Top 5 Most Beautiful Viewpoints in Rome
Monte Ciocci – Belvedere
I don’t think I’ve ever written a travel guide without mentioning that I love a good viewpoint. I just love the idea of working hard for something—climbing a lot of stairs or hiking a steep mountain—and then being rewarded with a stunning view you can’t get anywhere else. It’s always the best place to read, eat a self-brought squished sandwich, or marvel at how romantic it all is (even if you’re single like me lol).
As you might know by now, Rome is my favourite place on earth, and I wanted to combine my two loves in this blog post. In this article, I’ll share my top 5 most beautiful viewpoints in Rome. I have beautiful memories of some of them, and I hope they’ll come to mean as much to you as they do to me.
Janiculum Hill
The Janiculum Hill (or Gianicolo in Italian) is the second-highest hill in Rome, just after the nearby Monte Mario (which I’ll talk about later). I actually mentioned this viewpoint before in my blog post about one of my favourite walking routes in Rome, and I still come here regularly.
Located between the Vatican and Trastevere, it’s the perfect escape from the crowded city centre. The walk up is always enjoyable and the reward at the top never disappoints.
The view from Janiculum is pure postcard material. You can see almost the entire city spread out before you. Whenever someone comes to visit me in Rome, we always end up here because I love showing it off. It’s such a romantic spot, perfect for daydreaming, reminiscing, or reflecting on your questionable life choices (past and present).
The location makes it super easy to include in your Rome itinerary, so don’t miss it. There’s also some fascinating history tied to the hill and a few sights you shouldn’t skip. If you’re curious about that side of Janiculum, I recommend checking out this blog post for more info.
Pincio – Villa Borghese
Besides Janiculum, the Pincio Terrace in Villa Borghese is probably the most famous viewpoint in Rome. I think it’s also the most touristic one on this list, but if you’re already in Villa Borghese or near Piazza del Popolo, you definitely shouldn’t miss it.
The Pincio Terrace overlooks one of my favourite piazzas in Rome, Piazza del Popolo. It’s not as high up as the Janiculum viewpoint, but it still offers a beautiful view over the city, with the dome of San Pietro standing proud on the horizon.
There’s almost always music playing at the terrace, and especially at night it becomes such a fun and lively spot to hang out.
You can get to the Pincio Terrace either by walking through Villa Borghese or by climbing the stairs that lead up from Piazza del Popolo. Both ways are lovely, and once you’re up there, the view makes it totally worth it.
Giardino degli Aranci – Aventine Hill
This is the viewpoint I visit the least. Not necessarily because I think it’s the least interesting on this list (even though I kind of do), but also because I just don’t find myself in this area very often.
Giardino degli Aranci, or the Orange Garden, and sometimes called Savello Park, is located on the Aventine Hill, one of the most famous hills in Rome. It’s very close to Circo Massimo, and from the metro stop it’s only a short walk to the park.
From the garden, you get a beautiful panoramic view of Rome, with the dome of San Pietro right in the centre. It’s the lowest viewpoint on this list, but still a lovely one to visit, especially if you’re already nearby.
What I actually love most about this spot is the peaceful atmosphere of the park itself. When I last visited, it was spring and the whole garden smelled like orange blossom. It’s romantic and quiet, with plenty of benches where you can read, relax or just take a break from the busy city.
Very close to the Orange Garden is the famous keyhole of Rome. If you’ve never been, definitely try to combine the two. It’s such a fun little surprise.
Monte Ciocci – Belvedere
Okay, here’s where it gets interesting, because even though I love every viewpoint I’ve talked about so far, for different reasons and different memories, they are all quite touristic. The last two viewpoints I’ll share can definitely get busy too, but mostly with locals, which is something I really love.
The belvedere (which means viewpoint in Italian) of Monte Ciocci truly holds a special place in my heart. It’s very easy to get to, even though it’s located a bit farther from the centre. You can take metro line A to Valle Aurelia, and from there it’s just a five-minute walk to the entrance on Via Anastasio II.
Be prepared though, because you do have to climb quite a few steep stairs to get there. But as I mentioned in the intro, for me that only adds to the fun.
At the top there are lots of places to sit, relax and enjoy the view. What makes this viewpoint so special is that it gives you a completely different perspective of Rome. Here, the dome of San Pietro is more off to the right, and on a clear day you can even see the mountains in the distance. I really recommend it.
Monte Mario
A visit to the Monte Mario viewpoint definitely falls into hiking territory, and I feel like I should warn you about that upfront. What I usually do is start at Monte Ciocci and from there hike, climb, walk—whatever you want to call it—to Monte Mario, like some kind of viewpoint junky. But this is definitely a route where you’ll want the help of Google Maps, especially if you're not super familiar with Rome.
Another good option is to start at Piazza Maresciallo Giardino. There’s both a parking area and a bus stop there (buses 32, 69, 280, 301 and 628), and from that point you can start walking up the hill. Please don’t forget to bring water and wear comfortable shoes, because like I said, we’re kind of leaving the cute touristy viewpoint zone behind with this one.
If it wasn’t clear already, Monte Mario is absolutely my favourite viewpoint, for multiple reasons. Mainly because I like a challenge, and also because Monte Mario is the highest natural point in Rome and the highest viewpoint on this list. The view really feels like a reward, and on a clear day it’s just unbeatable.
Conclusion
I might be expressing an unpopular opinion here, but I don’t think Paris is the most romantic city in the world—I think it’s Rome. And no, it’s not just because of the viewpoints. But they definitely help.
If you love viewpoints like I do, whether it’s for the climb, the quiet moment at the top, or just the views themselves, you really can’t miss these spots when you’re in Rome.
I hope this post inspired you to visit at least one of them. And if I missed your favourite, or there’s a hidden gem I absolutely need to check out, let me know in the comments below!
P.S. If you're wondering how to actually get to all these places, I wrote a public transport guide to Rome that can help you figure out buses, metros, and all that fun stuff.
