Panoramic view of Rome's rooftops and domes with the Victor Emmanuel II Monument
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Rome in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 8.2 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

One day isn't enough for Rome, but it's enough to take the essentials home without sprinting from monument to monument. This plan strings three walking routes into one day: famous squares and fountains in the morning, the Caesars in the afternoon and the legends as the sun goes down. It's a long day, built for anyone arriving in a hurry with good shoes.

One day in RomeAll of Rome in a day

Start early at the Spanish Steps with the route "From the Spanish Steps to St Peter's": the Trevi Fountain is a different place at that hour, and the Pantheon and Piazza Navona sit right on the way. Take your carbonara break near the Pantheon, then hop on the metro or a bus to the Colosseum for "The Rome of the Caesars, stone by stone", which runs past the Arch of Constantine and Trajan's Column to the Theatre of Marcellus. As the light fades, "Biting mouths and talking statues" begins at the Mouth of Truth and ends at Campo de' Fiori. Have your cacio e pepe in Testaccio.

  1. Morning

    From the Spanish Steps to St Peter's

    Mixed · 3.6 km · 2 h 30 min

    1. Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish StepsA staircase paid for by a French diplomat, in a square named after a Spanish embassy.
    2. The Trevi FountainA two-thousand-year-old aqueduct flows into the most famous water theatre in the world.
    3. The PantheonThe best-preserved Roman building in the world, with a dome that has been breaking records for nearly nineteen centuries.
    4. Piazza NavonaRome's great Baroque living room, with three fountains in a row on the track of a Roman stadium.
    5. Castel Sant'AngeloAn emperor's tomb turned into a fortress, a prison and a refuge for the popes.
    6. St Peter's SquareBernini's embrace in stone, an obelisk that never fell and a border you cross without a passport.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Spaghetti alla carbonara at Armando al Pantheon. Salita de' Crescenzi, 31

  3. Afternoon

    The Rome of the Caesars, stone by stone

    History · 2.1 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. The ColosseumThe largest amphitheatre of the Roman world, built over Nero's private lake and plundered for centuries as a quarry.
    2. The Arch of ConstantineThe largest surviving Roman triumphal arch is, to a large extent, a collage of reliefs taken from earlier emperors.
    3. The Forum of Augustus and Via dei Fori ImperialiA temple vowed to avenge Julius Caesar, and a Fascist avenue that cut the forums in two.
    4. Trajan's ColumnTwo hundred metres of spiral relief tell the story of a war, and an emperor's ashes once lay in its base.
    5. Piazza del CampidoglioThe sacred hill of ancient Rome, turned by Michelangelo into a perfect square that still governs the city.
    6. The Theatre of MarcellusA theatre built by Augustus that became a medieval fortress, then a palace, with flats that are still lived in.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    Biting mouths and talking statues

    Mysteries & legends · 2.5 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. The Mouth of TruthA marble mask that, legend says, snaps shut on the hand of anyone who lies.
    2. Largo di Torre ArgentinaFour Republican temples, a colony of cats and, at the back, the spot where Julius Caesar was stabbed.
    3. The Minerva elephantBernini's elephant carries an obelisk on its back and, tradition says, points its rear at its critics.
    4. Piazza NavonaA fountain, a church and the most famous rivalry of the Baroque… which the dates prove false.
    5. The statue of PasquinoA battered torso that for centuries was the anonymous, and venomous, voice of the Roman people.
    6. Campo de' FioriA cheerful market around the statue of a philosopher who was burned alive in this very square.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Cacio e pepe at Felice a Testaccio. Via Mastro Giorgio, 29

The map

Rome in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Rome in 1 day

  • Wear comfortable, closed shoes: Rome's cobblestones (the sampietrini) are hard on the feet, and with this much walking you'll feel every slope.
  • Use the metro or a bus between the morning and afternoon routes; walking from St Peter's to the Colosseum would eat more than an hour you don't have.
  • Churches and St Peter's Square require covered shoulders and knees; carry a light scarf in summer.

Questions

Rome in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Rome in one day?

Not all of it, but the essentials, yes. In one day you can walk the famous squares and fountains, the Colosseum and the imperial forums, and the Rome of legends. The big museums and the insides of monuments need more time.

How far do you walk in this itinerary?

The three routes add up to about 8.2 km (3.6 essential, 2.1 history, 2.5 mysteries), not counting the trips between them or walks to meals. Expect 10 to 12 km in total and many hours on your feet.

Where should I start if I only have one day?

At the Spanish Steps, early, before the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon fill up. After lunch head for the Colosseum and save the legends of the Mouth of Truth and Campo de' Fiori for dusk, when the squares look their best.

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