Via dei Fori Imperiali
Via dei Fori Imperiali
4.5
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Campitelli
How to get there
- Fori Imperiali-Colosseo • 10 min walk
- Colosseo • 10 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
7,279 within 5 kms
Attractions
2,265 within 10 kms
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
232 reviews
Excellent
148
Very good
61
Average
14
Poor
8
Terrible
1
Ben F
Bloomington, IN1,472 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
Sure, you may think it’s just a road, but my experience was much more than that. Strolling along the sidewalks of this via gave me unparalleled access to all the Roman Forum sites, the Colosseum, and tons of restaurants/shops on nearby side streets. I appreciated how smooth the sidewalks usually were, minus a few areas. Cleanliness was surprisingly good.
It’s worth noting that, at least when I visited, the street was restricted to commercial vehicles only (e.g. buses, taxis, police, etc). This made the traffic, well, basically nonexistent, which was an excellent observation. I could even use the road safely to bypass large groups blocking the sidewalk if I needed to.
And the trees—I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with them! The ones with the flat-ish tops…they almost look like bonsai trees you’d find in Africa. Perhaps they actually are bonsai trees! Can they be found in the US?! Maybe I’m the tree nerd I never knew I was!
It’s worth noting that, at least when I visited, the street was restricted to commercial vehicles only (e.g. buses, taxis, police, etc). This made the traffic, well, basically nonexistent, which was an excellent observation. I could even use the road safely to bypass large groups blocking the sidewalk if I needed to.
And the trees—I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with them! The ones with the flat-ish tops…they almost look like bonsai trees you’d find in Africa. Perhaps they actually are bonsai trees! Can they be found in the US?! Maybe I’m the tree nerd I never knew I was!
Written 20 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mairwen1
United Kingdom9,332 contributions
Jun 2022
Walking along the Via dei Fori Imperiali (street of the Imperial Forums) is one of the best ways to see a lot of ancient Rome in a short time. The best starting point is Piazza Venezia. From here you will walk past the ancient imperial forums and finish at the Colosseum. It’s not a long walk. If you walked without pausing, it would probably only take about 15 minutes but of course, you'll need to allow more time for stops and photos.
Standing in Piazza Venezia, the first thing you see is the gleaming white edifice of the Victor Emmanuel II Monument. It immediately confronts the passerby. We climbed the great staircase and walked through the building (entry is free). From the open air terraces, we had magnificent views in all directions across Rome.
Next we walked down the left hand side of Via dei Fori Imperiali, passing right by the Imperial Forums of Trajan, Augustus and Nerva. You have a close-up view of the ruins and can clearly see the main highlights like Trajan’s Column and the Temple of Mars. One of the best parts is that you don’t need a ticket because they can be easily seen from the public footpath.
Not a lot is left of the ancient forum buildings. For the most part, what you see are chunks of columns, missing statues, patches of flagstones and discarded blocks of marble and stone but there are some good information boards along the way which help you to understand what you’re looking at. Information is in both English and Italian and includes diagrams and pictures.
On the other side of the road is the most famous forum, belonging to Julius Caesar. You can see parts of this one from the roadside but not all. This is probably enough for most people. If you have time and want to see more, then you can buy an entry ticket which is included in a combined Forum/Colosseum ticket and remains valid for 2 days.
Finally, you arrive at the Colosseum. It’s amazing to see it looming in the distance as you get closer and closer. It's a pretty amazing way to approach it.
NOTE: Depending on how much time you have, Monti is an interesting area which lies just off the Via Dei Fori Imperiali. After the Colosseum, we headed here to to explore and find a spot for lunch.
Standing in Piazza Venezia, the first thing you see is the gleaming white edifice of the Victor Emmanuel II Monument. It immediately confronts the passerby. We climbed the great staircase and walked through the building (entry is free). From the open air terraces, we had magnificent views in all directions across Rome.
Next we walked down the left hand side of Via dei Fori Imperiali, passing right by the Imperial Forums of Trajan, Augustus and Nerva. You have a close-up view of the ruins and can clearly see the main highlights like Trajan’s Column and the Temple of Mars. One of the best parts is that you don’t need a ticket because they can be easily seen from the public footpath.
Not a lot is left of the ancient forum buildings. For the most part, what you see are chunks of columns, missing statues, patches of flagstones and discarded blocks of marble and stone but there are some good information boards along the way which help you to understand what you’re looking at. Information is in both English and Italian and includes diagrams and pictures.
