One day in Rome

Day by day

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

   Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica, then Trevi Fountain in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Colosseum

      Book the first slot of the morning or a late-afternoon slot, and visit the Forum and Palatine at a different time of day on the same ticket to spread the walking. Allow 1.5 hours (half a day with the Forum).

   2. Late morning

      Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

      Climb to the Farnese Gardens on the Palatine for the best overview of the Forum, and carry water — shade is scarce. Allow 2–3 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Spaghetti alla carbonara

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

   4. Afternoon

      Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

      Book the first entry slot of the day and move briskly to the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel before tour groups catch up. Allow 3–4 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      St Peter's Basilica

      Arrive early to beat the security queue, and cover shoulders and knees or you will be turned away. Allow 1.5–2 hours with the dome.

   6. Evening

      Trevi Fountain

      Come early in the morning or late at night to see it without a wall of people, and keep a hand on your bag in the crowd.

Before you go

• Colosseum: Timed tickets are required and sell out days or weeks ahead in high season; buy from the official Colosseum site or authorised resellers.
• Roman Forum and Palatine Hill: Entry is included in the combined Colosseum ticket; reserve in advance.
• Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel: Timed tickets bought on the official Vatican Museums site avoid queues that can last hours.

If it rains

• Swap in Pantheon (Centro Storico): Visit during a shower to watch rain fall through the oculus onto the marble floor, which has drainage holes beneath.
• Swap in Borghese Gallery (Villa Borghese): Start upstairs in the picture gallery while most visitors crowd round the Berninis on the ground floor, then come back down.
• Swap in Capitoline Museums (Capitoline Hill): Do not miss the Tabularium windows over the Forum, and stop at the museum's terrace café for the view.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 8–11 hours of visiting over one day, 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.

Getting between stops: Walking. Walking is the best way to see Rome: the Colosseum to the Pantheon is about 25 minutes, and the Pantheon to St Peter's about 25 minutes more across the Tiber.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Rome
• 3 days in Rome
• 4 days in Rome
• 5 days in Rome
• 7 days in Rome

Questions travellers ask