How can you come to Rome and not see the iconic Trevi Fountain?…read more I highly recommend paying the two euros so that you can get front and center. It was more magnificent than I expected and the water was so blue! It was a very quick stop, but one we won't ever forget!

There's no shortage of beautiful ornate water works and fountains in Rome, even the small fixtures…read morethat are just meant as water spots for people and pets are works of art. As I learned, the fountains of Rome are not just for show, they're an important part of the area water network. Rome is fed by one of the most potent mountain spring aquifer sources in the world, pumping 525 MILLION GALLONS a day. The pressure on piping for that kind of quantity is immense, and reliable outflows are needed in addition to the water use privately. Hence the many fountains and watering points around Rome, all fit for drinking straight from the tap or filling your most handy water bottle. Trevi fountain is easily one of the most ornate however, giving you that feeling of it being an exquisite pool for the gods. It has a almost a grotto-like feel, with the original stonemasons opting to use large unworked boulders as part of the landscape where they affixed their finely sculpted masterpieces. The square that surrounds it is just jam packed full of people, so unless you are tall like me, be prepared to work your way in for a good shot. If you are looking for refreshment, you'll be waiting a long time here. There are smaller water sources nearby to splash your face and fill your bottle. While you could spend months trying to explore all the fountains of Rome, if you just have a couple days, this one if the must see. It lives up to its reputation in every way.

Honestly, save your time and your one euro coin. The church…read moreitself is beautiful, but the entire experience has been completely ruined by social media hype. We waited in line for a literal hour just to reach the famous "selfie mirror" to get a photo with the ceiling fresco. When you finally get to the front, you have to pay 1 euro, and you're rushed through it so fast you can barely even check if the photo turned out.

To think, I almost avoided visiting this STUNNING 17th-century church - Chiesa di Sant' Ignazio di…read moreLoyola, when visiting Rome, Italy (09/25/2025 - 10/01/2025) because it is Tik-Tok and IG "famous" for being the "mirrored church" to take an iconic selfie... yes, you read that correctly..iconic selfie. I was for sure it was going to be crowded w/ social media influencers and I was correct..it was crowded but don't let that deter you from seeing this historical beauty! Chiesa di Sant' Ignazio di Loyola is known as the "mirrored church" because it has a mirror strategically placed to see the beautiful painted ceiling fresco. (see pics & videos included in this review from my visit on Tuesday 09/30/2025 - at 10:56am) It also has a painted illusion of having a real soaring dome on a flat ceiling - very cool for sure and does make you look twice just to confirm it's indeed an illusion! Here are a few helpful fyi(s) that I wanted to pass along: --- - long line for the mirror right as you enter the church - if there is a line of people waiting for the mirror, you don't have to wait in that line if you don't want to take a selfie w/ the mirror and are only wanting to see the church...as someone else mentioned in a previous review, you can get creative w/ taking a selfie w/ the beautiful ceiling. My hubby & I took our selfie pic while we were sitting in the pew and used a timer on our phone (see pic included). ---- visit early to avoid the crowds & to fully enjoy your experience at this church Avoid the crowds so you can really take in how detailed and beautiful the architecture and paintings are. Trust me, you'll enjoy your experience so much more w/ less people. ---- it's free to visit but do bring some money w/ you to give as an offering --- just a reminder to be respectful when visiting because it is a holy place Chiesa di Sant' Ignazio di Loyola truly is something special and of the MANY Rome basilica's I've explored during my 2 visits to Rome, it is now my FAVORITE basilica thus far. Hope this info helps. :)) Rebecca visiting Rome, Italy from Austin, Texas (USA) 09/25/2025 - 10/01/2025

This is another one of these spots in Rome that is a must see! This is a truly historic building…read moreand there is so much history here. If you don't have time to stop in and do everything they have inside, it is still great to walk around and take if the beautiful building with the incredible horse statues at the top. Be careful when walking around though. There is a large street with multiple crossings but cars fly by. So double check when crossing the street and don't get too distracted that you put yourself in danger.

