Rome is a HUGE city and can be super intimidating if you’ve never been before trying to plan what to do and see when! You’re probably wondering how many days in Rome are enough to see what you want to see. Well don’t fear, I am here to help with that! This post will guide you through a great 3 Days in Rome itinerary to help you plan your trip easily! I’ll show you where to get your tickets, what to look out for, helpful tips, and more! Of course, feel free to customize this itinerary for what best fits your needs! It is completely possible to see Rome in 2 Days, but I highly recommend you do this only if you are traveling alone, and don’t mind a faster paced itinerary. The 3rd day allows for a more relaxed time and gives time for travel and exploration before taking your tours.
3 Days in Rome Itinerary
Pro Travel Tips:
- Make use of the metro
- Stay at Hotel near Colosseum OR Roma Termini
- Plan your route based along the map of Rome
- Pack light, bring versatile outfit pieces that you can style many ways
- Plan your photo ops in advance, don’t be afraid to take “too many” photos!
- Avoid eating near tourist spots… actually this isn’t even Rome specific it’s just a general rule in Italy
- restaurants close typically from 3pm-7pm. If they’re open…. it’s a tourist trap don’t do it 😀 but some are alright!
- Be aware of what you can/can’t bring into the churches/sites! Some do not allow ceramics – such as mugs or other related objects inside, so hold off on buying these until EOD!
Day 1: Outdoor Sightseeing + Catacombs
On your first day, you likely aren’t looking to do a lot while adjusting to a new city. If Rome is your first stop on your trip to Italy, you’re probably reaaaalllyyyy tired and don’t feel like rushing to see everything before you leave! My best tip is to start with just seeing the basics on your first day. This is the most flexible day and can be arranged to how you like it, but I’ll go ahead and give you my recommendation on how to conquer the outdoor sight seeing of Rome.
BREAKFAST:
Maybe on this day you are traveling and don’t even need to worry about breakfast. BUT if you need…here ya go!
So most hotels likely are going to come with a complimentary breakfast option with your stay, and honestly I would recommend this for the sake of time. HOWEVERRRR, if you want the local coffee shop feel for the aesthetic or to try espresso the right way, you should absolutely go for it. Go to a local bar for this, (yes, BAR. coffee shops are BARS in Italy!) My personal favorite: a Cappuccino + Pastry. I usually would put a little “zucccero” in my cappuccino as well.
1. Take Photos by Colosseum (AM)
Estimated Time: 20 mins.
Travel Time from Hotel: ~10 mins.
Start your day by seeing the Colosseum from outside! I highly recommend staying nearby the Colosseum. When I visited, I stayed at a hotel just 10 min. walk from it. It was easy to get to the metro and go places from this spot as well.
***PRO TIP: Take your photos outside of the Colosseum on this day so that you have plenty of time and aren’t rushing to take them on the day of your tour.
2. Alter Della Patria + Piazza Venezia
Estimated Time: 20 min. (from Colosseum)
Travel Time:
This is a must see that isn’t too far out of the way on you sightseeing path! Being only a 5 minute Metro from the Colosseum, you can’t miss this stop on your journey. This is something you’ll want to stop by to see both at daytime and at night if you have the chance! There is some time allotted in day 2 of this 3 days in Rome itinerary for you to stop and see it at night! Piazza Venezia is where the Alter Della Patria is located.
3. Trevi Fountain & Caprarius (AM)
Estimated Time: 30 mins.
Travel Time from Alter Della Patria: 8 min. METRO
After seeing the Alter della Patria, you’ll want to head to take a metro to the Trevi fountain. The metro will take anywhere from 8-10 minutes. Once you make it here, everything else is a close walk from each other!
For instant directions on which metro to take click HERE. I’ve found that the earlier in the day you get going, the less crowded is might be near the fountain. Either way though, expect the fountain to be crowded. You just may need to fight for your photo spots! Do note that you cannot sit or lean on anything that is part of the fountain, nor throw coins in. There are guards that while whistle at you to stop you, so avoid it to begin with! Don’t be alarmed when you hear whistles non stop at the fountain.
