The Must-See Highlights for your First Visit to Rome

Discover the top cultural highlights to add to your itinerary when you’re planning your first city break in Rome.

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Beautiful Rome features highly on many travel bucket lists, and it’s the ideal spot for a cultural European city break. 

A visit to Italy’s capital city lets you wander through the same streets as the emperors of Ancient Rome. This city protects its cultural heritage carefully. Turn a corner on any street and you’ll probably come face to face with ancient ruins. 

But there’s more to Rome than its ancient history. Many artists, sculptors and musicians have called the city home throughout the centuries. Their work forms the cultural backdrop to modern Roman life.

When you visit Rome, you’re sure to want to start exploring right away. Ancient city streets aren’t a great match for heavy suitcases, so it’s best to find somewhere secure to leave them. Luckily, the reliable luggage storage Rome Termini by Radical Storage is located just near the railway station. 

With your hands free to take photographs, you’ll be ready to start your Roman adventure. Of course, there’s far too much to see in one city break, so I’ve picked out some of the top cultural landmarks that are worth visiting first. 

Roman Forum

The Roman Forum (Forum Romanum) was once the heart of Roman public life. At the height of the Roman Empire, public speeches, elections, criminal trials and grand processions took place here.

Today, ruins like the Temple of Saturn, the House of the Vestal Virgins and the Senate House (Curia) give us a glimpse at what Roman life may have been like. You can also see the Via Sacra (Sacred Way), Ancient Rome’s main street that led to the Colosseum. 

This is one of Rome’s most important historic sites. As part of the popular Colosseum Archaeological Park, it attracts over 4.5 million visitors each year. This makes booking tickets in advance a very good idea!

Many visitors buy a combined ticket that gives access to the Roman Forum, the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill.  

The Colosseum

The Colosseum is a massive amphitheatre in central Rome, east of the Roman Forum. It is also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. Work on the amphitheatre started around 72 CE under orders from Emperor Vespasian, and finished in 80 CE under his son Titus.

Rome’s Colosseum is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built. It measured 189 metres long and 156 metres wide, and held up to 80,000 spectators. Brutal public events like gladiator fights, prison executions and mock sea battles took place here. 

The impressive architecture featured 80 arched entrances. Hidden from sight below the wood and sand floor, the hypogeum was a two-story complex of tunnels and cages housing gladiators, their opponents and wild animals. 

The Colosseum is one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions, welcoming around 12 million visitors each year. Entry is by ticket only and for a designated time slot, so I recommend pre-booking your time slot. Be sure to arrive on time, as you will probably not receive a refund if you miss your slot.

Pantheon

The Pantheon is another of Rome’s iconic landmarks. It’s probably one of the best-preserved buildings from the time of the Ancient Romans.

The building you see in Rome was built by Emperor Hadrian around 126 CE. It replaced a pagan a temple built by Marcus Agrippa around 26 BCE. Pope Boniface IV converted the temple into a Roman Catholic church in 609 CE, ensuring its preservation to the current day.

When you visit the Pantheon, there are a few key features to look out for:

Portico

The portico is a massive porch featuring 16 twelve-metre-tall granite columns. Its roof originally shone with burnished bronze, but Pope Urban VIII ordered the removal of most of the metal in the 17th century.

The portico still carries the inscription from Marcus Agrippa’s original design: M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT (‘Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, built this when consul for the third time’).

Oculus

The Oculus of the Pantheon is a 9-metre circular opening at the very top of the dome. Oculus means ‘eye’ in Latin, and this opening serves as a source of natural light and ventilation. The position creates a spotlight that moves across the space under the dome throughout the day. 

The Oculus is also a symbolic eye that connects the temple to the heavens, allowing the Roman gods to observe the citizens worshipping inside. At noon on 21st April, the date of Rome’s founding, sunlight hits the opening of the Oculus exactly. Many people think it represents the emperor entering the Pantheon.

Tombs

The Pantheon also houses the tombs of several important Italians. These include the Renaissance master Raphael and Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of unified Italy.

Entry to the Pantheon is by ticket only, and millions visit the site every year, so pre-booking your tickets is essential. Remember that the Pantheon is a place of worship and a monument, so modest dress and respectful behaviour are expected.

Trevi Fountain

Featured in Hollywood movies and high up on every Rome travel itinerary, the iconic Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) is an 18th-century Baroque fountain. The name comes from the Italian for ‘three ways’, tre vie, as the fountain stands at the intersection of three roads. 

It was completed in 1762 and stands over 25 metres tall, making it the largest fountain in Rome. The design depicts the Roman sea god Oceanus ‘taming the waters’ as he stands in a shell chariot pulled by sea horses. 

The Trevi Fountain is a public, free-to-view monument, but it gets incredibly busy at the height of the day. Visit early to snap a photo without the crowds. 

Popular legend says that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain’s water, you’ll be sure to return to Rome. It has to be worth a try!

Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti) are a dramatic Rococo-style staircase in Rome. It was built between 1723 and 1725, creating an easy route from the Trinità dei Monti church to the Piazza di Spagna below. 

The name refers to the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, which was located in the Piazza di Spagna in the 17th century.

The 135 steps are a popular meeting place and social hub. Artists and intellectuals would gather there in the 18th and 19th centuries, and now it’s a popular place for tourists to rest. However, Roman urban regulations prohibit sitting and eating on the steps. 

Borghese Gallery & Museum

The Galleria Borghese is one of the world’s most famous art museums. It’s housed in the 17th-century Villa Borghese Pinciana in central Rome. The villa itself is located in Villa Borghese gardens, Rome’s third-largest public park, which is well worth exploring if you have time.

Inside the museum’s 20 rooms, you can admire an impressive collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings and sculptures. Featured artists include masters such as Raphael, Caravaggio and Titian. Some of the famous works in the museum include Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath and Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love.

Visitor numbers are strictly limited to just 360 people every two hours, so pre-booking your tickets is essential. 

Vatican City

Rome is the only city where you can visit an entirely different country without ever crossing the city walls. The Vatican City is the world’s smallest independent sovereign city-state, and covers less than half a square kilometre in central Rome. 

It’s the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and well worth a few hours of your Rome city break. 

Highlights of the Vatican City include the Vatican Museums, where you can see Michelangelo’s stunning Sistine Chapel ceiling, and the breathtaking Renaissance architecture of St. Peter’s Basilica and Square. Remember to dress modestly to visit these religious sites, with shoulders and knees covered.

The Museums are closed on Sundays, but there’s a chance to hear the Pope’s Angelus message and blessing from the Apostolic Palace window. 

Pre-booking tickets for the Vatican Museums is essential to avoid the long queues, and a guided tour will give you priority access. Entry to the Basilica is free of charge, but expect long delays at the security check. 

You might only have a few days to explore Rome, but don’t rush the experience. 

Hit these cultural hotspots on your first visit, with your luggage safely stowed away to make navigating the historic stress easier. Then you’ve got the perfect excuse to book another visit to explore some more.

Which landmark would be top of your list of must-visit Rome sites?