Day 1
Ancient Rome
Start at the Colosseum, then walk through the Roman Forum and Palatine, up to the Capitoline Hill and its museums. In the evening drift to the Pantheon and across Piazza Navona.
Rome is a city where three millennia are visible at once: an ancient temple becomes the foundation of a Baroque church, a pavement café leans against a 2,000-year-old wall. Between the Colosseum, the Pantheon and St Peter's you keep tripping, almost casually, over yet more ruins, fountains and domes.
But Rome is no open-air museum; it's a loud, living capital. In its markets artichokes are stacked high, at the bar the espresso is knocked back standing up, and come evening the squares fill with Romans at aperitivo. Take your time, get lost, and eat where no menu is posted in English.
Itinerary
Day 2
Vatican and Trastevere
Go early to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, then into St Peter's and up its dome. In the afternoon cross the Tiber into Trastevere for dinner as it comes alive.
Day 3
Baroque Rome and Villa Borghese
Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the churches full of Caravaggios, then a wander through Campo de' Fiori. Reserve the Galleria Borghese ahead and end the day in the Villa Borghese park.
Highlights
🏛️Landmark
Colosseum
The largest amphitheatre ever built held some 50,000 spectators and opened in AD 80 under Emperor Titus with a hundred days of games. Book a timed ticket that also covers the Forum and Palatine, and pay the supplement for the arena floor to stand where the gladiators fought.
🏛️Landmark
Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Among the Forum's broken marble lay the political heart of the Roman Empire for a thousand years, its temples, triumphal arches and the Via Sacra. Climb on up the Palatine, the hill of the imperial palaces, for the finest view down over the whole field of ruins.
🏛️Landmark
Pantheon
Nearly two thousand years after Hadrian, the Pantheon still carries the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome, pierced by a nine-metre oculus that lets in light and rain. Entry now costs a small fee and needs a ticket; inside, Raphael lies in an ancient sarcophagus.
🖼️Museum
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
Kilometres of galleries carry you past the Laocoön, Raphael's Rooms and the Gallery of Maps to the grand finale: Michelangelo's ceiling and Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel. Book the first slot of the day or the last entry online to dodge the thickest crowds.
🏛️Landmark
Trevi Fountain
Nicola Salvi's theatrical Baroque fountain was completed in 1762 and foams against the Palazzo Poli, the sea-titan Oceanus riding his shell chariot at its centre. Toss a coin over your right shoulder into the basin and, legend says, you'll return to Rome; come early or late, as the little square jams solid by day.
🏘️Neighbourhood
Trastevere
On the Tiber's right bank, cobbled lanes twist between ochre houses, trailing ivy and the ancient basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere with its golden mosaics. A sleepy artisan quarter by day, it becomes Rome's liveliest night-out district, packed with trattorie and wine bars.
Neighbourhoods
Centro Storico
The Baroque heart around the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori: all on foot, but pricey and busy by day. Ideal for a first visit if you're out early.
Trastevere
Cobblestones, ivy and trattorie on the Tiber's right bank. Charming and central, and Rome's liveliest place to be after dark.
Monti
A stylish little district between the Colosseum and the main station, with vintage shops, wine bars and Piazza della Madonna dei Monti. Central yet still not overrun.
Testaccio
The real, food-loving Rome south of the centre, built around its covered market hall. Fewer sights, but the best trattorie and the city's wildest club strip.
Where to eat
Carbonara
Rome's most famous pasta: egg, Pecorino Romano, black pepper and crisp guanciale, and never any cream. Classic with rigatoni or spaghetti, best in Testaccio, the cradle of traditional Roman cooking.
Cacio e pepe and amatriciana
Two more pillars of Roman cooking: cacio e pepe of just Pecorino and pepper, whipped creamy, and amatriciana with tomato, guanciale and Pecorino. Both usually served on tonnarelli or bucatini.
Supplì and pizza al taglio
The quintessential Roman street snack: fried rice balls with a molten mozzarella core that pulls into strings when you break them open. Pair them with pizza al taglio, sold by weight from the tray and eaten on the move.
Carciofi alla giudia
Whole artichokes deep-fried twice in the Roman-Jewish Ghetto until the leaves open crisp as chips. In season from winter into spring; try them at a place around the Portico d'Ottavia.
Good to know
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October are ideal: mild weather, long light and thinner crowds than high summer. July and August turn hot and muggy, and many Romans leave town. Winter is mild, quiet and cheap, with short queues at the big sites.
Getting around
The historic centre is best explored on foot, as many lanes are narrow or cobbled. Two metro lines (A and B) cross at Termini and are handy for longer hops, backed up by buses and trams; the Roma Pass bundles transport with entry tickets. For day trips, Ostia Antica is a quick regional train and Tivoli rewards with the Villa d'Este.
- Currency
- EUR €
- Languages
- Italian
How much does Rome cost?
A realistic daily budget per person, in three styles.
Backpacker€60per person / day
Mid-range€120per person / day
Comfort€250per person / day
Rome offers a range of costs, from affordable to luxurious.
Local tips
- ✓Book the Colosseum, Vatican Museums and Galleria Borghese online with a fixed time slot; the last only admits you with a reservation.
- ✓Refill your bottle for free at the nasoni, the cast-iron drinking fountains on almost every corner.
- ✓Eat a few streets back from the monuments, and skip places with a photo menu on the pavement.
