Rome
EN

City guide · 2026 edition

Rome,
your way.

The Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and St. Peter's. Build your itinerary, see how far it is to walk, and add dinner and an evening out.

Plan your perfect trip

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or start from our suggested plan below
01

Itinerary

Your schedule

Day 1

  1. 09:00 Colosseum – The Roman amphitheatre: timed slot required, ticket is also valid for the Forum and Palatine.
  2. 10:45 Roman Forum & Palatine Hill – The political heart of ancient Rome and the Palatine hill, on the same ticket as the Colosseum.
  3. 14:30 Capitoline Museums & Piazza del Campidoglio – The world’s oldest public museums on Michelangelo’s Campidoglio square, with the Marcus Aurelius statue and a rooftop view.
  4. 16:45 Vittoriano (Altare della Patria) – The white marble monument on Piazza Venezia; the panoramic terrace lift gives one of Rome’s best views.
  5. 17:30 Largo di Torre Argentina – Sunken ruins of four Republican temples where Caesar was killed, now home to a cat sanctuary.

Day 2

  1. 09:00 Campo de’ Fiori – Lively square with a produce market in the morning and bars in the evening.
  2. 09:45 Piazza Navona – Baroque square on the shape of an ancient stadium, with Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers.
  3. 10:30 Pantheon – The best-preserved building of ancient Rome, with its open oculus; still a church, timed ticket.
  4. 14:30 Trevi Fountain – Rome’s largest Baroque fountain; toss a coin over your shoulder. Very busy, go early or late.
  5. 15:30 Spanish Steps & Piazza di Spagna – The 135-step stairway to Trinità dei Monti above Piazza di Spagna. Sitting on the steps is fined.
  6. 16:30 Piazza del Popolo & the Pincio – A grand neoclassical square with an obelisk; climb to the Pincio terrace for a sunset view over Rome.

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02

Eat & drink

Restaurants near your stops

Book your meals into your day. Every day has a breakfast slot (avg. 45m, or mark it as at your hotel), a lunch slot (avg. 1h 15m) and a dinner slot (avg. 1h 30m). Use “+ Add to schedule” on any place below, or pick one straight from a slot in your schedule.

  • La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali (Roman · €€ · Ancient Rome)
  • Ai Tre Scalini (Wine bar · €€ · Ancient Rome)
  • Alle Carrette (Pizza · €€ · Ancient Rome)
  • Li Rioni (Pizza · €€ · Termini & Esquilino)
  • Luzzi (Roman · € · Termini & Esquilino)
  • Il Bocconcino (Roman · €€ · Termini & Esquilino)
  • Trattoria Monti (Italian · €€€ · Termini & Esquilino)
  • Aroma (Italian · €€€ · Ancient Rome)
  • Cavour 313 (Wine bar · €€ · Ancient Rome)
  • Armando al Pantheon (Roman · €€€ · Centro Storico)
  • Da Francesco (Roman · €€ · Centro Storico)
  • Osteria da Fortunata (Roman · €€ · Centro Storico)
  • Salumeria Roscioli (Market & deli · €€€ · Centro Storico)
  • Supplizio (Street food · € · Centro Storico)
  • Pizzeria da Baffetto (Pizza · €€ · Centro Storico)
  • La Montecarlo (Pizza · €€ · Centro Storico)
  • Casa Coppelle (Italian · €€€ · Centro Storico)
  • Dar Filettaro a Santa Barbara (Street food · € · Centro Storico)
  • Antica Birreria Peroni (Roman · €€ · Centro Storico)
  • Nonna Betta (Roman · €€ · Centro Storico)
03

After dark

Rome by night

04

Good to know

Practical info & fares

Coperto, tipping and coffee

  • A coperto (cover charge, usually €1–3 per person) is normal and legal; it is not a tip
  • Tipping is optional: rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is plenty
  • Coffee standing at the bar is much cheaper than at a table; lunch is ~13:00–15:00, dinner from ~19:30–20:00; many kitchens close 15:00–19:00 and one day a week (often Sunday or Monday)

Dress code for churches and the Vatican

  • Shoulders and knees covered for St. Peter's, the Vatican Museums and most churches
  • Carry a light scarf or shawl; guards at St. Peter's turn people away
  • No shorts, mini-skirts or bare shoulders; hats off inside

Free drinking water: the nasoni

  • Rome has about 2,500 public drinking fountains ("nasoni", big noses): the water is safe and cold
  • Cover the end with a finger to make water jet up for drinking
  • Refill your bottle at the nasoni instead of buying plastic

Fines: sitting and eating at monuments

  • Sitting on the Spanish Steps is fined (about €250); stand or sit in the square instead
  • Eating or drinking on the steps of monuments and bathing in fountains are also fined
  • Do not walk on or sit on the Trevi Fountain edge

Free first Sunday of the month

  • On the first Sunday of every month, state museums and sites are free for everyone (not only residents): the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine, the Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, Palazzo Massimo, Baths of Caracalla and more
  • The Colosseum cannot be booked in advance that day: queue early
  • The Galleria Borghese (booking required) and the Vatican Museums follow other rules; civic museums have separate free days
  • Next first Sundays: 1 November and 6 December 2026

Vatican Museums: closed Sundays, free last Sunday

  • The Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month: free, 09:00–14:00, last entry 12:30, with a very long queue
  • Next free Sundays: 25 October, 29 November and 27 December 2026
  • The only official ticket site is tickets.museivaticani.va: avoid look-alike resellers

Trevi Fountain: €2 for the front steps

  • Since 2 February 2026, non-residents pay €2 to stand by the basin; viewing from the square stays free
  • Open 09:00–22:00 (Mon and Fri from 11:30), last entry 21:00; free for residents, children under 6, disabled visitors plus a companion, tour guides and Roma MIC Card holders
  • Pay online or in advance at the civic museums and tourist info points; at the entrance by card only; the queue starts on Via della Stamperia

ZTL traffic zone

  • The historic centre is a ZTL (limited traffic zone): cameras fine cars without a permit, several hundred euros
  • Hotels can sometimes register your plate: ask before you drive in
  • Walk, take the metro, or park outside and ride in

Pickpockets on bus 64 and the metro

  • Bus 64 (Termini–Vatican) and metro lines A and B at Termini, Spagna and Colosseo are pickpocket hotspots
  • Wear bags in front; keep phones out of back pockets
  • Be careful near St. Peter's, the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain crowds

City tax per night

  • Hotels charge a city tax (imposta di soggiorno) per person per night, paid at the hotel: about €4–10 for hotels depending on stars, about €6 for rentals
  • It applies to the first 10 nights of a stay; children and some groups are exempt
  • Ask whether it is included in your booking

Book timed tickets

  • The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine, Galleria Borghese, Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel need a dated, timed ticket: book online on the official sites a few days to weeks ahead
  • Tickets for the Colosseum are nominative: bring an ID
05

Local life

Markets

Markets run on set days, so they are info only and not part of your schedule.

All markets, with a full guide →