— Europe —

Rome in 3 days

February 16, 2019

The perfect Rome itinerary

Rome is not only the capitol of Italy but is a must see city for all. With a great blend of history, romanticism, fun, and of course amazing food, Rome is always a good idea. I have put together a 3 day itinerary of all of the major sites to visit as well as helpful tips and tricks to make your visit unforgettable!

view from the colosseum towards the roman forum, Rome
View from the colosseum

Day 1: The Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Basilica

If you aren’t staying within walking distance of the Vatican take the metro to the Ottaviano stop. From there it is about a 5-10 minute walk to the Vatican.

The Vatican

What better way to start your time in Rome than visiting a whole other country without even leaving the city?! Visit the smallest country in the world and enter a whole different world within its walls. Start off by getting your tickets for the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica ahead of time and skip the line tickets are definitely worth the extra. I recommend using tiqets for booking for cheap prices ahead of time. You will have the tickets on your phone without having to carry around a bunch of paper. If you do book on tiqets you will have to book a time slot but don’t fear you can always get in early they weren’t super strict on these.

Entrance to the Vatican with surrounding wall, Rome
Vatican entrance

The early bird gets the worm…make sure to get to these places early to avoid crowds. While sleeping in sounds amazing I personally feel experiencing attractions with as few tourists as possible is worth it. There will definitely still be a line at the Vatican but getting there early along with having skip the line tickets will pay off.

Next, the Vatican museums are vast and you should definitely have a game plan. While it caused me to have to go in some circles, my second visit I went to the Sistine Chapel first which absolutely paid off. My first visit was shoulder to shoulder in the Sistine Chapel while my second had maybe 20 people with plenty of room to take in the amazing ceiling.

Sculpture of man with water urn, Vatican Museum Rome
Vatican museum sculpture

St. Peter’s Basilica

After you have had your fill of art and sculptures make your way around the wall to St Peter’s Basilica. With a courtyard to match its’ grandeur, the Basilica is one of the most magnificent churches I have visited. The burial place of Saint Peter and home church to the pope, the Basilica draws in almost 4 million people a year from all religious backgrounds. Make sure you have plenty of time to explore the inside as well to enamor over the details.

Lastly, if you still have more time in your day after conquering the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica it’s only a short walk to Castel Sant’Angelo. A straight shot from the Basilica you will have fleeting views of St. Peter’s as you approach Castel Angelo. Tomb, military fortress, residence, prison and now museum the Castel Sant’Angelo has had many changes over the years.

St. Peter's Basilica at sunrise, Rome
St. Peter’s Basilica at sunrise

Day 2: Trevi fountain, Spanish steps, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon

If you end up at any of these locations in the afternoon or evening you will be accompanied by hundreds of other tourists alike. I have seen these attractions with gobs of tourists but going back to see them when there are fewer people is well worth it. However, don’t let his rush you. Between attractions you will be able to get a glimpse at beautiful Italian neighborhoods with amazing eateries and gelaterias. To start, take the metro stop to either Spagna or Barberini Trevi to start your day. Lastly all of these locations are free to visit so no need to buy tickets ahead of time!

The Spanish Steps

Start by walking to the Spanish steps and around Piazza de Spagna. The Piazza Spagna has a central fountain which sits at the bottom of the steps giving you a great view to the top. Take the 135 steps to the top and be awarded with beautiful morning views.

Bottom of the Spanish steps with fountain, Rome
The Spanish Steps

Trevi Fountain

Next, from the Spanish Steps the Trevi Fountain is just a short walk. Now don’t be fooled Roman streets aren’t parallel and can get a little confusing to navigate. With multiple little streets at all angles, something like the Trevi Fountain can take a little bit to find. Grab a map to avoid getting lost! The second time I visited the fountain I was lucky enough to kind of just run into it when I went down a wrong street. We arrived by 8am and had the place completely to ourselves. Don’t forget to throw your coin over your left shoulder into the fountain to assure you will get to again visit Roma!

Trevi fountain, Rome
Trevi Fountain

The Pantheon

Believed to be finished in 125 AD this amazing structure is one of the best historical landmarks in Rome. It is surrounded by narrow Roman streets and buildings making it hard to take in the vastness of the building. Make sure you go inside to take in the amazing dome ceiling which is still open to the elements centrally. Also note the innovative drainage system with holes in the floor for when it rains.

Front of the Pantheon, Rome
The Pantheon

Piazza Navona

A great square with the quintessential Italian fountains the Piazza is a relaxing retreat to take in your surroundings. With street artists and people sitting around reading and enjoying the culture make sure you have a little time to truly relish being in Rome.

Day 3: Colosseum, Roman Forum, Piazza Venezia

Colosseo

Finally, if you are like me the colosseum is definitely in the top 3 things to see in Roma. Over 4 million people visit the colosseum yearly making it in the top 40 attractions in the world. There is really no way to visit tourist free however skip the line tickets will allow you to have much shorter queue times.

The colosseum from the Roman Forum, Rome
The colosseum

Roman Forum

Additionally, the forum was a central meeting place in Ancient Rome which is now excavated to show various centuries of structures. All of the structures seen were not there at the same time but rather built up over centuries even atop one another. With several entrance points the Roman Forum is a vast area between the colosseum and the Piazza Venezia. Give yourself a couple hours and make sure you have adequate footwear to walk through the forum’s dirt paths.

The Roman Forum from above, Rome
Roman Forum from above

Piazza Venezia

Lastly, take the exit furthest from the colosseum and walk toward the Piazza Venezia. The Piazza is the central hub of Rome and gives views to the capitol building. There are many surrounding statues and museums to take in as well as plenty of eateries in the area.

The capital from the Piazza Venezia, Rome
Piazza Venezia

Have a fourth day to explore? Plan a day trip to the ruins of Pompeii with my guide here.

43 thoughts on “Rome in 3 days”

  2. Looks like you had amazing time in Rome. If I had all the money in the world I would have never come back home and would be traveling the whole world. Your blog entice me to travel more.

    1. Thanks so much I totally agree! I am lucky to have a couple big trips a year but always get back to wishing I could travel even more.

    1. Well I would highly recommend Rome and Italy as a destination. I know traveling can really add up but read some of my other posts to learn how I save big to travel more.

  13. Wow, Italy is in my bucket list as I am a frequent traveler. I am still not sure if I should join a tour or go free and easy. With your itinerary, I think it is quite achievable if I do it myself. At least I have all the must see attractions in Rome!

    1. I have been once with a tour group and once alone and for me on my own was definitely much better! The country is very easy to navigate even if you don’ speak italian. Also check out my post on Pompeii for more Italy ideas if you need!

  15. Rome is one of my bucket lists! And sharing about this is really giving me convincing to visit. And hopefully this coming summer!

  19. You’d find me at Trevi fountain if I visited Rome! I’ve read quite beautiful stories about the fountain that I’d love to see myself.

    1. It is quite spectacular. I will say my first visit I didn’t know the history behind the fountain but before I went back I listened to a podcast on it which made me look at it differently knowing the story behind it.

    1. Thank you. Yes it is do-able in three days but Rome is a beautiful city so if you have longer I would recommend staying longer this was just the best itinerary for me at the time.

    1. You are so right! While this hits upon the major places Rome has so much more to offer “off the beaten path” as well. Thanks for reading!

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