Traveling with limited time? How to visit Rome with only 2, 3, or 4 days to see the city:
Trying to decide how many days in Rome you should book your stay for? I was in the same predicament a couple months ago. Rome is a fantastic destination for lovers of ancient history, Roman mythology, world-renowned art, and delicious pasta! I think you could easily spend a month in the city without running out of things to see and do!
Last month I visited Rome for the first time on my 10 day trip to Italy. With limited time to squeeze as much in to my ten days, I settled on a four night stay in Rome. Four days in Rome was perfect to see the city’s biggest landmarks without packing too much into each day (trust me we still did a ton of walking regardless).
If time wasn’t a factor, I would have loved to spend closer to a week in Rome. However, many of us don’t have the luxury of time on our side! For those trying to see Rome in a short amount of time like me, I’ve put together itineraries for two, three, and four day trips so you can best decide how many days you need in Rome.
Deciding How Many Day in Rome You Should Visit:
When I visited, I happened to organize my four days in Rome in what I would consider to be most important to see in the beginning of my trip to “extra things to visit” on my last day. For that reason, if you only have 2-3 days to see Rome, I would prioritize days one and two of this itinerary.
Keep in mind, Rome is a gigantic city with thousands of years of history to unpack- so if you only have a few days, you aren’t going to see the whole city no matter how you organize your trip. This type of thinking freed me from the stress of trying to pack everything possible in, and rather prioritize what I felt would make for a well-rounded and memorable experience.
So no matter how many days in Rome you spend, just focus on picking out what you think will be most enticing to you!
Where to Stay in Rome: My Recommendations
Trastevere
My friends and I stayed in Trastevere and had a fantastic experience here! For those looking to experience nightlife, this is definitely the area to stay in. The winding, cobblestoned streets are bustling with restaurants, cafes, bars, and everything in between. This makes it incredibly easy to enjoy a night out without the hassle of figuring out how to get home in a foreign city.
At night, this is definitely the liveliest neighborhood in the city but also felt incredibly safe considering how many people were around and establishments were open. I was a bit worried that it might be difficult to sleep by staying in a noisier area, but that wasn’t the case for me at all.
Centro Storico (Historic Center)
For closest proximity to the main attractions, Centro Storico is the way to go. Centro Storico is where you can find the Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and many of Rome’s most popular piazzas. If you to eliminate some walking from your day, staying in Centro Storico is definitely the way to go.
While Trastevere is the main hub for nightlife, there are plenty of bars and restaurants open late in Centro Storico as well! I would consider this to be a good compromise between walking distance and nightlife.
For more detailed recommendations on where to stay in Rome, check out this guide.
Day 1 Itinerary
Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum
We started our 4 day in Rome by fully immersing ourselves in the ancient history of the city by booking a three stop tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum through Walks of Italy. I highly recommend doing a guided tour of these three stops. Having a guide enlightened us on the ancient stories of each stop as we walked around.
Our 3 hour skip-the-line tour began outside the Colosseum. After finding our tour group, we were each given headsets so we could clearly hear the guide. This was incredibly helpful especially because the Colosseum is one of Rome’s busiest spots, especially during high season (spring/summer).
If you are looking to avoid the guided tour, its best to read up on the best ways to visit Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum as this area can get quite busy.
Colosseum
Once inside the Colosseum, our guide walked us through its history covering the gladiator fights, influence on Roman culture and politics, and how it went from one of the world’s grandest amphitheaters to the crumbling structure that stands today.
Our guide pointed out notable structures within the Colosseum such as where the bathrooms were, where the emperor would sit, where the animals and gladiators would enter the arena, and even had pictures depicting scenes to help us envision what it looked like.
Palatine Hill
Next, our tour group headed over to Palatine Hill, a short walk from the Colosseum. While not as well known as the Colosseum, Palatine Hill is another stop that you can’t miss if you want the true ancient Rome experience.
Once the center of ancient Rome and home to the palaces of emperors and wealthy, today there still stands the remains of many structures and gardens of estates from years ago. Since I was less familar with the history of Palatine Hill, it was great to have a tour guide to point out important landmarks and explain what the different structures had been used for.
Roman Forum
The final stop on our group tour was the Roman Forum. Just a short walk from Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum was once home to the city’s largest religious centers, markets, judicial courts, and other important facets of Roman culture.
Today, many of the buildings are unrecognizable as they have been reduced to rubble and ruins- or as my friend put it: “a pile of rocks”. While this definitely exaggerates the ruins of the Roman Forum, it was incredibly helpful to have a guide to explain the importance of what these crumbled remains once were.
