Day 1 - Getting to Know Rome

I've put this 3-day Rome itinerary in the order I'd do them.

You could mix up the days as you prefer.

Keep in mind that the Vatican Museums are usually closed on Sundays so you may need to move the days around if your visit falls on a weekend.

Also remember Saint Peter's Basilica may be closed when the pope hold the Papal Audience in Saint Peter's Square. It reopens around 12:30 - 1 PM.

Regardless, my idea of the perfect Rome 3-day itinerary focuses on the historic center, Ancient Rome, and the Vatican.

But First, Coffee

Let's start our sight-seeing in Rome with a typical Roman breakfast.

We'll do as the Romans do, and just find the nearest bar (café).

A typical Roman breakfast (at a bar) consists of cappuccino (or another hot drink) and cornetto (Italian version of a croissant, and there are many versions of this - plain, filled with cream, jam or chocolate, whole-grain, etc).

We can have our breakfast standing at the counter (which is what the Romans do, and which is what costs the least).

Or we can plunk ourselves down at a table, preferably outside, and watch the scenery unfold.

Variations and things to know:

First time in Rome?

Be aware that it costs more to sit down at a cafe and consume anything than it does to stand at the bar.

Look for the price list showing bar vs. table prices before you order.

Traveling with children?

You might get them a fresh squeezed orange or pomegranate juice, or a hot chocolate.

In Italy, hot chocolate is pretty dense.

If you opt for whipped cream on top, know that it may not be as sweet as your kids are used to. When my then-5-year-old niece tried hot chocolate with whipped cream in Rome, she made a face after taking a big bite of the whipped cream.

Solo traveler

Stand at the bar if you feel like getting a move on (and saving money), but otherwise, don't be shy.

It's common to see people sitting alone at a cafe enjoying their coffee. No need to feel self-conscious.

Let the sight-seeing begin

After we've fortified and soaked up some Roman ambiance, we'll walk around the historic center and see some of the most beautiful sites in the world. 

These sites are all fairly close to each other.

You may see some or all of these sites.

Just go at your own pace.

1 - Trinità dei monti

One reason I love to start at the top of the Spanish Steps is that we begin high up, and will slowly make our way down. 

Looking for a guided tour?

This half-day walking tour covers the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and Pantheon, many of the must-see sites in central Rome.

2 - Pincio

The Pincio offers some of the most beautiful, and usually uncrowded, views of Rome's rooftops.

It just gets better as we walk along.

When the road forks, we'll take the one going up, so we can get this view of Piazza del Popolo.

After enjoying the views from here, we'll head down to the piazza below.

Traveling with small children?

Just behind the Pincio, the Villa Borghese park spreads out.

If you walk back into it, you will come to a carousel, some cafés, places for bike and other rentals, and lots of fun things to do for adults and kids alike. 

3 - Piazza del Popolo

Walking down from the Pincio, we arrive in Piazza del Popolo.

That Egyptian obelisk in the middle, with its original hieroglyphs, is one of the oldest and largest in the Eternal City.

Rome's first emperor, Augustus, brought it back from Egypt in 10 BCE as a sort of war trophy.

This obelisk stood in the middle of Circus Maximus in Ancient Rome, and was moved to this piazza in the late 1500s.

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Are you an art-lover? Looking to see more stuff?

Pop into Santa Maria del Popolo, the church at the edge of the piazza.

This Renaissance church is home to a treasure-trove of art, including works by Caravaggio, Bernini, Raphael, Pinturicchio, Carracci, Bramante, and others.

Travelling with kids/teenagers?

Not just for kids, the exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions underneath the church is extraordinary, and much larger and more interesting than it appears from the outside. 

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4 - Via Margutta

We are going to make our way back towards the bottom of the Spanish Steps.

I love cutting back to this sweet little street, Via Margutta.

It's one of my favorite streets for escaping the crowds in Rome.

It's mostly an artists' street, filled with art galleries, antique shops, one-off artisan shops, and lots of local ambiance.

It also happens to be where Gregory Peck's character lived in the 1960s classic movie "Roman Holiday."

Swoon!

More about Rome on film here.

(If you're a movie buff, you may be interested in this Roman Holiday Segway tour.)

On a Romantic break?

Are you visiting Rome on a romantic getaway? 

The Hotel de Russie, immediately to our left as we start walking down via del Babuino, is one of the most luxurious, and most beautiful, hotels in Rome.

And they have a garden in the back.

You can visit it year round (there are heat lamps for winter.)

It's not inexpensive but it is a very special way to spend a few moments enjoying a coffee or aperitif.

