The Photographer’s Guide: 20 Iconic Views of Rome

In this guide, we cover where to get the best views of Rome with practical information on how you can get the same photos.

Best Views of Rome: On a Map

Best Views of Rome

In no particular order, here is our list of the best views of Rome.

1. The Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica

For one of the best panoramic views of Rome, climb to the top of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. From here, you get an aerial view of St. Peter’s Square, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Tiber River, and the heart of historic Rome.

The view from the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica | Best Views of Rome

2. Palatine Hill

Terrazza Belvedere del Palatino is located on Palatine Hill, sitting just above the Roman Forum. From here, not only do you get the best view of the Roman Forum, but you will also see the Colosseum, Capitoline Hill, and a portion of the Altar of the Fatherland.

The Roman Forum and Colosseum

Roman Forum

Roman Forum

3. Capitoline Hill

From Capitoline Hill, you get another very nice view of the Roman Forum. It’s not quite as good as from Terrazza Belvedere del Palatino, but it is free to visit and very easy to add on to the Capitoline Museums, if you are planning a visit here.

There are two different viewpoints on Capitoline Hill.

For the best view of the Roman Forum from Capitoline Hill, walk between Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Senatorial Palace on Via del Campidoglio to Terrazza sul Foro for this view of the Roman Forum:

Roman Forum from Terrazza sul Foro

There is a second viewpoint of the Roman Forum and Via dei Fori Imperiali. It’s not quite as good, but it is just a short walk to get here. From Campidoglio Square, walk between the Senatorial Palace and Palazzo Nuovo, look for the replica of Lupa Capitolina (the she-wolf statue) on your right, and walk out to the terrace for this view:

4. Caffarelli Terrace, Capitoline Museums

Caffarelli Terrace (Terrazza Caffarelli) is a rooftop terrace and small café on top of the Capitoline Museums.

From here, you get another nice view of the Roman Forum. It’s not quite as good as from Terrazza Belvedere del Palatino or Terrazza sul Foro, but it is free to visit and you can enjoy the view with a drink or bite to eat. It’s a nice place to take a break after touring the Capitoline Museums.

The view of the Roman Forum from Caffarelli Terrace

The view looking towards the Theatre of Marcellus

5. Views of the Colosseum

For close up views of the Colosseum, take some time to walk around the entire building. This takes about 15 minutes, depending on how frequently you stop for photos.

For one of the best views of the Colosseum, to go Giardinetto del Monte Oppio. This small park is located next to the Colosseo metro station, it’s free to visit, and this is the view that you get:

The view from Giardinetto del Monte Oppio | Best Views of Rome

6. Inside of the Colosseum

Filling your camera’s memory card with images of the inside of the Colosseum is probably already on your to-do list, but from the Colosseum, you also get a very nice view of the Arch of Constantine and Palatine Hill.

From the west end of the Colosseum, you get a magnificent view of the interior of the Colosseum and the arena floor.

The Colosseum

From here, turn around and walk to the exterior of the Colosseum. This takes you to a terrace that overlooks the Arch of Constantine, with views of Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Here is the view.

Arch of Constantine

For more clarification, below is a photo of the Colosseum, taken near the Arch of Constantine, with a view of the terrace.

7. Altar of the Fatherland

This is one of our favorite views of Rome. From the top of the Altar of the Fatherland, you get 360° views of the city and you can see all of Rome’s major landmarks, including the Colosseum, St. Peter’s Basilica, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum.

The Altar of the Fatherland, also called Altare della Patria, the Victor Emmanuel II Monument, or simply the “wedding cake,” is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Italy.

The monument sits on Piazza Venezia, within walking distance of the Roman Forum and the Capitoline Museums.

It is free to visit the Altar of the Fatherland, but to get to the top level, you will have to pay a few euros to ride the elevator. It’s worth it!

Overlooking Piazza Venezia

Top of the Altar of the Fatherland

The view of the Colosseum and Roman Forum from the Altar of the Fatherland

8. Gianicolo Hill (Janiculum Terrace)

For a sweeping view of Rome, visit Belvedere del Gianicolo. This scenic viewpoint is located on top of Gianicolo hill (also called the Janiculum). It is the second-tallest hill in Rome and the views from here are breathtaking.

Gianicolo Hill | Best Views of Rome

9. The View from Castel Sant’Angelo

Castel Sant’ Angelo, also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, was originally built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian and his family. Later, it was used as a fortress, a prison, a castle, and now it is a museum.

Our favorite part of visiting Castel Sant’Angelo were the views from the upper terrace, looking out across Rome.

From here, you have almost 360° views of Rome, with views of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pont Sant’Angelo, and the historic heart of Rome.

The view of Vatican City

The view from Castel Sant’Angelo

Upper terrace of Castel Sant’Angelo

10. Ponte Umberto I

Ponte Umberto I crosses the Tiber River just a short walk from Castel Sant’Angelo. From this bridge, you can photograph Ponte Sant’Angelo and St. Peter’s Basilica with the Tiber River. You will not see Castel Sant’Angelo from this bridge, since trees block the view.

The view from Ponte Umberto I | Best Views of Rome

11. Views of Castel Sant’Angelo

To capture Castel Sant’Angelo in photos, you have several options.

One of the best places to photograph Castel Sant’Angelo is from Ponte Sant’Angelo. This is the bridge that crosses the Tiber River in front of the entrance to Castel Sant’Angelo.

Pont Sant’Angelo

From Ponte Sant’Angelo, walk along the southern bank of the Tiber River towards Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II. This is the view:

The view of Pont Sant’Angelo and Castel Sant’Angelo

Finally, from Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II, you get yet another great view of Castel Sant’Angelo.

