We photograph in Rome all year round, and the question we hear most from our clients after a session is simple: "What should we do with the rest of our time here?" This is the list we give them. It mixes the big names you cannot skip with a few places locals actually go, plus the small details that make each visit easier: when to arrive, what to book in advance and where the light is best if you want a good photo.
Opening hours and ticket rules in Rome change more often than you would think, so for anything you need to book, check the official site we link to before you go. Rome's official tourism site is a good starting point.
1. The Colosseum
There is no way around it, and you should not try. Standing inside the arena, it is easy to picture the 50,000 spectators who once filled these tiers. Tickets are timed and sell out in high season, so book through the official channels listed by Rome Tourism rather than buying from people outside. The arena floor and underground levels need a separate ticket type and are worth it if you are curious about how the games actually worked.
Photo tip: the outside is at its best at sunrise, when the stone turns warm and the square is empty. It is the first stop on most of our couple photoshoots in Rome.
2. The Roman Forum
Right next to the Colosseum, the Forum was the centre of public life for centuries: temples, law courts, triumphal arches. Without context it can look like a field of broken columns, so take a guide or download an audio guide. The same combined ticket usually covers the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine Hill.
3. Palatine Hill
According to legend, this is where Romulus founded the city. Today it is one of the calmest corners of the archaeological park, with pine trees, ruined palaces and a view down over the Forum that most visitors miss because they run out of energy. Go in the afternoon after the Forum, and bring water.
4. Trevi Fountain
Beautiful and, for most of the day, packed. If you want to actually see it, come before 7 in the morning or late at night when it is lit. Toss a coin over your left shoulder with your right hand and, the story goes, you will return to Rome. Access rules around the fountain have changed in recent years, so check the current situation before you plan around it.
Photo tip: this is one of the most requested spots for a surprise proposal, but only at sunrise. At noon there is no way to have a quiet moment here.
5. The Pantheon
Almost two thousand years old and still standing, with the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. The light coming through the oculus moves across the floor during the day, and on a rainy day you can watch the rain fall straight inside. The Pantheon now has a small entry ticket; see the Pantheon site for times.
6. The Spanish Steps
The 135 steps between Piazza di Spagna and the church of Trinità dei Monti are a classic meeting point. You are no longer allowed to sit on them, so enjoy them on the move, and walk to the top for the view over the rooftops. Via Condotti, the street running away from the steps, is Rome's luxury shopping street, and Caffè Greco, one of the oldest cafés in the city, is just around the corner.
7. Piazza Navona
Built on the outline of an ancient stadium, which is why it is long and oval. Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers stands in the middle. The cafés on the square are expensive; take a cappuccino at Caffè Domiziano for the view once, then eat in the streets behind it.
8. The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel
You need at least three hours, a pre-booked ticket and comfortable shoes. The route ends in the Sistine Chapel, where photos are not allowed, so put the phone away and just look up. The museums are closed on most Sundays; check the calendar on the official Vatican Museums site.
9. St. Peter's Basilica and the dome
Entry to the basilica is free, but the security queue can be long, so come early. Climbing the dome (partly by lift, partly by narrow stairs) gives you the best view in Rome. Shoulders and knees must be covered. Details are on the St. Peter's Basilica website.
10. Trastevere
Across the river, Trastevere is ivy on old walls, laundry between windows and small squares full of tables in the evening. It is the part of Rome our clients fall in love with most. For dinner, Da Enzo al 29 and Osteria der Belli serve honest Roman food; expect a queue at the first one.
Photo tip: walk here just after sunrise, before the shutters go up, for the softest light of the day.
11. Campo de' Fiori
A food and flower market in the morning (usually Monday to Saturday until early afternoon) and one of the liveliest squares at night. The statue in the middle is Giordano Bruno, the philosopher burned here in 1600. From here, Via Giulia and the Farnese palace are a short walk away.
12. Galleria Borghese
A small museum with some of the best sculpture in the world: Bernini's Apollo and Daphne and The Rape of Proserpina, plus Caravaggio and Raphael. Entry is only by timed reservation with a limited number of visitors, which makes the visit calm. Book well ahead through the gallery's official booking service (see Rome Tourism).
13. Villa Borghese and the Pincio Terrace
After the museum, stay in the park. You can rent a rowing boat on the small lake, cycle along the shaded paths or simply lie on the grass. Walk to the Pincio Terrace for sunset over Piazza del Popolo; it is one of our favourite places to end a family photoshoot, because children have room to run.
14. Castel Sant'Angelo
Built as Emperor Hadrian's tomb, later a fortress and papal refuge. The terrace at the top looks straight down the road to St. Peter's. The bridge in front, lined with Bernini's angels, is lovely at blue hour.
15. The Aventine Keyhole and the Orange Garden
On the Aventine Hill, peek through the keyhole of the Knights of Malta's door and you will see the dome of St. Peter's perfectly framed by a garden path. A few steps away, the Orange Garden has one of the most romantic views of the city. It is quiet even in summer.
16. The Baths of Caracalla
Huge, roofless and far less crowded than the Forum. Walking between walls that are still dozens of metres high gives you a real sense of scale. In summer, the baths host open-air opera and ballet.
17. The Appian Way
One of the oldest roads of the Roman world, still paved with original stones in places. Rent a bike on a Sunday, when parts of it are closed to traffic, and ride past tombs, catacombs and umbrella pines.
18. A morning at a local market
For food rather than souvenirs, go to the Testaccio market: stalls with fresh pasta, cheese, fruit and some of the best street food in the city. Testaccio is a real neighbourhood, not a tourist area, and that is exactly its charm.
19. Sunset on the Gianicolo Hill
Above Trastevere, the Gianicolo terrace gives you a wide view over the whole centre. A cannon is fired from here every day at noon. It is a short, steep walk, and absolutely worth it at sunset.
20. Take home photos you are actually in
Most travellers come back from Rome with hundreds of pictures and none of themselves. A one-hour session with a local photographer fixes that, and it is often the part of the trip people remember most. If you are curious, here is how a holiday photoshoot in Rome works, or see all photoshoots in Rome with prices.
How to fit it all in
Three full days are enough for the essentials if you group them by area: day one for the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine; day two for the Vatican and Castel Sant'Angelo; day three for the Pantheon, Navona, Trevi, the Spanish Steps and Villa Borghese, ending in Trastevere for dinner. Book the Colosseum, the Vatican and the Borghese before you arrive, wear shoes you can walk ten kilometres in and carry a refillable bottle: the "nasoni" drinking fountains all over the city have free, cold water.
Planning a photoshoot in Rome?
Fixed packages with clear prices, edited photos in a few days and online booking in a few steps.
