A short history of Rome
The Pantheon's dome is open right at the top. On rainy days the water falls through the opening and drains away through small holes in the marble floor. The building dates from Hadrian's reign, and the dome has been in place for about nineteen centuries. Tradition says Rome was founded on the Palatine Hill in 753 BC. Through the kings, the Republic and the Empire, politics happened in the Roman Forum just below. The Colosseum opened in AD 80.
The Western Roman Empire ended in 476, and the popes ran the city for centuries after. Work on the present St Peter's Basilica began in 1506, with the dome designed by Michelangelo.
Once Italy was unified, Rome became the capital in 1871, and the Lateran Treaty of 1929 recognised the Vatican as a separate state. If you want one more walk after the ancient sites, head to Porta San Sebastiano. A long stretch of the 3rd-century Aurelian Walls still stands there, and the gate houses a small museum about them.
Rome neighbourhoods
In the Ghetto by the Tiber, bakeries and restaurants frying Jewish-style artichokes cluster around the synagogue, a good fit for a short afternoon wander. The Aventine Hill, with its quiet villas and orange garden, is a place to catch your breath above the city. Peek through the keyhole of the Knights of Malta gate and you'll see the dome of St Peter's.
San Lorenzo sits right next to the university, with graffiti on the walls and cheap bars that fill with students at night. Pigneto's pedestrian street is lined with street art and small wine bars, an easy way to spend an evening without meeting a tour group.
Garbatella, with housing built around garden courtyards in the 1920s, is a lesser-known corner of Rome a few metro stops from the centre.
Where to stay
- Centro Storico / Pantheon: Pantheon, Navona and Trevi are a short walk away. Pricey, but everything is on your doorstep.
- Monti / Colosseum: Close to the Colosseum and Forum, a lively area with small bars and boutiques.
- Termini / Esquilino: The airport train and both metro lines stop here, and hotels are cheaper.
- Trastevere: Cobbled lanes, trattorias and nightlife, with crowds in the evening.
- Prati: A calm, orderly area near the Vatican, on metro line A.
- Testaccio: A local area away from the crowds, known for true Roman cooking.
When to visit Rome
On 21 April Rome celebrates its birthday, the Natale di Roma, and you'll see parades in legionary costume around the Circus Maximus. April-June and September-October bring 18-27 °C days, the easiest time to see the city on foot. Easter week packs the area around the Vatican and pushes hotel prices up.
November to February is 5-14 °C with its share of rainy days, but museum queues shrink and hotel deals are easier to find. State museums and the Colosseum are free on the first Sunday of the month and the Vatican Museums on the last Sunday, and both days mean long lines.
In July and August temperatures climb to 32-35 °C. Shade is hard to find in the Forum in the afternoon, so save the ancient sites for the morning. Around the Ferragosto holiday on 15 August, many neighbourhood trattorias and shops pull down their shutters.
Food culture in Rome
Romans get breakfast over with standing at the bar, a cappuccino and a cornetto. Lunch is 13:00-15:00 and dinner starts after 20:00. Hardly anyone orders a cappuccino in the afternoon, and after a meal it's espresso.
The city's four classic pastas are carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia, so save enough meals to try them all. On the street there's supplì, fried rice balls with mozzarella inside, and pizza al taglio sold by weight. In the Jewish Ghetto it's carciofi alla giudia, in Testaccio coda alla vaccinara, an oxtail stew. For dessert, cream-filled maritozzo, or granita in summer.
You pay a per-person coperto at the table, and nobody expects a tip on top. Standing at the bar is cheaper than sitting at a table.
Rome trip budget
Rome isn't cheap, but the hotel is the biggest cost by far, and a little care with food and transport keeps the rest in check. For a rough idea, daily spending per person in 2026 falls into three bands: 70-110 € (hostel), 150-250 € (mid-range hotel) and 350 € and up (comfortable). Accommodation is included, and a nightly tourist tax goes on the hotel bill on top.
On the metro, buses and trams a 100-minute BIT ticket is 1.50 € and a 24-hour pass around 9-10 €, and you can also tap in with a contactless bank card. The combined Colosseum, Forum and Palatine ticket is about 18 €, the Pantheon 5 €, and the Vatican Museums around 25 € booked online.
St Peter's Basilica is free to enter, only the climb to the dome costs money. Trevi, Navona, the Spanish Steps (sitting is banned) and the view from the Janiculum are free. Fill your bottle at the nasoni fountains and you won't pay for water either.
Prices are approximate as of October 2026.
Build your route on the Rome map
More guides for Italy
Florence travel guide · Milan travel guide · Naples travel guide · Venice travel guide