3 is for the piazza in its current state--as of April 2026 construction was very much still…read moreunderway so a large section of what is usually a very open cobblestone piazza, was cordoned off, leaving the remaining roadways along the perimeter narrow and congested. Located at the intersection of major thoroughfares Via del Corso and Via dei Fori Imperiali, without the construction, the view across the square towards the massive complex of the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II is awe-inspiring, you need to stand fairly far back towards the middle of the square to get a full look at the building. The piazza so named due to the Palazzo Venezia built here as ordered by Cardinal Pietro Barbo (later Pope Paul II) in early Renaissance times, and also because this place became the embassy of the Republic of Venice back in 1560. In 1797 this area came under jurisdiction of the Habsburg Empire and served Austro-Hungarian diplomats until Italy reclaimed it in 1916. Dedicated to King Victor Emmanuel II, credited with unifying Italy, the Vittoriano Monument was built between 1885-1911 and is also known as the Altare della Pàtria (Altar of the Fatherland). Later a shrine was added honoring soldiers who died in WWI without identified names.

Realizing I may have left my review for the Pantheon in the wrong spot, and now I feel a bit more…read moreconfident I have found the right Yelp business... I am re-posting it here while we figure it out! Would take a lot for me to not give one of the oldest standing structures (still in use by the way) in the entire world a 5 star review right? Quite frankly, walking in and looking up is just enough to bring you to a state of awe at the massive freestanding dome, still completely open in the middle, where the sun moves about the room throughout the day. Over the years it has taken on both a secular and religious bent. There are several people buried there with large monuments, the most recent was the man who brought Italy out of monarchial rule. It appears Catholic services are still held here on occasion, and there are pews for prayer and places to light a candle for blessings. It's no longer free to get in, you can wait in a first come first serve line, or try your luck at buying tickets online... though we tried several times and the online payment system would not work for us. All in all, it's a 30 minutes stop to see one of the oldest intact structures in the world, and that is always worth it to me.

While visiting Roma , this was one of our stops. No time to…read morevisit inside since our time was limited as our stop in Roma was during our Mediterranean cruise. Beautiful structure on the outside so grand, it's nice to see one of these days maybe next time we will be able to go inside.

Vittoriano, also known as the Altar of the Fatherland. The Monument…read moreto king Victor Emmanuel II was built starting in 1885, designed by Giuseppe Sacconi, and inaugurated in 1911 to commemorate the 50th. See it as you walk around downtown Rome.

This building was right down the road from our hotel and we passed it a number of times. It is…read morebeautiful with nice statues on the front and back of building. I climbed up the back of building and caught the sunset.

Ah the Colosseum. An awe-inspiring visit to the world's largest amphitheater! This iconic Roman…read moresymbol vies with the likes of the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums and Saint Peter's Basilica for the most-visited tourist destination when visiting Rome.* I'll spare everyone the history which is probably covered in one of many previous reviews and mention some points for visiting this national treasure. Book tickets in advance, most preferably through the Colosseum's website. Don't expect to buy tickets in person at the entry, though I believe you may be able to pick up tickets at the office, and occasionally they may have end of day availability. Unsurprisingly these sell out very quickly so constant checking of their website for availability is needed, and you have to go with whatever time slots are available. Tickets seem to be released one month in advance and sell out almost immediately though when I was checking it was unclear what time of day they are released. If you can't buy tickets via the official website, then third parties also sell tickets though 1) there may be surcharge, 2) may be part of a group or audio tour where reviews range from mixed to excellent. For booking individual tickets on the website with access to the underground or attic, these need to be booked specifically so check what access each ticket provides. Also some access combinations don't include the Colosseum itself, and only the Forum/Palantine Hill, so make sure you choose the right one. Arriving to the Colosseum, there are crowds incessantly lining up for entry on the southwest side, and no organized lines. Everyone basically crowds around the security tent while staff constantly explain to people asking what time slot they are currently permitting entry. For how chaotic this appeared, given four functioning lanes for security, a fair number of people were allowed thru with about a twenty minute wait. It is very IMPORTANT (BOLD CAPS this) to bring an official ID--I saw people being turned away without ID. Inside depending on what access you have you can visit the arena level, upper levels, lower and/or attic. My ticket included the first two areas and they scan the QR/barcode to allow access. Inside this ancient amphitheater the views were grand--even in its current ruined state the vast underground corridors and soaring upper levels are super impressive. 80 arched entryways, a labyrinth of lower level holding cells, pulley systems and trapdoors, even retractable overhead shades, all colossal feats of engineering. You can just begin to imagine how glorious it looked in its heyday; it was mind blowing to me how much labor it must've taken to construct and maintain the series of tiered levels under and overground. Aside from the arena ground level, which is about a fifth covered and open to walking around, the route of tour is in a single direction to help the flow of foot traffic. Technically individual tickets limit visits to 75 or 90 minutes though I didn't see anyone checking. That's a sufficient enough time for visitors to see everything. Since most individual Colosseum tickets include Forum access, most people seemed to head over across the street afterwards. *Though I guess the latter two aren't actually in Italy.