More Things to Do by the Colosseum:
We were pretty tired after traveling into Rome on day 1 and our three-stop tour so we headed directly to dinner. If you have more time (and energy!), here are some things by the Colosseum we would have done with more time:
- Ludus Magnus: Across the street from the Colosseum is Ludus Magnus, the remains of gladiator training school used in ancient Rome. You can see most of what is left of Ludus Magnus from the street, but if you are interested in learning more there are individual tour companies that will take you on a guided tour.
- Mamertine Prison: This prison gained notoriety for being where St. Peter was detained before being crucified as well as where St. Paul was held before his execution.
- Basilica San Clemente: Just a five minute walk from the Colosseum, this beautiful church is an excellent opportunity to journey through time as there have been extensive excavations on the lower levels of the church to uncover ancient structures and artifacts. The deeper you go, the further back in time you step!
Dinner Recommendation: Mercato Hostaria
For dinner we headed over to Mercato Hostaria in Piazza Campo De’ Fiore which was about a 15 minute walk from the Colosseum.
Piazza Campo De’ Fiore is best known for its market during the day that sells fruits, vegetables, flowers and other goods. At night, it transforms into a total foodie scene with several restaurants dotted along the edges with outdoor seating.
I’d consider this piazza to be more laid back than some of the other ones we visited (for example, its neighbor Piazza Navona) which was exactly what we needed at the end of our first day in Rome.
Day 2 Itinerary
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica
We headed up to Vatican City on day 2 of our 4 day trip to Rome for another guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Similar to the Colosseum, we were really glad we booked a guided tour of these sights since there is so much history to unpack and its great to have an experienced guide provide historical importance and context.
Our Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica tickets included a 3-hour guided tour through the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, as well as entry (not a tour) of the Basilica.
Depending on how many days in Rome you have, you could choose to spend less time here and do a self guided tour instead. I would just do some research ahead of time on the exhibits in the Vatican Museums since it is very large. But if you have 3-4 days like I did, I would highly recommend doing the guided tour!
Remember to dress accordingly for your trip to Vatican City. Generally, you should dress modestly with your shoulders and knees covered. You may get denied entry otherwise.
Vatican Museums
Our tour started outside the Vatican Museums where we were given headsets so that we could clearly hear our tour guide as we walked through the museums- which can get quite busy and loud!
The Vatican Museums are huge as they house an extensive amount of ancient Roman treasures and art. From statues, to rugs, to ancient cooking utensils- this museum truly has it all when it comes to Roman history. We spent the majority of our 3 hour tour walking around the museums (~2 hours).
Sistine Chapel
The next stop on our tour was the famed Sistine Chapel. There is no talking allowed in the Chapel so our guide took the time to explain the details of the ceiling in advance. Once inside, we were given about 15 minutes to just walk around and take in the beauty of Michelangelo’s art.
I was a bit surprised by how crowded the Sistine Chapel was. We went around midday and everyone was packed towards the center of the room. Even though no talking is allowed inside the chapel, it was pretty loud and a bit overwhelming. I would highly recommend considering an early morning tour to avoid the crowd inside the Sistine if this is a stop you are really looking forward to.
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Basilica was my favorite stop in Vatican City! While it was not part of our tour, our tour tickets included entry to the Basilica and we were able to walk around ourselves. Note that our tour (and most tours) do not include the climb to the top of the dome. Read below for more details on the dome.
The inside of this church is as magnificent as you would expect the largest church in the world to be. Make sure to take some time to look at the statues, spend some time looking up at the magnificent dome, and spend some time in the beautiful prayer spaces if you are interested.
My favorite part of the Basilica were the Papal Tombs. These are the tombs of passed away Popes dating back as early as the fifth century. You can find the entrance to the tombs by walking down a set of stairs located towards the center of the Basilica.
St. Peter’s Basilica Dome
Optional Dome Tour: If you are interested in a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and climbing up the Dome, there are tours you can book with art historians. These tours dive deeper into the Basilica’s art and history in addition to access to the dome climb.
Explore Trastevere
If there is one thing I can say for sure about Rome, it is that I loved the neighborhood of Trastevere! Trastevere is the heart of Rome’s food and drink culture. The streets are lined with restaurants, bars, shops, gelaterias, churches, and palazzos at every turn.
If you only have a couple days in Rome, I consider an afternoon in this neighborhood to be an excellent way to lean into Roman culture. Or, if you are spending more time in the city, this is a great way to have a relaxed afternoon after a busy couple days seeing some of Rome largest attractions. When deciding how many days in Rome to spend, make sure to build this stop into your itinerary!
