3 days in Rome: day-by-day itinerary
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- 8 of 17 free; 9 paid — see “Cost”
- Duration
- 3 days, 9:30 to 17:01 each day
- Start and finish
- Colosseum → Trastevere
- On foot
- ≈ 1 h 46 min in total
- Transport
- 1 ride, ≈ 20 min
- Lunch
- around 13:11
- With kids
- fine: short walks
- Best time
- Spring and autumn. Keep the Vatican for a weekday and Trastevere for the evening.
Day-by-day plan
Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.
Day 1 · Rome09:30–16:36 · 6 places · 7 h 10 min
Colosseum
· 2 h · ≈ €18
- 11 min on foot
Roman Forum
· 1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum
- Lunch · 1 h
- 20 min · transport or taxi
Spanish Steps
· 20 min · Free
- 10 min on foot
Trevi Fountain
· 20 min · Free; basin €2
- 10 min on foot
Pantheon
· 30 min · ≈ €5
- 5 min on foot
Piazza Navona
· 30 min · Free
Day 2 · Rome09:30–16:14 · 4 places · 6 h 40 min
St Peter's Square
· 30 min · Free
- 5 min on foot
St Peter's Basilica
· 1 h 30 min · Free; dome ≈ €8–15
- 3 min on foot
Sistine Chapel
· 30 min · Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25
- Lunch · 1 h
- 6 min on foot
Vatican Museums
· 3 h · ≈ €25
Day 3 · Rome09:30–17:01 · 7 places · 7 h 30 min
Vittoriano
· 1 h · Terraces free; lift ≈ €12–18
- 3 min on foot
Capitoline Hill
· 30 min · Free
- 10 min on foot
Mouth of Truth
· 20 min · Donation ≈ €2
- 7 min on foot
Circus Maximus
· 30 min · Free
- Lunch · 1 h
- 13 min on foot
Aventine Keyhole
· 45 min · Free
- 16 min on foot
Santa Maria in Trastevere
· 30 min · Free
- 7 min on foot
Trastevere
· 2 h · Free
Add nearby
Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.
What the route costs
8 of 17 are free; 9 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.
| 1 | Colosseum | 73 | 2 h | ≈ €18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Roman Forum | 63 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €18 with Colosseum |
| 4 | Trevi Fountain | 79 | 20 min | Free; basin €2 |
| 5 | Pantheon | 82 | 30 min | ≈ €5 |
| 8 | St Peter's Basilica | 71 | 1 h 30 min | Free; dome ≈ €8–15 |
| 9 | Sistine Chapel | 64 | 30 min | Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25 |
| 10 | Vatican Museums | 44 | 3 h | ≈ €25 |
| 11 | Vittoriano | 61 | 1 h | Terraces free; lift ≈ €12–18 |
| 13 | Mouth of Truth | 49 | 20 min | Donation ≈ €2 |
| Other 8 places | 5 h 30 min | Free | ||
| Total | 16 h 20 min | 8 of 17 free |
Tips for each stop
Day 1
- 1
Colosseum. The Flavian Amphitheatre. The ≈ €18, 24-hour ticket also covers the Roman Forum and Palatine; book a time slot, and under-18s go free.
- 2
Roman Forum. The heart of ancient Rome: temples, arches and the Sacred Way. Same ticket as the Colosseum; there's almost no shade, so bring water.
- 3
Spanish Steps. 135 steps up to Trinità dei Monti. Free, but sitting on the steps is banned.
- 4
Trevi Fountain. Rome's most famous fountain. The square is free; reaching the basin costs €2 by day and is free early and late.
- 5
Pantheon. A 2nd-century temple with its famous open oculus. Tickets ≈ €5; 30 to 40 minutes is enough, and it closes to visitors during Mass.
- 6
Piazza Navona. A square on the site of an ancient stadium, with Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers. Free; artists and buskers in the evening.
Day 2
- 7
St Peter's Square. Bernini's square with its 284-column colonnade. Free; the security check for the basilica starts here.