If you’re looking for a unique experience close by the fountain, check out the underground aqueducts and be sure to get tickets in advance! Known as Caprarius, this is a unique experience that will make for the best 3 days in Rome and allows you to see the behind the scenes of the water flow in the city.
4. Spanish Steps
After Trevi Fountain, you can head over to the Spanish Steps to walk up and down and take your photos, and check out the views! This is a free attraction, and doesn’t take long to check out. It is a fun place to take family photos, or photos with friends! It is also a low stakes activity to start your 3 days in Rome itinerary.
Estimated Time: 30 mins.
Travel Time from Trevi Fountain: 8 min. WALK
5. Pantheon:
Estimated Time: 45 min. total (includes waiting in line and seeing inside)
Travel Time from Spanish Steps: 13 min. WALK
Tickets:
The Pantheon is SO COOL when you see it up close. BUT it’s even cooler to see inside. You do need some type of reservation on certain days to get in to see the inside. When you get there, you will still need to wait in line to get in, but it doesn’t take long and is so worth it! For your reservation, if you want a tour, you can get one for about $22, but if you’re looking to just go in and see the inside, it’ll only cost you $9. You’ll need a reservation on weekends and holidays, otherwise you can just wait in line and go inside!
6. Piazza Navona
Estimated Time: 30 mins.
Travel Time from Pantheon: 4 min WALK
Piazza Navona is home to a few really incredible sights to see. One of the most known is Neptune’s fountain. This is a great stop to walk through and explore and take photos at! Close by here are some great places for lunch to avoid tourist trap places, so you can get the best experience and try local foods. This is a great time to stop and head to lunch before moving over to Vatican City.
LUNCH:
Estimated Time: 1-1.5 hours
There are so many great places to eat in Rome, and too many great options to chose from. For this trip, I’d recommend something light but tasty so that you can enjoy a nice dinner later in the day! I recommend going to I Pizzicaroli, they have some great platters to share with your friends and family and it is inexpensive but provides great taste!
I Pizzicaroli – This is a great outdoor spot you can visit if you are looking for a nice lunch spot that has something other than pizza and pasta! It is very affordable, and has nothing but good food and is not a tourist trap. They offer a great selection of beer and wine to pair with a platter of cheeses and meats, and the platter is only 11 Euros per person! This place serves as a great way to try many different foods and share with your family or friends you visit with!
7. St. Angelo Bridge & Castel St. Angelo
Travel Time from Piazza Navona: 9 min. WALK
Take a Metro over from the Piazza Navona to Vatican City area to check out the sights over in this direction! When you leave the metro to get to Vatican City, you’ll walk across the St. Angelo Bridge and pass the Castel St. Angelo. These are two really cool spots to see, so definitely take some photos along your journey.
8. Castel St. Angelo
Estimated Time: 1-2 hrs.
To allow time for it to get dark for nighttime views of the places in Vatican City (SOOOO worth the wait) and for you to get the most of your 3 days in Rome, take a tour of Castel St. Angelo! It is SO worth it, and gives you some unique views of Vatican City and the rest of Rome! Click HERE to get tickets that are valid for the whole day so that you don’t have to rush and worry about making it by a certain time.
9. St. Peter’s Basilica
See St. Peter’s Basilica from the outside during the daytime! If you are traveling in the fall/winter seasons, it is likely you’ll have this opportunity sooner to see it at night as well, no questions asked. However if traveling in the summer, you may have to wait a bit longer until it is dark! If so, I recommend eating dinner before heading back towards the Colosseum, so that you can come back out and see the basilica during the nighttime.
DINNER:
Estimated Time: 1.5 hr.
For dinner, when I stayed at my hotel near the Colosseum, there was a really nice restaurant about 5 min walk from where I was staying. It is a hole in the wall kind of place but was delicious. It’s almost located underground the way it sits. Worth going to and is not too expensive either. I had some DELICIOUS spaghetti bolognese complete with some red Italian wine!
