ROME Top 22 Things to SEE and DO

Top 22 things to do in Rome. Sean with the Tour Guide, I'm in Rome, Italy, and today I'm gonna show you like the best things you can see in Rome. Rome is an incredible destination due to its long history and the fact that there are tons of things to do in the Eternal City. This list features the best things to do in Rome in order of importance. Everything from museums to visit, restaurants to eat at, tours to take, and just general things to do, even things to eat. Rome, like any cultural capital, is best seen through the eyes of a local guide. Check out our small group and private tours of Rome attractions and museums like the Colosseum, Vatican, Roman Catacombs, Borghese Gallery, and even food tours. There is a variety of options at different price points to accommodate all of our guests. We secure the most exclusive tickets so you can have the best experience possible. Oh, and don't forget, like this video and subscribe to our channel if you want all the newest information. If you have questions, comment them below and we'll actually answer them. As you may already know, Rome was built on seven hills. That said today, the city has expanded from its original boundaries and you'll find many opportunities to see the skyline from above. My favorite is Il Pincio, which is part of Villa Borghese. Here's some others. Number 21, rowboats in Villa Borghese. Villa Borghese was the literal residence of Cardinal Scipione Borghese. He developed it into a sort of secret garden with peacocks and exotic animals running around. What's up, dude? Do you see that? La ghetto di Villa Borghese basically translates to the lake of Villa Borghese. It's a tiny little lake, but you can rent rowboats. It's really cool. And then there's a temple in the background. It's just a cool situation. So definitely do it if you have some time. It's great for families and kids. For more great reads and things to do in Villa Borghese, definitely visit our blog. We have a dedicated page just on things to do there. Number 20, Palazzo Al Temps. Located next to Piazza Navona in Piazza di Sant'Appolinare, number 46, the entrance cost is seven euros, plus sometimes there's an extra additional fee for an exhibit that might exist, which is normally about three euros extra. So you're probably getting in for less than 10 euros. It's true that most Rome experts won't credit this museum so high on the list, but I like it. I like to go inside this museum because it's always practically empty and it's a beautiful museum. The first thing you wanna see there is the Gallata Ludovici, which in English is the Ludovici Gaul, also known as the Galatian Suicide. The Suicidal Gaul is my favorite ancient statue in Rome, and the story's extremely romantic in a kind of twisted way. You have to read more about it in our blog. The second thing to see inside this museum is the Ludovici Battle Sarcophagus, which is absolutely breathtaking. It's a massive cluster of figures on top of a sarcophagus. Words really can't describe it. This, like most museums in Rome, is a private collection that was actually handed over to the state. This normally happens when, you know, someone just decides to gift it to the state or there's a lack of heirs to hand it down to. Again, you won't see a Sistine Chapel-type fresco here, but it's still an amazing gallery, an amazing museum, something you can kind of pop in. It only costs seven to 10 euros, and you can have an excellent time there. You will undoubtedly gain by taking a tour of this particular museum, but you can also make a list of things to see and do some phone research. Number 19, eat gnocchi con suguri carne on Thursday, and only on Thursday. One of the most wonderful and beautiful things about Rome and Italy as a whole is the tradition. It's like my favorite thing about the country. It's just all the traditions they have. Imagine there were rules for basically everything you eat and drank, but they were wonderful rules that everyone loved and adored, and even travelers, when they came in, were like, oh my God, these rules are so crazy because the rules are stories. The rules are based on tradition and culture. That's how Rome works, and gnocchi are no different. They were only served on Thursdays at traditional Roman trattoria. Why? Gnocchi are prepared from potato and other heavy ingredients. A big plate of gnocchi with suguri carne, which is tomato meat sauce, is more than filling. Thursday can be an exciting day for this reason. You can probably get a plate of gnocchi at a tavolo caldo or pizza place that serves the daily dishes for five euros or so on a paper plate or to-go convener, and they're just amazing, so delicious, and you're just gonna scarf them down. But wait, hold on a second. I'm getting ahead of myself. Why only on Thursday? In Rome, Friday was a day to eat fish. This is because meat was