Exactly How To Spend 4 Days In Rome (Our Real Step By Step Itinerary From 2 Trips)

Our first 4-day trip to Rome was back in July 2018. As we rolled into Termini station from Pisa, we realized we didn’t have much of a plan other than to see the Vatican and Colosseum. Our budget was painfully tight (it had to last another 17 months and 3 continents!) so we stayed in a budget hotel in Monti – which was okay but not great, ate as cheaply as possible, and took no guided tours. It was also boiling hot and busy, which made places like the Vatican feel almost unbearable. If we’re being totally honest, we didn’t do Rome justice.

Fast forward to May 2022, we returned to Rome for another 4 days with knowledge of the city from our first trip, and we’d been traveling the world for 4 years by then, so our itinerary planning skills had improved significantly. Our budget was also much healthier, so we stayed in a mid-range hotel near the Trevi Fountain, ate at excellent restaurants, and took an amazing tour of the Vatican. We still made a few mistakes (like not booking a guided tour of the Colosseum), but we enjoyed seeing lesser-known parts of the city, and overall our experience was the polar opposite.

Plenty of 4-day itineraries use the last day for a trip from Rome to Pompeii or Tivoli – ours doesn’t. For us, a day trip comes on day 5, and that’s only if you’re not planning to explore further into Italy. So all 4 days in our itinerary stay inside the city, because there’s enough in Rome itself to fill them properly. We also end each evening in a different neighborhood for dinner: Centro Storico, Trastevere, Monti, Repubblica. This is to get a real feel for four different sides of Rome, not just the landmarks, and not eating dinner in the exact same streets four nights in a row.

If you’ve only got 3 days – say Rome is one stop on a bigger Italy trip – that’s completely workable, and you can see how we handle it with less time in our 2-week Italy itinerary, where we give Rome 3 focussed days. But if you want to see pretty much all of Rome’s highlights without rushing meals or skipping the quieter corners, this is that guide – we show you exactly how we’d plan 4 days in Rome if we were starting from scratch with everything we’ve learned so far. Let’s dive in.

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Want a deeper dive into itinerary planning for Rome as a first timer? Watch Mark’s YouTube video below for a full 4-day walkthrough of the city with daily maps, tips, and advice on booking tickets and tours. The route covers all major attractions and a few hidden gems you’ve probably never heard of, so give it a watch and start planning a better trip to Rome!

4 Days In Rome At A Glance: Why This Itinerary Wins

We’re not going to pretend we skip the Vatican or Colosseum for the sake of a hot take – we don’t, and neither should you. Every major first-timer highlight is in here. What this itinerary gets right isn’t what it leaves out, it’s correct timing at attractions and how it’s paced.

Across our two trips we visited the Vatican, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and other famous sites at different times of day. Now we know what to avoid. We also assumed powering through on adrenaline and gelato would do the trick, then 2 PM hit and we were either starving or too tired to actually enjoy the thing we’d walked 20 minutes to see. A few sights we’d planned for got dropped entirely because we hadn’t factored in proper lunch or rest stops. This itinerary is built from getting things like this wrong, and understanding what we’d do differently if it was our first time again.

We’ve also kept researching Rome since our last trip – through questions and emails from our readers, studying maps and reviews from other travelers, making YouTube videos on Rome, and planning people’s trips to Italy through our travel planning consultation services. That’s turned up a handful of places we haven’t personally visited yet but would now add to a future trip – like Galleria Colonna and the Capitoline Museums. Everything else in this itinerary we’ve done, eaten, queued for, or gotten wrong in person.

Practical snapshot:

• Duration: 4 full days
• Pace: Busy but realistic – built-in lunch and rest stops, not a sprint
• Best time: April, May, September, October
• Pace: Fast-paced but doable, geographically efficient
• Daily budget: $$$ (mid-range: $150-$200 per person/day)
• Booking ahead: Colosseum, Vatican, Borghese Gallery

Route highlights:

Day	Location	Theme
1	Centro Storico	Fountains, Piazzas & Baroque Rome
2	Vatican & Trastevere	Sacred Art By Day, Local Life By Night
3	Southeast Rome	Ancient Ruins & Underground History
4	Northeast Rome	Gardens, Galleries & A Final Encore

Day 1: Centro Storico

The focus of our first day is an easy introduction to the famous attractions in Rome’s historic center. It’s designed to be a soft landing after traveling the day before. There’s very little walking involved and the route loops around the Centro Storico’s most popular sights like the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon, so it’s essentially an orientation day combined with a relaxing pace to get over any lingering jet lag.

If we didn’t have enough time for 4 full days and wanted the day we arrived into Rome to be considered as day 1, we’d land at Fiumicino airport or roll into Termini station sometime around the mid-morning, drop our bags at the hotel (check in wouldn’t be until 3-4 PM), then follow day 1 below, focusing on the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Piazza Navona. The other places on day 1 aren’t absolutely essential, they’re “nice to haves” with that full fourth day.

