Rome, the Eternal City, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Photos of this stunning Italian city can be found all over social media, travel brochures, magazines and the web.
If you search for #ROME on Instagram you will get over 21 MILLION results. That’s a lot of photos taken in the Eternal City.
If you’re headed to Rome soon and want to make sure you take all the most beautiful and photogenic photos for your Instagram account, this is the guide for you.
In this guide I’ve listed all the most Instagrammable places in Rome, I hope you find it useful in planning your photo itinerary around Rome!
Table of Contents
Do you need travel insurance to visit Rome?
After my personal experience spending two nights in a private hospital in Tenerife, and having to pay for it out of pocket (it wasn’t cheap), I always recommend getting travel insurance.
You might not end up needing it, but for a small fee you can travel without worries. Personally, I suggest getting your Italy travel insurance with Heymondo.
Heymondo offers tailor made travel insurance, providing the best value for money for your specific trip. You can also buy it once you’re already abroad and have forgotten about it before flying (which, if you’re anything like me, is quite likely).
Besides the usual cancellation, medical expenses, luggage coverage and general travel insurance services, Heymondo also has a 24/7 doctor chat and instant assistance through their app.
As a Greta’s Travels reader, you get 5% off your Heymondo travel insurance!
Click here to get your 5% off Heymondo travel insurance!
The most Instagrammable landmarks in Rome
Colosseum
I couldn’t help but start this Instagram photo guide with Rome’s most famous landmark. The Colosseum is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Built back in 70 / 80 AD the Colosseum is a huge oval amphitheatre where up to 80,000 spectators would gather to watch gladiator fights and other public performances.
It’s an extremely scenic landmark from whatever angle you photograph it, but the most Instagrammable view of it in my opinion is from Via Nicola Savli.
The slightly higher position allows you to get the whole Colosseum in without having to worry about other people being in the photo.
Click here for the exact location where the photos below were taken.
| READ MORE: HOW TO SPEND 2 EPIC DAYS IN ROME |
Trevi Fountain
Up next on this Instagrammable guide to Rome I just had to have the Trevi Fountain.
With its baroque white marble statues the Trevi fountain is one of the most famous fountains in the world and most visited attractions in Rome.
It’s 26.3 metres high and 49.15 metres wide, a pretty impressive sight! If you want to take photos of it without the crowds, make sure to visit very early in the morning.
There’s a story that says if you throw a coin in the Trevi fountain you will return to Rome one day. I don’t know if it’s true but it’s definitely an Italy bucket list experience!
See the exact location here.
READ MORE: THE ULTIMATE ROME 1-DAY ITINERARY!
Spanish Steps & Trinità dei Monti
A short walk away from the Trevi Fountain you will find the famous Spanish Steps and the Trinità dei Monti church.
The Trinità dei Monti church is a pretty impressive architectural feat as it is, combine it to its towering position at the top of the Spanish Steps and it creates a cool perspective and stunning backdrop for your Instagram photos.
Similarly to the Trevi Fountain, you will have to be here very early in the morning to get photos without the crowds.
You can play around with where you position yourself along the steps to get the most Instagrammable perspective and shot.
Check out the exact location here.
| READ MORE: ROME IN SUMMER – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW |
Altare della Patria
The Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) was built between 1911 and 1935 as a monument in honour of Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of a unified Italy.
Today it’s home to a number of Italian government offices and museums. It’s located by the busy Piazza Venezia, close to Capitoline Hill and the Roman Forums.
The building is huge and with the considerable traffic in this busy street of Rome, it can be hard to get a good photo, but the architecture is simply stunning and it deserves to be on the list of most Instagrammable places in Rome.
Click here for the exact location.
READ MORE: HOW TO SPEND 3 EPIC DAYS IN ROME!
Fori romani
When you walk from Altare della Patria to the Colosseum you will see on both sides of you the Roman Forums.
