One of the absolute highlights of my trip!…read more It was very busy when I visited in the afternoon, but I was expecting that. Even so, I decided to pay the €2 to access the lower section of the fountain -- and I'm so glad I did. The queue moved quickly, and once I saw the fountain up close, I was completely in awe. At that point, the €2 felt like nothing at all. I also went back another morning at 6 am, and it was a completely different experience. There were only a handful of people around, the sunrise was beautiful, and the atmosphere felt calm and magical. With no staff present, people were simply moving the fences to walk down closer to the fountain. I would highly recommend visiting -- it's easily one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

After all these years, it was nice to come back back & see this amazing fountain again…read more I can do without the crowds but unless u are here at the crack of dawn or late night I don't see how u can avoid the crowds. Beautiful fountain, well kept for sure one of those things that u should take the time to see while visiting Roma.

Honestly, save your time and your one euro coin. The church…read moreitself is beautiful, but the entire experience has been completely ruined by social media hype. We waited in line for a literal hour just to reach the famous "selfie mirror" to get a photo with the ceiling fresco. When you finally get to the front, you have to pay 1 euro, and you're rushed through it so fast you can barely even check if the photo turned out.

To think, I almost avoided visiting this STUNNING 17th-century church - Chiesa di Sant' Ignazio di…read moreLoyola, when visiting Rome, Italy (09/25/2025 - 10/01/2025) because it is Tik-Tok and IG "famous" for being the "mirrored church" to take an iconic selfie... yes, you read that correctly..iconic selfie. I was for sure it was going to be crowded w/ social media influencers and I was correct..it was crowded but don't let that deter you from seeing this historical beauty! Chiesa di Sant' Ignazio di Loyola is known as the "mirrored church" because it has a mirror strategically placed to see the beautiful painted ceiling fresco. (see pics & videos included in this review from my visit on Tuesday 09/30/2025 - at 10:56am) It also has a painted illusion of having a real soaring dome on a flat ceiling - very cool for sure and does make you look twice just to confirm it's indeed an illusion! Here are a few helpful fyi(s) that I wanted to pass along: --- - long line for the mirror right as you enter the church - if there is a line of people waiting for the mirror, you don't have to wait in that line if you don't want to take a selfie w/ the mirror and are only wanting to see the church...as someone else mentioned in a previous review, you can get creative w/ taking a selfie w/ the beautiful ceiling. My hubby & I took our selfie pic while we were sitting in the pew and used a timer on our phone (see pic included). ---- visit early to avoid the crowds & to fully enjoy your experience at this church Avoid the crowds so you can really take in how detailed and beautiful the architecture and paintings are. Trust me, you'll enjoy your experience so much more w/ less people. ---- it's free to visit but do bring some money w/ you to give as an offering --- just a reminder to be respectful when visiting because it is a holy place Chiesa di Sant' Ignazio di Loyola truly is something special and of the MANY Rome basilica's I've explored during my 2 visits to Rome, it is now my FAVORITE basilica thus far. Hope this info helps. :)) Rebecca visiting Rome, Italy from Austin, Texas (USA) 09/25/2025 - 10/01/2025

So sad the Piazza Venezia and its' surrounding area was under construction during the time of our…read morevisit. This is one of the most iconic and central squares in Rome, and I can even see some of its' elegance peeking out from behind the construction area.

A must stop if you're looking for free things to do. There are options to pay like they have a…read moremuseum and some other stuff otherwise you could totally walk through the piazza completely free. Many picture areas and has bathrooms, though it was crowded.

Buy a ticket online before you come, since we went by several times and there was always a long…read moreline. If you already have your online ticket, there was a very short line to the left to get inside. The Pantheon was built originally as a Roman temple and later changed into a church in the 7th century, so it is one of the best preserved ancient buildings in Rome. The Oculus, circular opening at the top of the dome lets in light and rain. The ceiling above is a work of art. Statues and art around the perimeter also delight the eyes. You can even pray at the pews in front of the altar. Inside, tombs of Raphael, Victor Emmanuel II, and Umberto I and others. Next to the Sistine Chapel, this was one of the most crowded places we visited.

While visiting Roma , this was one of our stops. No time to…read morevisit inside since our time was limited as our stop in Roma was during our Mediterranean cruise. Beautiful structure on the outside so grand, it's nice to see one of these days maybe next time we will be able to go inside.

Absolutely fantastic piece of History and landmark that should be cherished for all of future to…read moresee. Experience a Piece of History that was around since when Jesus Christ walked the earth and soak in the history of great Rome. Get your tickets well in advance and get ready to take some amazing pictures and make memories by yourself or with your loved ones. 5 glowing stars because anything less would truly be disrespectful and uncalled for. Thank you for preserving history!

The Colosseum is one of those rare places that somehow lives up to the hype…read more The exterior alone is breathtaking, but once inside, it's hard to fully comprehend the scale, history, and engineering of what you're looking at. Walking through the structure and surrounding grounds, I found myself imagining what it must have been like nearly 2,000 years ago. Thousands of spectators filling the stands, roaring crowds, and gladiators stepping into the arena knowing they were the main event. What fascinated me most was learning that the arena was even flooded for certain spectacles. It's incredible to think about the level of ambition and ingenuity involved in creating entertainment on that scale so long ago. I also enjoyed spending time exploring the areas around the Colosseum, which are beautiful in their own right and filled with layers of history. This isn't a place to rush through. Give yourself several hours, take your time, and let your imagination do some of the work. A must-see when visiting Rome and one of the most memorable historical sites I've ever experienced.

