About

About ULTIMATE Rome City Guide

ULTIMATE Rome City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Rome, Italy. We publish 14 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, hotels, sights, arts & culture, parks, walks, shopping, health, property, developments, motoring and getting around. We cover the Centro Storico, Trevi and the Spanish Steps, Monti and the Colosseum, Trastevere, the Vatican and Prati, Testaccio and the Aventine, the Villa Borghese and Parioli, and Ostiense and EUR, with day trips to Tivoli, Ostia Antica, the Castelli Romani, Orvieto, and Naples and Pompeii.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as the Parco archeologico del Colosseo, the Vatican Museums, Roma Capitale and Turismo Roma, the Italian Ministry of Culture’s museums, Aeroporti di Roma, Trenitalia, Italo, ATAC, the Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato, UNESCO or The MICHELIN Guide. MICHELIN stars are quoted only from the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Italia. We use no ratings, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening hours, entry rules and timetables change often. Please check directly with each place, and with official sources, before you travel. Prices are in euros (€).

For venues

Run a venue in Rome and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The paving stones of the Via Appia Antica between umbrella pines and ancient tombs, by Livioandronico2013, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Mariano Rossi’s painted ceiling in the entrance hall of the Galleria Borghese, by Sailko, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Colosseum under a deep blue sky, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Borromini’s oval spiral staircase in Palazzo Barberini, seen from below, by Livioandronico2013, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Castel Sant’Angelo lit at night, reflected in the Tiber beside the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Mariano Rossi’s painted ceiling in the entrance hall of the Galleria Borghese, by Sailko, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A bowl of cacio e pepe: spaghetti with pecorino and black pepper, by Popo le Chien, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A greengrocer’s stall of artichokes, lemons and lettuces at the Campo de’ Fiori market, by Daderot, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A greengrocer’s stall of artichokes, lemons and lettuces at the Campo de’ Fiori market, by Daderot, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius on the Piazza del Campidoglio, before the Senator’s Palace, by BeEXT, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The brick ruins of the Baths of Caracalla beyond a lawn and an umbrella pine, by Vyacheslav Argenberg, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Spaghetti alla carbonara with guanciale and black pepper, by Luca Nebuloni, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A carciofo alla giudia, the crisp fried artichoke of Rome’s Jewish kitchen, by Mon Œil, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Vittoriano, the monument to Victor Emmanuel II, on the Piazza Venezia, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Castel Sant’Angelo lit at night, reflected in the Tiber beside the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lake Albano and the Alban Hills, seen from Castel Gandolfo, by Daderot, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A river god of Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers on the Piazza Navona, by Timothy A. Gonsalves, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The lawn and studio buildings of Cinecittà, with film-set statues under the pines, by Sonse, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the Colosseum: the arena floor, the underground passages and the tiers of the amphitheatre, by Paolo Costa Baldi, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Colosseum under a deep blue sky, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Piazza di Spagna and the Via dei Condotti at night, seen from the top of the Spanish Steps, by Carlo Pelagalli, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Fountain of the Organ in the gardens of the Villa d’Este, Tivoli, by Daderot, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The stairs and escalators of the new Colosseo–Fori Imperiali station of Metro C, by Emmeca, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gallery of Mirrors in the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, with its statues and painted vault, by Sailko, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The arched façade of the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana in EUR, against a blue sky, by Gunnar Klack, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A triumphal arch in the Roman Forum, with the church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami and the Vittoriano behind, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Canopus pool at Hadrian’s Villa, Tivoli, ringed by columns and statues, by Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Temple of Aesculapius on the lake of the Villa Borghese, with a rowing boat, by Pierre-Selim Huard, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rome’s rooftops and domes seen from the Pincio terrace under a blue sky, with the dome of St Peter’s on the skyline, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Piazza di Spagna and the Via dei Condotti at night, seen from the top of the Spanish Steps, by Carlo Pelagalli, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Piazza del Popolo seen from the Pincio terrace, with the dome of St Peter’s on the horizon, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Piazza del Popolo seen from the Pincio terrace, with the dome of St Peter’s on the horizon, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The