Best Photo Spots in Rome: Create a Family Travel Journal with LooksArt
Discover Rome's greatest family photo locations with LooksArt's interactive app-guided tours, which combines storytelling, fun facts, and family moments.
Rome isn’t just a backdrop — it’s a stage. Every fountain, every column, every terrace can become the setting for a family story — if you pause long enough. Instead of rushing from one landmark to the next, let each stop become a scene in your family’s travel diary.
1. St. Peter’s Square at Sunrise
The city is still half-asleep. A few pilgrims cross the vast square, pigeons flutter, and golden light slides across Bernini’s colonnade. Your kids run between the columns while you capture the moment — a 2,000-year-old obelisk glowing in the morning sun.
A quick overview: Bernini created the colonnade between 1656 and 1667 to represent the Church’s welcoming nature. Emperor Caligula brought from Egypt in 37 AD the central obelisk; it once stood in Nero’s Circus, where St. Peter was believed to be martyred. The obelisk is older than the pyramids — and weighs as much as 200 elephants!
2. The Spanish Steps: Mid-Morning Glow
Azaleas spill over marble in spring. Kids climb halfway and pose like little stars while you frame them against pastel façades. The morning sun turns the staircase into a soft, glowing cascade.
A quick overview: Built in the 18th century to link Trinità dei Monti with the Spanish Embassy, the steps became iconic after Roman Holiday. From above, the staircase looks like butterfly wings.
3. Piazza Navona: Fountain Reflections
Golden hour transforms the fountains into glowing mirrors. Street artists paint, musicians play, and your family blends into the Roman rhythm.
A quick overview: Once Domitian’s Stadium (1st century AD), Piazza Navona kept its oval shape. Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651) represents the Nile, Ganges, Danube, and Rio de la Plata. The Nile statue hides its head — because nobody knew where the river began!
4. Trevi Fountain: Almost Alone
Dawn or late night, the fountain belongs to you. The roar of water fills the silence as your toddler tosses a coin over their shoulder — a moment that feels pure magic.
A quick overview: Completed in 1762, the Trevi Fountain marks the end of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct, still carrying water since 19 BC. One coin = return to Rome. Two = love. Three = marriage.
5. Colosseum: Framed by the Arch of Constantine
Avoid the crowds: stand by the Arch of Constantine and let the Colosseum rise behind you like a giant stage — the perfect frame for your family photo.
A quick overview: Opened in 80 AD, the Colosseum hosted gladiator battles and sea fights for 50,000 spectators. The Arch of Constantine (315 AD) celebrates the emperor’s victory over Maxentius. The Colosseum once had a retractable awning for shade — pulled by sailors!
6. Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden)
Children chase each other under orange trees while parents watch St. Peter’s dome glow at sunset. The terrace feels private, like a secret viewpoint.
A quick overview: Legend says St. Dominic planted the first orange tree here in the 1200s. The garden still belongs to the Dominican monastery. Nearby, a famous keyhole lets you peek through three countries at once — Malta, Italy, and the Vatican.
7. Villa Borghese Terrace: Where to watch the sunset
From here, Piazza del Popolo stretches below and the rooftops shimmer in evening light. After the photo, take the park’s little train or visit the zoo.
A quick overview: The Borghese family created the gardens in the 17th century as their private villa grounds. There are playgrounds, pony rides, and even a zoo inside the park.
8. Campo de’ Fiori: Market Colors
Morning light, fruit stalls, and flower buckets bursting with color. Kids hold pumpkins bigger than themselves while you capture the splash of everyday Rome.
A quick overview: The square’s name means “field of flowers.” Philosopher Giordano Bruno was executed here in 1600, and his statue still towers above. Some pumpkins weigh more than a toddler!
9. Trastevere Alleyways
Cobblestones under little feet, ivy curling around pastel shutters, a melting gelato — these spontaneous moments often make the best family shots.
A quick overview: Once a working-class area, Trastevere still keeps its medieval charm; many houses stand on Roman foundations. “Trastevere” means “across the Tiber” — a name dating back to Ancient Rome.
10. Janiculum Hill: Hidden City View
Up here, the whole city unfolds like a painting. It’s quieter, with space for toddlers to run while you wait for noon — when the cannon fires its daily blank shot.
A quick overview: Janiculum Hill was a key battlefield during the 1849 defense of Rome led by Garibaldi. The cannon has been booming at noon since 1847 — just for the sound, no cannonball!
Why Families Love LooksArt Here
With the LooksArt Family App, every photo stop becomes part of your interactive tour.
- Parents get GPS-based “best shot” tips and short historical stories to read aloud.
- Kids get playful missions — count the columns, find the hidden animal, spot the obelisk.
- Together, you capture photos that look like a magazine — and memories that feel like home.
In summary:
Rome’s beauty becomes unforgettable when explored through play, story, and family connection. LooksArt turns every walk into a self-guided immersive tour — where every step tells a story.