Proud to say my first world wonder was the colosseum in Rome Italy. I had a wonderful guided tour I…read moregot from get your guide and it was incredible learning about the nearly 2,000 year old landmark. I got the upgraded package to visit the arena and it was so unreal being there. It was like stepping into history. The colosseum is a must see in Rome!

Yes, yes and yes!! give them a try!! Ended up like family after going a few times ate outside and…read moreloved the vibe!!

I would honestly only recommend coming here if you're already passing by and want to do a quick…read morewalk through the aisles just for the vibes and funsies lol. Nothing really seemed worth buying since most of the stalls were basically copy and paste versions of the ones right next to them or a few stalls down (definitely a tourist trap). The market itself is also pretty small, so I wouldn't go out of my way to visit just for the market alone. However, if you're already in the area for breakfast or lunch, it doesn't hurt to stop by and take a quick look!

Wonderful spot to come and visit to walk in the steps of historical Rome grounds. Walk the Spanish…read moresteps and take some great pictures here. 5 stars and grazie!

Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti (Spanish Steps)…read more While commonly posted on the classic list of things to do in Rome, I'd highly recommend a quick flyby only in early morning or late evening. During the day it's simply too crowded! (And that's me, coming from NYC, where there is a never-ending flow of tourists in certain parts of town!) On a Saturday early evening, I could barely see the staircase because of the throngs of tourists astride these steps. That being said, since I was in the area, I didn't hesitate to stop by for a quick check off the list on this trip. The fountain at the foot of the steps spouts potable water from both ends and a steady flow of visitors stepped up to snap a pic and refill bottles. At the top of the steps is Trinità dei Monti, a Catholic Church with its iconic double bell towers constructed in the 16th century, which is one of several functioning French-speaking parishes in the city. Inside Renaissance frescos from distinguished artists of the era paint the chapels with color. Admission is free which is a nice touch.

We spent an afternoon wandering around Rome, making our way through different neighborhoods, and…read morecame across the Largo di Torre Argentina entirely by accident. It looked significant, so we walked over and read up on what we were seeing. Turns out this is where it is commonly believed that Julius Caesar met his et tu end. Rome, right? There's no avoiding sites of staggering historic importance. The site is now a sort of open square, fenced off in such a way that you can't just walk in but can see everything from the street. It contains four Roman Republican temples and the remains of Pompey's Theatre, apparently the first permanent theatre to be built in Rome, completed in 55 BC. Julius Caesar was assassinated at Pomepy's Theatre, so I guess even if it didn't happen within the square, it was certainly close enough. Two thousand years and change later, Largo di Torre Argentina became an official cat sanctuary, with a shelter opening in 1993. My husband visited Rome in 1997 and remembers seeing cats everywhere. He says there are noticeably fewer now, and I think we only saw one when we visited this square. Though did I see a cat, or do I just know, reading about the place now, that I was maybe supposed to see one? I honestly can't say. But in my mind, I can picture a cat, fluffy and grimy, resting by the fence. The picture of Caesar is less defined, but I can see him there too, leaving his blood in the square.

This open-air historic site includes (1) the ruins of the ancient Roman building where Caesar was…read moreassassinated and (2) cats. You can see most of the cats (and ruins) from the perimeter of the site. However, if you want to go down to ground level and get a closer look at the ruins and some signs explaining what you're looking at, you can get an entry ticket for €7. The cats are pretty friendly and may approach you.

Super touristy, but also a wonderful place to sit in a cafe with an Aperol Spritz and watch the…read moreworld go by. The waiters don't seem to mind how long you sit there and don't push you to order food. They probably get paid the same no matter what you order, unlike the U.S.

One of Rome's famous plaza's to visit and explore. Beautiful fountains and architecture. Plenty of…read morerestaurants around the edge. While we didn't dine at any of them, it sounds like a wonderful place to grab a drink and people watch. Worth a stop.