How to use this map: Click the map above to activate, zoom in and out, and tap any icon to see more information. See a list of all attractions by clicking the arrow icon in the top left, or see a full version of the map by clicking the “view larger map” icon in the top right. When you’re in Rome you can open the map, tap the next place you want to visit and get directions.

How to save this map: Click the small star next to the map title – this will add the map to your Google account. Open your Google Maps app, tap “saved”, then tap “maps” and open this map.

*Follow the same instructions for all four daily route maps in the guide.*

Itinerary base: If it was our first time again, we’d book our hotel in the Centro Storico to have a central location and a lively evening atmosphere. Here’s our guide on where to stay in Rome for a breakdown of the 5 best neighborhoods to book a hotel. Or you can watch Mark’s YouTube video deep dive into the best places to stay in Rome. This itinerary is based on staying within easy walking distance of the Trevi Fountain. We stayed at a cute mid-budget B&B called Residenza Sciarra in 2022 and it did the trick, but next time we’d like to book Albergo del Senato a bit closer to the Pantheon.

See The Trevi Fountain Without Tickets (8:00 AM)

Knowing the Pantheon wouldn’t be open until 9:00 AM, we’d grab espresso coffees and pistachio croissants from Di Noto at around 7:45 AM before walking a few minutes to see the famous Trevi Fountain.

From February 2026 onward, €2 tickets are required to visit the lower portion of the Trevi Fountain (near the water where tourists throw a coin in) – but only between certain hours and 9:00 AM is the earliest time all week that tickets must be presented. The fountain can still be seen from the upper part of the square without paying or having a ticket. But by arriving at 8:00 AM, we’d avoid having to deal with any tickets or one-way systems.

Kristen’s breakfast tip: We actually ate breakfast at Di Noto each morning because it was near our hotel and it opened at 5:00 AM, which worked perfectly for our early starts. If you stay near the Trevi Fountain and your hotel doesn’t include breakfast, Di Noto is a solid option.

At 8:00 AM the Trevi Fountain wouldn’t be jam-packed but we also wouldn’t expect it to be empty. We had to arrive by 6:00 AM on our last morning to get people-free photos. The few evenings we visited before tickets were introduced, the amount of people was honestly outrageous. It reminded us of the front rows at a concert – absolutely not for us.

After snapping a few photos and enjoying the small Piazza di Trevi, we’d get cracking and head west into the heart of the Centro Storico.

Mark’s hidden gem tip: Our Rome trip was Sunday to Wednesday, but if you’ll be in the Centro Storico on a Friday or Saturday there’s a guided tour inside a private palace with exclusive artworks called Galleria Colonna that you absolutely should try to join. It’s only open early in the morning on Friday and Saturday, so do it first before picking up day 1 of our itinerary. We would 100% book this next time.

Beat The Pantheon Crowds (9:00 AM)

From the Trevi Fountain, we’d see the Column of Marcus Aurelius and walk along the narrow cobblestoned Via dei Pastini (which was a great spot for dinner) to the Pantheon. In 2022, we paid €5 each to enter the Pantheon and we looked around the small interior ourselves. We did not pay the extra €10 each for an audio guide or €25.50 each for a guided tour. As of July 2026, basic entry tickets are €7.

For this itinerary, we’d pre-book audio guides for 9:00 AM right as the Pantheon opened to be first in and beat the crowds. Or if we really wanted to do the official guided tour, we’d book the 10:00 AM time slot. If there were no tour slots left, our backup would be this guided tour with Viator, which also has better 9:00 AM time slots on Sundays.

It didn’t take us long to explore the inside of the Pantheon but it was well worth paying to go in. The enormous 2,000-year old unreinforced concrete dome with light beaming through the oculus was awesome, the marble interior was stunning, and we saw Raphael’s tomb. A quick and easy ancient history fix.

Stroll Around Bustling Piazza Navona (10:30 AM)

After the Pantheon we’d walk less than 5 minutes to the enormous Piazza Navona to see swarms of crowds, the fountains of Neptune and Four Rivers, and people sat drinking overpriced coffees on the perimeter. But honestly, we found it to feel a bit tacky and commercialized (at least during the day), so we wouldn’t plan to sit down for overpriced food right on the piazza.

Instead, we’d walk north to south through the long and narrow piazza that was once the Stadium of Dometian and hosted athletic competitions, and at the bottom we’d stop in at Two Sizes as it opened at 11:00 AM to eat delicious tiramisu – trust us, you have to try one!

Sample Local Foods At Campo de’ Fiori (11:00 AM)

Fighting the urge to go back for another tiramisu, we’d walk less than 5 minutes south to spend a half hour or so browsing the local produce on sale at Rome’s most famous open-air market called Campo de’ Fiori. Yes, it was touristy and overpriced, but it also felt very authentic and charming with vibrant colors, strong smells, and loud Italian energy.

We would have preferred it to be more like a street food market than a “vegetables and cheese for sale” market. But it was still fun, and it really worked up our appetites, so we scoured Google Maps for a top-rated nearby restaurant and found Ristorante Pancrazio. It didn’t look like much from the outside, but it went down into an old vaulted cellar and the pasta was delicious. We’d definitely go again.

