So much history here. It was hard for me to imagine what once was an empire to be neglected into…read moreruins but that is what happens when empires fall and there is no money for maintenance. People pillaged and plundered these buidings and repurposed the material to build other things elsewhere. This is located right next to the colosseum and you can get a combined admission ticket to see both. FYI that there are metal detectors and scanners at the security checkpoint. I got a lot of steps in that day! Many of the paths here to not connect so need to double-back much of the time. Five stars!

Some countries have ghost towns, dusty abandoned places where you might find an old gas station or…read morea closed mill. Italy has the Roman Forum, an awe-inspiring collection of ruins, the remains of the heart of ancient Rome. Founded in the 8th century BC, the Forum was the center of city life until around the 6th century AD. Temples and government buildings, a thriving marketplace, a compound of vestal virgins. Meetings and speeches, trials and gladiator battles--this place was happening over two thousand years ago. The Forum fell into disrepair, the temples and shrines abandoned by the 8th century. It was ruthlessly dismantled and exploited, especially during the Italian Renaissance, when its materials were extracted for building projects. Like, for example, St. Peter's Basilica. Seems like a mistake to convert downtown ancient Rome into a marble quarry, but hindsight 20/20 and all that. What remains standing in 2025 is absolutely incredible. The ruins are well preserved and quite legible, at least with the help of a guide (we took a Forum and Colosseum tour with Crown Tours, which I'd highly recommend). It was downright surreal walking around those grounds, imagining the life of ancient Rome. I mean Julius Caesar hung out here, among buildings he had erected. If you're visiting Rome for the first time, I'm sure you're planning to hit the Colosseum. Don't miss the Roman Forum while you're there. It's just as amazing, a unique, transporting journey into the rich depths of history.

amazing food and atmosphere. get the cacio e pepe and tiramisu. highly recommend this placeread more

My friend has lived in Rome for 30 years did not know about this place, and I found it through a…read morecombination of kitchen, confidential, and YELP. FIRST OF ALL THE OUTSIDE OF IT IS REALLY CHARMING, AND IT CURVES AROUND ON A BEAUTIFUL CORNER. The woman who served us was so attentive and knowledgeable. I ordered the ravioli and butter and sage, and it was fantastic. I can't really remember what my friend ordered, but I think it was a pasta dish. We really loved all the history inside the restaurant and when we Were very curious about all the photos on the wall. Some of the older women patrons started telling us about who was in the photos and we were really charmed by that they were Italian directors and actors etc. we said outside it was perfect. I loved every minute of it. It was probably my favorite restaurant in Rome, except for the rooftop of the hotel Rafael, which is extraordinary.i

I'm a huge Yelp user when traveling and thought ... why do a food tour?!?! Well with my family of…read morefour it was amazing to relax and just let our tour guide Robbie take control! He showed us approx 10 different places with smoking from each. He has a sincere personality very warm and welcoming. It was like being with extended family. We got to Meet two other families one from England and one from Australia both were very interesting and warm. An absolutely great night of people, food, and drink. We did the drink package but wasn't necessary as those who did not still got a little wine along the way. If you like... coffee, Prosecco, spritz, pizza, beer, cheese, rice balls, wine, cheese, more wine, cannoli, pasta and gelato... this tour is for you! I can only hope you get to Meet Robbie!

Rome may not have been built in a day, however you can sample some of the best in Italian cuisine…read morein just one afternoon. Secret Food Tours offers three-hour long tours that take you on a gastronomical adventure throughout the heart of Rome. This experience is more than just delicious food, which is what makes Secret Food Tours so unique. The tour explores Piazza Navonna, a city square ripe with history, as well as the Campo Dei Fiori Market, offering sightseeing as well as culinary escapades. Along with four other visitors, we embarked on a daytime tour, which started at an intimate café in Piazza Novanna. Our tour guide Tomasso was a local Italian and incredibly knowledgeable about the city square and its rich background. Here, he introduced us to the finest Italian coffee, freshly brewed for our group. I sipped a cappuccino, which alerted my taste buds with rich, full-bodied flavor and an airy foam. I was awake and eager for the next stop. While enjoying three different types of real Roman style pizza at Forno Campo de Fiori, our tour guide made us feel so welcomed. He took great pride in his city, and it showed in his passion for both the locales and the food. Next we stopped at a specialty shop, known for fried balls of risotto, called Suppli, which basically solidified my trust in anything this delicious city had to feed me. Crispy on the outside, warm and creamy on the inside. I was excited to visit the Campo Dei Fiori Market, which as our guide informed us is the oldest market in the town. With so many fresh and beautiful vegetables, it's easy to see why the food in the area is incredibly tasty. I was pleasantly surprised to do some sightseeing during the tour, as we got to see some of the Roman ruins that dot the city and here a few stories of the many narrow streets. Whether it was Carbonara near the Jewish Ghetto, amazing cannoli at a legendary bakery, and salty Italian hams, salamis, and cheeses at 'Beppe', our guide always made us feel like locals. We ended on a sweet note with the most refreshing gelato. Our tour guide was so fun and friendly, and the food was exquisite. A real "taste" of Rome.