The view from Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II

12. From a Rooftop Bar

There are many rooftop bars in Rome and some offer better views than others. We spent our last trip to Rome trying out quite a few of these rooftop bars and restaurants. Here are three of our favorites:

Oro Bistrot. The view from this rooftop bar is awesome, as you look across Trajan’s Forum to the Altar of the Fatherland. The food and drinks are great, too.

The view from Oro Bistrot | Best Views of Rome

Divinity Rooftop. This small rooftop bar and restaurant has a spectacular view of the corkscrew (the top of the Church of St. Ives at the Sapienza) and the Pantheon.

Divinity Rooftop

Trevi Rooftop. From this very small rooftop bar, get a bird’s eye view of the Trevi Fountain.

Trevi Rooftop

13. Pincio Terrace

From Pincio Terrace (Terrazza Pincio), you get a beautiful view of Piazza del Popolo. This terrace is located on the west end of the Villa Borghese Gardens. It is free to visit and open 24 hours a day.

Piazza del Popolo

14. Terrazza Viale del Belvedere

This viewpoint, which is located next to Villa Borghese Gardens, looks across the rooftops to the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica and the historic heart of Rome.

Terrazza Viale del Belvedere

The view is nice, but I don’t think it is worth going out of your way to get here, but if you plan to walk from the Villa Borghese Gardens to the Spanish Steps, you will walk right by this viewpoint. It’s open 24 hours a day and free to visit.

15. Piazza della Trinità dei Monti

Piazza della Trinità dei Monti is the square that sits at the top of the Spanish Steps. It is free to visit and open 24 hours a day. Here is the view:

16. Imàgo

For dinner with one of the best views of Rome, make your reservation for Imàgo.

Imago is a Michelin-starred restaurant that sits on top of Hotel Hassler Roma. From here, you have a stunning view of the Spanish Steps and rooftops of Rome, due to this restaurant’s fantastic location.

Make your reservation in advance. This is a popular restaurant in Rome and it can be difficult to get a table.

The view from Imàgo

17. The Keats-Shelley House

Located next to the Spanish Steps, this house contains an extensive collection of memorabilia, letters, and paintings relating to Keats, Shelley, Wordsworth, Byron, Robert Browning, and Oscar Wilde. In 1821, English Poet John Keats died in this house of tuberculosis.

This house gets a mention because of its unique view of the Spanish Steps.

18. Knights of Malta Keyhole

This famous keyhole is located on a wooden door in the complex of Sant’Anselmo, on top of Aventine hill. If you put your eye up to this keyhole, you can see St. Peter’s Basilica.

This gets mentioned a lot, but we think it is a little bit overrated. To get here, take a taxi or it’s a long walk from the Rome city center. Most likely, you will have to wait in line. We waited about 10 minutes, which isn’t too bad. However, when we looked through the keyhole, a black bar covered most of the opening, which was a big disappointment.

If you choose to do this, hopefully you will have a better experience than we did. You can combine this with the Orange Garden, mentioned next.

Our view through the keyhole

What the view should look like | Matteo Gabrieli/shutterstock.com

19. Orange Garden of Rome

Also located on Aventine Hill, the Orange Garden has a terrace with another sweeping view of Rome. This viewpoint is called Terrazza Belvedere Aventino. It is free to visit and open 24 hours a day.

View from Terrazza Belvedere Aventino

20. Lifestyle Suites Rome

Lifestyle Suites Rome is a hotel that sits on Piazza Navona. Sitting on top of this hotel is a rooftop terrace with an aerial view of the piazza.

This rooftop terrace is only open to hotel guests, so if you want this view, you will have to stay here. We stayed here on our most recent visit to Rome. The location is fantastic and to start and end the day with views of Piazza Navona was very memorable.

Rooftop terrace of Lifestyle Suites

Our Favorite Views of Rome

If you have limited time in Rome and can only visit a few spots, we narrowed down the list to our favorite views of Rome:

• Altar of the Fatherland
• St. Peter’s Dome
• Capitoline Hill
• Palatine Hill
• From the rooftop bars, especially Oro Bistrot
• From a stroll around the Colosseum
• The Lifestyle Suites Hotel

More Information for Your Trip to Rome

For a full list of things to do in Rome, check out our article Best Things to Do in Rome.

Learn how to plan your time with our One Day in Rome Itinerary, 2 Day Rome Itinerary, 3 Day Rome Itinerary and 4 Day Rome Itinerary.

For advice on where to eat, read our guide about Where to Eat in Rome, that has restaurant recommendations near the Colosseum, Vatican City, and the historic heart of Rome, plus some great rooftop restaurants. We also have a guide to the Best Rooftop Bars in Rome.

Don’t miss our detailed guides about How to Visit the Colosseum and How to Visit the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.

Get recommendations on where to stay in Rome in our Rome Hotel Guide.

If you have any questions about the best views of Rome, let us know in the comment section below.

More Information for Your Trip to Italy

BEST OF ITALY: In our guide to the Best Places to Visit in Italy, we list 25 beautiful destinations to consider for your next trip to Italy.

FLORENCE: If you are planning your first visit to Florence, don’t miss our guide to the 10 Best Things to Do in Florence. We also have a guide about how to visit the Florence Cathedral and related sites, the best rooftop bars in Florence and the best viewpoints in Florence.

VENICE: We cover the top experiences in Venice in our Venice Bucket List. Learn where to get the best views of Venice in our article 12 Beautiful Views of Venice. And to help you plan your time, take a look at our one day in Venice itinerary and two days in Venice itinerary.

PHOTOGRAPHING ITALY: For some of the best views in Italy, here are 20 gorgeous views and exactly where to photograph them.

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY: For more information about the camera gear we carry, check out our Travel Photography Gear Guide.

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