See Sculptures In The Capitoline Museums (1:00 PM)

After refuelling with lunch and wine, we’d walk to Largo di Torre Argentina to see an old ruin close to where Julius Caesar was killed that now houses lots of stray cats. Then we’d head south through more small but attractive piazzas until we reached the Portico d’Ottavia and Teatro di Marcello, two free-to-explore ancient ruins that we thought were well worth the short detour.

Next, we would pay €20.50 each to go in the Capitoline Museums to see some of the most famous sculptures from ancient Rome – including the Dying Gaul, Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, and the Capitoline Wolf. We didn’t actually do the museum ourselves when we planned to (instead we worked through a second glass of wine at lunch), and that was a mistake. So we would do it next time, despite what we consider to be a steep entry price.

Explore The Monument To Victor Emmanuele II (3:30 PM)

From the museum we’d walk a few minutes around the corner and climb the white steps leading to the impressive Monument to Victor Emmanuel II. We did do this one. It was free to enter, and it had a museum, sculptures, a superb viewpoint overlooking the Roman Forum, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Don’t skip it.

It was a bright sunny day when we visited and sunlight was blindingly bouncing off the pure white surfaces all around us, so our sunglasses saved us there. We spent maybe an hour or so walking through and enjoying views from the rooftop terrace before heading back to our hotel, which was just a 10-minute walk straight up Via del Corso, to get changed for dinner.

Grab Dinner In The Centro Storico (6:00 PM)

During our morning walk from the Trevi Fountain to the Pantheon we really liked the look of the restaurants along Via dei Pastini. So we looked at ratings and found Achille Al Pantheon, which turned out to have excellent food and a nice upbeat atmosphere. We both ate big-portion pasta dishes, and yes it was touristy but we didn’t mind that.

After dinner we briefly went back to see the Trevi Fountain in all its chaotic glory in the evening, before quickly slipping away to buy gelatos and slowly amble through random cobbled streets and alleys before calling it a night. Now, you’d need to reserve tickets for the Trevi Fountain, unless you arrive after 10:00 PM once tickets are no longer required.

Kristen’s foodie tip: If you’d rather skip the sit-down dinner and get hands-on with food, this top rated cooking class near Piazza Navona includes fettuccine and ravioli and has a 7:00 PM start time. It looks great!

Day 2: Vatican + Trastevere

The focus of our second day is visiting everything on the west side of the Tiber, which basically means exploring the Vatican Museums in the morning and walking around the trendy Trastevere neighborhood in the afternoon and evening. It’s a slow-paced day, with a wonderful contrast between intense museum and relaxing foodie scene.

From our hotel near the Trevi Fountain, it would have been a 15-minute taxi ride or a 40-minute walk through the Centro Storico and Prati to reach the Vatican Museums entrance. Walking to the Vatican is totally doable, but instead we walked a little over 10 minutes to Barberini and took the red line metro to Ottaviano, where we met our tour group right outside the metro station exit (we’ll explain our tour next).

After the Vatican we walked to Trastevere and back to our hotel, so it was just the one metro required on day 2. If you’re not up for the long walks, just take taxis from the Vatican to Trastevere and from Trastevere back to the Centro Storico after dinner.

Tour The Unmissable Vatican Museums (7:15 AM)

We independently visited the Vatican Museums in July 2018 and honestly it was an awful experience. It was a blazing hot day and we turned up at midday, saw disgustingly long lines for the “no tickets” line, and spent 20 minutes waiting in our time slot line only to be packed inside the museum like sardines. Then we didn’t even bother with the basilica afterwards because the line was out of control. We didn’t enjoy our visit at all and left frustrated.

So the number one item on our list in 2022 was to avoid making the same mistake at the Vatican again. Instead, we searched online and found this popular guided tour called “Pristine Sistine” with Walks of Italy. And it genuinely turned out to be the best decision we made on the whole trip.

Not only did we have an expert guide take us straight to the main highlights and properly explain them to us (which made a huge difference), but it also got us inside before anyone else, so we had entire galleries and halls just to our small group. The guide took us inside the Sistine Chapel when it was super quiet, and then we were able to use a “secret passage” that connects the museum to St. Peter’s Basilica. This “secret passage” is only available on guided tours and it saved us exiting the museum to join another 1-2 hour line to get inside the basilica. Watch Mark’s video guide to visiting the Vatican Museums to see our real take on booking tickets independently vs joining a guided tour.

Now, along with the Colosseum, the Vatican is one of those true top Rome experiences that simply can’t be missed. But even between those two gargantuan tourist sites, we think the Vatican is still the one place we’d splurge on a trusted top quality guided tour. Whenever Mark does travel planning video calls with clients who want help planning Italy trips, he always recommends booking a tour of the Vatican over anywhere else on the whole Italy trip.

