Spanish Steps
A grand sweep of 135 travertine steps rising from Piazza di Spagna to the Trinità dei Monti church – a classic spot for people-watching and photos. Note that sitting or eating on the steps is now prohibited.
Rome
Baths of Caracalla
The colossal, surprisingly peaceful ruins of a third-century imperial bath complex, its towering brick walls still hinting at the scale of Roman leisure. A calm alternative to the busier sites – and a magical open-air opera stage in summer.
Trevi Fountain
Rome’s most theatrical fountain, a cascade of baroque sea-gods filling a tiny piazza. Toss a coin over your shoulder to ensure your return to Rome – and come at dawn or late night to see it without the crush.
Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
The ruined heart of ancient Rome – temples, basilicas and triumphal arches spread beneath the Palatine, the hill where emperors built their palaces and the city was said to be founded. Usually covered by the Colosseum combined ticket.
Capitoline Museums
The world’s oldest public museums, set around Michelangelo’s elegant Campidoglio square. Inside: the she-wolf of Rome, colossal statue fragments and grand painting galleries, plus a terrace looking over the Forum.
Castel Sant’Angelo
Hadrian’s cylindrical mausoleum turned papal fortress, linked to the Vatican by a secret passage. Spiral up through its halls to a rooftop terrace with one of the finest views in Rome.
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
Miles of galleries packed with the papacy’s art treasures, ending in the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo’s ceiling. It gets famously busy, so a timed skip-the-line ticket (or an early-access tour) is well worth it.
Galleria Borghese
A jewel-box gallery inside the Borghese gardens, home to breathtaking Bernini sculptures and Caravaggio paintings. Entry is by compulsory timed slot, which keeps it blissfully uncrowded – reserve ahead.
Colosseum
Rome’s mighty first-century amphitheatre, where 50,000 spectators once watched gladiatorial games. A timed ticket (ideally with the arena floor or underground) gets you inside the greatest monument of the ancient world – book ahead to skip the long queues.
Mercato Monti
On weekends locals drift into Rione Monti and stop by this open-air market, where young Italian designers and vintage sellers show off their own fashion, accessories, illustrations and artwork. It is the place to hunt for one-of-a-kind pieces straight from the makers.