Bucket list experience:
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Credit Shutterstock.com/Diliana Nikolova
Rome was officially born on 21 April 753 BC when the sons of Mars, Romulus and Remus, were found suckled by a she-wolf on the Palatine Hill. It was the favourite address of the Etruscan and Roman elite, and emperors whose magnificent Flavian residence overlooked the Forum. Although the imperial box is long gone, the Palatine offers the best views over the remains of the Circus Maximus, which once sat 300,000 people for chariot races.
Archaeologists have pinpointed the House of Tiberius, Temple of Cybele, Nero’s revolving dining room and the Domus Flavia, all amid the beautiful 17th-century Farnese Gardens.
Orti Farnesiani, set behind the pavilions and divided by a small terrace, is a splendid ancient garden extends from the slopes to the top of Palatine Hill.
The Palatine Museum houses statues and finds going back centuries before Rome’s ‘official’ foundation. An extraordinary archaeological find, Il Lupercale, is believed to be the sacred grotto where the she-wolf protected Romulus and Remus. It’s still being excavated and cannot be visited.
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Destination Guide >Although there’s a separate entrance to the Palatine (Circo Massimo and Colosseo are the nearest metro stations), most visitors simply walk up from the Forum. Some sights, such as the House of Augustus, have only limited opening hours so check the website for times.
Allow half a day to see the Forum and Palantine Hill – and these are definitely locations where you want to book on a guided tour to understand what you are seeing.
The Roman Forum, Palatine and Colosseum, all next to each other, are included in one entrance ticket.
The site is open all year round, seven days a week.
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Rome, Lazio, Italy[0.6 miles]
An intimate luxury hotel secluded on a quiet street, just above the heart of ancient Rome, with a delightful rooftop garden.
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Rome, Lazio, Italy[0.7 miles]
An elegant, centrally-located hotel in a Renaissance palace, with the most spectacular Colosseum views in Rome.
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Rome, Lazio, Italy[1 miles]
A romantic, affordable hotel in a villa on the Aventine hill – central Rome’s haven of serenity. Within walking distance of many city sights.
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Rome, Lazio, Italy[1.1 miles]
Sophisticated yet approachable, this boutique hotel offers edgy Roman street art, a hip cocktail bar-cum-co-working space, and an enviable central location a stroll away from Rome’s A-list sights.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Lazio, Italy
The Eternal City – 2,000 extraordinary years of glory, greatness and triumph – and decadence, murder and destruction – evidenced by some of the world’s most iconic, must-see monuments and museums.
Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Rome, Lazio, Italy[0.4 miles]
An archaeological treasure map packed with Rome’s most ancient shrines, temples, and landmarks – the Forum was the heart, soul and nerve centre of the ancient Roman Empire.
Best for ages: 18+ | £15
Rome, Lazio, Italy[0.4 miles]
Built by Emperor Vespasian in the 1st Century AD, Rome’s magnificent and iconic Colosseum, steeped in gory gladiatorial history is a must-see. Let the games begin!
Best for ages: 8+ | £14
Rome, Lazio, Italy[0.6 miles]
Three museums on one complex, founded in 1471, packed with ancient Roman, Greek and Egyptian statues. Look out for the Capitoline Wolf and the statue of Marcus Aurelius.
Best for ages: 18+ | £12
Rome, Lazio, Italy[1.1 miles]
A lavish treasure-filled palazzo housing paintings and furniture assembled since the 16th century by the Doria, Pamphilj, Landi and Aldobrandini families. Rome’s most impressive private art collection also includes works by Titian, Guercino, and Caravaggio.
Best for ages: 18+ | £10
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Rome, Lazio, Italy[0.2 miles]
Located on the Via Sacra, just southeast of the Forum, the Arch of Titus was built in 82 AD by Emperor Domitian. It has inspired other triumphal aches around the world since, most notably the Arc de Triomphe.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Rome, Lazio, Italy[0.3 miles]
Located between the Colosseum and Palatine, the triumphal arch – the Arch of Constantine – was built by Emperor Constantine in AD 315. Art was at a nadir: most of the carvings were pilfered off earlier monuments.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Rome, Lazio, Italy[0.7 miles]
Adjacent to Capitoline Hill, this enormous, gleaming white marble was built in 1935 to honour the first king of Italy. It houses the Museum of Reunification, and Italy’s Tomb of the unknown soldier.
Best for ages: 18+ | £6
Rome, Lazio, Italy[0.8 miles]
This tremendous series of squares (fora) were among the greatest works of the Romans. Trajan’s includes library, Trajan’s Column and the well-preserved Trajan’s Market – the ‘world’s first shopping mall’.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Round-ups that include this experience
Multiple countries
Leading European travel writer Dana Facaros, with a passionate interest in archaeological sites, round-ups the best ruins and remnants of arguably the world’s greatest empire.