The Sistine Chapel was as amazing as we expected, but honestly we thought the whole experience from start to finish was equally as fantastic – especially because we weren’t rubbing shoulders with dozens of strangers every time we moved. And aside from enjoying many of the 70,000 pieces of artwork, we also loved taking photos of the stunning snail-like Bramante Staircase. We thought the 4 hours flew by and we still spent another hour exploring St. Peter’s Basilica by ourselves at the end.

Now, if for whatever reason we wanted to see the museum independently without a tour again, we’d book basic tickets in advance for €20 plus €5 to skip the line. We’d also try to book the earliest time slot of the morning to beat the crowds and keep the rest of the day free. And there are official guided tours available for an additional €20 per person, but they sell out quickly and aren’t as extensive as third-party operator tours. We’d consider this 3-hour tour with Viator or this 3.5-hour early entry tour with GetYourGuide, but only as backup options to Walks of Italy’s premium Pristine Sistine tour that we did and loved.

Important: In 2024, the Vatican Museum changed its opening hours from 9:00 AM to 8:00 AM. The Pristine Sistine tour we took in 2022 actually got us in an hour before it opened to the public, but now it begins as the museum opens. Despite that, we still think it offers the best value for money of any Vatican tour because it goes in first and it includes a special side entry access to St. Peter’s, rather than having to leave the museum and join a separate 1-2 hour line for the basilica. Plus, Walks of Italy specialize in premium Italy tours, so they’d be our first choice anyway. This is the tour our friends and family take based on our recommendation.

Eat Lunch Along Borgo Pio (12:00 PM)

After a long and tiring morning exploring the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, we’d need to sit down, eat and recharge the batteries. From St. Peter’s Square, we’d walk a few minutes to the charming cobbled Borgo Pio and find somewhere to grab lunch.

We ate tasty pasta at the intimate and quaint Rione XIV Bistro near the eastern end of Borgo Pio and it was truly excellent. We’d definitely go again after the Vatican next time. Then we’d follow up with a milky ice cream for desert at the nearby L’Arena del Gelato.

Visit Castel Sant’Angelo (1:30 PM)

What we should have done after lunch and ice cream was pay to go in Castel Sant’Angelo to see Hadrians Tomb and enjoy elevated views of St. Peter’s Basilica – but instead we had an extra glass of wine at lunch. We realize this is becoming a bit of a theme here, but wine is so good and so affordable in Italy!

But seriously, the Vatican takes it out of you. So even though we’re sharing this Rome highlights itinerary with you, which would mean going straight to Castel Sant’Angelo after lunch, we’d honestly have to see how we felt after the Vatican and lunch, and then decide if Castel Sant’Angelo was something we really wanted to include.

If we had the energy and we really wanted to see the mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, we’d pay the €16 each to go in. But if we felt burned out and wanted a more relaxing afternoon, we’d skip Castel Sant’Angelo and continue with our itinerary below after lunch. A good way to put it is that we don’t think Castel Sant’Angelo is a make or break attraction for a first time trip to Rome, it’s more of a “nice to have done it”.

Spend The Evening Eating & Drinking In Trastevere (4:00 PM)

From Borgo Pio or Castel Sant’Angelo, we’d cross the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II and walk down the full length of Via Giulia, passing by posh boutiques and trendy art galleries. It’s a super photogenic cobbled street so we’d have our cameras out looking for unique perspectives.

At the end we’d arrive onto the Ponte Sisto which would take us back over the Tiber and into Trastevere – our favorite neighborhood in Rome for food, drinks and atmosphere.

We’d basically arrive without a plan, aiming to just get lost in the narrow maze-like streets. That’s kind of the point here. We walked up Vicolo del Cinque and stopped in at Mr Brown’s for a quick Aperol Spritz (that’s where Kristen is in the photo above), before continuing to see the Basilica di Santa Maria, which didn’t look like much from the outside but was lovely inside.

After a few more Aperol Spritz, Amaretto Sour cocktails and glasses of wine, we eventually landed in Tonnarello for a superb dinner. Then we found a few more easy going cocktail bars, before walking all the way back to our hotel near the Trevi Fountain. Even that walk back was awesome because we saw a different side of Rome at night – in-between the touristy areas. There’s loads of other dinner spots we’d like to try in Trastevere like Nannarella or Otello, and for lunch or late night snacks we’d definitely hit up Trapizzino.

Trastevere is also the best place in Rome for food and drink tours. So next time we visit we will 100% book one or two with Devour Tours (sister company to Walks of Italy) like this pasta cooking class, this Trastevere sunset food and wine tour, or this VIP food tour with private rooftop spritz making. They all look excellent and would be a fun way to meet like-minded foodie travelers.

Day 3: Colosseum + Southeast Rome

With the center and west side of the city done, we decided to head south and east to tick off more historical sites on our third day. Starting our day at the Colosseum was essential to beat the crowds and heat, but we knew there was tons more to do, so we scoured our maps app and plotted a fast-paced, action-packed route to several lesser known attractions beyond the Colosseum.

Now, this third day is the one we messed up the most. We had Go City Rome passes with three attractions to use up, and we picked the Colosseum and Catacombs as two of them. The issues we faced were: Only the basic entry areas of the Colosseum were included with Go City passes (no access to Arena, Underground or Attic), our Catacombs tour began in Piazza Venezia so we had to zig-zag all over southeast Rome after already visiting attractions in the area, and we ended up using scooters or walking longer distances to reach sites.

