Exactly How To Spend 4 Days In Rome, Italy

“Okay, let’s find out if 4 days is enough time for our first trip to Rome.” They are the exact words Mark said to Kristen as we boarded our Rome bound fast train in Pisa back in July 2018. We’d done a bit of research, planned out what we wanted to see and do, booked a hotel for 3 nights and felt cautiously optimistic that 4 days would be ample time. It turned out to be more than enough.

What made us unsure was the sheer amount of history, ruins, museums and famous attractions on offer in the Eternal City. But we felt the same about Paris, London and New York City, and 4 days was easily enough time for those places. And at the end as we rolled out of Rome’s Termini station towards Naples, we agreed that 3 days would have been doable but rushed, and we definitely didn’t need 5 days.

Now, our first trip was great but Italy was just one country we visited on our 18 month honeymoon around the world, so we had to do Rome on the cheap. We didn’t book tours and had to be selective over paid attractions. Plus, it was July so the city was boiling hot and ridiculously busy. Not a great combination, right?

So when we returned to Rome in May 2022 for another 3 nights with a healthier budget and knowledge of the city from our previous trip, we did it properly with excellent tours, lots of attractions and amazing food. So in this guide we’re going to show you exactly how we planned our second 4 days in Rome itinerary, with tips and things you can skip to make it even better for your trip. Read more about us.

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Route Map

We like to create maps with points of interest and directions when we visit new cities to save time when we get there. So we created a map for our Rome itinerary to help you see what’s included.

Click or touch the map to activate, zoom in and out, and scroll around. If you’d like to see a bigger version, click the “view larger map” icon in the top right, and if you’d like to see all the stops on each day, click the arrow and square icon in the top left.

Map key:

• Red – Day 1 attractions
• Blue – Day 2 attractions
• Orange – Day 3 attractions
• Purple – Day 4 attractions

Each day also has a walking route map you can use (blue lines). Remember, you don’t have to follow our route exactly, but it’s a great starting point for you to build from. Okay, let’s get into the itinerary!

Day 1: Centro Storico

Even though we had a healthy travel budget, we didn’t want to blow it on a hotel because there’s much better things to spend money on in Rome – like pizza, wine and gelato.

So we booked a cute mid-budget B&B called Residenza Sciarra, which was located on Via del Corso between the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon in the heart of the Centro Storico (here’s our guide on where to stay in Rome).

Therefore, it made sense for us to spend our first full day exploring the famous landmarks and maze-like streets of Rome’s historic center near our hotel. A bit like an orientation day.

Trevi Fountain, Pantheon + Piazza Navona

Nothing opens until 9:00am in Rome, so after a relaxing morning we began by walking through Galleria Sciarra on the way to see the famous Trevi Fountain, which wasn’t as busy as we’d expected – although that would change in the evening!

Next, we walked past the Column of Marcus Aurelius and along the narrow cobbled Via dei Pastini (great spot for dinner) to the Pantheon, which was well worth 5 euros to enter. It’s stunning from the outside but even better inside, so don’t miss it.

After a quick tour inside we walked to the enormous Piazza Navona to see the fountains of Neptune and Four Rivers, before taking a quick pitstop in Two Sizes for a delicious tiramisu – you have to try one! Or you can make your own on this top rated cooking class which also includes fettuccine and ravioli.

Then after refueling, we walked down to take a quick look around Rome’s most famous market – Campo de’ Fiori.

Capitoline Museums + Monument To Victor Emmanuele II

All the walking worked up an appetite so we grabbed a lovely pasta lunch at Ristorante Pancrazio. And after lunch we passed through Largo di Torre Argentina – an old ruin close to where Julius Caesar was killed that now houses a bunch of stray cats.

Next, we continued south through more small but attractive piazzas until we reached the Portico d’Ottavia and Teatro di Marcello, two ancient ruins that are well worth walking around.

Then we paid to go in the Capitoline Museums to see some of the most famous sculptures in Rome – including the Dying Gaul, Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius and the Capitoline Wolf. Museums are a dime a dozen here, but we thought this one was pretty awesome.

Just around the corner we explored the impressive (and free) Monument to Victor Emmanuel II. It had a museum, a superb viewpoint and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – so don’t miss it.

