The eternal city is full of life and has many stories to tell. There is a lot to do in this one of the most visited cities in the world.
Rome has always been a city that we dream of visiting for all its history, art, and good food... We are going to share with you a 3-day itinerary in Rome that we think is ideal for you to get to know the main spots of the city!
The city is relatively small, so during these three days we didn't need to use the metro and we did everything on foot. Check tips for a better experience in Rome article.
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3-day Rome itinerary
Day 1
We arrived early in Rome, we like to take advantage of the first flights in the morning so, that way, we can spend the rest of the day getting to know the city.
The first thing we did was leave our backpacks at the hotel so we could start exploring the city without that extra weight.
Piazza Navona
The first point we passed was Piazza Navona, one of the most beautiful squares in the city. It is formed by 3 fountains: Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, Fontana del Moro, and Fontana del Nettuno.
It was here that we had our first impact with the city and we couldn't stop saying “so many people!!!!”. Rome is one of the most visited cities in Europe, so you will never feel alone and you can expect loads of tourists in all the main points of the city.
Campo dei Fiori
We pass by Campo dei Fiori, a square where every morning there is a street market. Here you can find various products such as flowers, liqueurs, different varieties of pasta, fruits, and vegetables… We took advantage and bought a jar of fresh fruit which was very good!
Pantheon
We continue to the Pantheon, the best-preserved building of ancient Rome and one of the city's architectural masterpieces. Admission is free and, for that reason, it is very popular! The queue was huge but we noticed that it moved quickly so we waited and went inside to visit. Inside you can see the tombs of several kings of Italy and also some works of art. We enjoyed the visit and got to know a little more about the history of this city. Opening hours are every day from 9 am to 7 pm, with the last entry at 6:30 pm.
Fontana di Trevi
Lost in the narrow streets of Rome, we arrive at the famous Trevi Fountain… One of the most famous fountains in the world and for many the most beautiful! And we can say it's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
According to legend, if you throw a coin into the fountain, you are guaranteed to return to the city. For this to work, you must stand with your back to the fountain and throw a coin with your right hand over your left shoulder, never looking back! Of course, we did. And you ask what is the future of the coins? Coins thrown into the fountain are collected during the night and donated to charities. About 1 million euros is withdrawn from the fountain every year!!
During the whole day, the fountain is full of tourists… So we decided to come back early the next day to enjoy the fountain without many people, at 7:00 am we were there and with the fountain practically to ourselves.
Piazza di Spagna
We continue on until we reach Piazza di Spagna. This square is one of the busiest places in the city, due to its famous staircase leading to the Trinità dei Monti church (which has free admission). A lot of people take advantage of this staircase to take a break and rest, it was also in our plans but at the time we visited (October 2021) it was not allowed to sit on the staircase because there were still restrictions caused by the pandemic.
Villa Borghese Gardens
We took the opportunity and went to relax in the gardens of Villa Borghese, a huge park in the center of the city. In this garden you can visit the Galleria Borghese or rent a boat and take a trip around the lake, the price is 3€ per person, 20 minutes. If you prefer to have your feet on the ground, you can simply walk and admire the various statues that you come across along the way.
Terrazza del Pincio
We ended our first day in Rome watching the sunset at Terrazza del Pincio, unfortunately, it was cloudy but on a sunny day they say it's really nice! From this viewpoint, you can see the whole city, including the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. The square that can be seen directly in front is Piazza del Popolo, where the churches of Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli, known as the “twin churches”, are located.
Dia 2
Vitor Emanuelle II National monument
After having a good breakfast, we head to our first point of the day: the Vittoriano! This imposing white marble monument draws anyone's attention from a distance! It is located in Piazza Venezia and entry is free. The view from the terrace over the entire city is one of the highlights of this visit, we recommend it!
