A virtual tour of Rome, Italy

The Eternal City… From its legendary beginnings through the glories and cruelties of Ancient Rome, to the art and architecture of the Renaissance and beyond, this is a city you never get tired of exploring, whether it’s on a virtual tour of Rome or a planned real-life trip to Italy.

And from the chance to make some virtual museum visits as well as virtual Rome tours introducing you to the city, not to mention being able to travel back in time to Ancient Rome, you’re not short of armchair travel inspiration.

For more ideas of things to do in Rome with kids when you’re planning a family holiday, check out my top picks, along with the best kids books about Rome

Virtual tour of Rome

Several companies have made virtual Rome tour videos, using 360 videos and some VR technology – mostly covering the city’s highlights so you can pick the one whose commentary you prefer.

This 360-degree video tour from You Visit lets you pick your own sights and attractions, or you can simply let it play through.

Otherwise try this virtual tour of Rome lasting less than five minutes while this slightly longer tour is designed to be experienced using VR headsets, although you can also watch the 360-degree video on YouTube.

Virtual Rome sights

If you prefer to flick through Rome’s key sites at your own pace, the Google Arts & Culture project has a slideshow of some of the city’s highlights including more background.

It’s not interactive beyond that, so if you’re looking for more of a virtual Rome tour of some of the museums, scroll down.

Ancient Rome

Alternatively you can step back in time to discover Rome as it once was – a sight which you can only see virtually these days, with the Rome Reborn initiative.

Designed to be viewed on computers and VR headsets, you can explore the ancient city with computer reconstructions of the buildings and monuments, accompanied by a commentary from experts.

The free trial is over but you can still pay to explore sites like the Roman Forum. Still cheaper than a plane ticket, and a great introduction if you’re planning a city break in Rome.

Rome Street art

While Rome’s historic attractions are one of its biggest draws, there are plenty of modern temptations among the ancient.

Take a street art tour to discover some of the more recent artworks adorning the Eternal City – there are two to try: click here or here.

Virtual Rome art & culture

Take a walk through the Sistine chapel, wander Trajan’s markets or marvel at the roof of the Pantheon, all from the virtual comfort of your armchair.

Google’s arts and culture project is another great place to start to check out some of Rome’s landmarks and museums – you can see the complete set here as well as those which more detailed virtual tours to scroll for more but here are some of the highlights.

Colosseum

Take a virtual tour of the Colosseum – you’re limited as to how much you can see inside, but there are several options to explore the exterior online.

Take your first view from the sky, looking down onto the remains of the structure, built to seat 80,000 people, with this 360-degree aerial view.

Then soak up the sight of the world’s largest amphitheatre in the Italian sun before getting a little closer to the structure. Finally head inside to get a closer glimpse of the Colosseum’s interior.

Trevi fountain

The legend says that if you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, you’ll return to Rome – throwing two or three should also bring you love and marriage.

While you can’t lob a Euro into the water virtually, you can still get a look at the largest Baroque fountain in the city – and be secretly thankful you don’t have to battle the crowds.

The Pantheon

This former Roman temple, now a Catholic church, is famous for both its dome – still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome, 2,000 years after it was built – and for the oculus, the opening to the sky in the centre of it. This 360-degree video lets you look up at the famous ceiling and imagine the building soaring overhead.

Roman Forum

Take a look down into the remains of the Roman Forum, once the heart of Ancient Rome.

Trajan’s Market

While most visitors flock to the Roman Forum, the Mercati di Traiano is another fascinating spot to wander around, and you can get a virtual tour of Rome’s Trajan’s Market too. The Google arts and culture tour is more detailed than some of the other better-known historic sites, letting you virtually walk through as well as exploring some of the objects on display.

Even better is the museum’s own virtual tour, which lets you virtually wander through the halls before heading outside.

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is only one part of the Vatican Museums Virtual Tour that you can take but it’s easily one of the highlights – watching online, you can see as much detail as you’d like in the chapel, and there’s no fast-moving queue to shuttle you out too quickly either.

The Vatican museums currently have 360-degree video tours of seven different rooms, including the astonishing art work of Raphael’s Rooms.

There’s also an impressive virtual tour of St Peter’s Basilica letting you see the famous church’s details but also giving an impression of the soaring grandeur of the nave.

Capitoline Museum

Take a virtual tour of Rome’s Musei Capitolini, the art museum set on top of the Campidoglio hill. The museum has its own virtual tour, where you can wander through the halls as well as looking around the Campidoglio square as well.

Or try the Google Arts and Culture tour which gives you a little more detail, so you can look at some of the pieces on display inside the museum.

Museo dell’Ara Pacis virtual tour

The huge altar of the Ara Pacis might not be Rome’s best known sculpture, but it’s perfect for a virtual tour. The museum itself has its own 360-degree video to help you look around.

Or Google Arts and Culture has another virtual tour allowing you to see close up, along with some history about the inspiration behind the 2,000-year-old altar celebrating the military campaigns of Augustus.

Teatro dell’Opera in Rome

Step inside the opera house to take a look around, hear from its director and get a glimpse of performances.

Other virtual Rome museums

Discover ancient mosaics and Roman statues in the Centrale Montemartini, a museum set in an older power station.

Explore more relics of Ancient Rome as you learn about Roman culture at the Museo della Civilta Romana.

Learn more about a very different emperor at Rome’s Museo Napoleonico, dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte.

Get a view from Rome’s old walls at the Museo della Mura.

Check out some modern art at Rome’s Museo Carlo Bilotti in the Villa Borghese, including works by Andy Warhol.

Check out my guide to Italy with kids to help plan your trip, for more virtual bucket list travel content, visit my virtual travel guide

*First published 2020, last updated 2025*

PIN FOR LATER: A VIRTUAL TOUR OF ROME

Images copyright Cathy Winston

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