We prefer to have at least 3 days for Rome, but it’s also our favorite city to visit. We wake up late, target one major site to see for the day, and build in a lazy lunch. We also take our time strolling to various piazzas, taking some time to read and take in the crowds, grab some wine. Keep that in mind with our itineraries.
Below, we broke the main sites down into 3 possible days, trying to keep a leisurely pace.
Where to Stay
You’re going to pay more for it, but we definitely recommend staying inside the old city rather than staying outside and taking the metro in. We love the Hotel Adriano. It’s not cheap, but the location is absolutely perfect. Right in the middle of all of these things.
Touring
You’ll see us frequently suggesting tours below. The first time we were in Rome, we thought, “Tours are for suckers!” No way. The right tour guide tells fantastic stories and really helps get you in a feel for what you’re looking at. Particularly for a place like Palatine Hill, where you’re mostly seeing cracked marble blocks in a field of grass.
We love the Walks of Italy tour company.
1 day – Altar of the Fatherland, Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Forum
All in all, this is about 4 hours of stuff, but you might want to hang around after the tour to stroll the forum or The Hill. Lots of walking, which is why we don’t usually do anything else big on this day. Tours let you skip the line, by the way, which is very nice. These sights are on the south edge of the old city, with the forum extending up into the center thereof.
On the way down to the Colosseum from the old city center, you’ll also see Trajan’s Forum (ruins, not worth trying to walk around in) from the northeastern sidewalk of Via dei Fori Imperiali. You’d also pass the Altar of the Fatherland, aka the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II. The locals call it the Wedding Cake. There’s a small museum area here, but we’ve never gone in. As far as we can tell, the exterior is worth a picture, then moving along.
Colosseum
Via dei Fori Imperiali is the main, can’t-miss-it road leading down to the Colosseum. It’s a fantastic walk, as you can clearly see the structure from the beginning of the road, keeping it in view the whole way down. The exterior is open for foot traffic, so you can feel free to walk around the whole structure to take it in. The northwestern entry point has a few trees to offer shade, and also a convenient low walled area that you can sit on to catch a breather. Beware the peddlers.
Once inside, the stairs are no joke. Think approximately knee high versus the traditional mid-shin. You’ll be able to wander the middle area, including viewing the seating and looking out onto the floor (partially reconstructed). You’ll find a gift shop in this area as well. All in all, this was an okay experience, but we’d recommend taking a tour that offers the other areas as well.
Tours will get you access to the upper tier, the underground, and the arena floor. The upper tier is nice to see, but really only good for better photo ops. The underground is interesting historically, but not exactly a visual stunner. The arena floor is highly recommended. Looking down into it from the seats doesn’t give you the same sense of awe as standing down and looking up.
We visit the Colosseum each time we’re in Rome – it never gets old (pun!). Definitely worth your time.
The Roman Forum & Palantine Hill
There’s something about standing in the middle of where it all happened that just gets us every time. The forum was excavated by the fascists as part of an attempt to rebuild the awe of the empire, but don’t let that deter you. You’ll see glimpses of it from walk south to the Colosseum, but it’s definitely worth wandering through.
There are a number of highlights here, including the Arch of Titus (depicting the sack of Jerusalem), the Temple of Romulus, the house of the Vestal Virgins, and the Senate.
Palatine Hill overlooks the forum, providing more ruins, and fantastic photo opportunities.
The emperors build their homes on Palatine Hill (from whence we derived the word ‘Palace’), but there isn’t much left. Your guide can help put context around where things stood, the size of the statues and entry ways, etc. You’d be hard pressed to do it on your own, but that’s not all there is to see.
There are also a few gardens on this level, and some museum like areas. Not exactly formal, more like historical walkthroughs in some of the connecting tunnels.
Once you’re done here, look to the northwest of the area. Behind the Wedding Cake, near the Gemonian Stairs, a street runs around and above the Forum. There’s a nice piazza right off of this area, but it also provides a great photo opportunity of the Senate and Forum.
1 day – Bridge of Angels, Castel St Angelo, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Basilica
The Bridge of Angels and Castel are essentially on the way to the Vatican, and can be done before or after depending on how adventurous you’re feeling. The Castel is something of a scenic museum.
If you’re not much into art, you can safely skip the Vatican Museums, but you’d also miss out on the Sistine Chapel. There’s a variety of art styles to see in the museums, and the Sistine Chapel is definitely worth seeing.
You don’t need to be particularly spiritual to enjoy St Peter’s. You can still see it without going through the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel, but if you do go the museum route, get yourself a guide again. They let you skip the line (HUGE line) and they’ll talk about some art history for you. You can do St Peter’s on your own, no guide necessary. Note that there’s a line here too, and most tours skip this entirely by going directly from the Sistine Chapel “through the back door” of St Peter’s, instead of outside and around.
Bridge of Angels & Castel St Angelo
North of the old city center, the Tiber runs almost west to east. Walk along it here, and you’ll see the Italian Supreme court in a very modern looking building directly next to Castel St Angelo, a distinctly contrasting ancient structure.
The Bridge of Angels is a pedestrian-only bridge crossing from the south to the north, seemingly leading you directly into the Castel.