prohibited on Fridays as a penance on the day of Christ's death. Not just during Lent, but all year round. Fish can be delicious, but often light and digested quickly. Romans figured they'd eat gnocchi on Thursday to fill up in preparation for Friday's lighter meal. Then they'd eat la tripa on Saturday to balance the scales since it's also a heavier meal. Regardless, if you wanna be traditional in a good way, order gnocchi con suguri carne on Thursday while in Rome. If you're not there on Thursday, you're just gonna have to miss out. Number 18, Piazza Navona. Piazza Navona is a very unique piazza and a must-visit site while in Rome. I mean, you just literally can't miss it. It is completely pedestrian and lined with restaurants and cafes. You can stroll through on foot and admire its three fountains with its famed central four-river fountain by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Bernini's fountain is framed by the breathtaking church of St. Agnes in Agony, which was designed by a father and son Rinaldi team. Their last name is Rinaldi, along with Francesco Borromini. There are wives' tales about the relationship between Borromini's church and Bernini's fountain, which were undoubtedly created out of the bitter rivalry between the two figures. Now, let's explain that. At one point, Borromini was working on Palazzo Barberini, a separate site, and he was working underneath another gentleman who ended up to pass away. So you would think Borromini would be selected next to design the palazzo, but no, Bernini was brought in over Borromini to finish the commission. So Borromini was very angry about this, obviously, and that kinda is where the rivalry derived. The story is that Bernini's statue, representing the Nile River, is holding its hands out towards a church as if bracing for its fall due to architectural incompetence, which is very unlikely that this is a hidden meaning, considering the fountain was built years before the church had begun, but maybe Bernini was a visionary and put it there anyway. 17, join a food tour. Food tours are all the craze in Europe because they are the best way to sample a variety of local dishes. We entered the food tour arena in like 2013 and have focused much of our efforts on ever-changing and evolving Trastevere neighborhood and restaurants. We entered the food tour arena in 2013, and since then have focused so much of our efforts on the ever-changing and evolving cuisine of Trastevere. Our tour starts in Campo di Fiori and migrates across the Ponte Sisto in the Trastevere, which is the perfect mixture of walking and eating. You visit many stops, up to six, sometimes as little as four, and eat and drink along the way. Doing a food tour is a must for anyone visiting Rome, Florence, or Venice. See our Trastevere Locals food tour in Rome and also take a peek at our other food tours across Europe. Yes, you'll eat a ton of food, and yes, you will drink a ton of wine, if you want to. If you don't want to, you don't have to, but it's there waiting for you. Number 16, check out the Capitoline Museum. The Capitoline Museum, or Museo Capitolini, is definitely the full package. The theme of the museum is more ancient history, which is befitting as it sits on the outer edge of the Roman Forum with one of the best views of the downtown ancient city. The Capitoline Museum is actually three buildings, so it's like a complex comprised of Palazzo Senatorio, Palazzo dei Conservatori, and Palazzo Nuovo. All these buildings were kind of either designed or redesigned by Michelangelo. Michelangelo just had a massive effect on the exterior appeal of the museum complex and just the entire area. He responsible for the layout of these museums, which are in Piazza Campidoglio, and the stairs going up to the museum, which are called La Cordonata. Now, the stairs, like, who cares? A staircase, not a big deal. But these stairs are specifically designed so you can take a horse and carriage up them. Admission costs 11 and a half euros, plus the exhibition fee, which there is sometimes and is not, which could be like three, four, or even five euros. Number 15, eat La Matriciana. This should probably be higher up in the list because La Matriciana is the typical dish of Rome, but, you know, that's how it works. So, like any good rivalry, Rome is split between two factions, La Matriciana and La Carbonata. It's almost like Roma and Lazio, the football teams, except it's a plate of pasta. Both plates are delicious, and it would be impossible to decide which one is actually better, you know, to call it a fact, that is. I can't take sides, but I do tend to make La Matriciana more. So it is my number one favorite dish in Rome, maybe, I don't know. Like many of the best Italian dishes, this Roman favorite is made with simple ingredients. It's often made in homes, those little grape tomatoes, and you kind of like saute