How Many Days in Rome Do You Need? (And What to See While You’re There!)
The four places in the world I hear questions about most often as far as what to see and do there are the subjects of four blog posts that felt the most daunting for me to write: Paris, London, Rome and New York. There’s SO MUCH to cover in each of these cities! In this post I’m going to cover how many days in Rome you need and what to see while you’re there. I haven’t seen and done EVERYTHING this city has to offer; but, based on what I HAVE seen and experienced, these are my recommendations for you. 🙂
Roman Forum
Visit the heart of ancient Rome. THIS IS THE PLACE where elections took place, speeches were given, markets were had, and activities of daily living were lived. It’s pretty surreal to walk around these ruins and see glimpses of what life was like all those years ago.
Colosseum
This wonder of the world might just be the crown jewel of Rome. It can get INSANELY busy as you can imagine (ESPECIALLY in the summer time) so I most definitely recommend buying your ticket online in advance for an early morning time slot to beat the crowds (and heat!) as much as possible.
The Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica
This stunning church is hands down one of the most amazing I’ve seen in the world. Highlights for me are the Pietà by Michelangelo (on your right hand side as soon as you walk in) and the high altar which is directly over St. Peter’s tomb according to Catholic tradition. Be sure to visit the dome of the basicilia as the views from the top are incredible.
Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums contain some of the most renowned sculptures and Renaissance art pieces in the world. But I’d venture to guess that the most famous works of art in the Vatican Museums are Michaelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel.
Between the huge crowds, long lines, scorching temps, unreal humidity, and minimal AC, visting the Vatican Museums during summer time in particular can be ROUGH. So a tip for you on traversing the travel elements while you’re there:
It doesn’t officially open until 9am but for an additional cost you can get early entry (at 7:30am) and enjoy the museum with hardly anyone else there! It’s SO worth it. A guide lead us straight to the Sistine Chapel where we got to enjoy it with just a few others, which was a HUGE contrast to when we went back to the chapel later in the afternoon and could barely get inside because it was SO insanely crowded. This was the “tour” we did (which wasn’t really a tour at all). After leading us to the Sistine Chapel our guide gave us a brief overview and then stuck around to answer any questions before leaving us on our own to explore the rest of the museums. I would visit this way again in a heartbeat!
Castel Sant’Angelo
You might recognize this place from some movies you’ve seen. It was built to be a mausoleum for the Roman emperor, Hadrian, and his family. Popes used it as a fortress and castle but today it’s a museum. Bonus: The roof has a pretty spectacular view of the city.
Pantheon
Swing by this famous church and resting place of the painter Raphael.
Spanish Steps
I couldn’t tell you exactly why these steps are so well known, but well known they are. I’d say it’s a great place to eat a sandwich, enjoy some gelato, do some people watching and see the sunset. But it CAN get insanely crowded… So if you’d like to avoid the masses I recommend visiting first thing in the morning.
Mouth of Truth
Anyone seen Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck? This is one of the many locations they visit in the city. As legend has it, the Mouth of Truth or Bocca della Verità will bite off the hands of liars. 😉
Piazza Navona
This open space is one of mine and my mom’s favorite places to hang out in the city. You’ll find tons of restaurants, gelato shops, and a fountain in the center which was sculpted by Bernini. Spend some leisurely time enjoying this fun public space and taking in the beautiful surroundings.
Trevi Fountain
No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the Trevi Fountain! It’s a HUGE fountain for the tiny space it’s in and you’ll know you’re getting close when you hear it long before you’ve even see it. Be sure to honor the tradition of throwing your coin(s) into the fountain while you’re there! One coin ensures you’ll come back to Rome, two ensures you’ll find romance, and three ensures marriage. You decide how many coins you want to throw in. 😉 However many you decide on just make sure you throw them with your right hand over your left shoulder. It’s tradition!
Getting Around
You’ll find that Rome is a pretty walkable city and multiple sites are relatively close to each other. For the handful of times you need transportation for longer distances, I recommend using the train and bus system. I found that purchasing one use tickets each time I took public transit was more cost effective than a multi day pass as I didn’t use transportation often enough to make a multi day pass worth the cost. Food for thought. 😉
How Many Days in Rome Do You Need?
To really see and take in everything this city has to offer without feeling rushed I’d say you need at LEAST 2 days. 3 would be ideal, but you could definitely survive on 2. 😉
And I think that sums up Rome! Please let me know if this list was helpful for you on your trip, I’d love to hear about it. 😊
Safe travels friends!
CE