These were the public squares of the Roman Empire, with each “foro” serving a different purpose to public life in ancient Rome.
See the exact location here.
| READ MORE: BEST THINGS TO DO IN ROME AT NIGHT |
Pantheon
The Pantheon is one of my personal favourite photo spots in Rome (and not just because my favourite ice cream shop in Rome is just around the corner!)
The imposing building dominates Piazza della Rotonda, the square in front of it, and its beauty isn’t limited to the outside architecture.
The inside of the Pantheon is beautiful and well worth a visit, especially for the history lovers. For that Instagrammable photo, I would aim to take a shot with both the fountain and the Pantheon in it.
Check out the exact location here.
Basilica di San Pietro from Piazza San Pietro
The Basilica di San Pietro is the main Renaissance church of Vatican City.
Its dome towers overs the rooftops of Rome and can be seen from a variety of viewpoints across the city. One of the best Instagram photo spots to capture in my opinion is Piazza San Pietro.
With its symmetrical circular colonnade and obelisk standing in the centre it’s an impressive square, even without the dome of San Pietro towering over it.
This is one of the most popular and visited spots in Rome so make sure to visit early in the morning to beat the crowds and get photos without too many people in them.
See the exact location here.
| READ MORE: BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN ITALY IN SUMMER |
Villa Borghese
Villa Borghese is the third largest park in Rome and it overlooks Piazza del Popolo. It’s designed in a naturalistic English manner and contains numerous museums, attractions and statues.
It’s a very beautiful and scenic park, where you can spend some time wandering around and enjoying the relaxing atmosphere. There are lots of spots around the park where you can take Instagrammable photos.
Check out the exact location of the shot below here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsPzVAkl1tq/
Castel Sant’Angelo & Ponte Sant’Angelo
Castel Sant’Angelo is a towering cylindrical building, which towers over Ponte Sant’Angelo and the Tiber River.
The building is also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian and was commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, but it was later used as a fortress, castle and now museum.
The building itself is a stunning piece of architecture, but if you want to get the most Instagrammable shot of it make sure to do it from across the river, that way you can get in also the beautiful bridge and angel statues across it.
Click here for the exact location.
The most Instagram-worthy streets & squares
Trastevere neighbourhood
The entirety of Trastevere neighbourhood looks like it could be the backdrop of a high-end fashion photoshoot.
With its cobble roads, trendy bars and restaurants with outdoor seats, ivy plants that drape the building facades and beautiful architecture, it’s one of the most picturesque areas in Rome and perfect for all your Instagram photos.
The neighbourhood is also filled with quaint and tasty trattorias, perfect to grab some food after a long day of shooting photos around Rome!
See the exact location here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtAbh51ACdo/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs41SLYDMra/
Campo de’ Fiori
Campo de’ Fiori (which translates to “field of flowers”) is another picturesque neighbourhood in Rome, where you will find plenty of Instagrammable photo spots.
Similarly to Trastevere you will find an abundance of quaint little streets with cobbled roads and ivy covered facades.
Combine it to a colourful food market and you’ve got one of the coolest areas in Rome! This spot isn’t as famous as some of the others on this list, it’s one of the beautiful spots in Rome that are still off the beaten path.
This is also the trendy area where students hang out in evenings, so even if you don’t take Instagram photos here make sure to come back in the evening for a drink!
Click here for the exact location.
Via Margutta
If you don’t have time to wander around Trastevere and Campo de’ Fiori looking for pretty photo spots (which regardless of the Instagram photos I think you should visit because they’re beautiful parts of Rome) you can visit Via Margutta for a one stop street photoshoot.
Located between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps its conveniently positioned for a quick photo visit in between the famous landmarks, and it’s characterised by all the picturesque features already listed for Campo de’ Fiori and Trastevere.
With the added benefit that here the ivy doesn’t only cover the facades of the buildings, but is also draped from one to the other, creating a beautiful framing to the cobbled street.