So first, we don’t recommend buying Go City passes – they’ve worked for us in other cities, but not in Rome. Second, we’re going to show you day 3 as we should have done it, rather than how we did it. This way you’ll have a far more enjoyable (and efficient!) third day.

Step Inside The Famous Colosseum (8:30 AM)

We did the Colosseum all wrong in 2018. It was peak season, hot, and crowded – and we thought we’d be okay turning up without tickets. We spent ages waiting in line, eventually got inside, only had access to the first and second floors (no extra areas), and it was like sharing a brick oven with hundreds of other people at the same time. Not fun.

We did a much better job in 2022 by pre-booking our tickets and arriving as the Roman Forum opened at 9:00 AM to beat the crowds and heat, but we still messed it up by using our Go City passes, which only gave us access to the first and second floors of the Colosseum.

The bonus areas are only available on upgraded tickets called “full experience” tickets (either with Arena, Attic, or Arena and Underground). Instead of using Go City passes, we should have pre-booked one of the full experience tickets right as they’re released – Underground and Arena, and Attic tickets 30 days in advance, Arena 7 days in advance – because they sell out almost instantly.

So for this itinerary, we’d try to pre-book Full experience – Underground levels and Arena tickets with the earliest possible time slot. If there weren’t any available we’d book the Full experience with Arena which has a bit more availability for 8:30 AM. Colosseum ticket options are confusing, read our guide on how to visit the Colosseum to learn more about how to buy the best ones.

One thing we struggled with both times at the Colosseum was the audio guide. It was okay, it did the job, but it got boring fast and we lost interest because it was so hot and there were so many things to listen to. So next time we’d definitely book a guided tour with Walks of Italy like this premium Colosseum tour, or ideally this Gladiator’s Gate tour with special access through the door Gladiators once used. Start times change through the seasons, but we’d want an early tour to beat the crowds and heat.

🎥 Watch: Mark explains mistakes to avoid, the best tickets to buy and the top rated guided tours in our Colosseum video on YouTube. It’s perfect for first-timers who want to make sure they pay for the right ticket or tour.

Explore The Roman Forum And Palatine Hill (9:30 AM)

It only takes an hour to see the Colosseum without access to the Underground, Arena or Attic – any of these extra areas would add 30 minutes. After leaving the Colosseum, we’d enter the Roman Forum on Via Sacra near the Arch of Titus, and we’d either follow our audio guide or tour guide around the Forum and Palatine Hill for the next 1.5-2 hours.

We loved being inside the Colosseum both times, but we’re going to go against popular opinion here and say that we actually preferred the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill because they represent most of the remains of ancient Rome. The Colosseum just happens to be in better repair all these years later, and it’s on a bigger scale. But one of our big tips is not to skip or skimp on exploring the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill areas – there’s loads to see.

Mark’s top combo tour tip: If we wanted to see the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, and all of the Centro Storico (Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona etc) in one day with private transport and expert guide, we’d 100% book this popular Rome in a day tour with Walks of Italy. This would free up our other days to relax, eat, and drink.

Eat An Early Lunch Near The Colosseum (11:30 AM)

Exploring the Colosseum and Roman Forum is tiring work, so we’d grab lunch at Ristoro Della Salute on the east side of the Colosseum straight after exiting the Forum. We skipped the sit down lunch and it came back to bite us in the butt later, and this place looks fantastic so it’s where we’d eat next time. But we’d be quick about it – this wouldn’t be a bottle of wine lunch, it would be a small glass and done!

Let’s say 12:30 PM exiting the restaurant, we’d walk 10 minutes south to see Circus Maximus, which wasn’t as well preserved as we’d hoped but it was still cool to see it in person. It’s hard to imagine based on what remains today, but in its heyday the famous chariot racing arena held 250,000 Romans. There’s no entry fee.

Walk Through The Orange Garden To Aventine Terrace (1:00 PM)

Next, we’d walk northwest through Circus Maximus, climb the steps to get out, walk through the Rose Garden, and arrive into the Orange Garden to see a “tunnel” of tall orange trees leading to a terrace at the far end.

After walking through the tree-tunnel, we’d arrive at the viewing terrace called Terrazza Aventino, which has striking views over Rome and the Tiber. The park wasn’t empty when we visited, but it also wasn’t swarming either so it felt like a bit of an escape after the Colosseum crowds.

Explore The Baths Of Caracalla (12:30 PM) – Alternative Option

After the Colosseum, it’s not possible to squeeze in lunch, Circus Maximum, Aventine Terrace and the Baths of Caracalla before meeting for the 2:15 PM tour we highly recommend (we get into that next). So if you really want to see the Baths of Caracalla, skip the sit-down lunch, grab a quick bite on the go, still walk past Circus Maximus, but instead of going to Aventine Terrace, walk the opposite way to the baths. Not doing the sit down lunch leaves enough time.

