Rome itinerary 4 days (or 3 or 2 days in Rome)

Planning a trip to Rome, Italy?

Everything you need to have the best vacation ever with the best places to go, things to do, food to eat and places to stay in Rome!

Rome is one of the greatest cities in the world and one of my favorite places to travel to. I keep going back to the spectacular sites, then add in something new. So, my top things to see and do in Rome get longer after every trip.

Every visit to Rome is an interesting cultural experience with fun walks and delicious Italian food.

This incredible city is so full of famous historical sites, that it can get overwhelming to plan a trip to Rome.

Keep reading for a detailed Rome itinerary with exactly what to see and do. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for my favorite places to eat in Rome, categorized by type. Healthy and gluten-free places to eat in Rome are included, along with lots of the top places to have gelato, pasta, pizza…

Just follow my Rome travel itinerary and you will have a memorable trip to Rome.

This is a perfect 4 day Rome itinerary and can be used as a 3 day Rome itinerary, or a 2 day Rome itinerary. If you only have a day in Rome, then read the detailed itinerary below, and go experience whatever sounds the most interesting to you (and plan to come back to do the itinerary for 4 days in Rome!)

Walking in Rome is the best way to see many of the sites and to take in the culture. Make sure to have your step counter app on your phone turned on- it’s always a nice thing to see before enjoying a big Italian dinner and then having gelato for dessert.

Wear some comfortable walking shoes and get ready to experience the best of Rome! Keep reading to find out the top things to do in Rome…

Click here to shop for comfortable walking shoes

Rick Steve’s Rome

How Many Days in Rome?

You could spend a week in Rome and not see all of the incredible sites in this ancient city. One day in Rome is better than none, but it’s best if you can spend 3 or 4 days in this ancient city. This way you can see many of the top sites and not have to rush around to set it all in.

ROME ITINERARIES

2 Days Rome Itinerary – Rome 2 day itinerary

Rome in 2 days- For 2 days in Rome itinerary, you can get a brief overview and see the outside of the most famous places (Colosseum, Vatican, other museums…), and have time enough to tour the inside of one.

3 Days Rome Itinerary – Rome 3 day itinerary

With 3 days in Rome itinerary, you can add on another visit inside of a famous place and have enough time to sit and enjoy some delicious Italian food.

4 Days Rome Itinerary – Rome 4 day itinerary

If you need 4 days in Rome itinerary, you can slow down and stay awhile at some of the top sites, visit another famous place, eat more great food…

Find the best prices on flights to Rome here

Click here to search for the lowest flight prices

4 Day Itinerary Rome

Getting Around in Rome

Walking is the best way to get around Rome. The bus is another great option- it’s cheap and convenient.

*Rome Travel Tip: Be careful of the professional pickpocket teams that “work” on the main touristic bus lines. They are very crafty and you cannot be careful enough. If you have a purse or backpack wear it on your front and keep your hand on it. For wallets in pockets– KEEP YOUR HAND ON IT AT ALL TIMES…REALLY!

Taxis are another great way to get to a starting point that is far from where you staying, or when you want to get back to your hotel.

For details on all of the sites you are going to see in these Rome Itineraries,

Click here to get a copy of Rick Steve’s Rome book

STAY

Where to Stay in Rome

Stay in a hotel, bed & breakfast, or apartment in the area between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. If you have been to Rome before and want to stay in a more local feeling area, then I recommend considering the Trastevere, down and across the Tiber River from this area.

Looking for the best place to stay in Rome? Find the best prices at top-rated hotels here

DiRienzo Pantheon Palace Bed & Breakfast or Apartments– You can’t beat the location– next to the Pantheon. Breakfast is served at the owner’s restaurant ON the Pantheon Piazza. Click here for the latest prices
Lifestyle Suites Rome– Luxury Suites– some with balconies overlooking Piazza Navona! Breakfast included. Click here for the latest prices
Hotel Martis Palace– Boutique hotel near Piazza Navona with a rooftop terrace. Click here for the latest prices
Hotel Demaso– Small hotel in a restored 19th-century palace and a panoramic view from the rooftop terrace. Click here for the latest prices
Corso 281 Luxury Suites– Luxury suites with kitchenettes in a restored elegant 18th-century palace near the Pantheon. Breakfast delivered to rooms. Click here for the latest prices
Singer Palace Hotel– 5 star luxury hotel with incredible views in the heart of Rome Click here for the latest prices
Hotel Albergo Santa Chiara– I stayed here on a recent visit to Rome. It’s comfortable and conveniently located around the corner from the Pantheon Click here for the latest prices

Click here to read reviews and see prices on Booking.com or Agoda.com

Click here to search for an apartment in Rome

What to see in Rome

Rome Itinerary 2 Days, 3 Days, and 4 Days

Day 1 in Rome

Download Rick Steve’s Heart of Rome Walk (map included), put an earbud in, and take the self-guided tour of some of Rome’s top attractions.
Campo de’ Fiore, Palazzo Farnese, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Pasquino Statue, Piazza Navona, Pantheon (go inside), Piazza Capranica Parliament & Obelisk, Piazza Colonna d Via del Corso & Galleria, Trevi Fountain, Aqueduct Ruins, Immaculate Conception Column, and the Spanish Steps.