**TRAVEL TIP: If traveling in summer months, I’d recommend eating dinner near Vatican City before heading back towards the Colosseum to allow time for it to get dark and see St. Peter’s Basilica at night!
10. See St. Peter’s Basilica at Night
After leaving dinner, hopefully it will be dark enough for you to get a nice night view of St. Peter’s Basilica! If you are traveling in the fall/winter seasons, it is likely you’ll have this opportunity earlier, no questions asked. However if traveling in the summer, you may have to wait a bit longer until it is dark! So I totally recommend doing whatever you can to wait until dark!
11. See Colosseum (PM)
Estimated Time: 20 min
Travel Time from Vatican City: 30 min METRO
After your long but hopefully exciting day, it is time to head back towards your hotel! This is the time to check out the Colosseum at night and get your photos. Complete with a dinner near your hotel if traveling during the fall/winter months, this makes for a great first day in Rome! If you got dinner to wait for it to get dark, there are plenty of gelato shops that would be open for you to get a delicious treat!
Day 2: Colosseum + Roman Forum + Catacombs
Day 2 of the 3 Days in Rome Itinerary starts off with a very busy morning, but has an extremely relaxed afternoon. Today is a great day to have a nice dinner in the evening, and to walk around and explore the streets of Rome! I’ll include some spots you may want to walk to check out/snap a few photos of!
BREAKFAST:
For day 2 breakfast, I recommend eating a larger breakfast since you may be taking a later lunch due to the packed morning you’ll have. If breakfast is at your hotel, great! If not, a local coffee bar will also do just fine. I’d aim for your Colosseum tour to be no later than 9am!
1. Tour of Colosseum
Estimated Time: 2-3 hrs. w/Roman Forum
Travel Time from Hotel: 10-15 min walk
**There are so many options to combine the Colosseum with the Roman Forum tours, these are great options to lead you from one spot to the next! I do recommend going to the Colosseum first, so that you have the time to explore in the Roman Forum and check out the views from Palatine Hill!
Start off day 2 with a visit inside the famous Colosseum! This and the Roman Forum will likely take up most of your day, with room to explore later in the afternoon! I would absolutely recommend getting a guided tour of the Colosseum, so that you are able to learn about what you’re looking at while visiting! It also keeps you on track with time while still allowing for time to take it in and take all your photos!
2. Tour/Explore Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
Estimated Time: 2-3 hrs. w/Roman Forum
Right after the Colosseum is the best time to go visit and explore the Roman Forum! It is right next to the Colosseum, meaning there really isn’t a travel time between events. It is always best to do these together. There are options to tour both in one tour booking, or you can book separately and get yourself from point A to point B. While you’re here, be sure to also explore and go up to Palatine Hill for the views! Here you can get some of the best photos of the Forum.
LUNCH:
Estimated Time: 1.5 hr.
Cost: $$
After this crazy busy morning, you’ll probably be plenty hungry for lunch. Since the rest of the afternoon isn’t too terribly packed, take the time to relax and enjoy a really delicious lunch! I’ve linked to a site that gives you TONS of great recommendations near the Roman Forum/Colosseum area!
3. Catacombs
Estimated Time: 1/2 day.
Travel Time from Colosseum: 10 min. METRO
Cost: $70/person
After lunch, take the time to check out the Catacombs and aqueducts of Rome! If spooky bones and underground sites freak you out this totally isn’t for you, but the history is fascinating and it is a neat spot to check out! This tour will take you through the Roman aqueducts, as well as give you a complete tour of the Catacombs and Crypts, and provide transfers between the sites along the way!
DINNER:
Estimated Time: 2 hr.
Cost: $$
Since there is so much time allowed for dinner on Day 2, this is the perfect day to go all out and have a nice dinner out in Rome! If you want to get the best view of Rome while at your dinner, head to Ambrosia Rooftop Restaurant & Bar! Rated nearly 5 stars on Google this restaurant is a MUST go to. It’s located nearby the Roma Termini, the main train station in Rome. It’s about a 20 min. metro ride from the Colosseum! This restaurant will not disappoint with their food and atmosphere.