It’s been a mausoleum, a fortress, a residence, a prison, and now a museum. Definitely not a required site, the lines are usually short, and it’s a leisurely tour. It also offers some good photos of the city from the roof. Don’t force it if you’re already rushing, but a nice stop if you have the time.
St Peter’s Basilica
Standing in front of Castel St Angelo, St Peter’s Basilica is already awe inspiring.
We won’t bore you with the full history lesson, but it’s worth noting that the Via della Conciliazione – the straight shot leading into the Basilica – was another fascist delivery. Again, ignore the messenger, and appreciate the walk up to the site.
You’ll be approached by about a dozen different tour groups on your way in, but you don’t need one for the Basilica. A guide is nice if it’s included as part of the Vatican Museums, but definitely not required for just the Basilica.
The lines will be long, though. Since the mid 2010s, metal detectors and cordons have been added to the entry, and they’re a real bottleneck. Plan to come early in the day so you’re not standing in the direct sun.
The square is ringed with statues and a couple of fountains. Once upon a time it was truly amazing, prior to the security measures. It’s still a great visit, just doesn’t have the same feel.
Once inside, the scale cannot be described. Of note are multiple sculptures including Michelangelo’s Pieta, the altar, adn the tomb of Fabio Chigi (Pope Alexander VII), aka Awesome Skeleton Man.
And don’t forget the Cupola. It’s absolutely worth going up to the top, but beware the climb. Approximately 570 stairs through varying sized pathways to a little tower at the roof that looks out across all Rome. But holy cow the view.
There’s an elevator that will get you to the top of the Basilica (about 230 of the stairs, but these are the easy ones). The view is okay, but interrupted by bars to keep you from the edge. There’s also a gift shop staffed by nuns, offering postcards and a mailbox so you can send something from Vatican City.
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
The entrance to the Vatican Museums is not at “The Vatican”, which is how St Peter’s Basilica is often referenced. Instead, it’s a healthy walk from north and then west from the square.
The museums have A LOT of things to see – paintings, sculptures, and frescoes to start. Oddly, most of these are of a religious theme. 🙂 The Hall of Maps leads the way to the Raphael Rooms, which are just outside of the Sistine Chapel.
If you’re an art lover, you could spend days in here. If you’re not, you might consider getting here right at the opening time, then racing to toward the Sistine Chapel so you can get some quiet(er) time within.
Guards will shush the obnoxious tourists, but the volume is constantly at a loud whisper at best. It’ll be quite crowded by 10am through the rest of the day, but no matter when you get there, it’s still a worthwhile stop.
You’ll need a tour group to get through the rear entryway leading into the Basilica, but we’ve heard you can pose with one of the many groups to cut your way through. Don’t blame us if the Swiss Guard catches you.
1 day – The rest of Rome…
You could potentially fold many of these into the other days, but we prefer strolling, not rushing. This is organized along a potential path that takes you around the city, starting northern-most.
- Piazza del Popolo. Twin churches and fountain area. Walk up Pincio Hill for fantastic overlook, popular picture spot, especially at sunset. Walk south from here to…
- The Spanish Steps. Nice place to sit and people watch for a bit. The best view is from the bottom, looking up the steps. (Beware the rose peddlers!) Once you’re ready to move on, continue south to…
- Trevi Fountain. Probably best viewed at night, but it’s an interesting site at any time. Typically very crowded, and notorious for pickpockets. Continue South to…
- Altar of the Fatherland. You can’t miss this, and it’s a convenient landmark. It’s a pretty area in general, plus you can wave to the Colosseum. Take the non-Colosseum road south to find…
- Theatre of Marcellus. Colosseum-like façade structure with some forum-like ruins surrounding. Semi-walkable. Right next to the Jewish Quarter, which is a good place to stop for lunch. Head north from here to…
- Largo di Torre Argentina (Area Sacre). Reputedly the location of Caesar’s murder. Ruins. Can’t walk among them, but you can see everything from a raised walkway area. Also, cat sanctuary. Seriously. Tons of cats. Head west from here to…
- Campo de Fiori. Open market, good lunch spot, famous for public executions. Good place to pick up some snacks (fresh fruit, nuts). Head north to…
- Piazza Navona. Artsy square. Overpriced food. Famous for fountain. Might not sound great, but it’s a nice scenic, open area. Head east from here to…
- The Pantheon cannot be missed. It’s basically right in the middle of the old city. No admission, and rarely any lines to deal with. Our favorite place in the city. Find Giollitti’s just north from here for the city’s best gelato.
Note: From the Pantheon, you can go almost due north to arrive back at Piazza del Popolo. Depending on where you’re staying in the city, you can now wrap this list to meet your starting point.
DON’T BOTHER: Circus Maximus. You’ll see it on your tourist map. It’s crap. It’s an open field with a gravel oval. That’s it. And it’s way the hell south, so you hike all the way down there, discover it sucks, and then have to hike all the damn way back up.
Rome in 2 Days?
With all that said, you could do Rome in two days and still check the boxes for sites seen. On Day 1 you could fold Area Sacre, Pantheon, Marcellus, and Fiori all in to that same day. They’re all mid to south in the city. For Day 2, you could hit Navona on the way to (or from) the Bridge of Angels, which leads directly to Castel St Angelo, do the Vatican, hit Popolo and Trevi, and call that a day. Definitely a lot, but logistically do-able.