Wow I love the Campo de Fiori. The name means the field of flowers, because it used to be a field…read moreof flowers and vegetable gardens here before it became this square. Unfortunately from the 16th to 19th century this place became a public execution site. Yikes. The most famous execution was Giordano Bruno in 1600, in which there is now a statue in his honor for freedom of thought. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. Pass forward to present day. This area is lively with the open air markets where you can find vendors selling produce, flowers, spices, cheese, and artisanal goods. My boyfriend and I came here to explore the live market and also to look for souvenirs to bring home. The vendors here are really aggressive and I would have enjoyed it more if they gave me space to look instead of hound me to buy buy buy. Like chill dude can I look at what I'm buying. Sigh. We were here til closing time and even get to see how the vendors efficiently and quickly packed up their stalls and belongings to wrap up for the day. And of course... a great area to enjoy some gelato.

We're at Campo de' Fiori, Rome's oldest market and possibly the most enthusiastic display of…read moretourist traps per square meter. Once a site for public executions (Bruno's brooding statue still watches over), it now specializes in overpriced pasta and garlic braids. It's more performance art than produce. Vendors heckle, truffle oil flows freely, and yes, someone will try to sell you limoncello in a boot. I walked through as part of a food tour, which felt like the right way to enjoy the chaos, briefly, and with snacks elsewhere. Not the best market in Rome, but definitely the most theatrical.

Wonderful spot to come and visit to walk in the steps of historical Rome grounds. Walk the Spanish…read moresteps and take some great pictures here. 5 stars and grazie!

We arrived in the evening, and the whole area was still bustling, it genuinely felt like the city…read morewas alive around us. There's something about seeing a landmark like this lit up and full of energy after dark that hits differently than the daytime crowds you always hear about. The panoramic views from the top were beautiful. Even with the chill in the air, it was worth the climb just to take in that view over the city. I get why this place is so popular, there's a certain magic to it that photos don't quite capture. My only regret is not having more time to just sit at the fountain and take it all in, soaking up the atmosphere instead of rushing off to the next stop. Next time in Rome, we'll definitely return here again to get some more day time photos

We spent an afternoon wandering around Rome, making our way through different neighborhoods, and…read morecame across the Largo di Torre Argentina entirely by accident. It looked significant, so we walked over and read up on what we were seeing. Turns out this is where it is commonly believed that Julius Caesar met his et tu end. Rome, right? There's no avoiding sites of staggering historic importance. The site is now a sort of open square, fenced off in such a way that you can't just walk in but can see everything from the street. It contains four Roman Republican temples and the remains of Pompey's Theatre, apparently the first permanent theatre to be built in Rome, completed in 55 BC. Julius Caesar was assassinated at Pomepy's Theatre, so I guess even if it didn't happen within the square, it was certainly close enough. Two thousand years and change later, Largo di Torre Argentina became an official cat sanctuary, with a shelter opening in 1993. My husband visited Rome in 1997 and remembers seeing cats everywhere. He says there are noticeably fewer now, and I think we only saw one when we visited this square. Though did I see a cat, or do I just know, reading about the place now, that I was maybe supposed to see one? I honestly can't say. But in my mind, I can picture a cat, fluffy and grimy, resting by the fence. The picture of Caesar is less defined, but I can see him there too, leaving his blood in the square.

This open-air historic site includes (1) the ruins of the ancient Roman building where Caesar was…read moreassassinated and (2) cats. You can see most of the cats (and ruins) from the perimeter of the site. However, if you want to go down to ground level and get a closer look at the ruins and some signs explaining what you're looking at, you can get an entry ticket for €7. The cats are pretty friendly and may approach you.

Another cool piazza featuring an obelisk, a church, a fountain, outdoor shopping kiosks, indoor…read moreshops and restaurants featuring gelato, coffee and wine. This was my favorite of the piazzas that I visited. This area is walkable from the Pantheon.

Here's one more plaza to walk around & take in the site, very big statues on display, nice…read morefountain. The area is surrounded by restaurant & shops, gives you something to do either before or after you spend some time walking around & checking out the sites, it's a nice walk.

Great views of the city. Does charge for the best views, but probably worth it at sunsetread more

So, we went to the Borghese the day before and were surprised the second floor was closed...I…read morelooked online to see what the reason for the closure was and found it was due to renovations but....many of the works were moved here - the National Art Gallery at the Palazzo Barberini. And....if you had tickets from the Borghese your cost to get in here was just 5€ with no advance purchase needed.... We walked over and not on,y was the internet correct that we could get in for 5€ by showing our tickets from the Borghese, but NO ONE WAS HERE!!!! It was amazingly uncrowded and quiet..in September...in Rome...there is an amazing amount of fabulous art here and everyone is crowded into a few museums....and this isn't one of them, so I highly recommend a trip here if you want a break from the crowds. The museum is huge...we thought this was maybe a 1 hour activity but we were here several hours. The works from the Borghese were indeed here, but we saw so much more too. Staff were relaxed and friendly; I think they were also benefiting from the smaller crowds. Be ready to put all bags and water bottles into lockers. They take a 1€ coin that you get back when you pick up your items. The kind guard had some extra coins to loan to guests who like us didn't have change. Definitely don't miss this less crowded, and amazing museum.