If you only have room for the first two days of this itinerary, I would consider trying to fit the self-guided tour of historic Rome in as well (see below).
Trastevere Food Tour
Since I have Celiac Disease and can’t eat gluten, I wasn’t able to do a guided food tour. However, had I been able to, this is definitely something I would have signed up for in Trastevere. Since this is Rome’s food hub, this would be the best way to sample the best food, drinks, and gelato with an experienced guide.
Here are some food tour options I would look into:
- The Roman Food Tour in Trastevere
- Small-Group Rome Food Walking Tour: Trastevere, Campo de’ Fiori, Jewish Ghetto
- Rome Twilight Trastevere Food Tour with Eating Europe
- Hidden Rome Food Tour in Trastevere with Dinner and Wine
However, if you have food restrictions like me, or want a more laid back afternoon, a self guided tour around Trastevere is a fantastic option too! You can easily find places to sit down, enjoy an apertivo, and eat delicious food. My friends and I bought a deck of cards and spent hours hopping trattorias playing cards while we were in Rome.
If you only have room for the first two days of this itinerary, I would consider trying to fit the self-guided tour of historic Rome in as well (see below).
Day 3 Itinerary
Get your walking shoes on because day 3 of this 4 day Rome itinerary is going to be a big day for seeing all the must-see piazzas and tourist stops in the historic center of Rome followed by a stroll through the Borghese Gardens and Gallery.
We easily clocked over 20,000 steps on day 3, but trust me that those steps will go by in a flash because there are so many cool, picturesque moments you will experience on day 3 of this trip!
Historic Center: Self Guided Tour
The historic center of Rome (Centro Storico) refers to the neighborhood where you can find the city’s renowned piazzas, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and more! We opted to see these ourselves (as opposed to booking a guided tour), so we could move at our own pace. This allowed us to pop in shops along the way, not feel rushed to take pictures, and stop for lunch!
You can see these spots in any order, but we organized them in a way that they would go in order and lead up the Borghese gardens (which is the next stop on the itinerary).
Pantheon
We started out at the Pantheon- the former Roman temple, now Christian Church- that was built over 2000 years ago and remains largely intact today. Admission into the Pantheon is free, and we were able to walk right in!
As you walk around, you will see the tombs of a number of Christian martyrs as well as areas to pray. Both the interior and exterior are gorgeous and definitely a must-see spot while in Rome.
Second, we headed over to Piazza Navona, one of the city’s biggest and most busy piazzas. There are three large sculptures in the center of the square and around the perimeter are a number of shops and restaurants. We got some cute tourist-y gifts while here, plus some delicious gelato from Grom!
Trevi Fountain
Next, we made wishes and tossed a coin into the famed Trevi Fountain. We got there around midday which was jam packed. If you are looking to see it without many other tourists around, you would have the best luck arriving early in the morning (I would aim for 7 a.m. or earlier).
Being as packed as it was, we didn’t spend too much time there. However, we brought our coins and tossed them over a shoulders (and got cute videos) while there!
Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps
Our next stops were Piazza di Spagna and the adjoining Spanish Steps. Piazza di Spagna is another adorable square, well known in Rome. Here you can find more beautiful monuments, fountains, and little museums. But most obvious upon arrival are the grand Spanish Steps.
The Spanish Steps are a set of 135 stairs that connect Piazza di Spagna with Piazza Trinità dei Monti. Piazza Trinità dei Monti is home to the Trinità dei Monti church which can be seen from the base of the steps. When we visited in April, this picturesque landmark was lined with beautiful blooming flowers.
Piazza del Popolo
Our final stop on our self-guided tour around historic Rome before heading to the Borghese gardens was Piazza del Popolo. This is another large, well-known square in the city complete with monuments, fountains, and beautiful landmarks surrounding the perimeter.
We didn’t have much time to spend here, so we didn’t have a chance to go inside of the surrounding landmarks. However, with more time I definitely would have checked out the “twin churches”, Chiesa di Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli which lie at one end of the piazza and will immediately attract your eye upon entering, as well as the oldest church in Piazza del Popolo, Chiesa di Santa Maria del Popolo. All three of these churches have beautiful exteriors and are home to artwork from a number of famous Italian artists.
Borghese Gallery and Gardens
From Piazza del Popolo, we entered into the nearby Borghese gardens for a 20 minute stroll to the Borghese gallery. Compared to the Vatican or Colosseum, I would consider the Borghese Gallery to be a lesser known landmark in the city. Though not as popular, you should definitely check this one out if you have the time.