But we really enjoyed the Caracalla Baths once we finally made it inside. Entry cost us €8 each, and we paid maybe €6-7 extra to get 4D goggles so we could see exactly what the baths would once have looked like as we self-toured the ruins. We didn’t book in advance, there were barely any people inside, and it felt like we were actually in a real Roman ruin. The contrast from Colosseum to Caracalla crowds was striking.

Tour The Appian Way And Catacombs (2:15 PM)

After the baths, our next stop would have been the Aurelian Walls – a well preserved section of Roman walls built in 275 AD that look a bit like the Roman bar walls where Mark grew up in York, England. And after that we would have rented a bike to cycle a portion of the Appian Way, Rome’s first ancient road – this top rated guided eBike tour of walls, baths, Appian Way and catacombs would have been high on our list. Then we’d have finished our day at the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian.

But instead of the walls and bike ride, we hurried back to Piazza Venezia by scooter so we could make our coach ride to the Catacombs, which we’d pre-booked as one of three attractions included with our Go City Rome pass. The logistics ended up being messier than we’d expected.

So instead of all that messing around, what we should have done was join this top rated guided tour with Walks of Italy that goes along the Appian Way to the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella and Roman aqueducts before ending with a closing time entry into Rome’s Catacombs.

To join the tour, we’d need to be at Piramide metro station by 2:15 PM. So after the Colosseum, we’d either do a sit-down lunch, Aventine Terrace and walk to the meet up – or we’d just do the Baths of Caracalla and walk to the meet up.

We’d never been in a catacomb before so that was a new experience for us, and it was surprisingly interesting despite the obvious eeriness of being surrounded by centuries-old remains. Next time, we’d definitely just join the affordable tour and see all these awesome places in southeast Rome stress-free with an expert guide.

Eat Dinner In Monti (7:00 PM)

After the tour, we’d make our way back to the Colosseum area to see ruins like the Forum of Augustus and Trajan’s Forum lit up against the dark night sky. We snapped a few fantastic photos of them, one of which is below. Then we’d walk into the nearby Monti neighborhood for dinner and drinks, taking our pick between all the less touristy places to eat like Benso 215, Iari The Vino, La Prezzemolina and La Nuova Piazzetta.

We stayed in Monti the first time we visited Rome in 2018 and enjoyed the lively, low-key, more local feeling neighborhood. After eating dinner in the touristy Centro Storico and the chaotic Trastevere, Monti would feel a lot more grounded and down to earth.

Day 4: Borghese Gallery + Northeast Rome

With all the major attractions and areas ticked off, we wanted to have a nice and relaxing final day on the north side of Rome. Our plan was to walk up through Rome’s main shopping area, see the Borghese Gallery, and then finish with a concert that was the third and final part of our 3-attraction Go City Rome passes. The day didn’t go to exactly to plan, but it was still good fun and we’ll explain how you can make sure it does go to plan when you visit.

We walked the whole day, but we were tired by the end. Looking back we probably should have jumped in a taxi – or at least used a scooter or pedal bike for the park – but overall this is a great way to end a Rome highlights itinerary with one final push.

Climb The Spanish Steps (9:00 AM)

Now you absolutely don’t have to do this, but on our final morning in 2022 we woke up before first light, grabbed our cameras and quickly flashed between the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and finally the Spanish Steps to get photos of Rome’s most famous tourist spots with no people.

It worked well, except at the Spanish Steps when we had to wait ages for one person’s never-ending selfie video shoot to end. That was annoying, but we finally got onto the steps for a quick photo of our own. Here are our favorite photo spots in Rome if you’re interested in photography.

But let’s say for this itinerary that we had a normal, relaxing morning. We’d slowly make our way to Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps, aiming to arrive around 9:00 AM. It would more than likely already be swarming, so we’d just walk up the steps to see the French-run Trinita dei Monti, turn around and head back down again.

Don’t expect to be blown away here, this is just a staircase! But it’s a cool photo spot, and we really like the Campo Marzio area in general, it’s got a nice upscale feel.

Walk Via Del Corso To Piazza Del Popolo (9:30 AM)

From the Piazza di Spagna we’d walk west on Via delle Carrozze until reaching The Baker of Sardinia where we’d pick up a few tasty pistachio and chocolate croissants with coffees. Then we’d continue west to Via del Corso, Rome’s major shopping artery, which we thought felt like a less polished but equally as chaotic version of London’s Oxford Street.

We’d head north on Via del Corso for 10 minutes, and that would bring us out into the vast and exceptionally photogenic Piazza del Popolo. After walking to the Flaminio Obelisk in the center, we’d turn around for a striking view of Via del Corso between the Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli and the Basilica di Santa Maria in Montesanto. It’s a fun photo op.

Explore The Massive Villa Borghese (11:00 AM)

The Basilica Parrocchiale di Santa Maria del Popolo at the back of Piazza del Popolo looks lovely inside. It’s closed from 9:45 AM to 10:30 AM daily, but if we arrived into the square earlier or later, we’d definitely go in. Then we’d take the nearby staircase leading up to a stunning elevated viewing area called Terrazza del Pincio.

