Rome
3 days in Rome: an itinerary for your first visit
At half past eight the first visitors walk into the Colosseum. If you are among them, you planned it right. Here is how to spend three days in Rome without rushing.
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In short: 3 days in Rome
Three days is enough for Rome's major sights. Spend day one at the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, day two at the Vatican and in Trastevere, and day three on the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and Villa Borghese. Book the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums and the Borghese Gallery in advance.
Our first choice for a base: Palazzo Manfredi, opposite the Colosseum. Check availability and prices at Palazzo Manfredi
How many days do you need in Rome?
Three full days is enough for a first visit. With two, it comes down to the Vatican or ancient Rome. With four, you have time for a day trip to Ostia Antica or Tivoli.
The route below follows the map. Each day stays in one part of the city, so you walk more than you ride. Bring proper shoes: the cobbles of the centre are hard on the feet after 20,000 steps.
Pick your base before your sights
Stay central and you can go back for a rest in the middle of the day, which in a Roman summer you will want. Each of these three puts at least one day right on the doorstep. For more options, see our guide to where to stay in Rome.
The Colosseum from the bedside
From Palazzo Manfredi it is a two-minute walk to the entrance. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Palazzo Manfredi: for day one
This 17th-century palazzo stands above the ruins of the Ludus Magnus, the school where gladiators trained. Many rooms look straight at the Colosseum. Breakfast is served at Aroma, the rooftop restaurant with one Michelin star.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Palazzo Manfredi
Six Senses Rome: for day three
The hotel opened in 2023 inside Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini, just off Via del Corso. Some rooms face the facade of the church of San Marcello. The spa is modelled on the ancient Roman baths, with warm and cold rooms to move between. The Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain are under ten minutes away.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Six Senses Rome
Hotel de la Ville: at the top of the Spanish Steps
The building was a convent before it became a hotel in 1924. Rocco Forte runs it today, and Cielo, the bar on the sixth and seventh floors, is one of the best rooftops in the city. From here you walk down the steps to Via Condotti in the morning and into Villa Borghese in the afternoon.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel de la Ville
Where an empire was run
The Roman Forum lies right next to the Colosseum. Photo: Massimo Virgilio / Unsplash
Day 1: the Colosseum, the Forum and an evening in Monti
Start at the Colosseum as early as you can get a ticket. Tickets are issued in your name, so bring a passport or ID, and book a time slot in advance. The arena floor, where the gladiators walked in, needs its own ticket type.
Book: See experiences and tickets for the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine
Your ticket also covers the Roman Forum and the Palatine for 24 hours. Walk the Via Sacra, past the remains of the Temple of Vesta, and climb the Palatine, where the emperors lived. Have lunch in Monti, ten minutes away, where the streets are narrow and the wine bars small.
In the afternoon, climb the steps to the Capitoline Hill. Michelangelo designed the piazza, and from behind the city hall you look down over the entire Forum. For dinner, head back to Monti or on to the streets around Campo de' Fiori.
Through the gladiators' gate: See experiences and tickets for the Colosseum arena
The Bridge of Angels at night
Ponte Sant'Angelo crosses the Tiber towards Castel Sant'Angelo. Photo: Rainhard Wiesinger / Unsplash
Day 2: the Vatican and an evening in Trastevere
The Vatican Museums hold so many rooms that you can walk for kilometres before reaching the Sistine Chapel. Arrive at opening time with a ticket booked in advance. The museums close on Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free and the queues are long.
Book: See experiences and tickets for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
St Peter's Basilica is free, but the security queue can be long. Cover your shoulders and knees or you will be turned away. On Wednesday mornings the basilica closes for the papal audience. Climb the dome and you see the whole city, plus the gardens behind the Vatican walls.
Up the dome: See experiences and tickets for the dome of St Peter's
Walk down Via della Conciliazione to Castel Sant'Angelo, then follow the Tiber south to Trastevere. The cobbles are uneven here and washing hangs across the lanes. Eat dinner at a trattoria in the side streets, away from Piazza di Santa Maria, where menus come in five languages.
A temple that has stood for 1,900 years
The Pantheon on Piazza della Rotonda, five minutes from the Trevi Fountain. Photo: Gabriella Clare Marino / Unsplash
Day 3: the Pantheon, Trevi and Villa Borghese
Go to the Trevi Fountain before breakfast, while the square is still half empty. To step down to the basin and throw your coin you need a ticket, bought online or at the entrance. From there it is five minutes to the Pantheon, where light pours through the hole in the dome. The Pantheon charges for entry too.
Piazza Navona is close by, with Bernini's fountain at its centre. Have lunch in the streets around it, then walk up Via Condotti to the Spanish Steps in the afternoon.
Finish in Villa Borghese. The Borghese Gallery holds Bernini's sculptures and paintings by Caravaggio, and you must book a time slot. Visits last two hours, and the gallery closes on Mondays. Afterwards, walk to the Pincio and watch the sun set over Piazza del Popolo.
To celebrate your last evening, find the rooftops in our guide to romantic hotels in Rome.
Got a fourth day?
Spend it outside the city. Ostia Antica is an entire Roman port town, with streets, bakeries and a theatre still used in summer. In Tivoli you will find the fountain gardens of Villa d'Este and Emperor Hadrian's villa. Our favourites are in day trips from Rome. For shopping, see shopping in Rome.
Good to know
From the airport: The Leonardo Express runs from Fiumicino to Termini in about half an hour. Taxis to the centre charge a fixed fare.
Tickets: The Colosseum, the Vatican Museums and the Borghese Gallery all use timed entry. Book once your days are fixed.
Water: Fill your bottle at the small drinking fountains, nasoni, found all over the city. The water is good and free.
Coperto: Many restaurants add a fixed charge per person for bread and the table setting. It is legal and shown on the menu.
Last checked: October 2026. Opening times and ticket rules change, so check the official sites before you travel.
Our first choice for three days in Rome
Palazzo Manfredi
Palazzo Manfredi stands opposite the Colosseum, in a 17th-century palazzo above the Ludus Magnus gladiator school. Many rooms look straight at the amphitheatre, which is floodlit outside your window at night. Breakfast is at Aroma on the roof, a restaurant with one Michelin star. Day one starts two minutes from the door, and Monti is ten minutes on foot.
Frequently asked questions about 3 days in Rome
How many days do you need in Rome?
Three full days is enough for a first visit to Rome. You can cover ancient Rome, the Vatican and the historic centre with the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain without rushing. With two days, something has to give. With four, you have time for a day trip, for example to Ostia Antica or Tivoli.
Should I book Colosseum tickets in advance?
Yes, book Colosseum tickets in advance, especially between April and October. Entry is timed and tickets are issued in your name, so you must show ID at the gate. The ticket also covers the Roman Forum and the Palatine for 24 hours. The arena floor needs its own ticket type.
Are the Vatican Museums open on Sundays?
No, the Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays, except for the last Sunday of the month. Entry is free then, but the queues are long and opening hours short. St Peter's Basilica is open on Sundays but crowded after Mass. Plan the Vatican for a weekday and avoid Wednesday morning, when the basilica closes for the papal audience.
Do you have to pay to see the Trevi Fountain?
You need a ticket to step down to the basin of the Trevi Fountain and throw a coin. Buy it online or at the entrance; the system runs from 9am to 10pm. Residents of Rome and children under five go free. Come early in the morning and you will avoid the crowds.
Where should I stay for three days in Rome?
Stay central so you can walk almost everywhere and rest in the middle of the day. Around the Colosseum and Monti you start right by ancient Rome. Around the Pantheon and Via del Corso you are in the middle of everything. By the Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese and the best shopping streets are close.