stairs and escalators of the new Colosseo–Fori Imperiali station of Metro C, by Emmeca, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Trajan’s Forum and Markets in evening light, with the Torre delle Milizie and the rooftops of Monti, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Trajan’s Forum and Markets in evening light, with the Torre delle Milizie and the rooftops of Monti, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A river god of Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers on the Piazza Navona, by Timothy A. Gonsalves, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdam, by Michielverbeek, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin against a blue sky, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Royal Pavilion in Brighton under a blue sky, by Qmin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunset, by Olga Prystai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro in Paris, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peak, by Kabelleger / David Gubler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Peter’s Basilica in Rome under a clear blue sky, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina Bay, by Bijay Chaurasia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffs, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central Vienna, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The mosaics and carved portals of Orvieto Cathedral’s façade, by The Cosmonaut, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5 ca, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Ancient marble portrait heads in front of the machinery of the Centrale Montemartini, by Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Ancient marble portrait heads in front of the machinery of the Centrale Montemartini, by Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The palace ruins on the Palatine Hill, seen across the Circus Maximus, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The coffered dome of the Pantheon and its open oculus, by Ank Kumar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Temple of Aesculapius on the lake of the Villa Borghese, with a rowing boat, by Pierre-Selim Huard, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Temple of Aesculapius on the lake of the Villa Borghese, with a rowing boat, by Pierre-Selim Huard, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Piazza del Popolo seen from the Pincio terrace, with the dome of St Peter’s on the horizon, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Forum of Pompeii with Vesuvius beyond, by Commonists, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Ponte Sisto over the Tiber, the footbridge into Trastevere, reflected in the river, by Jorge Royan, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Piazza del Popolo seen from the Pincio terrace, with the dome of St Peter’s on the horizon, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Spaghetti alla carbonara with guanciale and black pepper, by Luca Nebuloni, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden apse mosaics of Santa Maria in Trastevere, by Livioandronico2013, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Piazza di Spagna and the Via dei Condotti at night, seen from the top of the Spanish Steps, by Carlo Pelagalli, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sistine Chapel, with Michelangelo’s ceiling and the Last Judgement on the altar wall, by Michelangelo, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The façade and dome of St Peter’s Basilica under a clear blue sky, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The platforms of Roma Termini under a blue sky, with the station’s name on its façade, by Thomas Dahlstrøm Nielsen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The brick ruins of the Baths of Caracalla beyond a lawn and an umbrella pine, by Vyacheslav Argenberg, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Fountain of the Organ in the gardens of the Villa d’Este, Tivoli, by Daderot, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The platforms of Roma Termini under a blue sky, with the station’s name on its façade, by Thomas Dahlstrøm Nielsen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Ponte Sisto over the Tiber, the footbridge into Trastevere, reflected in the river, by Jorge Royan, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden apse mosaics of Santa Maria in Trastevere, by Livioandronico2013, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Trevi Fountain and the Palazzo Poli above its turquoise basin, by NikonZ7II, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Trevi Fountain and the Palazzo Poli above its turquoise basin, by NikonZ7II, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The façade and dome of St Peter’s Basilica under a clear blue sky, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The spiral staircase of the Vatican Museums, seen from above, by Wilfredor, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The painted and gilded vault of the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Museums, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Vittoriano, the monument to Victor Emmanuel II, on the Piazza Venezia, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Temple of Aesculapius on the lake of the Villa Borghese, with a rowing boat, by Pierre-Selim Huard, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Ponte Sisto over the Tiber, the footbridge into Trastevere, reflected in the river, by Jorge Royan, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Christmas market stalls on the Piazza Navona, with Sant’Agnese in Agone and the obelisk, by Mitravabanerjee, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The façade and dome of St Peter’s Basilica under a clear blue sky, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.