Next, we’d walk along Via delle Magnolie and Viale Pietro Canonica into Villa Borghese – a massive 200-acre park that we found to be similar in some ways to Central Park in NYC because it had various mini-attractions within the park itself.

If we had energy and time, we’d walk to the Temple of Aesculapius, but the main focus of walking through the park would be to reach the Borghese Gallery at the far side. Just be warned, it took us 20 minutes to walk from Terrazza del Pincio to the Borghese Gallery, so we’d strongly consider hiring a park pedal bike or jumping on a scooter to blast through the park next time.

Kristen’s skip tip: Rome’s National Gallery of Modern Art and zoo are both on the edges of Villa Borghese, but we’d skip both on this trip. In fact, we don’t even think we’d visit them on our fifth trip to Rome because there’s so many other attractions, ruins, and neighborhoods to discover.

See Artworks Inside The Borghese Gallery (12:00 PM)

One of the biggest mistakes we made on our 2022 trip to Rome was expecting to turn up to the Borghese Gallery and walk straight in to see Bernini’s sculptures and Caravaggio’s paintings. We thought “well, it’s not the Colosseum or Vatican” and it was a Wednesday afternoon in May, not a Saturday in July. Oh boy, we were so wrong.

Not only is the Borghese Gallery an extremely popular tourist attraction, it’s also very small, and they severely limit the amount of people allowed in at once. So of all Rome’s attractions, this is the one we’d prioritize booking in advance first next time. At the Vatican and Colosseum, there’d be a long line but we’d eventually get in without a pre-booked ticket. Whereas they straight up turned us away, and pretty much laughed us out of the building at the Borghese Gallery.

So with that said, we’d pre-book tickets for €18 each with a 12:00 PM in and 2:00 PM out time slot (they work in 2 hour windows). But the truth is, we’d have to get very lucky to get any time slot, let alone the exact one we wanted at midday because the tickets sell out almost instantly when they’re released, which from what we can tell appears to be 5 weeks in advance. From experience, we can tell you it’s not fun walking all that way for them to turn you away.

If there were no tickets left for the date and time we wanted to visit the gallery, our backup plan would be to see if we could book onto a guided tour like this one with Walks of Italy or like this one with Viator which include skip the line entry and an expert guide. But again, there these tours book up well in advance and the only ones we see open up are usually for late afternoon time slots 5 weeks ahead of time. If we were able to snag a ticket or tour, we’d adapt this last day on the itinerary to suit whatever time we could get into the Borghese Gallery.

Mark’s lunch tip: There’s not a lot of places to eat after leaving Piazza del Popolo if you manage to get Borghese Gallery tickets, so factor that into your plans. The gallery’s on-site restaurant is called ViVi and it actually looks pretty good for museum food, but other than that it’s slim pickings until heading down to the National Roman Museum later in the afternoon.

Explore The National Roman Museum (3:00 PM)

If we managed to get that coveted 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Borghese Gallery time slot, after leaving we’d make our way to the Baths of Diocletian (the National Roman Museum) to see the largest ancient bath halls in Rome. It’s a 30-minute walk, so we’d consider hopping in a taxi if we didn’t have the energy for yet more pavement pounding. Unlike Caracalla Baths, the Baths of Diocletian isn’t grand, it’s more like a museum.

After being rejected from the Borghese Gallery in 2022, we should have gone straight to the National Roman Museum. But we were frustrated, we had museum fatigue, and we were hungry so we decided to skip it. Looking back, that was a mistake. So next time, whether we made it into the Borghese Gallery or not, we’d definitely pay €15 each to go to the Baths of Diocletian in the afternoon.

Grab Dinner And Drinks Near Repubblica (5:00 PM)

After the National Roman Museum, one option would be to go back to the hotel, get changed and head out into the Centro Storico or Trastevere for a splurge meal to end the trip. But in 2022 we finished our last day with an opera near Repubblica metro station, and if we’d made it to the museum like we should have, we’d already be over that way. So sticking around Via Nazionale for dinner is more logistically efficient.

By this point we’d already been in Italy for over 2 weeks by this point and we needed a change from pizza or pasta. Carbed-out was an understatement! Anyway, we both love Indian food, and we found a highly-rated spot called Gandhi 2 just off Via Nazionale, so we gave it a go and it was excellent. Technically, this area is on the northern edge of Monti, but it felt completely different to the cobbled interior streets in Monti proper from our second night. It’s not as flashy or attractive as Centro Storico or Trastevere, but it also felt less touristy.

Catch A Concert At St. Paul’s Within The Walls (8:30 PM)

After dinner, we’d stop in somewhere for a glass of wine before finishing the trip with an impressive classical music performance at St Paul’s Within The Walls. In 2022, we watched the Three Tenors perform with the Mandolin Orchestra inside the church and the show honestly surprised us in the best possible way.