On the other side of the road is the most famous forum, belonging to Julius Caesar. You can see parts of this one from the roadside but not all. This is probably enough for most people. If you have time and want to see more, then you can buy an entry ticket which is included in a combined Forum/Colosseum ticket and remains valid for 2 days.
Finally, you arrive at the Colosseum. It’s amazing to see it looming in the distance as you get closer and closer. It's a pretty amazing way to approach it.
NOTE: Depending on how much time you have, Monti is an interesting area which lies just off the Via Dei Fori Imperiali. After the Colosseum, we headed here to to explore and find a spot for lunch.
Written 11 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FTMDave
Adria, Italy6,738 contributions
Jun 2021
Street which goes from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum. The good side is that you can marvel at the surrounding architecture, the bad side is that it is just a road and even worse a road built by Mussolini which involved demolishing unique ancient architecture.
Written 27 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Noraatc
Sudbury, MA34,879 contributions
Dec 2019 • Solo
After many visits to Rome, I must admit that I stroll along Via Dei Fori Imperiali only if I have to. Fighting with crowds and arrogant trinket sellers is not worth for me. The best way to see the forums and the Colosseum is to go inside, not to take a glimpse from the street. Having said that, I am still grateful for the opportunity to take several good shots of the Colosseum from the distance and the easiest thing to do it is from Via dei Fori Imperiali.
Written 26 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AURELIO L
ANDRIA ITALY1,108 contributions
Aug 2020
Via dei fori imperiali is a really interesting place ,it is a must if you go to Rome and you cannot miss it.You can see some very important Roman ruins .
Written 30 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
L3K
Guisborough, UK1,876 contributions
Jan 2020
It's probably inevitable that you'll walk along this wide street many times. We certainly did. There's plenty to look at - on one side the ancient forum, on the other Trajan's markets and his personal column. If you should tire of those, there are always the buskers and street entertainers. We particularly enjoyed the singer with his tame dancing man. (That may sound odd, but you'll know who I mean when you see them.)
Written 21 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ERIC W
Knoxville, TN4,214 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Beautiful path that winds through the last of the Imperial Forums. Early morning has the best light for photos. Free entry and very interesting
Written 16 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
claudia b
Rome, Italy199 contributions
Dec 2019 • Solo
From Piazza Venezia to Colosseo...a long walk watching Foro Traiano and the others Foro. Best at sunrise...
Written 30 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alessandro F
Milan, Italy26,238 contributions
Nov 2019 • Solo
This beautiful road connects the Coliseum to Square of Venice, Benito Mussolini had it built as a symbol of his megalomaniac power, after losing war , in 1945, it was renamed Street of Empires Forums.
It’s a walk on more than 2000 years of history
It’s a walk on more than 2000 years of history
Written 21 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SoCalOregonian
Murrieta, CA10,390 contributions
Apr 2019
This grand route, created by demand of Mussolini, runs from the Piazza Venezia to the Colosseo and caused the destruction of irreplaceable artifacts. It is a grand boulevard that affords access to many of the ancient forums that line the route, but you wish it had not been built to be able to see the Forums of Nerva and Vespavian in addition 5 ancient churches were demolished to allow construction. Lining the road are statues of the most famous Roman Emperors.
Written 23 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Via dei Fori Imperiali
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Via dei Fori Imperiali:
- Ancient Rome at Twilight Walking Tour (From ₹ 2,871.19)
- Private Tour: Colosseum & Imperial Rome Art History Walking Tour - 3207A (From ₹ 31,151.47)
- Moonlight Tour of the Colosseum and Ancient Rome (From ₹ 6,022.33)
- Private Colosseum and Roman Forum Tour (From ₹ 30,805.70)
- Small-Group Segway Tour in Rome (From ₹ 7,721.21)
- Hotels near Via dei Fori Imperiali:
- (0.05 km) Colonna Traiana by The View Luxury Experiences
- (0.06 km) Fori Imperiali Lovely Apartment
- (0.12 km) Residenza Torre Colonna
- (0.07 km) NH Collection Roma Fori Imperiali
- (0.13 km) H10 Palazzo Galla
- Restaurants near Via dei Fori Imperiali:
- (0.05 km) Ristorante Traiano
- (0.09 km) Grano - la cucina di Traiano
- (0.09 km) Trattoria Melo
- (0.07 km) Caesar Pizza Di Del Maestro Cristina
- (0.09 km) Oro Bistrot Roma
- Attractions near Via dei Fori Imperiali:
- (0.02 km) Foro di Traiano
- (0.04 km) Colonna Traiana
- (0.05 km) Forof Roma
- (0.05 km) Basilica Ulpia
- (0.14 km) S.P.Q.Run SightRunning