Find places in Holy See (Vatican City)

Must-Haves

• St Peter's Basilica (St Peter's Square)
  The largest church in Christendom, home to Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's bronze canopy.
• Vatican Museums (Viale Vaticano entrance)
  One of the world's great art collections, ending in the Sistine Chapel.
• Sistine Chapel (Vatican Museums)
  Michelangelo's ceiling and Last Judgment, seen at the end of the museum route.
• Raphael Rooms (Vatican Museums)
  Four frescoed rooms including The School of Athens, painted for the popes by Raphael and his workshop.

Fun for Everyone

• Gallery of Maps (Vatican Museums)
  A long gilded corridor lined with painted maps of sixteenth century Italy.

Must-Haves

• St Peter's Dome climb (St Peter's Basilica)
  Climb inside Michelangelo's dome for a sweeping view over the square and the rooftops of Rome.
• St Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro)
  Bernini's vast embracing colonnade, the obelisk and the Swiss Guard at the gates.

Off the Beaten Path

• Vatican Necropolis Scavi tour (Under St Peter's Basilica)
  A small group tour of the Roman cemetery beneath the basilica, believed to hold the tomb of Saint Peter.
• Pietà (St Peter's Basilica)
  Michelangelo carved this tender marble when he was in his twenties, and it is the only work he signed.

Fun for Everyone

• Swiss Guard at the Arch of the Bells (St Peter's Square)
  The guards in Renaissance striped uniforms are a favourite sight for children and photographers.

Off the Beaten Path

• Vatican Gardens (Vatican Museums)
  Fountains, woodland and lawns that cover much of the country, visited only by guided tour.

Great for Date Night

• Dome terrace at sunset (St Peter's Basilica)
  Late afternoon light over the square and the Tiber makes the climb unforgettable.

Must-Haves

• Papal General Audience (St Peter's Square)
  The Pope's Wednesday morning address, free with tickets from the Papal Household.
• Sunday Angelus (St Peter's Square)
  At noon most Sundays the Pope prays the Angelus from a window above the square, with no ticket needed.
• Christmas Mass at St Peter's (St Peter's Basilica)
  The Pope's Christmas celebrations, one of the great events of the Catholic year, with free tickets requested well ahead.
• Easter at the Vatican (St Peter's Square)
  Holy Week liturgies and the Urbi et Orbi blessing draw huge crowds to the square.

Great for Date Night

• Vatican Museums Friday nights (Vatican Museums)
  Seasonal evening openings let you see the galleries in a softer, quieter light.

Fun for Everyone

• Vatican Post Office (St Peter's Square)
  Send a postcard with Vatican stamps and a Vatican postmark, a classic small souvenir.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Vatican Museums shops (Vatican Museums)
  Prints, books and replicas from the collections, with proceeds supporting the museums.

Fun for Everyone

• Vatican Museums cafeteria (Vatican Museums)
  A handy place to rest and refuel midway through a long museum visit.

Must-Haves

• Castel Sant'Angelo (Lungotevere Castello)
  Hadrian's tomb turned papal fortress, with a rooftop terrace looking straight at St Peter's.

Off the Beaten Path

• Santo Spirito in Sassia (Borgo Santo Spirito)
  A quiet Renaissance church beside the old hospital, dedicated to Divine Mercy.
• Santa Maria in Traspontina (Via della Conciliazione)
  A Carmelite church on the avenue to St Peter's that most visitors walk past.

Off the Beaten Path

• Passetto di Borgo (Borgo)
  The raised corridor popes used to flee to Castel Sant'Angelo, sometimes open on special tours.

Must-Haves

• Via della Conciliazione (Borgo)
  The grand avenue to St Peter's, with the classic view of the dome straight ahead.

Great for Date Night

• Ponte Sant'Angelo (Lungotevere)
  Bernini's angels line the bridge, magical at dusk with the castle lit behind.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Borgo Pio (Borgo)
  A pedestrian lane of trattorias, pilgrim shops and cafés just behind the colonnade.

Fun for Everyone

• Borgo Santo Spirito river walk (Lungotevere)
  Steps down to the Tiber banks for a quiet walk and summer stalls.

