I know a lot of these places are going to be pretty big tourist spots that everyone recommends visiting when you’re in Rome, but who knows, maybe there’s one on here that you haven’t heard of yet.

Most of these spots are pretty close together and relatively easily walkable, so I recommend choosing which ones you’d like to see on a given day and finding the easiest route to take in order to see each of them. I’m pretty sure I visited half or more of these in one day without a bus/train pass, but that’s up to you how active you’d like to be.

Despite being pretty popular and often overrun by tourists (as you’ll see in the photos), Rome is definitely a city that you want to visit at least once in your life. It’s one of the few cities where you can peacefully see buildings from thousands of years ago still intact, and I can almost assure you that you’ll leave this incredible city with a fresh perspective on time and traveling.

Something to note, though, is that since Rome is overall a very touristy city, I recommend you keep your belongings secure. Pickpockets are looking for unassuming tourists and will use that against you. Also, there will be people trying to persistently sell you things like bottles of water or flowers or umbrellas at most of these locations, so just be prepared to get the full tourist treatment when you come to Rome.

The Colosseum

This is probably the most important spot on this list. If you return home and Mom asks what you thought of the Colosseum and you say you “didn’t make it to the Colosseum,” oh man are you in for a lecture. Since everyone on here should already know what the Colosseum is I won’t bore you, but it’s definitely at least worth seeing from the outside.

I didn’t take a tour through the inside of the Colosseum since I was on a tight budget during my time in Rome, but I’ve heard good things.

Pantheon

Turning 1900 years old this year is the Pantheon, formerly a Roman temple and now a Catholic church known as the Basilica of Santa Maria and the Martyrs. Despite being almost 2,000 years old, it still, to this day, boasts the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. I’d say that’s pretty dope.

The Pantheon is an incredible building inside and out, and I highly recommend checking it out.

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is an absolutely beautiful city square populated by three very intricately sculpted fountains and lined with loads of shops, terraces, cafes, and restaurants. The architecture of the buildings that surround the plaza is stunning, and I strongly recommend you grab a coffee at one of the cafes and admire the view for as long as possible. You don’t get views like this anywhere in the U.S., that’s for sure.

Roman Forum

The Roman Forum is an open air museum in the center of Rome, consisting of the ruins of numerous ancient Roman government buildings spread across almost five acres. It’s an incredible piece of history and very well-preserved, and arguably the coolest place on this list.

It might be different depending on the day, but when I went closer to sunset there weren’t many visitors and I almost had the place to myself.

Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps are a series of baroque staircases and terraces constructed in the 1700s and named so because the Spanish embassy was located on the square at the base of the steps. This spot is definitely a cool sight to see, but in my opinion it’s just a quick place to stop by, have a look then head to the next attraction. But that’s just, like, my opinion, man.

Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is a beautifully constructed fountain built on one of ancient Rome’s most important aqueducts. The sculpture of the Greek god Oceanus, as well as the several other horses and mermen, at the center of the fountain is a tremendously intricate and detailed representation of the flow of water and its effects on life. It truly is an awesome sight to see and I highly recommend you don’t miss it.

Vittoriano

Finally, the Vittoriano, also known as the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument, is a gigantic monument dedicated to the first king of Italy and symbolizes a unified Italy. When I first laid eyes on the building my jaw dropped, and I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like it since. Its scale is absolutely astounding, and I highly recommend taking the time to really explore the monument by going up the steps as well as walking through the interior.

The Vittoriano and the Roman Forum were easily my favorite places I visited in Rome, and to this day even writing about them evokes the same feeling of awe I had when I first walked through them.

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Thank you all for reading, and let me know in the comments if there are any spots I missed! Consider following the blog to be notified of the weekly post and leave a like if this was helpful to you!

Safe travels and enjoy Rome!