Flaminio and Parioli at a glance: where, for whom, when
Flaminio begins at Piazza del Popolo, at the foot of the Villa Borghese, and stretches along the Tiber to the Foro Italico; Parioli, further east, is a district of villas and embassies that borders Villa Ada. The area is flat, but distances are greater than in the centre: plan on a tram or bus between some sites.
It suits those who like architecture, modern art and parks, concert and sports fans, and those who have already seen the major monuments. The museums here are open Tuesday to Sunday, so Monday is a poor day for visiting: save it for the parks.
MAXXI, Zaha Hadid's museum
The MAXXI, at 4A Via Guido Reni, is the national museum of 21st-century arts, housed in a building of concrete and glass designed by the architect Zaha Hadid and opened in 2010. It combines a contemporary art museum with a museum of architecture and photography. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 19:00; a ticket costs €15 at the ticket office and €14 online. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours: the hall and its suspended staircases are the most photographed part.
The Auditorium Parco della Musica
The Auditorium Parco della Musica, at 30 Viale Pietro de Coubertin, is Rome's great music centre. It was designed by Renzo Piano: three concert halls (Santa Cecilia with 2,744 seats, Sinopoli with 1,133 and Petrassi with 673) arranged around an open-air cavea seating 3,000 to 5,000, with lead roofs that look like large beetles. Concerts should be booked in advance through the box office.
The Auditorium can also be visited without a concert ticket: free guided tours of about an hour, "La musica dell'architettura", take place Monday to Friday, by reservation, in several languages, except in August. The box office is open from 11:00 to 18:00 (Sundays 10:00 to 18:00) in winter and until 20:00 in summer. For an evening of music, see also our guide to concerts and shows in Rome.
The National Gallery of Modern Art
At the entrance to the Villa Borghese, the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna (131 Viale delle Belle Arti) is Italy's great museum of 19th- and 20th-century art, with works by Canova, Klimt, Monet, Van Gogh, Duchamp and Pollock. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30 to 19:30; a ticket costs €10, and admission is free on the first Sunday of the month. It is a few minutes' walk from the Villa Giulia, the Etruscan museum, which combines well with it for a morning of museums in the same park.
The Bioparco and the Villa Borghese
The Bioparco, Rome's zoo, is in the grounds of the Villa Borghese, a stone's throw from the National Gallery. It is open until 24 October 2026 from 9:30 to 18:00; a ticket costs €19 at the ticket office (€14 for children over one metre up to age 10), free below one metre. It is the simplest outing with children: see our guide to Rome with children.
Villa Ada and the other parks
Villa Ada, in Parioli, is a vast park of about 160 hectares, a former property of the Savoy royal family. It is free and open every day from 7:00 to sunset; people come to walk around the lake, jog or picnic. It is wilder than the Villa Borghese and best enjoyed in the morning. In 2026, summer concerts were banned there. For more ideas for green walks, read our selection of parks and gardens in Rome.
The Foro Italico, the stadium and tennis
On the banks of the Tiber, the Foro Italico is a sports complex built under Fascism, with the Olimpico stadium and black-and-white mosaics on its forecourt. It is where the Italian Open tennis is played each spring and where Roma and Lazio play. To see a match, read our guide to football in Rome.
The Great Mosque of Rome
The Great Mosque of Rome, inaugurated in 1995 at the foot of Monte Antenne, is one of the largest Muslim places of worship in Europe. Its architecture, by Paolo Portoghesi, combines curves and large prayer halls. Visiting conditions vary: check before going and dress modestly.
Summary table: the stops in Flaminio and Parioli
| Stop | What you see | Admission | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAXXI | Zaha Hadid architecture, contemporary art | €15 (€14 online) | Tue.-Sun. 11:00-19:00 |
| Auditorium Parco della Musica | Renzo Piano's halls, concerts | Free guided tour by reservation; concerts ticketed | Box office 11:00-18:00 |
| National Gallery of Modern Art | Canova, Klimt, Monet, Futurism | €10; free on the 1st Sunday | Tue.-Sun. 8:30-19:30 |
| Bioparco | Rome zoo | €19 (€14 children) | 9:30-18:00 until 24 October |
| Villa Ada | Park, lake, former royal villa | Free | 7:00-sunset |
Prices checked in October 2026.
Eating and staying in Flaminio and Parioli
Places to eat are rarer and more residential than in the centre: neighbourhood trattorias, bars and the MAXXI café are enough for lunch. For an evening, Piazza del Popolo and the centre are a few minutes away by tram or metro. The area is quiet and well served, with hotels cheaper than around the Colosseum: see our guide where to stay in Rome.
Getting to Flaminio and Parioli
Metro line A stops at Flaminio, at Piazza del Popolo (see Piazza del Popolo). From there, tram 2 serves MAXXI and the Auditorium, and trams 3 and 19 climb towards the National Gallery and the Bioparco. Trams and buses use the city's standard ticket: see our transport in Rome.
Going further
To continue, read our guide to Rome at night, our free things to do in Rome and our guide to the budget in Rome.