Fun for Everyone

• Religious goods shops of Borgo Pio (Borgo Pio)
  Rosaries, icons and medals, many of which can be blessed at a papal audience.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Columbus (Via della Conciliazione)
  A fifteenth century palazzo with frescoed halls just steps from St Peter's.

Fun for Everyone

• Parco Adriano (Castel Sant'Angelo)
  Gardens around the castle walls, good for a picnic and a playground break.

Must-Haves

• Pizzarium Bonci (Via della Meloria)
  Gabriele Bonci's famous pizza by the slice, with creative toppings that change daily.
• Il Sorpasso (Via Properzio)
  A lively wine bar and kitchen loved by locals for cured meats and Roman dishes.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Dal Toscano (Via Germanico)
  A long-running Tuscan restaurant known for grilled steak and handmade pasta.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercato Trionfale (Via Andrea Doria)
  One of Rome's biggest covered food markets, full of locals and fresh produce.
• Franchi (Via Cola di Rienzo)
  A classic gastronomia famous for its fried bites and cured meats.

Must-Haves

• Via Cola di Rienzo (Prati)
  Prati's long shopping street of department stores, shoe shops and delis.

Fun for Everyone

• Castroni (Via Cola di Rienzo)
  A historic coffee roaster and international food store packed with treats.

Must-Haves

• Sciascia Caffè (Via Fabio Massimo)
  An old Roman coffee bar famous for espresso poured over melted chocolate.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Gelateria dei Gracchi (Via dei Gracchi)
  Natural, seasonal gelato made the traditional way.

Fun for Everyone

• Old Bridge Gelateria (Viale dei Bastioni di Michelangelo)
  A tiny gelato counter beside the Vatican walls, perfect after the museums.

Off the Beaten Path

• Palace of Justice (Piazza Cavour)
  The vast, ornate law courts locals nicknamed the Palazzaccio.
• Museum of the Souls of Purgatory (Lungotevere Prati)
  A strange little museum of scorched handprints inside the Gothic church of Sacro Cuore del Suffragio.

Fun for Everyone

• Piazza Cavour gardens (Piazza Cavour)
  A shady square with benches and a playground between Prati and the river.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lungotevere plane trees walk (Lungotevere Prati)
  A shaded riverside stroll between Ponte Cavour and Ponte Umberto.

Must-Haves

• Santa Maria in Trastevere (Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere)
  One of Rome's oldest churches, with glowing medieval mosaics.

Off the Beaten Path

• Santa Cecilia in Trastevere (Piazza di Santa Cecilia)
  A peaceful church with Maderno's moving statue of the saint and a Cavallini fresco.
• Tempietto del Bramante (San Pietro in Montorio)
  Bramante's tiny perfect Renaissance temple in a quiet courtyard.

Great for Date Night

• Villa Farnesina (Via della Lungara)
  A Renaissance villa with Raphael's Galatea and frescoed loggias.

Great for Date Night

• Gianicolo terrace (Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi)
  A hilltop view across all of Rome, with the noon cannon firing daily.

Off the Beaten Path

• Orto Botanico di Roma (Largo Cristina di Svezia)
  Rome's botanical garden, a green escape at the foot of the Gianicolo.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Porta Portese market (Porta Portese)
  Rome's famous Sunday flea market for clothes, antiques and bargains.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Da Enzo al 29 (Via dei Vascellari)
  A tiny trattoria serving some of Rome's most loved carbonara and artichokes.
• Roma Sparita (Piazza di Santa Cecilia)
  Famous for cacio e pepe served in a crisp cheese bowl.

Fun for Everyone

• Tonnarello (Via della Paglia)
  A busy, cheerful trattoria known for pasta served straight from the pan.

Must-Haves

• Seu Pizza Illuminati (Via Angelo Bargoni)
  Inventive Neapolitan style pizza that has become a Rome destination.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bar San Calisto (Piazza di San Calisto)
  A gritty, much loved bar where students and locals spill into the piazza.

Fun for Everyone

• Freni e Frizioni (Via del Politeama)
  An aperitivo bar in an old garage, full of young Romans at sunset.

Must-Haves

• Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà (Via di Benedetta)
  A tiny pub pouring a big range of Italian craft beer.

Fun for Everyone

• Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere at night (Trastevere)
  Street musicians and crowds on the fountain steps make an easy evening.

