Piazza Navona
A glorious baroque square shaped like the ancient stadium it was built over, centred on Bernini’s dramatic Fountain of the Four Rivers. Ringed by cafes, street artists and churches – lovely by day and floodlit at night.
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Trastevere
Rome’s most atmospheric neighbourhood – a maze of ivy-draped cobbled lanes, medieval churches and buzzing piazzas that fill with locals and students come evening. Perfect for an aimless wander and a long dinner.
Campo de’ Fiori Market
By morning a bustling fruit, veg and flower market; by night a lively square of bars beneath the brooding statue of philosopher Giordano Bruno. One of the few central piazzas without a church – and all the livelier for it.
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.
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.