3 Days in Rome Itinerary

Rome is top destination in Europe for a reason. The number of things to do and see in this city are nearly endless. Around every corner there’s another piece of history to experience, incredible cafe to try, or the most delectable pasta to indulge in. You can easily spend 4+ days in Rome, but if you are limited on time, here is a great guide to follow to maximise your time spent.

Day 1 in Rome

If your traveling by way of plane, there is a train direct from the Airport to the city center.

Recommendation: If you have less than 4 people in your group, take the train. The 14€ a ticket price tag is a bit expensive, but the flat taxi fee at 50€, is going to be more expensive. Drop your bags at your hotel or AirBnB, freshen up and get ready to spend the day out.

Spanish Steps

At the top of the stairs, take a left and check out the Villa Medici. Skip the guided tour, and head up to the cafe (steps required) for amazing views of the city, and a great backdrop for some instagram photos.

Trevi fountain

As expected, the Trevi fountain will be packed with people. Have some patience, and fight the crowd, working your way down to the very bottom level. It’s suprisingly a little less crowded at the bottom. Snap a few pictures, toss your coins and head back up, quickly and efficiently. The fountain is beautiful and you should definitely stop for a few moments and take it in. Just do it from the top, back a few steps where you can avoid being shouldered constantly.

Pantheon

When you arrive at the Pantheon, there will likely be a very long line of people. The Pantheon doesn’t charge to get in, and there is no booking ahead. They open the doors to a large group of people every few minutes, so don’t be intimidated by the amount of people. You can spend anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour inside, its completely self-paced.

Day 2 in Rome

Colleseum

You can’t leave Rome without seeing the Colleseum. In case you don’t remember, it’s a nearly 2000 year old structure, originally built for gladiator battles and other public spectacles. It’s rich with history and unless you’re a true history buff, it’s worth the guided tour. Be sure to take a minute to appreciate what is happening, realize where you are standing, all that has happened on that ground, and feel grateful for whatever brought you to Rome.

Our Colleseum tour included the Roman forum. If yours does not, take a few minutes to walk through it on your own. You might not understand everything you’re seeing, but you can still feel the spirit of what it is. As it once was the town center, you’ll see remnants of churches, homes, and gardens. If you have trouble walking, or need assistance, be especially careful here. The old cobblestone ground can be a bit rocky, but it’s a great opportunity to take it slow and enjoy the scenary.

Time to grab lunch (time permitting). Our winery tour was picking us up at the TBF, so we wanted to grab something in the area. We ate at TBF which was a great choice. I recommend the carbonara.

Winery tour (pre-booked)

If you have time, enjoy wine, or just want to see something slightly different while in Rome. I recommend taking a short (2-3 hour) winery tour to the one of the vineyards right outside of Rome. The countryside views do not disappoint, and the lush green backgrounds are a perfect switch up to round out your instagram story. We did the TBF winery tour. The tour was short and to the point, which is perfect when you don’t care all that much about how wine is made, and are really there for the tasting. The tasting glasses were 2cl, which is the amount you’d get ordering a glass at a restaurant. Cheese free pizza, and garlic bread were given to accompany the wine, and made for a great quick snack, which is just what we needed.

Day 3 in Rome

Vatican by tour or self-guided

Vatican City is actually it’s own country, but do not worry you do not need your passport to get in, and you will not go through any sort of customs, entering or leaving.

Inside Vatican city, there are many different things to see including St. Peters Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums. The Museums are seemingly always very crowded, no matter what time you visit, and you will get pushed through as if you’re on a conveyer belt, without much time to stop and really take it in. I did a guided tour, but due to the amount of people, I ended up getting pretty separated from the tour guide, unable to hear anything she was saying. It’s because of this, I would recommend doing the self-guided tour to anyone who visits.

You can easily spend anywhere from 2-4 hours seeing all of it. You will spend more if you want to stay for mass at St. Peter’s. When you’re finished take a minute to check out the souvenier shops on the main street just in front of St. Peters. Before leaving Vatican City, I recommend stopping by the Wine Bar. Not only is it a chance to rest your legs from all the walking you just did, but they have great bruschetta and other appetizers at a fair price.