Off the Beaten Path

• Fontana dell'Acqua Paola (Via Garibaldi)
  The grand fountain locals call il Fontanone, with a view over the city.

Fun for Everyone

• Festa de' Noantri (Trastevere)
  Trastevere's July street festival with a procession of the Madonna and food stalls.

Must-Haves

• Pantheon (Piazza della Rotonda)
  The best preserved building of ancient Rome, with its open oculus to the sky.
• San Luigi dei Francesi (Navona)
  Three Caravaggio paintings of Saint Matthew in a free to enter church.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sant'Ignazio di Loyola (Piazza di Sant'Ignazio)
  A painted ceiling and false dome that trick the eye.
• Chiostro del Bramante (Arco della Pace)
  A Renaissance cloister with exhibitions and a café overlooking the arches.

Great for Date Night

• Galleria Doria Pamphilj (Via del Corso)
  A private palace collection with Velázquez's portrait of Innocent X.

Must-Haves

• Piazza Navona (Navona)
  Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers in a Baroque oval square.
• Trevi Fountain (Trevi)
  Rome's most famous fountain, best seen early in the morning.

Off the Beaten Path

• Largo di Torre Argentina (Largo Argentina)
  Temple ruins where Caesar was killed, now also a cat sanctuary.

Fun for Everyone

• Spanish Steps (Piazza di Spagna)
  The grand staircase between the boutiques of Via Condotti and Trinità dei Monti.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Campo de' Fiori market (Campo de' Fiori)
  A morning market square that turns into a lively meeting place by night.

Great for Date Night

• Via dei Coronari (Navona)
  A quiet street of antique shops and galleries.

Must-Haves

• Roscioli (Via dei Giubbonari)
  A deli and restaurant famous for carbonara, burrata and cured meats.

Great for Date Night

• Armando al Pantheon (Salita de' Crescenzi)
  A family trattoria by the Pantheon serving Roman classics since the sixties.
• Da Francesco (Piazza del Fico)
  A lively pizzeria and trattoria near Piazza Navona.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Forno Campo de' Fiori (Campo de' Fiori)
  Pizza bianca and slices straight from a busy bakery.

Must-Haves

• Sant'Eustachio Il Caffè (Piazza di Sant'Eustachio)
  A legendary coffee bar roasting over wood since the thirties.
• La Casa del Caffè Tazza d'Oro (Via degli Orfani)
  Strong espresso and granita di caffè with cream next to the Pantheon.

Fun for Everyone

• Giolitti (Via degli Uffici del Vicario)
  Rome's old school gelato parlour, a favourite of families.

Great for Date Night

• Jerry Thomas Speakeasy (Vicolo Cellini)
  A hidden cocktail bar with a password door.

Fun for Everyone

• Bar del Fico (Piazza del Fico)
  An aperitivo spot under a fig tree where locals play chess.

Great for Date Night

• Hotel Raphael (Largo Febo)
  An ivy covered hotel near Piazza Navona with a rooftop terrace.

Must-Haves

• Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo (Piazza della Libertà)
  The former papal summer residence, opened as a museum of papal life.

Off the Beaten Path

• San Tommaso da Villanova (Piazza della Libertà)
  A church designed by Bernini on the main square.

Must-Haves

• Barberini Gardens (Pontifical Villas)
  Formal gardens and Roman ruins of Domitian's villa, visited on guided tours.

Fun for Everyone

• Lake Albano (Lungolago)
  A volcanic lake below the town, with summer beach clubs and paddle boats.

Off the Beaten Path

• Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani (Castelli Romani)
  Woodland walks around the volcanic lakes south of Rome.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Piazza della Libertà (Centro)
  The little main square with Bernini's fountain and cafés facing the palace.

Off the Beaten Path

• Nemi (Castelli Romani)
  A neighbouring lake village known for wild strawberries and Roman ship remains.

Fun for Everyone

• Frascati (Castelli Romani)
  A hill town of villas and wine bars an easy train ride from Rome.

Great for Date Night

• Antico Ristorante Pagnanelli (Via Antonio Gramsci)
  A family restaurant with a terrace hanging over the lake and a deep wine cellar.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Fraschette of Ariccia (Ariccia)
  Rustic taverns serving porchetta, local wine and cheese on long tables.