Whether it's your first time in Rome or your fourth, the Eternal City always has something unmissable to offer. From the Colosseum to hidden Caravaggio churches, from the world's finest gelato to the only vineyard inside a European capital, Rome rewards the curious traveller like nowhere else on earth. This is my list — a local's list — of the twelve experiences that genuinely define the city.
The greatest monument of the ancient world — a 50,000-seat amphitheatre that has stood for nearly 2,000 years. Book skip-the-line tickets well in advance and, if possible, the arena floor option: walking where the gladiators walked is one of the most moving experiences Rome offers.
The greatest art collection ever assembled in one place. 54 galleries, 14 kilometres of corridors, and the Sistine Chapel — Michelangelo's ceiling painted 1508–1512. Without a guide, most visitors walk through overwhelmed. Book skip-the-line tickets at minimum; a guided tour transforms the experience completely.
The most perfectly preserved ancient Roman building in existence — built by Hadrian between 118 and 125 AD and virtually unchanged since. The 9-metre Oculus open to the sky is one of the most elegant engineering solutions of the ancient world. Pre-booking is now required; tickets are just €5.
The most beautiful neighbourhood in Rome after dark — ochre buildings lit by lanterns, the sounds of aperitivo from open doorways, the best restaurants in the city hidden in alleys that tourists rarely find. Walk the Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere at 10pm for one of the great Rome experiences.
The most intimate major museum in Rome — limited to 360 visitors at a time. Bernini's Apollo and Daphne (the greatest Baroque sculpture ever carved), six Caravaggios in one room, and Raphael's Deposition. Book at least 3 weeks in advance — it sells out consistently.
Rome's most atmospheric market square in the morning — flowers, seasonal vegetables, fish, and the smells of a city that takes food seriously. The statue of Giordano Bruno in the centre marks the spot where he was burned for heresy in 1600. The best supplì in Rome is two streets away.
Rome has more Caravaggio paintings than any other city — and many are inside churches that tourists walk past every day. Santa Maria del Popolo (Piazza del Popolo) contains the Conversion of St Paul and the Crucifixion of St Peter. Free entry. One of the greatest paintings in Italy, in a church most visitors never find.
Built by Hadrian in 139 AD as his mausoleum, used by medieval popes as a fortress, as a prison where Galileo was held, and now as a museum with one of the finest rooftop views in Rome — St Peter's dome directly across the Tiber. One of the most undervisited major monuments in the city.
Included in the Colosseum ticket (48h validity) and criminally underappreciated. The Roman Forum was the political, commercial, and religious centre of the Roman Empire for 1,000 years. Walk the Via Sacra at dawn before the crowds arrive for one of the most atmospheric experiences in Europe.
You cannot leave Rome without eating cacio e pepe — Rome's signature pasta, made with only three ingredients (pasta, pecorino romano, black pepper) and requiring a technique that takes years to master. Tonnarello in Trastevere does the best version at the most reasonable price in the city.
Real gelato — made with seasonal fruit and no artificial colours — is one of the greatest pleasures Italy offers. Fatamorgana (multiple locations) makes the most creative and technically accomplished gelato in Rome. Avoid any gelateria with towers of brightly coloured product in the window.
The hill where Rome was founded — according to legend, where Romulus killed Remus in 753 BC. The view from the top over the entire Roman Forum at sunset is one of the most beautiful things in Rome, and almost nobody is there when the Forum below is packed with visitors. Included in the Colosseum ticket.
