Ostia Antica, Villa d'Este and Appia Antica. At the Colosseum, tickets cannot be booked that day: collect them at the ticket office in order of arrival. In 2026, civic museums are free for everyone on the first Sunday, except Villa Caffarelli exhibitions, Ara Pacis and Palazzo Braschi's first floor.

On the last Sunday of the month it is the turn of the Vatican Museums: free from 9:00 to 14:00, last entry at 12:30, without online booking. The upcoming dates are in the article on free museums. And under 18, state sites are free every day, including the Colosseum, provided the free ticket is booked.

What to see in Rome underground and outside the city?

The catacombs and Capuchin Crypt under the city, Appia Antica just outside. Day trips to Villa d'Este in Tivoli, Ostia Antica or Pompeii.

The Catacombs of San Callisto can only be visited with a guide, in about 40 minutes, for €10. They are closed on Wednesdays and, in 2027, from 13 January to 10 February. Domitilla Catacombs cost €10 with a guide and close on Tuesdays.

Above the catacombs runs the Appia Antica. The Park Ticket costs €12 and covers six sites over seven days, with booking required. From 1 November to the end of February, sites close at 16:30, and are closed on Mondays.

For a day out, Villa d'Este in Tivoli costs €15, and from November to January it allows entry until 16:00. Pompeii is further away: the coach day trip from Rome lasts 12-13 hours, with an archaeologist for the visit to the excavations and free time in Sorrento.

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