them in a quick tomato sauce, you chop up the pancetta, and it's like this easy, quick thing, and then obviously you add pecorino cheese and chili peppers and different things like that. It's a really great dish. You definitely have to look up a recipe, but don't look up like La Matriciana recipe in English and start searching around. You wanna search ricetta, which the Italian word for recipe, La Matriciana, and then find an Italian post, blog post, describing how to make it, and then translate that blog post in English. That's the only way to make the true one. Otherwise, you get like these wacky English versions of La Matriciana, it's no good. Now, there's yet another rivalry between La Matriciana purists, which is spaghetti or bucatini. Now, bucatini is arguably the original recipe, which I kind of prefer bucatini as well, but in Rome, the dish could be served with spaghetti or maniche corte or bucatini. It's all just different types of pasta, but unlike what you see in the States very often or in Western countries, the type of pasta you use with the type of sauce is extremely important. There's almost like you can't even put any pasta you want with a different type of sauce. Anyway, La Matriciana is 100% a must-eat plate. My recommendation is if you can try to make it at home, go for it, but otherwise just eat it in Rome. Number 14, visit the Orange Groves and the Keyhole. This is one of those magical little places in Rome that is a total treat. You also find this in our free things to do in Rome blog post, so definitely check that out. The park, which is pretty small at 24,000 square feet or 7,800 meters, sits on top of Rome's famed Aventine Hill, and it's just a few steps away of Rome's Keyhole. So basically, you gotta find your way up to the Aventine Hill, which can be quite difficult. I mean, there's buses and stuff like that. The easiest way to do it is either take a taxi or take a tour. Now, you go to the Orange Grove, you check out the amazing view, and then you kinda like walk or skip or hop over to the Keyhole, and there's this amazing thing called the Keyhole. The park, the Orange Groves, was designed in 1932 and is attached to the Basilica of Santa Sabina, which is like an amazing old basilica or church to go and check out. It's a very peaceful viewpoint, and you won't find many visitors. You have to rent some sort of like transport, like I was saying, but you can even take a bike or a taxi up to the top, and it's pretty cool. Otherwise, you gotta check out the Keyhole, too. Now, the thing is, I'm not gonna spoil this and let you know what's behind the Keyhole. That's kind of the allure of the whole thing, so definitely don't even look up on the internet and be like, oh, what's behind the Keyhole? Just try to go to Rome, obviously, and go check out the Keyhole. That's the way to do it. Number 13, walk across the Tiber Island. Tiber Island is an amazing modern-day site. Two bridges connect either bank of Rome to this small little island, which is home to one of Rome's primary hospitals. Locals say if you aren't born on Tiber Island, you are not Roman. I mean, honestly, it is common for locals to even end arguments and use being born on Tiber Island as a credibility towards their facts about Rome. If you're getting an argument, they'll be like, oh, well, I was born on Tiber Island, so I know more. You could probably even see people putting on their resume they were born on Tiber Island. It's that important while in Rome. Legend had it the body of Rome's last king prior to the Republic, Tarquinius Superbus, was thrown into the Tiber Island in 510 BC and eventually sediment built up around him to form the actual island, which is almost definitely not true, but I love me a good legend, so let's go with it. In the summer, you'll see bars open on Tiber Island, even a mini movie theater. It's one of my favorite places to sit down and have a drink with friends and loved ones in a hot summer, because also the river cools things down a little bit, so it's really nice. I definitely can't wait to take my kids back here after this whole crazy pandemic thing is over. Number 12, the Mouth of Truth. In Italian, the Mouth of Truth is known as Bocca della Verita, which literally translates to the Mouth of Truth. The disk is well over 2,000 years old, so it's literally a disk, and it's got a hole in the middle, and the hole is representing the mouth. Now, the first home of this is most likely the Temple of Hercules, which is literally just across the street from where it is today, and it was probably a drain cover for runoff water. Now, it exists in the Santa Maria Cosmidian Church, which is across the street from the Temple of Hercules. The figure on the front of the disk is Oceanus, and it's about 3,000 pounds, or 1,300 kilograms. I mean, that's massive. Oceanus was a sea titan god. Today, visitors pay two euros to put