See the exact location here.
Ponte Umberto
Ponte Umberto might not be as scenic as Ponte Sant’Angelo but with the dome of San Pietro in the background it makes for a stunning Instagram photo backdrop.
This spot is even more magical if you visit at golden hour and sunset, when the sky and water of Tiber River catch the beautiful orange light. If you’re lucky enough, there might even be a cool reflection in the river water.
It’s one of the most popular stops on Rome by night tours, and it’s easy to see why.
Click here for the exact location of this shot.
| READ MORE: DISCOVER EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR A PERFECT ROME IN SPRING TRIP! |
You get the vibe by now, Rome is full of streets and squares with beautiful architecture, cobbled streets and marble statues. Piazza Navona is another one of these stunning squares.
Piazza Navona was built on the site of the Domitian Stadium, which is why the square follows the form of the open space of a stadium.
Ancient Romans used to go there to watch the “agones” or games, today it’s a beautiful area to visit and take gorgeous Instagrammable photos.
Check out the exact location here.
Piazza del Popolo from Terrazza del Pincio
Similarly to other squares in Rome Piazza del Popolo is famous for its symmetry, the central obelisk, marble statues and beautiful architecture.
My personal favourite Instagrammable shot of Piazza del Popolo is the view of it from Terrazza del Pincio, with the dome of San Pietro and rooftops of Rome around it.
Click here for the exact location.
| READ MORE: PLAN THE BEST ROME WINTER TRIP |
Use this gear for beautiful Instagram photos
You now know where to go to take the most Instagrammable photos in Rome, but do you have what it takes to take beautiful Instagram photos? (I mean literally, not metaphorically) While a simple phone photo will do it most of the time, there is some gear you can use to step up your photography game.
All the items listed below are the exact cameras and lenses I use for taking all the photos you see on my Instagram (minus the aerial ones that are obviously taken with my drone or the underwater ones taken with my GoPro).
Nikon D3300: This is my main camera that I take all my Instagram photos with. It’s a bit heavy to carry around but very easy to use, and great value for money especially if you’re new to DSLRs.
Bokeh lens f/1.8 35mm: If you want to take your photography a step further think about investing in a f/1.8 35mm lens. This lens will allow you to create a nice soft blurred background effect, known as “bokeh”.
Where to stay in Rome
If you’re looking for somewhere convenient to get to all these gorgeous Rome Instagram spots, here are some of the best places to stay in Rome!
One thing to take into account when choosing where to stay in Rome, especially if taking pretty Instagram photos is your main goal, is position.
If you choose one of these hotels near the Colosseum, or one of these near the Pantheon or any of these lovely Rome AirBnbs, you’ll be able to reach all the main spots in Rome before the crowds arrive.
Budget: Palladini Hostel – This hostel is super central, close to the train station and all the action of Rome, with spacious dorms and a lively atmosphere.
Book your stay at Palladini Hostel!
Mid-range:Tridente Rooms – The rooms of this bnb are simple but spacious, and it’s right next to Villa Borghese, in the heart of all the Rome attractions.
Click here to see prices and availability at Tridente Rooms!
Luxury:Hotel Eden – Dorchester Collection – Perfect if you want to treat yourself, this hotel is beautifully decorated and very conveniently located in the centre of Rome.
Click here to book your stay at Hotel Eden – Dorchester Collection!
Final thoughts on the most Instagram-worthy spots in Rome
Have you been to Rome before? How did you find it? Let me know in the comments below! Rome is one of the most beautiful and Instagrammable cities in the world, and one of my personal favourites.
This Rome Instagram photo guide is just a list of my own favourite Instagrammable places in Rome, if there are other beautiful photo spots that should be on this list let me know!
Looking for more Instagram city photo guides? Check out these posts:
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If you’re looking for more Italy travel advice, check out these guides:
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- What to pack for Italy
- Everything you need to know about doing a gondola ride in Venice
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