5 - Bottom of Spanish Steps

Once at the plaza called Piazza di Spagna, we can take some nice photos of the whole panorama. 

The Spanish Steps neighborhood is central Rome's primary shopping zone.

The most famous street in the area, lined with many of the most notable fashion brands in the world, is via Condotti.

I prefer to walk down via Frattina, because I feel it's less congested and more charming, but any of these streets are fine.

6 - Pantheon

The Pantheon never fails to stop me in my tracks every single time I see it.

Built by the emperor Hadrian around 120 CE, it has the world's largest un-reinforced concrete dome.

The Pantheon was originally built By Marcus Agrippa in 25 or 27 BCE under Rome's first emperor, Augustus.

We are not entirely sure of its original use(s), but in the 7th century it was turned into a church, which is one reason it's mostly intact.

It's also a mausoleum for Italy's kings and queens, and the artist Raphael is buried here too.

Find out how to visit the Pantheon here.

A great way to get the most out of this visit is with a self-guided audio tour.

If you're a shopper, you may enjoy my guide to shopping near the Pantheon.

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Want to fit in more stuff?

On this walking itinerary through Rome's historical center, we pass a lot of churches, many of which have exquisite art and architecture.

Right here near the Pantheon, you can visit:

• Saint Ignatius - stunning ceiling with a trompe-l'œil dome (optical illusion).
• Santa Maria Sopra Minerva - the only Gothic church in Rome, with a statue of Christ the Redeemer by Michelangelo.
• San Luigi dei Francesi - a beautiful French church, with a chapel containing 3 Caravaggio paintings depicting the Life of Saint Matthew.

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7 - Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is one of the most beautiful piazzas in Rome's city center, and just 3-minutes' walk from the Pantheon.

The piazza was built on top of what was originally a stadium in Ancient Rome (in use at the same time as the Colosseum).

Today Piazza Navona is home to stunning baroque architecture, in particular the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, and three fountains, two of which were designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Want more stuff to do? Visiting Rome with teenagers/kids?

You can visit part of the remaining structure of Domitian's stadium, underneath Piazza Navona.

Go towards the rounded end of the Piazza and on the left-hand side you will see the entrance.

Click here to book tickets and audio tour of the underground.

Visiting Rome on a romantic city break?

Head to the rooftop terrace of the Eitch Borromini hotel (May - October), for stunning rooftop views of Rome and sunsets.

To get there, walk behind Piazza Navona to Via di Santa Maria dell'Anima, 30.

A CAVEAT - This spot has become very popular in recent years and now you will need to reserve in advance to snag a spot. I don't recommend trying to just "pop in."

8 - Campo dei Fiori

Just a short walk from Piazza Navona, Campo dei Fiori is another beautiful piazza from Renaissance and Baroque times (used as a market, but also for public executions).

Today it's mostly known for its open-air market, and its high concentration of lively bars and pubs and places to eat.

That statue in the middle of the square honors the philosopher Giordano Bruno, burnt at the stake on this spot for heresy in 1600.

He was later exonerated for his "crimes", hence this statue of him - staring hard, straight across the Tiber river at the Vatican.

9 - Largo di Torre Argentina

Largo di Torre Argentina is known for two things:

It's where Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March, 44 B.C.E.

And it's a city-sanctioned cat sanctuary.

If you are a cat-lover, you will be pleased to see many cats living among the ancient ruins.

You can even go down the stairs on one side and visit them (and you can adopt, even from afar.)

If you are not a cat-lover, just know the cats are fed, cared for, and living in the ruins and will not bother you.

As of June 2023, you can visit this site and I highly recommend it.

It's usually not crowded, there are no long lines to buy tickets (5€), and you can see it in less than half an hour.

10 - Trevi Fountain

We'll top off our day with the one, the only, the Trevi Fountain.

Built over a period of 130 years, and with some traces of influence by Bernini, this iconic fountain was completed in the 18th century by Nicola Salvi.

My favorite thing about the Trevi fountain is that you can hear it before you see it.

Listen as you get closer and you will hear it too.

And that's a wrap for Day 1.

Where to Eat?

Looking for someplace to eat nearby?

They are on the map linked on this page, Rome in 3 Days.

But you can also visit my pages about

• Where to Eat Near the Trevi Fountain
• Where to Eat Near the Pantheon
• Where to Eat Near Piazza Navona
• Where to Eat Near the Spanish Steps

Looking to save money?

Visit my page about where to eat in Rome on a Budget.

3 Days in Rome itinerary - Day Two

Today we visit the Vatican and Vatican Museums (unless it's a Sunday or you have another reason for moving the day).

There are many ways to approach this visit but we are going to take a guided tour.