I love this walk and do it every time I visit Rome!

Sit at the Trevi Fountain or Spanish Steps and take it all in. Head back to Campo D’ Fiore. Get some of the pizza to go at the famous and delicious El Forno (before 8:00 pm). Sit in the Piazza and enjoy! You can also get some antipasti (appetizers) to go at Salumeria Roscioli.

Have dinner or antipasti at L’Antica Salumeria, a delicious casual place to eat, right on Pantheon Piazza (you don’t often find great options next to popular tourist attractions!)
Look at (but don’t eat at) Ristorante Ai Balestrari- a historic pizzeria that opened in 1862!

Return to Piazza Navona in the evening for live and free entertainment by talented street performers.
Check out the view from up high at one of Rome’s many rooftop bars! Bramante Terrace, Raphael Hotel (Noth of Piazza Navona), or Minerva Roof Garden (near the Pantheon) are all nearby.

*If this is not your arrival day and you are getting a very early start with only 2 days in Rome you can walk from the heart of Rome to Vatican city in 15 minutes. After having some lunch you could see the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Or just see St. Peter’s, which is free to get in and usually has no lines. You could also do this on the afternoon of day 2. Just know that combining the Vatican with anything else is exhausting (it’s way bigger and more crowded than you can imagine.)

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Rome Itinerary 2 Days, Rome Itinerary 3 Days, and Rome Itinerary 4 Days

Day 2 in Rome

Get up early (we get up at about 6:00 but let our teens sleep in) and walk to a “bar” (coffee shops that stay open all night) for a morning coffee with the locals. If it is after 8:00 then go to Sant’ Eustachio, one of my favorite coffee places in Rome! Stroll through Campo D’ Fiore for the daily farmers market where you can get fresh local produce. Grab some pastries at Roscioli on your way back to your room.
Schedule the first Colosseum Tour of the day (to beat the crowds and heat in the summer), including the dungeon and 3rd ring with a guide. *Buy tickets in advance at CoopCulture.com and read all of the options and tours available.
Next, visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill and use the Rick Steves walking tour or you can schedule a guide. See all of Rick’s self-guided walking tours in Rome, here
Walk down the street to Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains).
Head back to a top attraction, a cafe, a piazza, or your hotel for a little rest.

Walk to the Trastevere neighborhood and have dinner at the local, Da Enzo al 29 (one of my favorite restaurants in Rome), or pizza at Dar Poeta (or, better yet, go to both!)

*You may have to wait in line to get a table an Da Enzo. The do serve wine in line:)

Get a gelato, then stroll through this authentic area and see the Basilica of Santa Maria and Piazza Trilussa- another fun Piazza with live entertainment in the evenings.

Get the Best Travel Apps to use in Rome

Rome 3 day itinerary and Rome 4 day itinerary

Day 3: Things to do in Rome in 3 days & places to visit in Rome in 3 days

Visit the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel, then St. Peter’s Basilica.

*Click here to get fast track tickets (get the “early entrance” tour), or book a tour in advance with a private guide.

*If you have been to the Vatican before, and everyone is 15 or over I recommend booking the underground St. Peter’s Crypt tour.
If you are hungry when you leave the Vatican, Duecento Gradi is nearby and has great sandwiches.
Option to walk around the nearby Castel Saint Angelo.
Take a break at a cafe, revisit one of the famous sites from the walk on Day 1, go shopping in the Spanish Steps area or relax at Borghese Gardens (take a taxi).
Have a nice dinner. Try some Cacio Y Pepe, a delicious pasta that originated in Rome.