Not to be missed, breathtaking architecture and complete sense of peace walking around at your own…read morepace taking all the artistic work of its time

Another amazing experience. I came here several times during my stay in Rome. Each time I came I…read moresaw something different and was yet still AMAZED by the entire experience. Home to some of the WORLDS most famous painting and statues as well as to the Pope himself St Peters Basilica is 10/10 Passing through the Holy doors 1000/1000 Sistine Chapel 10/10 Vatican Museums 10/10 Vatican Obelisk 10/10

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.

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

Interesting neighborhood to walk around in. The gate is restored somewhat and easy to take…read morealternate views. Plenty of options for food and drink nearby. The narrow streets give way to wider avenues and more sights. Too many to count but not too many to enjoy.

We first visited La Tavernaccia in October 2023 and loved it so much that we knew we had to return…read more This time, we came back to celebrate my husband's birthday and to enjoy our favorite dishes again--the Roasted Suckling Pig and the Spaghettoni all'uovo alla Gricia. Both were every bit as incredible as we remembered: the pasta rich and full of flavor with pecorino and guanciale, and the pig perfectly tender and juicy with that irresistible crispy skin. Yumm! We started with the Crostino N'Duja, which was rustic, spicy, and the perfect way to kick off the meal. We also ordered a charcuterie plate. To finish, the lemon torte was bright, refreshing, and surprisingly, not too tart. It was exactly just the way we like it. Kevin's service was outstanding--warm, attentive, and genuinely thoughtful, which made the celebration feel even more special. We were given a couple of shots and a special cookie for my hub's birthday and after learning I am Filipino, he also offered us shots of his own special Ube liqueur. La Tavernaccia has truly become one of our favorite places in Rome, and we already can't wait to come back again to try something new that Kevin highly recommended - the Roasted Veal.

Delicious. Great service, comfortable inviting atmosphere and yummy fresh pasta, truffles, and…read morethankfully it was artichoke season. Thank you

One of the most popular Italian restaurants in Rome with multiple locations throughout the city all…read morewith lines. When we arrived on a late afternoon, we waited about 10 minutes before getting seated. To start off, we got the Limoncello Spritz (€10) and Aperol Spritz (€10), which were refreshing. For our pasta, we ordered the Fettuccine with Oxtail (€18) and Carbonara (€17). We also wanted to order two more Secondi dishes, but the waiter warned us that the pasta is filling. After we finished the pasta, we did still order the Rabbit (€19) because it wasn't something we usually see on the menu. For the carbonara, the flavor was delicious but not really my favorite pasta shape. It was also quite al dente with a chewy texture. I have to say that the oxtail was spectacular though with its juicy and tender meat sauce. While the rabbit was nice to try once, it was a bit dry with minimal meat. Overall, good spot but nothing worth waiting too long for. Also, I'd stick to the pasta here as it's all handmade. You even see them handrolling them inside. Note that they also charge €2 per person for service fee already.

10/10 across the board. Osteria da Fortunata is everything people say it is and more. I ordered the…read morecacio e pepe and OMG... hands down the best pasta I've ever had in my life. The pasta was perfectly cooked, coated in the creamiest, silkiest sauce, and the Parmesan cheese was absolutely heavenly. Simple ingredients, flawless execution. I also had the berry cheesecake, and it was just as amazing. Light, creamy, not too sweet, and the berry topping tied everything together perfectly. Pure heaven from start to finish. From the food to the experience, this place is a must when you're in Rome. I'd come back again and again without hesitation.