One of those things you just have to do, and it holds up. The fountain itself is genuinely…read morespectacular up close, bigger and more detailed than pictures do it justice, and seeing it in person is worth the chaos that surrounds it. And there is chaos: the piazza is packed at pretty much any hour of the day, so go in prepared for a crowd rather than hoping to find a quiet moment. You can pay a small fee to get down to the basin level for a closer look, and the line to do so can be long during peak hours. We found that arriving just before dinnertime cut the wait considerably; most of the daytime crowds had thinned out and we were through quickly. If your schedule has any flexibility, that window is worth targeting. The view from the piazza above is free and still solid, and getting down to the edge is not required, but a neat bonus.

Life was seeming ordinary, so I wanted to see something extraordinary. This is where I landed…read more The view was immediately beautiful. My significant other and I approached a sign that stated FONTANA DI TREVI. It also stated TREVI FOUNTAIN. It indicated ENTRATA . We waited in line. This attraction was free. The line went by fast. The view up close was far more beautiful than the initial view. It was nice to take in at first. It would have been better if the crowd was lower. I still enjoyed it. The service was good. I didn't have any issues. Overall, it was definitely worth the stop. I might go again in the future if the crowd is lower. Date of visit: March 22, 2025

Palatine Hill has so much to see. If you want to get the history of everything here then you should…read moreget a tour. I felt like we didn't know where to go since it's so spread out & didn't know what half the sites were since plagues were limited or hard to spot. We got the basics & probably missed a bunch but would have liked to learn more & not have to find/read all the signs. The tickets were part of our colosseum package & allows access to this the day before or after which was nice. By 5 pm they are asking people to leave so don't go too late if you want to see it all as the property is huge. We missed half of it since we only had 2 hours to walk it. The view from the top is the best so I'd suggest go up there to get a lay of the land & then cover the lowers. We spent too much time in some of the lower less exciting ruins of the small buildings & raced past the grander "Super sites". The senate building was underwhelming & didn't have much info posted. I'd ask an entrance worker for advice at least to start with.

Palatine Hill is, according to legend and archaeological evidence, the literal birthplace of Rome…read more It's where Romulus and Remus were found and raised by a she-wolf, and where excavations have produced proof of human habitation going back to the 10th century BC. Today, it's a sort of outdoor museum, where you can walk around with your jaw on the ground, preferably with the help of a guide (we took a Forum/Palatine Hill/Colosseum tour with Crown Tours, which felt essential to the experience). The ruins are astonishing, both up close and from an elevated vantage point. The view from Palatine Hill encompasses ancient and modern Rome and is unlike anything else I've ever seen. If you're a tourist in Rome, do not miss Palatine Hill. It's an extraordinary place, a pleasure to explore, and you can easily add it to your trip to the Colosseum.

Wow I love the Campo de Fiori. The name means the field of flowers, because it used to be a field…read moreof flowers and vegetable gardens here before it became this square. Unfortunately from the 16th to 19th century this place became a public execution site. Yikes. The most famous execution was Giordano Bruno in 1600, in which there is now a statue in his honor for freedom of thought. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. Pass forward to present day. This area is lively with the open air markets where you can find vendors selling produce, flowers, spices, cheese, and artisanal goods. My boyfriend and I came here to explore the live market and also to look for souvenirs to bring home. The vendors here are really aggressive and I would have enjoyed it more if they gave me space to look instead of hound me to buy buy buy. Like chill dude can I look at what I'm buying. Sigh. We were here til closing time and even get to see how the vendors efficiently and quickly packed up their stalls and belongings to wrap up for the day. And of course... a great area to enjoy some gelato.

We're at Campo de' Fiori, Rome's oldest market and possibly the most enthusiastic display of…read moretourist traps per square meter. Once a site for public executions (Bruno's brooding statue still watches over), it now specializes in overpriced pasta and garlic braids. It's more performance art than produce. Vendors heckle, truffle oil flows freely, and yes, someone will try to sell you limoncello in a boot. I walked through as part of a food tour, which felt like the right way to enjoy the chaos, briefly, and with snacks elsewhere. Not the best market in Rome, but definitely the most theatrical.

Saw the side of this while walking back to my hotel. Didn't go inside it but you could see a good…read morechunk of it from outside. It's beautiful and worth even walking by to appreciate the architecture.

These baths were not very interesting. We barely saw any people here in the summer, even though it…read moreis a tourist attraction. We paid €8 each for admission, which is a lot considering you can walk around this place in 30 minutes. There isn't much description available, so we just walked around and tried to imagine the scope of these formerly wondrous baths. It is about a 10-minute walk from the Circo Massimo metro stop, which included walking on a busy street without a sidewalk.

Rome seems to love a good fountain and I'm here for it. If there was a tour of just all the…read morefountains in the city, even the most mundane ones, I might sign up for it. We happened to see Quattro Fontane on our way to the Trevi Fountain. I had to leave a review for this place because I'd like you to make sure that you pass this area on your way to somewhere in Rome. The sculptures are gorgeous and worth an up-close look. You won't be spending all day here but I do think these are worth the 3-5 min you'll be spending. Hey, you could stay longer if you wanted to too but it shouldn't take that long to check out all four.