Piazza del Campidoglio
Piazza del Campidoglio is one of the main tourist spots in the city because it is here that the sculpture of the Capitoline Wolf is located, which is part of the Legend of Romulus and Remus, Romulus being considered the founder and first king of Rome. According to legend, these two brothers were thrown into the river to drown. However, they ended up surviving and were found on the bank of the river by a wolf who started to breastfeed them.
Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill
Finally, the day has come to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Colosseum in Rome. After seeing him in so many movies, it's our turn to be there! We were delighted to observe the facade, but we wanted to go inside to understand all the history that happened in that place.
Before entering, we took the opportunity to have lunch at the metro station, which had, among other things, pizza, while we waited for the scheduled time of the visit and saw all the movement of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people around this magnificent monument.
The best advice we can give you is: to buy your ticket online and in advance! You'll notice that throughout the Colosseum's surrounding area there will be lots of people approaching you asking if you already have a ticket, they sell tickets at higher prices and always answer that you already have your ticket. We bought the ticket on GetYourGuide with an “interactive audio/video guide”, which was useful for understanding a little more of the history. But we're honest, if it were today, we'd buy the ticket that includes a guided tour by an experienced guide.
The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill are part of the ruins of the “eternal city” and the visit is included in the Colosseum ticket and is closest to the Colosseum. The visit took about 4 hours.
Trastevere
We ended the day strolling through the Trastevere region, one of the best areas in the city for dinner. We had dinner at the “Carlo Menta” restaurant and we loved it! The service is fast, the pizzas are delicious and thin crust just like we like and the prices are very affordable!
Day 3
We dedicate our last day in Rome to getting to know Vatican City. Did you know that the Vatican is the smallest country in the world? It is true!
Sant’Angelo Castle
As we went on foot, we took advantage of this, and along the way we passed by Castel Sant’Angelo, which was built on the ruins of the Emperor Adriano's mausoleum, and which is perfectly aligned with the Sant'Angelo bridge.
Saint Peter Square
We arrived at St. Peter's Square, perhaps the most famous square in the world and which we had already seen so many times on TV. It is here that a series of religious events are held throughout the year and you can attend mass given by the Pope himself.
Saint Peter Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica is the most important symbol of the Catholic Church. To get in here we had to go through security, and pay attention to the dress code because you can't enter with shoulders and knees showing! The Basilica is huge and beautiful. Michelangelo's famous Pietá sculpture is found right at the entrance to the basilica. Entrance is free, only the ascent to the dome is paid, costing 6€ per person.
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
We head to the Vatican museums and we give you the same advice as in the coliseum: buy your tickets online!! Even at the entrance, we were approached several times trying to sell us tickets… We bought an adult ticket and a youth ticket and at the entrance, we just had to show the citizen card. We bought it with an audio guide and it was VERY useful, bring some headphones and you can listen to explanations about the many artifacts that this museum has.
We go through security and again pay attention to clothing, in the Sistine Chapel the rules are the same as in St. Peter's Basilica. As the visit was long and we went close to lunchtime, we took food with us and we had no problem. We just couldn't get in with the tripod but we had already read that it wasn't allowed so we left it in the lockers.
The museums are huge and have a bit of all-world culture. This is where the famous Sistine Chapel is located, considered a masterpiece by Michelangelo. Have at least 4 hours to visit the museum and chapel!
Osteria da Fortunata
We ended the day at one of the most popular restaurants in town - Osteria da Fortunata.
The restaurant is known for its hand-made pasta, which you can see the ladies making through the window. Prices are high, we ordered pasta carbonara but we didn't find it unmissable, the pasta is too thick and the sauce too strong, for us.
Rome is an incredible, monumental city and lives up to the famous description that Rome is an authentic open-air museum. At every corner there is something to see, it is possible to say that the whole city breathes history!
To make the visit even better, the gastronomy is simply incredible, everywhere you can eat a good slice of pizza or a refreshing ice cream.
We recommend a visit to Rome to everyone, it managed to exceed our expectations and leave us amazed.
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