Location: Rome
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10 Ancient Ruins in Rome That You Shouldn't Miss
Rome wasn't built in a day--and you'll need much more than a day to take in this timeless city. The city is a real-life collage of piazzas, open-air markets, and astonishing historic sites. Toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain, contemplate the Colosseum and the Pantheon, and sample a perfect espresso or gelato before spending an afternoon shopping at the Campo de’Fiori or Via Veneto. Enjoy some of the most memorable meals of your life here, too, from fresh pasta to succulent fried artichokes or a tender oxtail stew.
Restaurants in Rome
1. Catacombe SS. Marcellino e Pietro - Mausoleo di S. Elena
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 127 reviews
Excavated below this location between the 3rd and 5th centuries CE, the Catacombs of the SS. Marcellino and Pietro house many tombs of very rich Christians who have left us wuonderful frescoes recently restored to their original splendor through laser technology. With its 18,000 square meters of galleries and chambers at about 16 meters below ground level, these catacombs represent an authentic tresure trove of Subterranean Christian Rome.
2. Palatine Hill
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 24,994 reviews
The commercial, political and religious center of ancient Rome, which features the Arch of Septimus Severus, Temple of Saturn, Arch of Titus and the House of the Vestals.
Reviewed By genie26c - Plymouth, United Kingdom
I would certainly advise pre-booking your tickets, or join a group tour to avoid the very long queues and group tours get to use a separate entrance too, which makes it even easier. We'd just been on an express tour of the Colosseum with 'Tour in the City' and wanted to see the Palentine Hill and Forum as well (your Colosseum ticket includes entry to Palentine Hill and Forum) so our Colosseum guide was able to arrange for us go with another tour company that they are affiliated with ('Fun Tours'), which meant we were able to get into the Palentine Hill/Forum and also tag onto that tour too - which was really informative and didn't take too long, maybe about 45 mins. Then we were left to our own devices. The Palentine Hill is surprisingly tranquil and has some beautiful views. it wasn't crowded and it was nice to simply walk about and take in the scenery and history of everything at our own pace. Thoroughly enjoyed it here and if we'd been a bit more organised, it would have been nice to bring refreshments/food and find a quiet place to sit and have a picnic.
3. Domus Aurea
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,324 reviews
The imperial estate of Nero was built in 64AD, which is comprised of a series of pavilions, set in an articulated garden with an artificial lake in its center.
Reviewed By Lesleyjane71 - Kent, United Kingdom
If you love archaeology and Ancient Rome is your thing, and if you are lucky enough to visit Rome over the course of a weekend then please do make sure you book for a guided visit of Domus Aurea. It is only open on a Saturday and Sunday and tickets must be booked on line, which can be a little daunting but well worth it. Despite what some people have written, the site entrance is easy enough to find. Head to the Piazza Del Colosseo and if you use the Oppio Café and the metro across from the Colosseum as your marker you can not go wrong. Turn Left and take a very short walk up the hill to the entrance of a Parco delle Colle Oppio. As you go in the entrance turn left and walk about 50 paces and you will see the entrance to the Domus Aurea and there will be guides and assistants waiting. Ignore the positioning of it on google maps. It will through you right of course! If you are early, do not be scared to walk around the park, there are fine ruins there of Trajan's baths which sit atop the buried ruins of the Domus. For some reason, people think that this is the Domus it is not. Yes there are some refugees sleeping in the park but to be honest they pose no threat. In fact you are more than likely to see them cleaning up the place. The area is full of dog walkers and runners and as a single female traveller, I felt absolutely safe in there. So now that the whereabouts of the entrance has hopefully been demystified, on to the visit. You go in your designated time group and don fetching hairnets and hard hats before being led underground by one of the archaeologists fortunate enough to work at the site and who will be very passionate about their work, so some may find this a little boring others will relish it. To be able to traverse the corridors of a fraction of this once vast and oppulent palace is phenominal. It is damp but well lit so take a light weight jacket or sweater, you may need it. You are free to take as many photos as you like. The VR is amazing and puts you right in the heart of the palace as it may once have been as well as giving you an idea of what the view across Rome from here would have been like. Word of advise, if you are light sensitive or suffer a bit of vertigo or balance problems then the VR headset is likely to make you feel a bit weasy. I had to lift mine up a few times just to get my head back straight. You are sitting down for the VR session so don't panic and it is well worth persevering with. You carry on with your tour and it is hard to believe that you are walking in the footsteps of Nero no matter how sadistic and twisted he was. There are a few wall frescos still visible, the rest having been removed to safe them from being completely ruined by the damp. Unfortnatuely they have now desided not excavate further as the cost of preserving the rest of the underground network of rooms and corridors is just to expensive both in monetary terms, manpower and the tecnologies needed to keep it from deteriorating but please rest assured, what you see is well worth it. Have a great trip!
