In Rome, an ancient temple, a Baroque church and the white marble of rationalist EUR all fit into one metro ride. This part of my Rome guide covers sights and walks: ten places worth seeing, a shopping street and one vintage shop. Most come from my list of saved places; San Luigi dei Francesi, the Colosseo, Fontana di Trevi, Santa Maria Maggiore and Giardino degli Aranci I added from travel guides and blogs. The descriptions are put together from Google Maps reviews. I'll add my own notes after the trip.
Opening hours are from Google, valid as of 7 October 2026. Rate: 1 € ≈ $1.12.
In short
- Book ahead: Galleria Borghese and the Colosseo. In season you can barely get tickets on the day; book the Pantheon at least a day ahead.
- Free: three Caravaggios at San Luigi dei Francesi, 5th-century mosaics at Santa Maria Maggiore and the sunset at Giardino degli Aranci.
- Fontana di Trevi: loveliest in the evening when it's lit, but that's also when it's most crowded; 2 € to go down to the basin.
- Colosseo: walking around the outside is free, and a ticket inside includes the Forum Romanum and the Palatino.
- No tourists: Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana in EUR, about 45 minutes from the centre by metro or train.
- Vintage: Twice Vintage Shop in Trastevere, with T-shirts, shirts and glasses for every budget.
What to see
Pantheon
Piazza della Rotonda · ancient temple · daily 9:00–19:00
Google Maps · website · Piazza della Rotonda
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 288,000+): a 2nd-century temple with the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome and the oculus at its top; Raphael's tomb is inside. Reviewers suggest sitting on the benches and looking at the dome from different spots. It's a working church, so cover up. Buy tickets in advance, and note that you can't get in after 19:00.
San Luigi dei Francesi
Near Piazza Navona · church · Mon–Fri 9:30–12:45 & 14:30–18:30, Sat till 12:00 & 14:30–18:30, Sun 12:00–12:45 & 14:30–18:30
Google Maps · website · Piazza di San Luigi de' Francesi
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 8,600+): France's baroque national church in Rome, where people come for the three Caravaggio paintings of Saint Matthew in the chapel at the back on the left. Reviewers note that the light in the paintings matches the real light from the windows. Entry is free; the church closes for a break in the afternoon. 34travel recommends it too (article).
Colosseo
Colosseo · ancient amphitheatre · daily 8:30–16:30 (Google's hours; longer in summer, check before you go)
Google Maps · website · Piazza del Colosseo, 1
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 507,000+): Rome's great symbol, impressive even from outside, and walking around it is free. Inside is by timed ticket; reviewers suggest arriving 15 minutes early. The ticket also covers the Forum Romanum and the Palatino within a day of your slot. Reviewers say a guide makes it much easier to picture what went on here.
Fontana di Trevi
Trevi · fountain · 2 € (≈$2) to go down to the basin · Mon and Fri 11:30–22:00, Tue–Thu and Sat–Sun 9:00–22:00
Google Maps · website · Piazza di Trevi
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 525,000+): a rococo fountain about 26 metres high and almost 50 wide, designed by Nicola Salvi, finished in 1762 and still fed by an ancient aqueduct. Reviewers say it beats any photo, especially in the evening when it's lit up, and everyone tosses a coin. There's nearly always a crowd, but the sides of the square give a good view. The bars with balconies over the fountain charge noticeably more. Since February 2026, getting close to the basin costs 2 € (Rome residents free); the ticket is sold on the official site and at the entrance, card only, and the square itself stays free.
Santa Maria Maggiore
Esquilino · basilica · daily 7:00–18:30
Google Maps · website · Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 57,000+): one of Rome's four papal basilicas, founded in the 5th century, with mosaics from that time and a gilded ceiling said to use the first gold brought back from the Americas. The Borghese Chapel holds the Salus Populi Romani icon, and Pope Francis is buried here. Entry is free; if your clothes are too revealing, you're handed a cover at the door. Many call it as impressive as St Peter's. 34travel recommends it too (article).
Castel Sant'Angelo
Borgo · fortress & museum · Tue–Sun 9:00–19:30, closed Mon
Google Maps · website · Lungotevere Castello, 50
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 111,000+): Emperor Hadrian's 2nd-century mausoleum, later a papal fortress and prison. Inside are Renaissance apartments, models and lots of stairs; at the top is a terrace with a café and views over the Tiber and St Peter's. The daytime queue can stretch to about a hundred metres, so buy online; it's shorter late in the day.
Galleria Borghese
Villa Borghese · art museum · Tue–Sun 9:00–19:00, closed Mon
Google Maps · website · Piazzale Scipione Borghese, 5
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 30,000+): a villa with Bernini sculptures and Caravaggio paintings, where each of its twenty rooms has its own painted ceiling. Many rank it above the Vatican and the Uffizi. The hard part is tickets: they sell out weeks ahead, and without one you may wait a couple of hours on site. If the English tour is full, take the Italian one.
Piazza di Siena
Villa Borghese · park · open 24 hours
Google Maps · website · Villa Borghese
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 3,000+): an 18th-century oval arena among umbrella pines in Villa Borghese, designed as a Roman echo of Siena's Piazza del Campo. In May it hosts a show-jumping event (free to watch); the rest of the year it's a quiet place for a walk, with a boating pond nearby. The toilets are paid, and in summer you'll want insect repellent and sunscreen.
Giardino degli Aranci
Aventino · park & viewpoint · daily 7:00–18:00
Google Maps · website · Piazza Pietro d'Illiria
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 26,000+): a garden of bitter orange trees and medieval walls on the Aventino, with a terrace overlooking the Tiber, St Peter's and the whole centre. It has one of the best sunsets in Rome, so it gets crowded in the evening: come early for a spot, or first thing in the morning. Trastevere is a short walk away. Downside: there are no bins, and picnickers leave rubbish behind. 34travel recommends it too (article).
Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana
EUR · architectural landmark · Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00, Sat 10:00–18:00, closed Sun
Google Maps · Quadrato della Concordia
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 5,300+): nicknamed the Square Colosseum, a white-marble rationalist palace built for the 1942 World's Fair that never happened; today it's Fendi's headquarters. You can only go inside during temporary exhibitions, and the grounds are fenced, so enter by the car entrance. There are hardly any tourists; it's about 45 minutes from the centre by metro or train.
Walks and shopping
Via del Corso
Centro storico · shopping street
Google Maps · Via del Corso
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 2,600+): the main street of the historic centre, running from Piazza del Popolo to Piazza Venezia, with shops, baroque churches and squares along the way. It's at its prettiest during the festive season, when the lights go up. Downside: in high season it's crowded, noisy and full of cars.
Twice Vintage Shop
Trastevere · vintage clothing · Mon–Sat 11:00–13:30 & 14:00–21:00, Sun till 20:00
Google Maps · website · Via di San Francesco a Ripa, 7
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 450+): a cosy, carefully curated vintage shop: branded pieces in good condition, shirts, glasses, jackets and especially vintage T-shirts, across a range of budgets. The staff help you choose and tip you off on where to eat nearby. Downside: one customer complained that a staff member pulled the fitting-room curtain open with no warning.
One last thing
In Rome, booking ahead is everything: weeks ahead for Galleria Borghese and the Colosseo, at least a day for the Pantheon. Monday is a bad museum day, as Galleria Borghese and Castel Sant'Angelo are closed. And the Museo della Civiltà Romana next to Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana in EUR is temporarily closed, so go out there for the architecture alone.
More on Rome: where to eat and drink, coffee and gelato.