My favorite way to tour the Vatican Museums is on an early morning tour that lets us take the shortcut into Saint Peter's Basilica.

The Pristine Sistine tour of the Vatican is perfect for this.

Visit my dedicated page about Vatican tours, or watch my YouTube video of my top 5 favorite Vatican tours.

1 - Coffee, of course

Most people not staying near Vatican City take the Metro and come out at the Ottaviano stop.

If you take the Pristine Sistine, you'll need to head to their meeting point quite early, in which case you can grab breakfast in the bar at the meeting point.

But if you have a tour or entry ticket starting at 8:30 AM or later in the morning, I recommend heading to Sciascia Caffè for the perfect coffee and a pastry.

First, it's near Ottaviano, one of the metro stations closest to the Vatican Museums.

Second, it's famous for serving up some of Rome's best coffee.

And that's saying a lot.

2 - Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

I believe the best way to visit Vatican City is with a very good guide.

When you book a tour, you always skip the line to purchase tickets. But nobody can skip the line for security, but these lines typically move quickly.

I love the Pristine Sistine but another excellent option is to just book a small-group tour.

When the tour group is under 20 people, we can hear the guide up close, and  have a better chance to ask questions.

If you want to save money, you can also opt for the Vatican Museums' audio guide, which isn't bad.

Every Vatican Museums guided tour includes the Sistine Chapel.

It's the last thing to visit inside the Vatican Museums.

(Technically, it's not the last thing to visit, because after seeing the Sistine Chapel, you will head back to the entrance of the museums, which is also the exit, and along the way, you'll go through many interesting rooms, not to mention the famous spiral staircase on your way out. But the Sistine Chapel is the last major room and usually where tours guided tours end.)

3 - St. Peter's Basilica

Some tours include the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's basilica. But not all do. Read the fine print.

I like getting a tour of the basilica as well as the Vatican museums.

It IS the largest church in the world and there's just so much history, art, and architecture. 

Once our guide leaves us, we'll just sit down in a side-chapel and rest a little.

What better place to contemplate our day, and what we've seen and done so far?

4 - St. Peter's Dome

Next, we'll make our way back to the entry of the basilica, and go down to the basement where the restrooms are. That's where we can access the ticket office for climbing the dome.

What an amazing view of Saint Peter's Square from up there:

Once we come down from the dome, we'll end up back in the basilica.

One last long gaze at Michelangelo's Pietà and off we go.

5 - St. Peter's Square

We still have to walk through St. Peter's Square, where there is quite a lot to see.

This gives us a pretty complete tour of Vatican City.

6 - Castel Sant'Angelo

It's possible to visit Castel Sant'Angelo on a 3-day visit to Rome.

While I think we've done plenty for the day, Castel Sant'Angelo is right on our way back across the Tiber river to the city center, and it's convenient to visit it after a Vatican Museums visit.

So if you want to fit in more stuff, this is a great option.

If you decide to do this, you should go to the roof, where you can enjoy a little refreshment, and one of the best café views in Rome.

There is sometimes a line to get in. 

If you think you want to do this, you can book ahead here.

Where to eat?

Hungry?

I've listed places to eat on the map embedded on this page.

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7 - Angel Bridge

If you visiting Rome for a short stay, you may not have time to visit Castel Sant'Angelo.

But on this itinerary, we will cross Ponte Sant'Angelo, the Angel Bridge.

The bridge has spanned the Tiber River since ancient Roman times, but the angels are from the 1600s. 

8 - Via dei Coronari

Via dei Coronari is one of the prettiest streets in Rome, and one of the most fun for strolling, shopping, and people-watching.

We end up right near Piazza Navona.

For the rest of today, we can visit some sites we may not have gotten to on the first day, stroll around or take a nap before dinner.

And that's a wrap for Day 2.

Want more stuff to do?

Visit Palazzo Altemps, part of the Rome National Museum system, right near Piazza Navona.

This wonderful collection of Greek and Roman sculptures resides in an old ducal palace that's a work of art in itself.

NB - After the Vatican Museums, I usually don't recommend trying to see another art museum on the same day.

However, Palazzo Altemps is a relatively easy museum to visit and also logistically convenient on this itinerary.

Rome 3-day itinerary - Day Three

On Day 3, we can spend a half day or a whole day visiting the sites of Ancient Rome - Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill.

We'll get a relatively early start.

This way, we have the second half of the day free.

We may want to see some sites we missed the first day, get in some shopping, relax, or fit in one more site.

Much of what we've seen already on our Rome itinerary has included ancient stuff.

The Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Largo Argentina, even the Vatican all have history and architecture going back to ancient Roman times.