4. Roman Walls
5. Terme di Caracalla
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,464 reviews
The ruins of ancient Rome's public bathhouse, dating back to the 3rd century.
Reviewed By Kufra - Rome, Italy
The Roman thermal bathhouses were the forerunners of the modern fitness and aquatic centres, just as are many practices in ancient Rome. This expansive ruin commissioned by Caesar Caracalla is no exception and is in fact an excellent example. Situated on the route one would take when walking from the Circus Maximus, the ancient Roman racetrack ruins, to the Porta Sebastiano, the southern gate of Rome's surrounding ancient walls leading to the Via Appia Antica, the ancient Roman highway to Brindisi, this imposing structure is surrounded by a green, parklike area, and includes the ruins of its olympic sized swimming pool, steam rooms, hottub, cold and tepid baths, and the structures where its exercise and weight rooms, running track, food court, music room, pleasure gardens, reading room, hair dresser's salon, and other related centres of its complex were located. It is an amazing glimpse into life in ancient Rome, centre to a superpower.
6. Catacombs of Saint Callixtus
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,801 reviews
Official underground cemetery of the Church of Rome in the 3rd century AD. Around half a million Christians were buried here, among them many martyrs and 16 popes. They are named after the deacon St. Callixtus who, at the beginning of the 3rd century AD, was assigned by Pope Zephyrinus to the administration of the cemetery. Since 1930 they have been entrusted to the custody of the Salesians of Don Bosco.
Reviewed By enjoyos - Munich, Germany
Very nice tour guide, impressive catacombs, interesting history! Only a handful of tourists because of Covid-19.
7. Mausoleo delle Fosse Ardeatine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 217 reviews
Reviewed By Passport770189
Another German atrocity for all the world to see, this time perpetrated against its former ally, Italy, whose foolish dictator Mussolini ignored his Fascist colleagues' advice to stay out of Germany's war and away from Hitler. Read up on the Italian partisans' Via Rasella attack on German troops occupying Rome that led Hitler to order the massacre in Robert Katz's "Death in Rome," which also details the massacre itself. Via Rasella is near the Spanish Steps, and also worth seeing to get a feel for what went on. Better yet, visit Rome's Museo Storico della Liberazione, located on Via Tasso in the former Gestapo HQ, to get a real feeling of how brutally savagely and treacherously Germany treated its former friend. Then, your visit to the caves will be a much more informed, and rightly indignant and emotional one.
8. Abbazia delle Tre Fontane
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 169 reviews
Reviewed By teemumantsinen
Peaceful place worth visiting. Featuring legends, saints, beer, etc. Aside historical and religious reasons (site of Paul's martyrdom legend), they brew and sell excellent trappist beer.
9. Forum of Augustus
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,288 reviews
Built in celebration over Augustus' victory over the murder of Caesar in 42 BC, this ancient site is dominated by the remains of the Temple of Mars.
Reviewed By shazbut - Melfort, Canada
We did this, palatine hill and the coliseum. I would suggest 4 -5 hours to adequately give yourself enough time to take it all in. They are all connected so it makes sense just to do them all at once.
10. Mercati di Traiano - Museo dei Fori Imperiali
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,187 reviews
The Markets of Trajan are an archaeological complex of uniqueness in Rome, perhaps even worldwide. They represent an area that has experienced the evolution of the city from the imperial age to today; an area that has been constantly recycled and transformed. The markets once the strategic administrative centre of the Imperial Forums, successively became a noble residence, a military fortress, a prestigious convent and a barracks... a continuous evolution.
Reviewed By JonathonGreen
Brings the Mercati di Traiano to life.Also provides a fascinating introduction to the Imperial forums.Has multimedia displays,explanatory panels and some archeological artefacts.Best bit is wandering around the ruins.
