Rome, the capital of Italy. Between great empires and excellent pizzas, there is no way you have never heard about this city. Rome is one of those crown jewels for us who enjoy traveling. This is one of those places you will end up regretting if you don’t visit. The beautiful city offers you gelato, pizza, history, piazzas, art and thousands of years of culture for you to enjoy. If you are planning your next trip to the Eternal City, there are a million things that you have to do. If it is the first time you are going and are eager to absorb everything about the city, these are the places you cannot exclude from your attractions list. Have your passport? Let’s go

The Colosseum

It would not be a trip to Rome if you didn’t visit their most famous attraction. Once used for entertainment (or I-have-to-kill-this-guy-before-he-kills-me spectacles, if you prefer to call them that), the Colosseum still vibrates with the energy it did all those years ago. Most people say it is the best-preserved Colosseum, while I think it is the one in Arles, France, the Roman Colosseum is just impressive. You will feel transported to ancient times. If you are a little in a low budget, you can purchase the standard ticket to enter. However, a guided tour will let you see places the standard ticket doesn’t let you. And if you are genuinely interested in learning about it, nothing better than a guide to explain every single detail to you.

The Roman Forum & The Palatine Hill

The good news about the Colosseum ticket, they are usable in here too. The tickets work for more than one day, so you don’t have to push everything in a day (unless you are only staying for a short time). If you are staying for a week or so, take your time with the attractions. One that is worth you are taking it slow and embracing the experience is the Roman Forum & The Palatine Hill. Palatine Hill was the first settlement in Rome, and the roman forum was the plaza beneath this settlement. Once, thousands of years ago, this piazza was filled with life and was the center of action of the city. For this one, in particular, do hire a guide or make your research well. It is much more interesting if you know what exactly are you looking at.

Vatican Museum

Now, regardless of your religion, you have to visit the iconic Vatican City. While technically not Rome, Vatican City is typical to the capital of Italy. While you are probably thinking just about St Peter’s Basilica (next site), there are a lot of other things you can do in the city. One of my favorites is visiting the museums. The Papal Throne, the Gallery of Maps, the Spiral Staircase, The Sistine Chapel. All of these are things that will leave you in awe when you meet them for the first time. Within the wide variety of Vatican Museums, there are 54 galleries and a bunch more of courtyards. Each one of these features all kinds of art that were collected throughout the centuries by different popes. The Vatican contains some of the most important art pieces there are. If you are an art lover, you’ll feel like a kid in a candy shop.

St Peter’s Basilica

This one was worth a subheading of its own. Though it is inside the Vatican, the Basilica is a must on its own. Being the largest church in the world, and having St Peter buried beneath it, this is one of the most important Catholic sites in the world. If you set that aside, it is still an impressive church. The architecture itself is crazy, and when entering, you’ll be able to see the impressive arcs and altar. Everything golden and filled until the last centimeter. You could stay there for hours just looking at the details, and it wouldn’t be enough to take everything in.

The Pantheon

Probably the most famous dome in the world, the pantheon is a former temple located in the Piazza della Rotonda. The building has now served as a church ever since the 7th century and has mass regularly. When you go in, stand in the middle of the building, then lookup. You’ll be transported back in time. Entrance is free; however, the temple is closed to tourists during the weekly mass. The circular opening in the dome will make the light come in in such a unique way that you won’t stand the temptation of taking some pictures. Or even better, stand there and see how the sun bathes everything inside the building.

River Tiber

Just go for a walk along with this place. Especially when you are already sick of all the tourists and people there are in the busy city. Take a bike or walk along the river. You can access the west bank through the steps down at the riverbanks. You’ll find these at any of the bridges crossing the river. The landscape itself is amazing; not only are you able to see murals and colorful buildings, but you can spot the dome of St Peter’s church on the horizon. If you are landmark spotting, don’t walk right next to the river, but on street level, since you’ll be able to see better. While anytime would be pleasant, sunset or sunrise make everything more dramatic, not only that but if you are looking for a romantic setting in, that is a great choice.

The Trevi Fountain

Toss a coin, and do it the right way. There are long heard superstitions about this fountain. The most famous one is that, if you toss a coin with your right hand over your left shoulder, you’ll be destined to return to Rome someday. If you want to take it to the next level, toss three: one to return to Rome, one to find true love, and one to get married. The money you throw into the fountain is collected and donated to charities, so think about it as helping others as well as yourself.