their hand in the Mouth of Truth and take a picture. There's quite a bit of a queue, but it lasts only moments. I mean, it's more intimidating than anything else. The legend is that you put your hand in the Mouth of Truth and tell a lie, your hand will be bit off. The legend was immortalized in Roman Holiday in 1953, when Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn's character visited the site, and Gregory Peck popped his hand in there and pulled it out, and he put his hand in his sleeve, and it looked like it got bit off, and Audrey Hepburn pretended to be surprised. While there, definitely check out the Santa Maria Cosmidian Church. So, just step inside, okay? The word Cosmidian derives from the Greek word, which means pure, okay? And inside the church, you'll find the important Christian relic, the skull of St. Valentine. Also, look at the floors. These are called Cosmidian floors. So, there's Cosmati brothers, they make these floors, and then when you get to the Sistine Chapel, you know, on your Sistine Chapel tour, obviously with us, take a look at the floors, too. Exactly the same floors. The Cosmidian brothers were super popular for making floors in Rome, so you'll see their floors all over. Number 11, Trajan Column. Trajan's Column is an incredible monument and a surviving piece of propaganda from the second century AD. The column has an incredible history and plays a very important role in our ability to piece together ancient Roman timelines. The column was built in approximately 113 AD and honors Emperor Trajan for his conquest in Dacia, or modern-day Romania. It's located in Trajan's form, also dedicated to the late emperor, and is 114 feet, or 35 meters, tall. Now, the column is wrapped with a helical frieze that winds 23 times around the column and features 2,662 figures telling 155 stories or scenes. Okay, so a massive column survived this long with some stories on it. What is the big deal? The column is hollowed out in the center and there's a staircase winding all the way to the top. On the top today, you'll find a statue of St. Peter, but you better believe the figure of Trajan sat on top of it until it was removed by the church and replaced with St. Peter. The symbolism goes further. Trajan's Forum is home to Trajan's Market, which was a multi-level market that even featured luxury apartments in the center of Rome. Yup, Romans wanted the same material stuff as we do. Prior to the market being built, there was a massive hill there. How high? You guessed right, 114 feet tall. Trajan built a massive phallic symbol the size of the hill that he moved with him on top. Amazing. Things never change. Number 10, shop near the Spanish Steps. Okay, the Spanish Steps and Piazza Spagna are synonymous with high-end shopping due to the high concentration of luxury stores nearby. Italy's most famous shopping street, Via Condotti, is directly opposite of the Spanish Steps in Piazza Spagna. The Italian name for these steps is La Scalinata di Trinita di Monti. Why do they call them the Spanish Steps? Well, the Spanish Embassy is located about 100 meters south of the steps and the square is called Piazza Spagna. There's a lot to do and see in the area. We even have an article just with things to do near the Spanish Steps, so check it out. Number nine, head down to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. Okay, so leaving Rome isn't really something to do in Rome, but if you're there for like, people are always like, how many days should I spend in Rome? You wanna spend like five or six days in Rome, easy. I mean, four should be the absolute minimum because there's lots of stuff to do around. It's a great jump-off point for things to do. Getting to Pompeii from Rome takes about 2.5 hours by car and 3.5 hours by train, which makes it like an accessible day trip from the city. If you take the train, you'll spend approximately 65 euros round trip on trains plus transportation to and from the train stations, and you have to stop. Then there is your admission ticket to Pompeii, which will run you about 10 bucks and you're about 75 euros per person. And you're going to walk into Pompeii, which is literally a city without a tour guide and almost nothing is labeled. For as low as 145 euros per person, you can join a Pompeii from Rome day trip, from us, obviously. That includes a stop in Sereno, which is basically the Amalfi Coast. That includes transportation to and from Pompeii, a guided tour of Pompeii for two hours with a Pompeii archeologist and a stop in Sereno. All of this is done by bus or coach, like a smaller one though. And there is an attendant the entire time. I highly recommend heading to Pompeii while in Rome and our day trip is a great value. Check out our Rome to Pompeii day trip with a stop in Sereno. Number eight, throw some coins in the Trevi Fountain. As if you have not spent enough money