7 days in Rome

Day by day

1. Day 1: Colosseum and Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

   Colosseum and Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, then Piazza Navona in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Colosseum

      Colosseo · 1.5 hours (half a day with the Forum) · mid-priced. Timed tickets are required and sell out days or weeks ahead in high season; buy from the official Colosseum site or authorised resellers.

   2. Late morning

      Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

      Colosseo · 2–3 hours · mid-priced. Entry is included in the combined Colosseum ticket; reserve in advance.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Spaghetti alla carbonara

      Trattorias across the city, particularly in Testaccio, Monti and around Campo de' Fiori.

   4. Evening

      Piazza Navona

      Skip the terrace prices for coffee and come back after dark, when the fountains are lit and the crowds thin.

2. Day 2: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica

   Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica, then Campo de' Fiori in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

      Vatican City · 3–4 hours · mid-priced. Timed tickets bought on the official Vatican Museums site avoid queues that can last hours.

   2. Late morning

      St Peter's Basilica

      Vatican City · 1.5–2 hours with the dome · free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cacio e pepe

      Traditional Roman trattorias; it is on almost every menu in Trastevere and Testaccio.

   4. Evening

      Campo de' Fiori

      Buy a piece of pizza bianca from a bakery just off the square and eat it in Piazza Farnese next door.

3. Day 3: Pantheon and Trevi Fountain

   Pantheon and Trevi Fountain, then Trastevere and Santa Maria in Trastevere in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Pantheon

      Centro Storico · 30–45 minutes · low cost. Buying tickets online skips the ticket queue on busy days.

   2. Late morning

      Trevi Fountain

      Trevi · 20–30 minutes · free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Bucatini all'amatriciana

      Trattorias citywide, often listed alongside carbonara and gricia as the Roman pasta quartet.

   4. Evening

      Trastevere and Santa Maria in Trastevere

      Wander in the late afternoon, climb the Janiculum for sunset, then come back down for dinner.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Ostia Antica

   About 40 minutes by train each way. Getting there: Roma–Lido train from Piramide to Ostia Antica.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Ostia Antica

      About 40 minutes by train (Roma–Lido train from Piramide to Ostia Antica); about 25 km.

   2. Day

      Ostia Antica

      It is much less crowded than Pompeii and needs half a day.

   3. Evening

      Back in Rome

      Dinner: try Supplì.

5. Day 5: Spanish Steps and Borghese Gallery

   Spanish Steps and Borghese Gallery, then Trastevere in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Spanish Steps

      Tridente · 30 minutes · free.

   2. Late morning

      Borghese Gallery

      Villa Borghese · 2 hours · mid-priced. Reservations are compulsory and sell out weeks ahead in high season.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Supplì

      Pizza-by-the-slice shops and fry shops, and as a starter in pizzerias.

   4. Evening

      Trastevere

      Wine bars, craft-beer pubs and crowds spilling into Piazza di Santa Maria and Piazza Trilussa until late.

6. Day 6: Day trip to Tivoli

   About 1 hour by train or bus each way. Getting there: Regional train from Tiburtina, or Cotral bus from Ponte Mammolo.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Tivoli

      About 1 hour by train or bus (Regional train from Tiburtina, or Cotral bus from Ponte Mammolo); about 30 km.

   2. Day

      Tivoli

      Seeing both in one day takes planning, as they are about 5 km apart.

   3. Evening

      Back in Rome

      Dinner: try Pizza al taglio.

7. Day 7: Villa Borghese park and Capitoline Museums

   Villa Borghese park and Capitoline Museums, then Monti in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Villa Borghese park

      Villa Borghese · 2–3 hours · free.

   2. Late morning

      Capitoline Museums

      Capitoline Hill · 2 hours · mid-priced.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pizza al taglio

      Bakeries and slice shops everywhere, with well-known ones near the Vatican in Prati and in Testaccio.

   4. Evening

      Monti

      Low-key wine bars and the fountain steps of Piazza della Madonna dei Monti, a favourite meeting point.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, Pantheon and Borghese Gallery before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 7 nights, Centro Storico keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Tridente and the Spanish Steps ($$$$) suits luxury, shopping, couples and first-timers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 20–25 hours of visiting over 7 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.1 hours in December to 15.2 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Rome
• 2 days in Rome
• 3 days in Rome
• 4 days in Rome
• 5 days in Rome

Questions travellers ask