Panoramic view of Rome's rooftops and domes with the Victor Emmanuel II Monument
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Rome in 3 days

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

With three days, Rome stops being a race. There's room for the classic routes, for two big must-sees in the afternoons and for a slow morning between park and piazza. It's the ideal plan if you want to see the museums unhurried, eat lunch without checking the clock and reach dusk still wanting to keep walking.

Day 1Squares, fountains and the Vatican

Open the trip with "From the Spanish Steps to St Peter's": climb to the Trinità dei Monti early, drop down to Trevi, step into the Pantheon and carry on through Piazza Navona and Castel Sant'Angelo to St Peter's. For the carbonara, find a table near the Pantheon. In the afternoon, make the most of being beside the Vatican and see its museums, then cross the Tiber to Trastevere and have dinner wherever the alleys lead you.

  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

    Galleries, tapestries and Raphael's Rooms lead into Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. Book ahead and allow time; if you tire, cut through the corridors and keep the rooms that appeal to you most.

    Directions

    Trastevere

    A district of narrow lanes and trattorias across the Tiber. Go into Santa Maria in Trastevere for its mosaics and let the stroll set your pace until dinner.

    Directions

Day 2Caesars and hills

Keep this day for "The Rome of the Caesars, stone by stone": from the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine to the Forum of Augustus, Trajan's Column and the Campidoglio, ending at the Theatre of Marcellus. Have cacio e pepe in Testaccio, then climb the Aventine to the Giardino degli Aranci before walking to the Palatine and the Roman Forum, to see from the inside what you saw from outside this morning.

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

  3. Afternoon

    Giardino degli Aranci

    An orange-tree viewpoint on the Aventine, with the Tiber at your feet and St Peter's in the distance. Close by, the keyhole of the Malta priory frames the dome of St Peter's.

    Directions

    Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

    Streets, temples and arches from the heart of ancient Rome, with the Palatine Hill above, where the imperial palaces stood. Book ahead, carry water and allow plenty of time; the site is big and short on shade.

    Directions

Day 3Park, piazza and legends

Start slowly in Villa Borghese and walk down to Piazza del Popolo by the Pincio terrace. Have artichokes alla giudia in the Ghetto, stroll the area for a while and, when the light drops, do "Biting mouths and talking statues": the Mouth of Truth, Largo Argentina, the Minerva elephant and Pasquino all the way to Campo de' Fiori. Supplì in Trastevere for dinner close the trip.

  1. Morning

    Villa Borghese

    Rome's great central park, with gardens, a lake and the Borghese Gallery, home to Bernini and Caravaggio. The gallery needs a timed booking; the park is best enjoyed walking without a plan.

    Directions

    Piazza del Popolo

    A monumental square with an Egyptian obelisk and two twin churches, next to Santa Maria del Popolo, which holds paintings by Caravaggio. From the Pincio you see it whole; then walk down towards the centre.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

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

  3. 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

  4. Dinner

    Try Supplì at Supplì Roma. Via di San Francesco a Ripa, 137

The map

Rome in 3 days, on the map

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

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Rome in 3 days

  • Over three days a tourist or museum pass can pay off if you'll enter three or four paid sights; do the sums before buying.
  • August is very hot and many Romans leave the city; spring and autumn are far kinder for this much walking.
  • The Borghese Gallery and the Vatican Museums need a booked day and time; make the reservation as soon as your dates are fixed.

Questions

Rome in 3 days: your questions

What is the best 3-day itinerary for Rome?

One organised by area: baroque centre and the Vatican, the forums and the Colosseum, then a gentler third day with Villa Borghese and the legends. That way you avoid crossing the city back and forth.

How far do you walk in 3 days?

The three routes add up to about 8.2 km (2.1, 2.5 and 3.6). With the extras, meals and getting around, expect 6 to 10 km a day; that's manageable if you alternate busy mornings with easy afternoons.

Is a museum pass worth it in Rome?

Only if you plan to enter several paid sights, such as the Colosseum, the Forum and the Borghese Gallery. Our routes are free and done from outside; compare the pass price with single tickets before you buy.

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