We’ve come to the conclusion of our European travels. We likely still have a few posts up our sleeve, but Rome is the final destination on our 3-month tour of France and Italy. Fortunately, it was nothing like the cheesy horror movie (although I’m not gonna lie, I was a devoted Devon Sawa fangirl in the 90’s—he was right up there with JTT). Shhhhh, don’t tell Tom. Okay, enough about my embarrassing pre-teen crushes. Let’s talk about some free things to do in Rome!
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Much like Paris, Rome isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of budget travel. While we splurged a bit on food (shocking, I know) we only paid for admission at one site during our entire week in the Eternal City. It turns out that there are loads of free things to do in Rome.
1. Trastevere Neighborhood
We were lucky enough to snag an Airbnb in the Trastevere neighborhood on a quiet street right behind all the action. Even if you’re not staying here, it’s well worth a visit. Trees and bushes spring up from the cobblestone streets. Climbing vines creep along the plaster buildings and drape across alleys. You’ll find seemingly endless restaurants, animated nightlife, and plenty of piazzas with street musicians to serenade you.
2. Tiber River Walk
On the same bank as the Trastevere neighborhood below the main street level is a paved river walk. It’s lined with open air shops and restaurants, but just strolling along it at dusk and taking in the sights and scents is entertaining by itself. This was one of our favorite free things to do in Rome.
3. Trevi Fountain
I was prepared for Trevi Fountain to be beautiful and elegant. I wasn’t prepared for the enormity of this work of art. The fountain is colossal! Get there before 8:30 am and you’ll beat the throngs of tourists that arrive by mid-morning. You’ll also get to see the morning light streaming down on the pristine white stone.
4. Pantheon
One of the best-preserved ancient buildings in Rome, the Pantheon was originally meant to be a temple devoted to all gods. The architecture is astounding. The dome was the largest in the world for 1,000 years and remains the largest unsupported dome in the world today. There are no windows, so the only natural light that illuminates the interior is from the large hole at the very top of the dome.
It’s completely free to visit this architectural masterpiece but take note that the clothing police are very strict here (and most places in Rome for that matter). The dress code is taken seriously and nary a knee cap or shoulder can be showing if you want to gain entry. While I may not agree that there’s anything offensive about my joints, I do believe it’s important to respect the culture you’re visiting. See the essentials list below for some simple clothing recommendations to ensure you’re prepared to visit all the sites in Rome.
5. St. Peter’s Basilica
Inside Vatican City is the largest church in the world—St. Peter’s Basilica. You’ll likely have to stand in line for at least 45 minutes to go through security, but entry is free. The basilica contains beautiful artwork including Michelangelo’s Pieta—the only work he ever signed.
The Vatican museum is free the last Sunday of each month, however be prepared for very long lines. They were so bad on a non-free day that we ditched-out on our first attempt. Luckily on our second try, Tom’s injured knee gained us expedited entry. Thank you helpful tour sales lady for pointing us in the right direction and sorry we thought you were just trying to sell something.
Oh yeah, one final note on the Vatican City area: you’ll be hustled hard for tours. You may even be screamed at or followed. If you can’t tell, Vatican City wasn’t my favorite thing in Rome. St. Peter’s Basilica makes the list though because it’s truly a unique experience and for free, you really can’t beat the price.
6. Piazza Navona
Italian piazza’s are open public squares. They’re often edged by restaurants and frequented by street musicians. Piazza Navona is especially grand. It’s located in front of the stately Palazzo (Palace) Pamphilj and is home to not one, not two, but three large ornate fountains.
7. Gianicolo Hill and Terrazza Piazza Garibaldi
Located on the western edge of the Trastevere neighborhood this hill is a good place to get away from crowds and take in some sweeping city views. It’s especially magical at sunset. On your way up or down the hill take a stroll through Parco del Gianicolo. At the lower end of the park there’s a lovely fountain—Fontana dell’Acqua Paola—and another hill perfect for gazing upon the opulent city that was the heart of the Roman Empire.
8. Colosseum
So this one might be cheating a bit as far as free things to do in Rome go. The Colosseum isn’t always free (unless you’re under 18), but if you plan your trip right, it can be. The combo Colosseum and Roman Forum ticket is free the first Sunday of each month. Otherwise it’s 12€ ($14) which is still a good deal.
We heard that the lines would be exceedingly long on Free Sunday, but we arrived around 10 am and were inside the Colosseum within 45 minutes. If you get an earlyish start, the queues aren’t overly long.
9. Roman Forum
As I mentioned above, the Roman Forum ticket is free the first Sunday of each month or if you’re under 18 years old. This is another very popular tourist spot, but the wait was less than 10 minutes when we visited. Possibly because it was smack-dab in the middle of the blistering hot day.
Once inside the Forum, there’s a vast area to explore so it’s not super crowded. Walking among the ruins and looking out over the hills you can easily imagine the splendor of this city center that housed some of Rome’s most impressive temples and monuments. Or maybe I was just hallucinating from the heat. Either way, it was amazing to trod through these grand structures built so long ago in civilization’s past.
Rome Travel Essentials
Here are a few of the things we found essential during our visit to Rome.
- Scarf: As noted earlier, the church dress codes in Rome are taken very seriously. I always kept a lightweight scarf on-hand to throw over my shoulders or tie around my waist when visiting churches.
- Small Lock or Carabiner:While we fortunately didn’t have any more pickpocket experiences in Rome, the city is known for them. An easy solution is to run a small combo lock or carabiner through any zippers on backpacks or bags.
- Sunglasses: That intense heat I talked about above? It comes from the bright ball of fire in the sky so protect your eyes with a good pair of shades.
- Hat: In Rome you’re often in open spaces—the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Vatican City all have large areas in direct sunlight most of the day. My hat became my favorite accessory on our travels.
- Good Walking Shoes: You’ll be walking a lot so invest in a good pair of shoes. I prefer a sandal with good tread and arch support like this one.
Hopefully you’ve found some free things to do in Rome during your visit. It’s truly magnificent with a vibe all its own. There’s the electric hustle and bustle of a large city, but without the hustle. Where Paris feels like a sprint in a relay race, Rome feels like a jubilant stroll in the morning hours. Except that hardly anyone is out early in the day. If you start exploring by 8:30 or before, you’ll likely find empty streets and uncrowded ruins and monuments. It’s a place to take your time and let the rich history and culture soak into your skin.
Have you been to Rome? What was your favorite place to visit? And did you find any other free things to do?
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