- 8
St Peter's Basilica. Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's canopy. The basilica is free; the dome climb is ticketed.
- 9
Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo's ceiling and Last Judgement at the end of the Vatican Museums route. No photos.
- 10
Vatican Museums. The popes' galleries: the Belvedere Torso, the Raphael Rooms, the map gallery. ≈ €25 booked; closed Sundays except the last of the month.
Day 3
- 11
Vittoriano. The white marble 'wedding cake' on Piazza Venezia: steps and lower terraces free, a paid lift to the roof for a 360° view.
- 12
Capitoline Hill. Michelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio and the Forum view from the terrace behind the town hall. Free.
- 13
Mouth of Truth. The Mouth of Truth in the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. ≈ €2 donation; expect a photo queue by day.
- 14
Circus Maximus. The vast field of the ancient chariot track below the Palatine. Free and a good place to rest.
- 15
Aventine Keyhole. The keyhole on the Aventine that frames St Peter's dome. Free, with the Orange Garden viewpoint next door.
- 16
Santa Maria in Trastevere. One of Rome's oldest churches, with golden apse mosaics. Free.
- 17
Trastevere. Across the Tiber: cobbled lanes, ivy-covered walls and trattorias. Best in the evening.
Who this route is for
- An unhurried first visit
- History lovers who like to walk
- A couple or friends on a long weekend
- Ostia Antica and Tivoli: separate day trips
- Young children: see Rome with kids
Spring and autumn. Keep the Vatican for a weekday and Trastevere for the evening.
What to see in Rome in 3 days
The route goes by area: the centre with its ancient and Baroque sights, the Vatican across the Tiber, and the south with the Capitoline, the Aventine and Trastevere. Each day is walkable, and the metro links the Vatican and the centre.
Book the Colosseum and Vatican Museums ahead. Day three is almost free, apart from the Vittoriano roof lift and a donation at the Mouth of Truth, so it's a day for wandering and Roman pasta.
Remove any stop with the cross or drag it with ≡, add something nearby, and the timings update.
Day three: the Capitoline, the Aventine and Trastevere
Start on the Capitoline Hill: Michelangelo designed Piazza del Campidoglio, and the terrace behind the town hall overlooks the whole Forum. Next door is the Vittoriano, whose lower terraces look over Piazza Venezia, with a lift to the roof.
Head down to the Circus Maximus and the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin with the Mouth of Truth. The Aventine is a ten-minute climb: the keyhole in the Knights of Malta gate frames St Peter's dome, and the Orange Garden looks over all of Rome. Finish across the Tiber in Trastevere with the mosaics of Santa Maria and dinner in a trattoria.
More to see
On a fourth day, book the Borghese Gallery, cycle the Appian Way with its catacombs, or take the train to Ostia Antica. In the centre, add Castel Sant'Angelo and the Palatine on your Colosseum ticket.
How to do it right
- Book the Colosseum and Vatican ahead; keep day three open.
- Do the Vatican on a weekday; the Museums usually close on Sundays.
- Churches require covered shoulders and knees, and large backpacks are often refused.
- Italy uses the euro. Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere; carry a little cash for cafés and markets. Buy museum tickets ahead on official sites, where closing days are listed too.
- Reserve a Trastevere dinner table on Fridays and Saturdays.
Questions
What should I see in Rome in 3 days?
The Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon and Trevi; the Vatican with St Peter's and the Sistine Chapel; the Capitoline, Aventine and Trastevere.
How many days do you need in Rome?
Three for the essentials without rushing; a fourth for the Borghese, the Appian Way or Ostia.
Where is the Aventine keyhole?
On the Aventine Hill, in the gate of the Knights of Malta; it frames the dome of St Peter's.
What is there to see in Trastevere?
Santa Maria in Trastevere and its mosaics, and narrow lanes full of trattorias, best in the evening.
Is Rome walkable?
Yes, each day of this route is on foot; take the metro between the Vatican and the centre.
Sources and fact-check
- Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
- UNESCO: Historic Centre of Rome (no. 91) and Vatican City (no. 286)
