Colosseum
The world's largest surviving Roman amphitheatre. Lines are notoriously long — a skip-the-line ticket or guided tour is essential.
Rome is one of the world's most visited cities — a layered open-air museum where ancient ruins, Renaissance basilicas and cobbled trattorias share the same street corners. Three days here barely scratches the surface, but even a long weekend leaves most visitors plotting their return. Rome is a city to be lived at walking pace. Every street seems to hold something older than the last — a fountain tucked into a quiet square, a church door left ajar, a courtyard where laundry hangs above a workshop that has stood for centuries. Time works differently here: lunch stretches into the afternoon, the evening starts late, and nobody is in a hurry to leave the table. The food is simple and deeply rooted in place — fresh pasta, good olive oil, seasonal vegetables and strong coffee taken standing at the bar — and it tastes best when you stumble on it rather than plan it. Go early to catch the light and the quiet, rest when the midday heat arrives, and let the city's golden evenings do the rest.
The world's largest surviving Roman amphitheatre. Lines are notoriously long — a skip-the-line ticket or guided tour is essential.
Home to Michelangelo's ceiling and one of the largest art collections on earth. A guided tour skips the queue and decodes what you're looking at.
The political heart of ancient Rome. Often bundled with the Colosseum on combined tickets.
Bernini sculptures and Caravaggio paintings in a former cardinal's villa. Entry is timed and tickets sell out days ahead.
Rome's opera house opened in 1880 as the Costanzi Theatre, has been renamed and modified several times, and its present auditorium seats 1,560 people.
One of the oldest theatres in Rome, this opera house and theatre stands on Largo di Torre Argentina and was inaugurated in 1732 over part of the Theatre of Pompey.
A public music complex in Rome designed by Renzo Piano, it combines three concert halls with an outdoor theatre set in a park.
Access restricted areas including the gladiator passages and the reconstructed arena floor.
Enter the museums an hour before opening — see the Sistine Chapel almost empty.
High-speed train and guided excavation tour in a single day from the city centre.
Best area for first-time visitors. Walkable to most major sights, lively at night, full of trattorias.
Cobbled lanes, ivy-covered walls and the city's best evening atmosphere. A short walk over the river from the centre.
Quieter, more residential and close to the Vatican. Excellent value compared to the historic centre.
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Fly into Fiumicino (FCO) or Ciampino (CIA). Both are well connected by train and bus to the city centre, with the Leonardo Express reaching Termini in about 30 minutes.
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April to June, September to October