going to Rome, now you have to go and throw three coins, but you know what? You can throw any coins of any size. It doesn't matter the value. The Trevi Fountain is among the world's most magnificent fountains, whose home is in Rome, Italy. The fountain is completely free to visit since it's outdoors and open all the time. The enormous masterpiece is situated on the back of Palazzo Poli, right in the center of Rome. By the way, Palazzo means palace and Poli is the name of the people that had it. Palace of Poli, Palazzo Poli. The famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini was originally going to design the fountain in the 17th century, but nothing ever came to it. 100 years later, this guy Nicola Salvi got the job by losing a competition for best drawing. Yes, Salvi lost to a Florentine named Alessandro Galli. So Alessandro Galli competed against Salvi, Galli won, Salvi lost, and Romans were pissed about Florentine getting the commission and eventually Salvi was the guy who won the job just out of fear of the mob. So he got the job even though he lost. Construction began in 1732 and was completed in 1762, 11 years after Salvi's death. The job was handed to an architect named Giuseppe Panini who worked with multiple sculptors to finish a product. Yes, his last name means sandwiches. He probably didn't invent it though. The fountain's facade tells a gripping story of its history. You can see it through the eyes of a local guide in our Rome in a Day tour and you can also read about it in our blog. Number seven, try a Jewish artichoke in the Jewish ghetto. Carciofiello Judea translates to Jewish artichokes. Artichokes thrive in Rome's climate so they're very popular in the city with two main recipes, Ado Judea, which is the Jewish way to do it, and Ado Romano, which is the Roman way to do it. Don't worry, you are allowed to prefer either without fear of reprisal, but the Jewish ones are almost always chosen as a victor. Why? They're fried. Jewish artichokes are seasoned with salt and pepper and then fried twice in olive oil. Yes, twice. This is how they get super crispy. In Italian you say croccante. They are also fried in olive oil, which is high-quality oil. It's not like some palm oil or peanut oil. It's olive oil. Different oils have different boiling points so there really aren't Jewish artichokes unless they're fried in olive oil twice. Carciofiello Romano. Roman-style artichokes are a world of difference. The only thing that are the same is that they are both artichokes. The preparation and cook time is more intensive and the outcome is different. These artichokes are often served cold but cooked for up to 30 minutes. They're seasoned with lemon, mint, garlic, olive oil, and black pepper. This may sound a bit eccentric and possibly politically incorrect, but I would stick to religion on this one. If the restaurant is run by Catholics, I would order Roman-style artichokes. If it is Jewish-run, I would order Jewish-style artichokes without question. How do you know who runs the restaurant without asking an awkward question? Well, the Jewish ghetto is still occupied mostly by Jewish-run restaurants. So if you're in the Jewish ghetto, order Jewish artichoke, and if you're outside the Jewish ghetto, order Roman-style artichoke. The catacombs of Domitilla. Ancient Romans were pagans, okay? Pagans worshiped many gods. During different periods, there were different customs, but burial was just rarely used in Roman times. Pagans burned their dead, and it's mostly for sanitary reasons. Christians were more of a crazy cult at the time in the second century AD, and pagans thought it was so silly that they wanted to bury people. They didn't think much of it and told them that if they wanted to do it, it's fine. You just have to do it outside the city walls. This way, we don't have a plague running around or anything like that. That is how the catacombs came to be used from the second century onwards. Yes, you can visit the catacombs in Rome in almost any month of the year. You can visit by yourself or with a tour of the catacombs. Tours make it a little bit easier because they get you to the catacombs and from the catacombs, and also from other points of interest like the Appian Way and the Capuchin Bone Crypts. Check out our Rome catacombs tour. Number five, visit the exclusive Vatican Gardens. Now, this is a super cool experience that is very exclusive. The Vatican Gardens are a beautiful and well-manicured set of gardens and fountains inside the Vatican City. You'd never know you were in the bustling city of Rome or the crowd of Vatican museums. Getting inside these gardens is more difficult than you think. Luckily, we offer tours and other ways to visit them. It's a 57-acre complex complete with its own train station. Our tour actually takes you from the Vatican Gardens to Castel Gandolfo. It's awesome. Definitely