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Rome
Rome is Italy's capital: the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican, and an old centre of piazzas and fountains that is best explored on foot.
Where to stay, by what matters to you
- Places to stay with a level walk to the beach in Rome
- Places to stay in Rome that work without a car
- Quiet places to stay in Rome: few bars nearby
- Lively places to stay in Rome: bars and clubs close by
- Within 30 minutes by car of The Appian Way
- Within 30 minutes by car of Rome Ciampino Airport
- Within 30 minutes by car of Tivoli: Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este (day trip)
- Within 20 minutes of Trevi Fountain
- Within 20 minutes of Spanish Steps
- Within 20 minutes of Pantheon
- Within 20 minutes of The Vittoriano (Altare della Patria)
- Within 20 minutes of Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Best things to do in Rome
The one thing not to miss
See the Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre ever built, together with the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill beside it.
Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill1. Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
The Colosseum, completed in AD 80, is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built. Just to the west, the Roman Forum is the old central square surrounded by the ruins of ancient government buildings, with the Palatine Hill above it.
134,965 readers a month
2. Pantheon
An ancient temple rebuilt under the emperor Hadrian and a Catholic church since AD 609.
75,854 readers a month
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3. St Peter's Basilica
The great Renaissance church of Vatican City, planned in the 15th century to replace the fourth-century basilica built by Constantine.
56,468 readers a month
4. Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel
The Vatican's public museums hold about 70,000 works, 20,000 on display, including famous Roman sculpture and Renaissance art. The visit ends in the Sistine Chapel, built between 1473 and 1481, where popes are elected.
45,000 readers a month
5. Trevi Fountain
An 18th-century fountain completed in 1762, 26 m high and 49 m wide: the largest Baroque fountain in the world.
37,426 readers a month
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6. Castel Sant'Angelo
Built as the Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum, later a papal fortress and now a museum. It was once the tallest building in Rome.
20,610 readers a month
7. The Appian Way
One of the earliest and most important Roman roads, which ran from Rome to Brindisi.
17,509 readers a month
8. Spanish Steps
The steps that climb from Piazza di Spagna up to the Trinità dei Monti church.
16,118 readers a month
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9. The Vittoriano (Altare della Patria)
The vast national monument to Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy, built between 1885 and 1935 between Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline Hill.
15,993 readers a month
10. Tivoli: Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este (day trip)
Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Tivoli, about 20 km from Rome: the palace complex the Emperor Hadrian built around AD 120, and a 16th-century villa famous for its terraced Renaissance garden.
11,341 readers a month
Just missed the list: Ostia Antica (11th by readers; an ancient port city, a day trip); Baths of Caracalla (12th by readers)
How we ranked these
By how many people read about each place on English Wikipedia in a typical month, measured October 2026. It is a popularity measure, not our opinion. Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill leads with about 134,965 readers a month. Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are on each photo.
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