What is unmissable in Rome?

[ManchesterBeatrice]

Hello,

I have a day trip, coming up in Rome in late May, and wondering what you would count as being unmissable ? I'll be there from about nine in the morning, until about eight in the evening, so a good nice long day to do things.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, searching attractions in Rome, brings up a lot of websites, and providers. But it would be lovely to have some personal feedback.

How lovely - I love Rome! The Collesseum is amazing. Would suggest doing an open top bus tour so you get a good view of lots of things.

Rome has so many things you need to focus on what you're most interested in but as a general rule, I'd say the Forum, Colosseum, Trajan's column and some of the baroque sites like the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps or the Vatican. The Vatican is so huge and there is so much that it would definitely take a big chunk of a day.

A day if you have never been before?

I'd do the Forum and Colosseum. Together with wandering about the Victor Emmanuele monument that will easily fill the day.

The Pantheon.

The sheer perfection of the Pantheon takes my breath away every time.

If the curve of the dome were continued, it would make a perfect sphere that just kissed the floor in the centre of the building. The proportions are perfect and somehow that makes it an incredible space to be in. Geometry as beauty; it's weird but it works.

Book ahead for a tour of the Colusseum and Forum. Wear your most comfortable shoes, you'll need them.

The sunset tour of the colosseum is beautiful.

Pantheon

Colosseum (book ahead on official “coop culture” website, otherwise queues are long)

Gelato and just wandering around

The Trevi fountain and Spanish steps are lovely but (sacrilege) possibly not unmissable

Colosseum underground tour

If you only have 1 day then The Pantheon, Colleseum and The Vatican.

The first two you can see in half an hour each but allow a lot of time for The Vatican. It's huge and there is so much to see.

Forget the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. They will both be mobbed and aren't particuarly interesting.

I’d maybe start at the Colloseum, then walk to Trevi Fountain and on to the Pantheon. Walk to Vatican City via Piazza Navona & spend the afternoon exploring St Peter’s & Sistine Chapel (scream at the Michelangelo if the moment moves you).

In the evening I’d head to Trastevere for some pasta & a glass of wine.

Plan your route to take in the Jewish area and get something yummy from a bakery.

I live on bakery items, gelato and pizza when I’m in Rome. If you’re on a budget you can buy the best takeaway pizza in the world from some supermarkets. My favourite topping is courgette.

I’d actually give the Colosseum a miss and just look from the outside. When we went it was chucking it down which may have skewed my opinion.
The Forum, the Vatican museums and the Capitoline Museums would be my top 3.

Forum, coliseum and the pantheon. I wouldn’t try to do the Vatican in a day, save that for your next visit! Leave time for food and some mooching.

oh, and one leftfield recommendation: https://basilicasanclemente.com/eng/ - a journey into romes past one floor at a time, down to a Morrison temple. Enchanting!

As everyone has said, The Colosseum, book a guided tour if you can and skip the queues. Agree with missing the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel but the Spanish steps and Trevi fountain are worth seeing.

The Pantheon is top of my list and you don't have to book it. I imagine what it would be like to be some woad-stained slave prisoner of war from 1st century East Anglia taken to Rome and how much the Pantheon would blow your mind. It's the way you're just walking along and there it is.

The Forum would be number 2 for me. Can't remember if you can book it, if you can then do.

I'd also say see the Colosseum from the outside.

Then if you want to, St Peter's. Again you might be able to book. I don't think I would try to do the Vatican museums on that timetable.

But after the Forum you might want to get away from the highest-traffic tourist sites with crappy polystyrene pizza and go somewhere like Trastevere to find decent food.

• mithrian, not Morrisons!

Pantheon and collesseum is a must, I wasn't that into the Spanish steps personally and trevi fountain a bit underwhelming

If you can go to roscoli salumeria con cucina and get a carbonara, it is a bit pricey but worth every single penny

I agree with others. Start with a walk around the Coliseum, then walk down through the palatine. At the bottom have a look at the wedding cake building ( can't remember what it's called but nothing inside, great views from the roof) I'd then walk via the trevi and the Spanish steps to the Pantheon.
I'd leave the Vatican for another day.
Rome is quite small.
Alternatively you could do a hop on hop off open bus to get a look at everything.

I would ptrobably do this too (we went back to the Pantheon several times, loved it so much). But as an alternative to the vatican (if time/tickets make it difficult) climb the dome of St Peter's. Amazing!

There was a great ice cream shop round the corner from the pantheon.

In addition to what gas already been mentioned...

The church of San Luigi dei Francese which has the most amazing, huge paintings by Caravaggio. Do not, I repeat not, go to Rome without seeing those!

The church of Sant' Andrea delle Valle, as featured in the first act of Tosca. It has the most spectacular ceiling. There is a mirror so you don't have to strain your neck too much.

Next to the Pantheon, is Santa Maria supra Minerva - a real treasure trove:

Among several important works of art in the church are Michelangelo's statue Cristo della Minerva (1521) and the late 15th-century (1488–93) cycle of frescos in the Carafa Chapel by Filippino Lippi. The basilica also houses many funerary monuments including the tombs of Doctor of the Church Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), who was a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic; the Dominican friar Blessed Fra Angelico (c. 1395–1455); and ornate monuments to the Medici popes: Leo X (born Giovanni de Medici, c. 1475–1521) and Clement VII (born Giulio de Medici, c. 1478–1534), designed by Baccio Bandinelli.[18]

The issue with the Vatican museums and St Peter's is the queues.

St Peter's is free but you have to go through security and the queues are extremely long. As far as I'm aware, the only way to avoid that is to book an inclusive Vatican+St Peter's tour but that's pretty expensive close to the time.

We went on a 9.30am tour and I didn't think the queue for the Vatican was too bad that early, but by the time we were half way round it was mobbed. I would hate to spend my single day queueing.

I loved the Colosseum (again, book in advance) and also the forum and Palatine hill, but again - queues! We thought we'd go to the forum first as our Colosseum ticket was late afternoon (the ticket covers all three), but enormous queue to just get in to this free site. We ended up going afterwards and by 4.30pm it was so much better.

There's loads of other things to see just wandering though - the Capitoline hill and all the buildings in that area, the whole area around the forum and up towards Piazza Navona which is hoaching with ruins, statues and general Roman wonderful ess.

It's a very walkable city (comfy shoes essential) and make sure you leave plenty of loafing time to sit and have a drink and take it all in.

Maybe book one thing and then just take it as it comes.

The Victor Emmanuel monument, aka ‘the wedding cake’ or ‘the typewriter’. Its vast scale is matched only by its hideous tastelessness. A must see, if only to laugh at how utterly ghastly it is, and to wonder why the city thought erecting such a monstrosity was a good idea.

@MuggedByReality Good views from the top though!

My favourites are the Pantheon and St Clements church and just wandering around the cobbled streets.

Been twice, love Rome. I personally enjoy the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain. Have a great time!