click the link, check it out if you wanna go visit the Vatican Gardens and Castel Gandolfo. Number four, see the Pantheon. The Pantheon was one of Rome's greatest structures and the best preserved structure from antiquity without argument. If anyone's arguing with me, go ahead. Pantheon is where it's at. The building survives today as a Roman Catholic church, Santa Maria dell'Angeli e Martiri, but was originally a pagan temple. The name Pantheon possibly translates to of all gods, but there's a lot of speculation around whether or not all gods were worshiped there. Construction began at the beginning of the second century AD under the rule of Emperor Hadrian and is inaugurated about 10 years after. The facade reads, Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, built this in his third time consul. Marcus Agrippa did in fact build the original structure, but it was like comparing a barn to the Eiffel Tower. The original structure commissioned by Marcus Agrippa burnt down twice due to its wood construction. Hadrian commissioned the current structure out of stone, which is why it passed the test of time. While it is unknown who the original architect is, it is commonly believed that the only architect talented enough to construct the interior dome, which is amazing, would have been Apollo Darius of Damascus. It's pretty awesome. Do not come to Rome and miss the Pantheon. No, bad idea. Number three, visit the Borghese Gallery. The Borghese Gallery is a small, unassuming museum that is Rome's most enjoyable museum, in my humble opinion, for a few reasons. Now, it costs a little bit to get inside, so it's 15 euros, which can fluctuate based on the exhibitions going on, but it is an incredible experience. First, they limit the number of visitors, not just during a pandemic, but all the times, to 360 visitors. Second, they limit the time you can stay inside to two hours, which is a perfect amount of time to visit the gallery. Lastly, and definitely not least, they have arguably one of the greatest collections of Baroque artwork per square foot on Earth. The Borghese Gallery is home to at least 10 high-profile works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini himself. You will also find paintings by masters such as Caravaggio, Raphael, Peter Paul Rubens, and more. The Borghese Gallery is my absolute favorite tour to lead myself, because I really enjoy a good story or fable. Baroque artwork itself is passionate, and you can see that in the sharp movements. Also, each painting or sculpture tells a story, and like I said, I like a good story. Check out the private Borghese Gallery Storytellers Tour. It's a shorter tour and reasonably priced for a private experience. Just your group and the guide will make this the highlight of your art experience in Rome. Number two, explore the Colosseum Undergrounds. The Colosseum is a modern-day symbol of Rome and one of the most longed-for attractions in all the world. It is an utterly incredible monument that is still standing almost 2,000 years after construction. The city of Rome takes great pride in the Colosseum, and that shows in how much access is available to restricted areas. General admission to the Colosseum may get you past the line, but you'll only be able to access the first and second levels, not including the arena floor. We have tours and experiences that visit the underground tunnels below the Colosseum, which were used by gladiators and showmen of sorts. There are a variety of tours that visit different areas of the Colosseum and include restricted access to the undergrounds. You can visit our page, Breaking Down the Colosseum Tours, or purchase a Colosseum Underground tour in the description below. Number one, visit the Vatican before it opens. The Vatican Museum is a bucket list item for Rome and the world. It is an amazing collection of Renaissance art culminating in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. Actually, it culminates with the large-than-life St. Peter's Basilica, which means the Sistine Chapel is just a stop on the way to the Basilica. Yes, it is incredible that one of the world's most sought-after works of art is just a stop on the way to the world's greatest church. Needless to say, the Vatican Museum gets crowded, and while admission will be limited during COVID, it will ultimately fill back up once things normalize. We highly recommend joining our Privileged Entrance Vatican Tour or our Pre-Opening Vatican Tour, which enter the Vatican Museums 60 and 90 minutes early, respectively. You can see our full list of Vatican tours below and compare. So that's it, guys. If you like this video, click the Like button. If you love it, subscribe so you get all of our content as soon as it comes out. If you have questions, comment them below. We actually make videos based on your comments. Otherwise, arrivederci, and thank you.