Rome Italy is one of the most visited cities in the world and for good reason with it’s rich history and culture. I spent 12 days in Italy in September 2023 with my husband, Philip, and Rome was our first stop. This was my second trip to Rome but the previous trip was way back in 2011. Here is our three day itinerary in Rome.
Quick Links
Vatican City
Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and Pantheon
Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill
Sunset views from the orange tree garden
Conclusion and other ideas
Getting to Rome
Rome has a large international airport (Rome Fiumicino Airport; FCO) with many direct flights. I flew from San Francisco to Rome with a layover in Lisbon, Portugal.
Where to Stay in Rome
I stayed in the neighborhood Trastevere which I really loved for it’s liveliness and winding streets. I stayed at a B&B type spot called Classic Rome B&B. Staying near the Spanish Steps would be another good option to be close to a lot of attractions.
Day 1 in Rome
Arrival and Dinner
After a long travel day we arrived in Rome in the evening. The first night we spent wandering around Trastevere and ate dinner at Roma Sparita. This ended up being one of my favorite meals of the entire trip, mostly because the cacio e pepe was served in an edible cheese bowl. And of course we had to end the night with gelato.
Day 2 in Rome
Vatican City
Day two was a slow start, thank you jet lag! We pulled ourselves together and grabbed sandwiches at a shop we passed in Trastevere. Then we walked along the Tiber River toward the smallest country in the world, Vatican City.
Vatican City is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and home to St Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican museum, and the Sistine Chapel. The Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel are a must visit! I booked ‘skip the line’ tickets through Get Your Guide and opted for the self-guided option. We met our host who gave us the tickets and led us into the museum, then we were free to explore on our own.
We wandered through the galleries at our own pace marveling at the art. My favorite room was the Gallery of Maps which has walls lined with maps and a beautiful ceiling with Mannerism paintings. Of course the Sistine Chapel was also very impressive.
Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon
After a couple hours at the Vatican we took the metro to the Spanish Steps which were bustling with other tourists. The Spanish Steps connect two plazas, Piazza Di Spagna at the bottom and Piazza Trinità dei Monti at the top with the Church, Trinità dei Monti. They are considered the longest and widest stairs in Europe.
We got a drink and snack at Cielo Bar which is on the roof of Hotel de la Ville. The views from up there are amazing, especially if you can get a seat near the edge (we did not). After that we watched the sunset from the top of the Spanish Steps which also has great views.
After sunset we made our way back toward Trastevere passing by Trevi fountain which was absolutely packed! I recommend visiting Trevi Fountain in the early hours of the day if you want a more private viewing. We also stopped at the Pantheon which is such an impressive structure with it’s massive Corinthian columns. We got our daily gelato fix at Gelateria La Romana which was very tasty.
We ended the night back in Trastevere at this Aperol Spritz bar that overlooks Santa Maria plaza.
Day 3 in Rome
Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill
We started day three with a breakfast and coffee at a cafe near our B&B. Then we walked over to the the meeting spot for our tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Our route took us through Campidoglio which is a large plaza designed by Michelangelo and is home to museums, palaces, and many statues.
I booked the Colosseum tour through Get Your Guide, just like the Vatican, and this time opted for a guide. We started at the Colosseum learning about the history and fun facts. Then we went to Palatine Hill which has ancient ruins and incredible views of the city. The tour ended at the Roman Forum which was the center of ancient Rome and held a lot of significance. It was nice to have a tour guide to get more context on everything we saw, but the three hour tour did leave us tired and hungry!
Views and Food
After the tour we immediately sought out food and at this point in the trip we were already craving vegetables, which are notoriously hard to get enough of when traveling. We ate at L’Insalata Ricca in Trastevere which had good, filling salads.
Later we walked up to Giardino degli Aranci which is a park with orange trees on a hill overlooking the city. This is a popular view point for both tourists and locals, especially during sunset. We hung out on the steps for a while enjoying the view and people watching. We saw at least 5 different wedding parties take photos!
We ended the day with dinner at PizzaRe 77 and hopped around to a couple bars. We were very happy with our dinner, but had admittedly tried many other places first but it was a Saturday night and everywhere was packed.
Conclusion on Rome
The next morning we went to the train station and headed to our next step, Florence! I enjoyed Rome more than I expected to. It was very walkable, scenic, and not too overwhelming as a big city. We found that the service was phenomenal at all restaurants and bars we visited. I could have used a couple more days to explore more of the city.
Other things to do and see in Rome
-Villa Borghese (massive park)
-Piazza del Popolo
-Terrazza del Pincio (views)
-Piazza Navona
Similar Posts
30 Hour Summer London Itinerary
30 Awesome Things to do in Barcelona
How to Plan a Hike to Trolltunga in Norway
6 Great Picnic Spots in New York City
3 Summer Days Chicago Itinerary