We’d booked St Paul’s within the Walls using our Go City passes and if we’re being honest, we expected it to be pretty average (not because of the performers, more so because it was on the pass), but it was really great. Next time, we’d check to see if there were any performances at the iconic Teatro dell’Opera di Roma first, and if not, we’d happily go to this same spot.

Kristen’s “less walking” tip: We walked a lot in Rome. If you don’t want to clock up thousands of steps, take a look at top rated day tour options like this one and this one that take you to most of the places we’ve covered in this guide but in just a few hours by golf cart. That’s how to see Rome’s highlights with the least amount of effort.

Making It Happen: Our Planning Checklist

Booking Colosseum, Vatican and Borghese Gallery tickets in advance: The single most important thing we can tell you to do before arriving in Rome for any length of time is to get these tickets booked when they’re released. Trust us, you don’t want to waste hours standing in line at the Colosseum or Vatican, and you don’t want to miss out on getting tickets with access to more areas or tours with better start times. And with the Borghese Gallery, you straight up just won’t get in if you don’t book ahead.

Roma Pass: We wouldn’t bother buying a Roma Pass because we’d feel obliged to visit lots of museums and attractions, and use public transport more than is really necessary (not many places are connected by metro or tram in Rome) to get value out of the pass. After using Go City Rome passes, we’d say they’re only worth it if you want to add in a few unique experiences – they’re not good for the top attractions.

Dress code for religious sites: First timers always get caught out with dress code at the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica – shoulders and knees must be covered. They’re strict with it. And it’s not just the Vatican, other sites you have to cover up include the Pantheon, Santa Maria in Trastevere, and most other major churches.

Leonardo Express: Landing or taking off at Rome Fiumicino? For us, the Leonardo Express is the easiest transit option connecting the airport to Termini. It’s direct, takes 32 minutes, and costs €14 each way. No stress.

Walking: Rome’s metro network isn’t like NYC, London or Paris – you will be walking a lot. Now, it is a very walkable city, we’ve walked to the Vatican, Caracalla Baths, Trastevere, Borghese Gallery and everywhere in between. But the walking does get tiring, and the cobblestone roads don’t make it any easier. The one time to really consider using the metro is the red line to Ottaviano for the Vatican Museums.

eSIM: We used to rely on international roaming with T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon, but their plans aren’t as cheap or easy as they used to be. Now, we share one eSim with 10GB of data for 30 days. We turn off background updates so data is only used when we need it – mainly for Google Maps and navigating train stations. There are lots of eSim options, but we use Saily, and it works perfectly for us.

Water fountains: One thing we love about Rome is filling up our reusable water bottles at the free drinking water fountains called nasoni. It’s free, easy, fresh drinking water whenever you want it.

When to go: Our July trip was hot, busy, and expensive – and we’d never do it again in the peak summer months if we could help it. We thought May struck a nice balance between cooler temperatures, fewer crowds and cheaper hotels, but we’d also consider April, September and October for similar reasons. Winter would be cheaper and quieter, but then you’re getting into no atmosphere territory.

Budgeting: It’s hard to give an exact number to budget because everyone travels differently. But for the average mid-range couple following our itinerary, we’d say around US $150-200 (€130-170) per person, per day is a good starting point to aim at. That would be comfortable but conscious, staying in nice but not flashy accommodation. Food is surprisingly affordable in Italy, and the top end of the range would only be if you booked more guided tours.

What We’d Change With More Or Less Time In Rome

If we only had 2 days: We’d cleanly split into Vatican and Colosseum days. It sounds obvious, but it’s because it works better that way – those two top attractions are effectively on opposite sides of the city. With the Vatican we’d include Trastevere, and with the Colosseum we’d add walking through the Centro Storico to see the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon.

With 3 days: We’d do the Colosseum, Aventine Terrace, and Trastevere on day 1, then we’d do the Vatican Museums and walk the Centro Storico highlights on day 2, then we’d do the Spanish Steps and Borghese Gallery OR Baths of Caracalla and Catacombs on day 3.

If we had 5+ days: That’s when we’d start adding in day trips. Our 4 day itinerary is slow enough, so there’s no need to slow it down more or cut anything. That leaves day 5 for a day trip to somewhere like Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, Florence, Tivoli, or Ostia Antica – depending on where else we’d be visiting on the same Italy trip. Here’s the top-rated Rome to Pompeii day trip tour with stops in the Amalfi Coast that we’d book first.

Next Steps

We hope our 4-day itinerary helps you figure out how to spend your time in Rome.

If you’d like more personalized help, we offer expert travel planning consultations where we answer any questions you have, help you avoid tourist traps, and plan out your entire itinerary step by step. See our reviews and packages.

Still researching for your trip?

• Take a look at our 14 days Italy itinerary.
• These are the places you can’t miss in Italy.
• Don’t miss these top attractions in Rome.
• These are Capri’s top attractions.
• Here’s our 10 day Amalfi Coast itinerary.
• Here’s what you can’t miss in Florence.
• This is how to plan a Florence itinerary.

Finally, if you’ll be visiting more places on the same trip, we recommend reading our Italy travel guide for helpful tips and advice.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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