But on today's schedule, we are going to visit Rome sites commonly referred to as "Ancient Rome" - the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

1 - Coffee, What Else?

By now, you know my drill.

I love to start a day of sight-seeing with my Roman cappuccino and cornetto. 

2 - Piazza Venezia

Let's start day 3 of our Rome in 3 Days itinerary at Piazza Venezia.

The most obvious thing to see here is this giant white "wedding cake" (that is one of several not-very-flattering nicknames the Romans have given it).

The building, Complesso Vittoriano, was built in the late 1890s and completed in 1925.

It was built as a tribute to Victor Emanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy.

Although not fascist in style, the monument is often associated with Mussolini.

If you look up at the building on the right-hand side as you face the monument, you will see the balcony where Mussolini declared war in 1940. 

The big white monument is today known for housing the tomb of the unknown soldier (you can see two soldiers there, guarding two "eternal" flames, and if you want, there is free entry, and you can go inside to visit the tomb).

3 - Campidoglio

We'll head around the wedding cake, and walk up the ramp to Campidoglio, city hall (and where I got married).

This is Capitoline Hill, where the Ancient Romans had their temple to Jupiter.

Later, Michelangelo redesigned the square, as you see it today.

The equestrian statue in the middle of emperor Marcus Aurelius is a copy.

The original is inside the Capitoline Museums.

The main reason I want to come here is for this view over the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. 

Want to fit in more stuff?

Visit the Capitoline Museums right here on Capitoline Hill.

It will easily take 2 or more hours, so make sure you will have time and energy for this.

You could also opt to take the elevator to the top of the Vittoriano for some of the most stunning 360 degree views of Rome.

4 - Via dei Fori Imperiali

We'll walk down the curving slope and end up on the via dei Fori Imperiali, or, the Street of the Imperial Forums.

This is where some of Rome's emperors (and also Julius Caesar) built their government centers.

5 - Colosseum (and Roman Forum if You Like)

To visit one of the most famous monuments in Rome, if not the world, we are going to take a guided tour.

There is way too much information and Roman history to try to figure it out on our own. 

I booked a small-group tour that will take us into the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.

On a Romantic city break

If you can, visit the Colosseum towards closing time so you might catch a bit of sunset.

Afterwards, hop over to the Hotel Forum or the NH Fori Imperiali for a romantic rooftop aperitivo.

If it's winter and the rooftops are closed, go to nearby Palazzo Manfredi and check out the swanky The Court with a stunning view of the Colosseum.

Traveling with small children

You may want to only visit the Colosseum and not the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

You may also opt to not go inside and simply walk around the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, and the via dei Fori Imperiali, taking it all in, without the stress and commitment of going inside these sites.

None of these sites is very stroller-friendly.

Turbo-sightseeing

For more to do in this area, try:

• The Basilica of San Clemente, with it's two layers of underground excavations, going back to pre-Roman times.
• Another ancient Roman site in the area, such as Trajan's Market, or Palazzo Valentini.
• The Capitoline Museums.
  

Or if you really want to fit in another must-see site, consider the Borghese Gallery, although it is in a different area of the city and you'll need to plan your transportation there.

6 - Palatine Hill and Roman Forum

When you buy a ticket to the Colosseum, it includes entry to the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill.

I put these two together because they constitute one archeological park.

The main thing to know is you cannot leave the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill and come back again on the same ticket.

So if your tour or visit to the Colosseum ends in the Roman Forum, and you want to also see the Palatine Hill, either make sure your tour includes this part, or stay in the park until you've visited all you want to see.

7 - Lunch, and . . .

Winding down this visit of 3 days in Rome, we'll head for a bite.

There are lots of places to eat near the Colosseum.

Or you can just grab a sandwich or slice of pizza. 

Rome in 3 Days - the rest of the story

We have one more half day in Rome.

What will we do?

When you visit Rome, I believe in leaving a little bit of your trip unplanned.

Perhaps just a meander back to your hotel, stopping for a drink along the way.

Or maybe you want to shop.

Perhaps go back to one of the sites you saw (or missed) one of the other days.

Want to see something else?

Try Trajan's Market, another incredible set of ancient ruins, and nearly always uncrowded.

Or, visit the Capitoline Museums, or the Galleria Doria Pamphilj.

Check my page about Rome the second time for lots more ideas of less-visited sites.

If you want to make sure you have this second half of your day planned, I suggest trying to book in advance the Galleria Borghese, one of Rome's best museums.

No, you can't actually see it "all" in Rome in 3 days.

But you can see a lot.

And that's a great start. Next time, you'll see more.

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