Panoramic view of Rome's rooftops and domes with the Victor Emmanuel II Monument
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Rome in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 8.2 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

Two days let you separate baroque Rome from imperial Rome and, at last, step inside a great museum. This plan gives day one to squares, fountains and the Vatican, with the legends at dusk, and day two to the Caesars and the Palatine Hill. The pace is demanding but reasonable, with time to sit down and eat well.

Day 1Fountains, Vatican and legends

In the morning, the route "From the Spanish Steps to St Peter's": Trevi, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Castel Sant'Angelo all the way to St Peter's Square. Have your carbonara along the way. With the afternoon free, go into the Vatican Museums, a short walk from the square, then cross the Tiber down to Trastevere. At dusk, a few minutes away, "Biting mouths and talking statues" awaits, from the Mouth of Truth to Campo de' Fiori, with cacio e pepe in Testaccio for dinner.

  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

    Vatican Museums

    More than five centuries of papal collections, with Raphael's Rooms and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel as the finale. Book ahead and go in early in the afternoon; the exit brings you almost back to St Peter's.

    Directions

    Trastevere

    The neighbourhood across the Tiber, with cobbled lanes and ivy-covered façades. Step into Santa Maria in Trastevere for its golden mosaics, and wander without a map before crossing back to the centre.

    Directions

  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

Day 2The Forum and imperial Rome

Today belongs to "The Rome of the Caesars, stone by stone": from the Colosseum to the Arch of Constantine, the Forum of Augustus, Trajan's Column and the Campidoglio, ending at the Theatre of Marcellus. Start early, in low light. Have artichokes alla giudia in the old Ghetto, a step from the Theatre of Marcellus, then spend the afternoon on the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, with the Colosseum in view, and close the trip at the Giardino degli Aranci, a viewpoint over the city.

  1. Morning

    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

  2. Lunch

    Try Carciofo alla giudia at Giggetto al Portico d'Ottavia. Via del Portico d'Ottavia, 21/A

  3. Afternoon

    Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

    The political heart of ancient Rome, with the Via Sacra and the remains of temples and basilicas, and above it the hill where the emperors lived. Check opening hours, book ahead and bring water and a hat.

    Directions

    Giardino degli Aranci

    An orange-tree terrace on the Aventine Hill, overlooking the Tiber and the dome of St Peter's. A few steps away, the keyhole of the Knights of Malta priory frames that dome: a very Roman curiosity.

    Directions

The map

Rome in 2 days, on the map

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

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Rome in 2 days

  • Book the Vatican Museums and your Forum and Colosseum entry ahead: a queue can cost you an hour of a day that is already tight.
  • Museums usually close one day a week, and the Vatican on Sundays (with exceptions); check the calendar before deciding which day is which.
  • From the Vatican to Trastevere and the Mouth of Truth, a bus or a long stroll along the Tiber is plenty; you don't need a taxi.

Questions

Rome in 2 days: your questions

Should I do the centre or the Forum on day one?

Start with baroque Rome and the Vatican, which most people want most, and leave the Caesars for day two, when you already know the city. That way the two sides of Rome stay nicely apart.

How far do you walk in 2 days?

The routes add up to about 8.2 km: 6.1 on day one (essential and mysteries) and 2.1 on day two (Caesars). Add the trips between them, the museums and meals; day one is a good deal tougher than day two.

Is two days enough for Rome?

It's enough for a full first visit: squares, the Vatican, the Forum and the Colosseum. The Borghese Gallery, the catacombs and the less touristy districts get left out. If you can, add a third day.

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