By then it was getting late and we were tired, so we walked back up Via del Corso to enjoy a relaxing dinner at Achille Al Pantheon. Then we went back to see the Trevi Fountain in all its chaotic glory in the evening, ate gelatos and slowly ambled through random cobbled streets and alleys before calling it a night.

Tip: Our trip was Sunday to Wednesday, but if you’ll be in the Centro Storico on a Friday or Saturday there’s a hidden gem place you must go to called Galleria Colonna. It’s only open in the morning, so do it first before beginning our walkthrough.

Day 2: Vatican + Trastevere

For our second day we decided to do everything on the west side of the Tiber, which meant exploring the Vatican Museums and walking around the trendy Trastevere neighborhood.

They’re both unmissable things to do in Rome, so make sure you plan enough time to do both properly.

We woke up early and took a slow walk through the historic center to the Vatican because we love seeing famous tourist sites when it’s calm with no people around. And afterwards we also walked down to Trastevere.

But you absolutely don’t have to walk. Instead, you can take a metro to the Vatican (get off at Ottaviano) or you can take a taxi/ride share.

Vatican Museums

We visited the Vatican Museums on our first trip to Rome and it was a pretty awful experience. It was a blazing hot day in July and we turned up at midday, stood in a disgustingly long line for ages only to be packed inside the museum like sardines.

So we didn’t make the same mistake again the second time. Instead, we booked this fantastic special early entry guided tour and it was worth every penny.

Not only did it mean we had a guided tour (which makes a huge difference in a place like the Vatican) but it also got us inside well before anyone else, so we had entire galleries and halls just to our small group, which was really cool.

Seeing the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peters Basilica are among the top Rome experiences you simply can’t miss, so it’s the one place to splurge on a quality guided tour if you have a bit of spare money.

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.

Trastevere

After the tour, we took a slow walk down a lovely street called Borgo Pio to grab lunch at a place we’d flagged by the name of Rione XIV Bistro – and it was excellent.

What we should have done next was pay to go in Castel Sant’Angelo to see Hadrians Tomb – but instead we had an extra glass of wine, relaxed and finished with a milky ice cream from L’Arena del Gelato.

Then we crossed the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II and walked down the incredibly photogenic Via Giulia, passing by posh boutiques and trendy art galleries.

At the end we arrived onto Ponte Sisto which took us back over the Tiber and into Trastevere – our favorite neighborhood in Rome for food, drinks and atmosphere.

There’s tons of awesome food tours you can take here like this pasta cooking class, this sunset food and wine tour and this VIP food tour with private rooftop spritz making.

We walked up Vicolo del Cinque and stopped in Mr Brown’s for a quick Aperol Spritz, before continuing to explore the maze-like streets of Trastevere.

Next, we stopped in to see the Basilica di Santa Maria, which didn’t look like much from the outside but was lovely inside, then we went to Tonnarello for a superb dinner and found a few more easy going cocktail bars afterwards.

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 the 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 route to several attractions beyond the Colosseum.

Colosseum

Thanks in part to the awesome movie Gladiator, the Colosseum is probably Rome’s most famous tourist attraction, right? Well, when you buy any ticket for the Colosseum, you also get the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill included.

We’ve done these areas twice and while we do think the Colosseum is awesome, we’re going to go against popular opinion here and say that we actually prefer the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill – when just a basic entry ticket is bought (this part is important).

Why? Because a basic ticket only includes walking in a loop half way up the Colosseum, which is cool – but it’s also a bit underwhelming.

The best areas to see at the Colosseum are underneath, above and in the arena itself, but tickets for those extra areas sell out fast (see official ticket options and choose the “full experience – underground levels and arena” ticket to see more areas).

Plus, the Colosseum gets seriously overcrowded – whereas the Roman Forum is bigger, has way more ruins and is considerably less crowded. Here’s our guide on how not to visit the Colosseum to learn more.

Don’t get us wrong, these areas are definitely worth doing – just manage your expectations unless you’re able to secure tickets to see more areas or you take a guided tour.

Both times we did the Colosseum and Roman Forum with basic tickets and an audio guide, which was a mistake. We should have booked a guided walking tour like this one with access to the arena or this one with the same company we took the excellent Vatican tour.

Southeast Rome

Exploring the Colosseum and Roman Forum took ages, so we grabbed lunch at Ristoro Della Salute before heading south to see Circus Maximus, which unfortunately wasn’t as well preserved. In its heyday, this chariot racing arena once held 250,000 Romans!

