Rome 3-Day Itinerary

This plan puts one big booked sight on each morning, leaves the afternoons looser, and assumes you've reserved the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums in advance. Times are a guide, not a timetable.

Day 1: ancient Rome

8:30 Colosseum, first slot if you got one. See our Colosseum guide for the underground option.
10:30 The Roman Forum, then up to the Palatine Hill for the view over the Circus Maximus.
13:30 Lunch in Monti, then a rest.
16:30 Walk up to Piazza del Campidoglio, Michelangelo's square, and look down on the Forum from the terrace behind the town hall.
18:30 Through the old Jewish Ghetto for fried artichokes and dinner.

Day 2: the Vatican and the river

8:30 Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Our Vatican guide has the route.
12:00 St Peter's Basilica, and the dome if you have the legs for it.
14:00 Lunch in Prati, away from the tourist menus on Via della Conciliazione.
16:30 Castel Sant'Angelo from the outside, then cross Ponte Sant'Angelo with Bernini's angels.
19:30 Across to Trastevere for dinner and a walk around Piazza di Santa Maria.

Day 3: the historic centre

7:30 The Trevi Fountain, before the fee applies and before the crowds.
9:00 The Pantheon, with a timed ticket.
10:00 Piazza Navona, then Campo de' Fiori and the backstreets around Via dei Coronari.
13:00 Long lunch. Order the carbonara.
15:30 The Borghese Gallery, if you managed a booking, then the Pincio terrace for sunset over Piazza del Popolo.
20:00 The Spanish Steps after dark, when the day crowds have gone.

In July and August, move the afternoon walks to after 5pm and use the hottest hours for lunch and a siesta. Romans do the same.

A fourth day? Take the train to Ostia Antica, Rome's ancient port, where you can walk empty streets of houses, shops and a theatre with far fewer people than the Forum. Or rent a bike on the Appian Way. The things to do list has more ideas, and the food guide will tell you what to order at every stop.