5. Explore/Walk/Sightsee
After seeing the Catacombs and enjoying a delicious dinner, you’ll have some evening left to explore some other sights outdoors to see even more of Rome! Some of the options you can walk to and check out include:
- Mouth of Truth
- Circo Massimo
- Baths of Caracalla
- Alter della Patria in Piazza Venezia
***PRO TRAVEL TIP: Another thing to note that you may have time for before or after dinner is to go back and check out other sites at night such as the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Circo Massimo, and any others you visited on day 1 of your 3 days in Rome itinerary!
Day 3: Vatican Museum + Sistine Chapel + St. Peter’s Basilica
Day 3 of your 3 days in Rome itinerary allows for the most room for adjustment, assuming that this may also be a travel day onto your next destination! Anytime is great to visit either of these places, so long as you have your reservations for the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel! Take the time you need for this day and adjust according to your needs!
BREAKFAST:
Breakfast at hotel, or try another local coffee bar! You can’t go wrong with a cappuccino and pastry.
1. St. Peter’s Basilica
Estimated Time: 2 hrs.
Travel Time from Colosseum: 35 min METRO
Hours: 7am-6pm; April – Oct. 7am-7pm
Early morning after breakfast is a good time to visit St. Peter’s Basilica. This is absolutely a MUST SEE in Rome. You can’t miss THE basilica of all basilicas! This 3 days in Rome itinerary is planned so that you can see it both during the day and at night and have photos of both! On your first day you’d remember getting your photos during the day and night. To get inside costs nothing but your time. You’ll have to wait in line outside and go through a security like checkpoint on your way in. The line may look scary long when you get to it, but it does move quickly!
When you get inside, you’ll get to walk through and explore on your own and see all of the basilica. It is absolutely breathtaking. Be sure to take so many photos! (Never such a thing as too many photos.) When you are finished exploring inside, be sure to go up to the top to get the view from above.
***If you absolutely HATE stairs, this is NOT the activity for you!
To get to the top of the basilica, there are approx. 500 stairs. DO be aware that near the top the path gets very narrow, so this might be frightening if you are claustrophobic! It costs 10 Euro if you want to go up about 300 steps via elevator and climb just 200 afterwards. If you’re feeling bold, it only costs 8 Euros to climb all 500 to the top. Either way, if you can do it, you do NOT want to miss this iconic view of Rome.
2. Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel
Estimated Time: 2 hrs.
Travel Time from St. Peter’s Basilica: 13 min WALK
Hours: 8:30AM – 6:30PM
After St. Peter’s Basilica, head over to the Vatican museums as they are super close together. The Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel are all in one building together. Visiting the Vatican museum can be SUPER overwhelming, but if you want to just see the part you came for, you can go straight to the Sistine Chapel. There should be signs that guide you, but if lost, don’t be afraid to ask for directions! This can take anywhere from 2-3 hours depending on how much you want to see! The museum is open until 6:30, so I would aim to enter in no later than 4:30pm! Last entry is likely to be at 5:30pm.
LUNCH:
On the last day of this 3 days in Rome itinerary, you’ll likely have some traveling to do to get home or to your next destination on your trip! So lunch varies depending on what you have going on next. I’d recommend something quick and light, although “quick” service in Italy really doesn’t exist, as it is part of the culture to sit and chat with your friends and take that time to invest in company! A great way to get around this is to find a panini shop where you can take your sandwiches to go and pay upfront, so that you can take as much time as you need. Here are a few recommendations:
*Near train station: CLICK HERE
*Near Vatican City: CLICK HERE
…
This post was about gifting you a 3 day itinerary to Rome! I hope this gave you an idea of what you can do to spend a relaxed, stress free 3 days in Rome. Of course everyone’s needs differ based on preferences and priorities, so feel free to take this and make it your own! So long as you reserve and plan ahead, and allow plenty of time between places you should have a great 3 days in Rome!
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