How to Spend 3 Days in Rome, Italy
How to Spend 2-3 Days in Rome, Italy
My husband and I just got back from Italy and spent about 2.5 days in Rome and a full day at the Vatican. If you are visiting for the first time, here are some recommendations of what to do, based on what we did. I was pretty happy with my time there overall.
When we first arrived the first thing that we did was check into our hotel. We arrived in the evening, thankfully, so we were able to check in. After that we did what anybody first arriving in Italy should do, get gelato! There are tons of amazing gelato places in Rome but this one was my favorite. While we ate gelato we walked around this park, which was nice. Afterward we ate dinner at a restaurant and had pizza. Sadly, I can't locate where it was. We ate outside and there were a bunch of mosquitos, so be careful. Mosquitos in Italy can be really bad. Before going back to the hotel we walked toward this beautiful building. At the time, I didn't know what it was. We could see it from the restaurant. It's the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore.
Day 1
The next morning (first full day) we returned to the Basilica. We wanted to see it in the daylight and were walking past it anyway to reach other sites. It's something that should not be missed! It is free to enter and we didn't have to wait in line. The inside is incredible. I don't think it's as popular of a destination as some other sites, but it's amazing.
Next, we went to the Colosseum. We wanted to go early but weren’t really planning to go inside. If you want to go in, I recommend getting “skip the line” tickets in advance. They sell out online almost instantly when they become available so they are super difficult to get. Otherwise you have to wait in a super long line. The ticket for the Roman Forum is the same as the Colosseum ticket so keep that in mind. We just walked around the outside of both. You can see both of them pretty well if you don’t go inside, so I wouldn't stress too much.
You can see a lot of the Roman Forum from the outside. There is a sidewalk that goes around the perimeter and some paths and lookout points that allow you to see inside. After the Roman Forum, we ate a late lunch at La Prezzemolina. After that, we walked back toward the hotel to get more gelato from the same spot as the day before. Then we picked up our luggage from luggage storage and took a train to Florence. After visiting Florence, Cinque Terre, Venice, and Verona, we returned to Rome for a few days before flying home. The next part of this post is from the end of the trip.
Day 2
After arriving back in Rome from Venice we dropped our luggage off at the hotel. I always try to reserve hotels that offer luggage storage. Then we got coffee and breakfast at a nearby cafe. Next, we walked through Villa Borghese Park. This park is massive. It's worth a visit if you're going to be in the area.
Villa Borghese Park
I recommend going to the top of the Spanish Steps so that you can see the full scale of them. You can't really tell how tall they are from the bottom. They will most likely be crowded but less crowded early in the morning and late at night. Just be sure to avoid sitting because you are not allowed. You will get whistled at by the guards.
By this time we were very hungry so we went to al42 by Pasta Chef Rione Monti, a pasta restaurant. The food was amazing. I got the truffle pasta and it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. The best thing about this place is that you don’t need a reservation (they don’t accept them) and that it’s affordable. If you don’t arrive before opening, you will have to wait in line. I recommend arriving at least a half hour before opening either before lunch or dinner. They close in the middle of the day.
Piazza Navona
On the way to our next destination we came across Piazza Navona. It's a city square with beautifully intricate fountains, surrounded by fancy buildings. It's worth a stop, for sure. Something amazing about Rome is that there are so many historical sites that it's so easy to just stumble upon them without even realizing it. I had this marked on my map, but didn't even realize it was so close to where I was.
We spent the evening of the second day at Castel Sant'Angelo. It's a second century castle that you can tour. It was really amazing being able to go inside a castle and imagine what it would have been like during the time it was in use. There are also great views from the top. It was a perfect spot to go for sunset. On the walk home we stopped for gelato and take-out pasta from Pastificio Guerra.
Trevi Fountain
The last few hours in Rome we woke up early to fit in the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon. We had walked past both the day before but they were too packed to really see. We got to the Trevi Fountain around 8am and it was pretty busy but not terrible. It's so much more gigantic and intricate in person than I thought. I recommend going as early as possible if you want to get really good photos.
After the Pantheon we just got our last gelato from a nearby shop. Then we went back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and took the train to the airport to go home.
Other sites we saw briefly
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