I walked by this late one night and I was in awe of these fountains…read more It was a beautiful moment that stopped me in my tracks. I will always remember these fountains. Absolutely beautiful.

The building itself, Palazzo Margherita, is worth walking past even if you'll never get through the…read moregates. It's a grand 19th-century palace that once belonged to Queen Margherita of Savoy, sitting right on Via Veneto with heavy security outside and absolutely no photography tolerated. You're not getting in without official business, but as a piece of Roman architecture it's genuinely impressive from the street. If you're in the area for the Borghese Gallery or just wandering Via Veneto, it's worth a look.

If you're looking for quintessential European charm then you must try The Library. This little…read morerestaurant, tucked down an alley, is a wonderful respite from the sometimes jarring hustle and bustle of Rome. Admittedly, it was a few years ago that I dined here with my now husband on our first trip abroad together so I don't quite recall our full meal but I remember my first encounter with a real, authentic Caprese Salad with the best Italian olive oil and perfectly fresh mozzarella. I will also never forget the taste of the complimentary Cynar aperitif that was offered to us. It was a bizarre, bitter yet aromatic flavor that left me confused as to whether I wanted to spit it out or ask for more! :) Above all else, is the Library's ambiance. Dim lighting, centuries old brick walls, iron stair case and the wonderful, friendly staff and owner. I remember feeling a little worried that, as (young) Americans we wouldn't be well received in such a nice little restaurant but my worries soon melted and we were welcomed with open arms by our worldly waitress who happened to be British and just moved to Rome from the States.

On a trip to Italy 4 years ago, myself and Fiona celebrated our engagement with a dinner at this…read morerestaurant. We returned to Italy this year and were due to be in Roma on the same night, so booked a table. We were not disappointed, the service, food and wine were all excellent (again). This is a very small restaurant, not far from Piazza Navona. It is best to book a table. This is not a touristy type place, the menu is not very long and changes regularly. The owner is very friendly and explained all the dishes to us, and knew a good bit about the wine too. Recommended for a special occasion.

The Colosseum is the most incredible thing I've ever seen on this planet. Nothing prepares you for…read morestanding in front of it in real life. The scale, the power, the history, everything about it is absolutely breathtaking. You can feel the history the moment you step inside. Knowing what happened there centuries ago gives you literal shivers. It's emotional, intense, and awe-inspiring all at once. Every stone tells a story, and it makes you feel so small in the best way possible. This is not just a landmark, it's an experience that stays with you forever. If you come to Rome and don't see the Colosseum, you missed everything. Rating: 10/10 -- unforgettable, unreal, legendary

Holy shit, the Colosseum. It's one of the craziest things I've ever seen, a massive historical…read moremarvel, a monument to human ingenuity and cruelty, the highs and lows of our entire existence. You have to see it before you die. No photograph, no movie, can fully conjure the real thing. Its scale, its majesty, the psychic bridge it provides to a violent and fascinating past. Standing in the Colosseum is about as close as I've gotten to time travel. We booked a three-hour tour with Crown Tours, covering the Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum. This was definitely the way to go. I loved both the simplified logistics and the live, on-site history lesson. That said, if you're not the guided tour type, the Colosseum does kind of speak for itself. We went around noon on a Friday during low season, when it was busy but nowhere near peak crowding. I imagine a summertime visit with kids would be pretty uncomfortable. But the Colosseum is worth a fair amount of physical suffering. Maybe not being mauled and eaten by lions, but definitely a little body odor and heat. The Colosseum is both the largest standing amphitheater in the world and the largest ancient amphitheater ever built. These may be the least surprising facts I've ever read on Wikipedia. The place is named for its colossal size, and honestly that alone would make it worth visiting. The size, though, is maybe its third or fourth most notable feature. The architecture is iconic. I was about to start describing it, but everyone knows what the Colosseum looks like: it looks like the Colosseum. It looks both more and less like the Colosseum up close and from within. I don't remember the striations in the travertine walls from any history books. The interior is breathtaking. Our guide sat us down and we gawked at the tiered seating and arena of this enormous world wonder, a place that once accommodated some 50,000 spectators for any given event, where an estimated 400,000 people and a million animals met violent ends. It's kind of wild that any of this was a) allowed and b) how people got their kicks, but the enthusiasm for brutality is comprehensible enough in 2025. I know exactly who would be in the stands with popcorn, watching people whose lives hold no value for them fighting to the death. Our tour ended on the ground floor of the Colosseum, and we wandered the upper level on our own, looking down at the arena and the exposed underground, which required its own ticket and didn't seem to have many visitors. We visited the gift shop and bought a postcard for our kids, though I don't quite know how to explain this place to our five- and three-year-old sons. I hope to bring them in person one day, when they're older and more knowledgeable about the ways of the world. There might be heat, there might be crowds, but they'll have to see the Colosseum.