Then we continued southwest through the picturesque Giardini degli Aranci to gaze upon Rome from the awesome viewpoint called Terrazza Aventino. This is a great spot so don’t miss it.

Next, we hopped on a scooter and took it down Via Marmorata because we wanted to see why there was a massive pyramid in a random place in Rome. It was kind of intriguing, but not really worth seeing so skip it.

After that we scootered to the Caracalla Baths and paid a little extra for 4D goggles to see what the baths would once have looked like as we self-toured the ruins. We really enjoyed this ruin because it was so quiet – you don’t need to book in advance.

Had we continued further, the next stop would have been the Aurelian Walls – a well preserved section of Roman walls built in 275 AD that look just like the 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 goes to the walls, baths, Appian Way and catacombs.

But instead of the walls and bike ride, we went back to Piazza Venezia and took a coach to the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian which we booked as one of three attractions included with our Go City Rome Pass.

We’d never been in catacombs before so it was a new experience for us. And after the coach dropped us back off at Piazza Venezia, we finished with a delicious dinner at La locanda del tempio.

Tip: If you don’t want to figure out making your own way down to the Appian Way and Catacombs, take a look at this affordable and top rated guided tour that goes into the Catacombs after closing time – along with the Appian Way and Aqueducts. It looks great.

Day 4: Borghese Gallery + Northeast Rome

With all the major attractions and areas ticked off, we planned to have a nice and relaxing final day on the north side of Rome.

We wanted to walk up through the main shopping area, see the Borghese Gallery and then finish with a concert that was another part of our 3 attraction Go City Rome pass.

Borghese Gallery

We know it’s unlikely you’ll do this but on our last day 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.

And it worked well, except at the Spanish Steps when we had to wait ages for someone’s long selfie video shoot to end!

Then we went back to the hotel to wake up properly, before turning back around and heading up Via del Corso, Rome’s most famous shopping area.

We grabbed a few tasty pistachio and chocolate croissants with coffees at The Baker of Sardinia on Via della Carrozze near the Spanish Steps, then continued up to the vast Piazza del Popolo and up a hill to the right side to Terrazza del Pincio.

Next, we walked along Via delle Magnolie and Viale Pietro Canonica into Villa Borghese – a massive 200-acre park similar to Central Park in NYC.

Rome’s most popular park is home to the Temple of Aesculapius, the National Gallery of Modern Art, a zoo and the reason we’d clocked up a few thousand steps – the Borghese Gallery. If all that walking sounds awful, take a taxi or ride share straight to the gallery instead.

Northeast Rome

Remember when we said make sure you book the Vatican and Colosseum in advance? Well, we didn’t think it would be an issue turning up to the Borghese Gallery on a Wednesday in May. But we were so wrong!

Not only is the gallery an extremely popular tourist attraction, it’s also very small and they limit the amount of people allowed in at once. So of all Rome’s attractions, this is the one you must book ahead of time.

They do sell a tiny amount of last minute tickets for each time slot but you’d have to either be very lucky or time it perfectly to get one. We weren’t so lucky, which was all we deserved for not planning properly. Maybe it was all the pizza and gelato slowing our brains down!

Here’s a great tip for you – if there’s no tickets left for the date you want to visit the gallery, check to see if you can book onto a highly rated guided tour like this one which includes skip the line entry.

Anyway, what we should have done next (and what you should do now) is go to the Baths of Diocletian – the National Roman Museum. We had museum fatigue and we were hungry so we decided to skip it but that was a mistake.

Instead we passed through Piazza Barberini to a great Indian restaurant called Gandhi 2. Mark’s from England and loves a good curry so it was a great stop but we should have done the museum.

Finally, we walked up the lively Via Nazionale, had a quick glass of wine and ended our 4 days in Rome with an impressive classical music performance at St Paul’s Within The Walls.

Tip: If you don’t want to walk as much as we did – take a look at highly 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. Or if you’d prefer to walk and see everything in less time – take a look at this amazing guided tour which does the Vatican, Colosseum and entire historic center in one day.

Next Steps

We hope our Rome itinerary helps with planning your trip, but please let us know if you have any other questions in the comments box a little further below.

Still figuring out your plans for Italy?

• 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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