The Borghese gardens surrounding the gallery were the best outdoor space we came across in Rome. If you are looking to have a picnic, relax outdoors, or go for a walk, this would be a great place to do so! If you don’t have time, definitely take advantage of the stroll from Piazza del Popolo to enjoy the beauty of these gorgeous gardens.
The great thing about the Borghese Gallery is that they only let a set number of people into the museum every couple hours. This gave us a much needed break from the swarm of tourists you will find at just about every other museum in the city.
We booked a two hour guided tour of the gallery and gardens through City Wonders. Unless you have an art history background, I would highly recommend having a tour guide to walk you through the art on display.
The inside of this gallery is beautiful, this gallery had my favorite art out of all of our stops in Rome. Works of Bernini, Raphael, and Caravaggio are just a few of the many artists on display here. We spent most of the two hours inside the gallery while our guide gave us the backstories and historical significance of various artworks.
When our tour of the gallery concluded, the guide offered to take whoever would like a tour of the galleries on a walk as well. Unfortunately, we were running short on time so we weren’t able to stay but we were glad we had a chance to see some of the gardens before the tour on our walk from Piazza del Popolo.
Day 4 Itinerary
If you have a fourth day in Rome, I would use this as an opportunity to try an experience unique to Rome to fully immerse yourself in the city! There are a number of classes, experiences, and adventures available through websites like GetYourGuide, Viator, or AirBnB. Below are a few suggestions of the types of experiences I would look into for day 4 of your Rome itinerary.
Take a Cooking Class
What better place to learn how to make delicious Italian classics such as fettuccine, ravioli, or pizza than in the heart of the capital? Most cooking classes tend to run for $50-$75 where you will have the opportunity to make an Italian classic from scratch with experienced chefs! Here are a few to check out to get your started:
- Make Your Own Fettucine Class
- Pasta, Ravioli, and Tiramisu Class
- Outdoor Rome Pasta and Pizza Class
- Homemade Pizza and Gelato Class with Wine
Explore Outside the City
Perhaps you are itching to explore somewhere outside of Rome! If this is the case, there are a number of tour companies that offer day excursions out of the city to nearby regions, towns, and beaches (typically via bus/train) which is a great way to experience broader Italian culture. These “guided” excursions take the stress out of coordinating transportation but tend to give you a lot of free will to wander the destinations on your own once there.
Some of the most popular destinations include the nearby Tuscan region, Pompeii, and Amalfi coast. There are a number of other excursions to smaller towns and cities as well!
Here are a few tours I would take a look at to get started:
- Pompeii, Amalfi Coast and Positano Guided Day Trip from Rome
- Tuscany Day Trip from Rome including 3-Course Lunch and Wine Tasting
- Tivoli Full Day Trip from Rome: Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este
- Amalfi Coast from Rome: Boat-Hopping with Limoncello Tasting
One thing to keep in mind when booking a day trip is to take a look at how long the excursion lasts. Some tours can last as long as 14-15 hours whereas others may only go out for 5-6 hours. Since this is the last day of our itinerary, keep this in mind! If you pick a longer tour option, you may want to consider bumping this up so you aren’t tired from your first three days around Rome.
Go on a Ghost Tour
Ghost tours are awesome because they blend a walking tour, folklore, and history into one fun adventure! This is something I wanted to do in Rome but didn’t get a chance to unfortunately. A city as old as Rome is rich in spooky stories so I imagine that a ghost tour would be a lot of fun.
Here are a few tours to check out:
- Rome: Ghostly Nighttime Walking Tour
- Paranormal Night Walking Tour & Secret Backstreets
- Dark Heart of Rome – Facts, Legend & Mystery Walking Tour
Looking for More Italy Guides?
Check out my other itineraries and guides to seeing Italy:
- How Many Days in Venice is Enough? Itinerary + Recommendations for a 1, 2, or 3 Day Stay
- How Many Days in Florence is Enough? Hand-Crafted Itinerary for 2+ Days in the City
- Ultimate Florence to Venice Day Trip: 5 Major Sites + Food Recommendations for the Perfect Day
Gluten Free like Me?
It’s uber important to always travel prepared! No matter where you are going, it’s important to always travel with some gluten free snacks on hand!
Click here to learn more about my favorite gluten free travel snacks!
Travelling Gluten Free in Italy? Read on more here:
Looking for more gluten free travel inspiration? Check out my other posts!
Don’t Stop Exploring Here!
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