Day 4 in Rome

For your 4th day in Rome, there are many options, depending on what your interests are:

Apian Way bike tour (go for the electric assist). This is fun and a good reason to get outside of the city center. On this 2300-year-old Roman road you will see an ancient sepulcher, a Roman statue, the ruins of a circus and an imperial palace, the Christian catacombs (we had a great tour at St. Sebastian’s) and pagan mausoleums.
Take a tour of Domus Aurea, a palace built by Emporer Nero in 64 AD.
Visit one of the top art museums, Galleria Borghese, with paintings, sculptures, and Mosaics from the 15th to 19th century.
Take a Rome street food tour or a cooking class
Visit Piazza del Popolo, another vibrant piazza past the Spanish steps area. A lot of the best shopping in Rome is along the way.
For more ideas, check the top things to do in Rome on Trip Advisor

Things to Do In Rome at Night

Visit the piazzas that have entertaining street performers! My favorite place to go is Piazza Navona.
Return to Saint Peter’s Basilica an hour before closing time (seasonal hours)- It’s so peaceful without the crowds.
Sit at a rooftop bar and gaze at the spectacular view of the rooftops and skyline.
In the summer months go to the festival along the Tiber River (walk over Ponte Sisto Bridge to Piazza Trilussa).
Sit at the Trevi Fountain and toss a coin in.
Have a leisurely Italian dinner at a table outside (warm weather months).
Do the Colosseum by night tour.
Stroll the Passeggiata around the Spanish Steps, or head to Piazza Popolo or Via del Corso.
Wander down the ancient cobbled streets with a gelato.

Click here to book a good tour, activity or get tickets now

Click here to join a dining experience, take a cooking class or go on a food tour with locals

Wood-fired calzone and pizza from Dar Poeta

Where to eat the best food in Rome

Click here to join a dining experience, take a cooking class or go on a food tour with locals

Foodie Notes for some great places to eat in Rome

Important Italian food phrases:

Wood-fired oven: “Il forno alimentato”- The pizza baked in a wood-fired is the best!
Homemade or made in house: “fatto in casa”- For the best pasta, make sure to eat at restaurants that make their pasta in house

***Plot these top rated Rome restaurants in a custom Google map (recommended in Best Travel Apps) so when you get hungry or need a coffee you can check out what is nearby. This way, you will never waste time, money, and a great meal (or drink) on a tourist trap!

Some of the many great places to eat in Rome that are near the recommended hotels and sites…

*Scroll down for eating gluten-free in Rome (there are some great options)

COFFEE

Some of the best coffee in Rome can be found at Sant-Eustachio il Caffe, since 1938.

Near the pantheon, have a coffee at Tazzadoro La Casa del Caffe.

PASTA

In Trastavere eat at Da Enzo al 29. Tip: Get there an hour before they open to get in line.

West of Navona, Labottega Pastificio, with delicious homemade pasta- lunch only

Near Trevi, eat at Hostaria Romana

Near the Pantheon, Armando al Pantheon

PIZZA

In Trastavere, go to Dar Poeta, delicious wood-fired pizza

In Trastavere, La Renella, take out pizza & bread

Forno at Campo De’ Fiore is famous for its gourmet takeaway slices

Campo De’Fiore, Emma Pizzeria, by the owners of Roscioli

HEALTHY

Two locations near the Spanish steps and the Pantheon, Ginger has incredible healthy food in a beautiful and hip place

PIZZA AND BAKERY

Near Forno is another famous place, Antico Forno Roscioli

ANTIPASTI TO GO

Antica Pizzicheria Ruggeri, since 1919

WINEBAR

Campo area, Angolo Divino Winebar, since 1947 (Frascati Superiore or red Cesanese del Piglio are recommended)

ROOFTOP BAR

On Piazza Navona, Terrazza Borromini

HISTORIC RESTAURANT

Look at, but don’t eat at Pizzeria-Ristorante Ai Balestrari, since 1862!

In Trastavere, Bar San Calisto, one of the most famous bars in Rome, according to Stanley Tucci

PASTRY

The famous bakery in Campo De’Fiore, Antico Forno Roscioli

Near Piazza Navona, La Deliziosa, the official supplier of the Italian Senate!

In Trastavere, Biscittificio Innocenti

DELI

Near Trevi, Pane e Salame

Near Piazza Navona- I Pizzicaroli

GRANITA

Near the Pantheon, La Casa del Caffè Tazza d’Oro

GELATO

Near Piazza Navona, Frigidarium (it’s delicious)

By the Vatican, Gelateria dei Gracchi

Past Trevi Fountain, Come Il Latte or I Caruso

QUICK DINNER

On the Pantheon Piazza, Antica Salumeria, great antipasti boards

FARMERS MARKET

Campo Fiori Market, since 1869, seasonal hours

GLUTEN-FREE

Close to Pantheon, Ciao Checca

Near the Vatican, Le Altre Farine Del Mulino, bakery and pizza :

By the Pantheon:, Pandali (lunch only)

New Food Gluten Free – Ponte Sisto

Near the Pantheon, GF Gelato and cones, Fioco di Neve

Near Campo, GF Gelato, Fatamorgana Chiavari

TRAVEL RESOURCES

Book your trip to Rome!

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Book your flight with Skyscanner or read 8 Ways to Find a Cheap Flight
Book your accommodations with Booking.com
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Recommended Guidebook: Rick Steve’s Rome-Rick Steve’s Rome itinerary