Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!

Rome, Italy: 3-Day Itinerary

Purple Star emoji 45 items
Only have a few days in Rome? Here's your guide. Be prepared to get your steps in.
Map
Sections
5
 
 
 
 
 

Day 1: Centro Storico

Get to know Rome by exploring the city center.

 
Mary profile picture
Go early! It's your best chance at avoiding the crowds. Even at 10AM you'll start finding this area getting busy. Throw a coin into the water with your right hand over your left shoulder if you wish to come back to Rome.
Fontana di Trevi
 
Mary profile picture
One of the best-preserved monuments of ancient Rome. It's free to enter, so make sure to get there early and beat the line.
Pantheon Rome
 
Mary profile picture
A beautiful square with fountains from well-known artists like Bernini.
Piazza Navona Rome
 
Mary profile picture
A bustling square to make a stop at and rest
Piazza del Popolo
 
Mary profile picture
Make sure you climb all the way to the top! It offers one of my favorite views of Rome overlooking the Piazza del Popolo
Terrazza del Pincio
 
Mary profile picture
Busy area for shopping & of course the Spanish steps. Walk up the steps to the top where you'll get a view overlooking the bustling plaza.
The Spanish Steps in Rome - Piazza di Spagna
 
Mary profile picture
A public square at the top of Capitoline Hill. My favorite view though is going behind this square where you'll get a stunning view of the Roman Forum
Piazza del Campidoglio
 
Mary profile picture
Massive monument worth going up the stairs and getting a panoramic view of the streets of Rome. This free view up the stairs is already great, but you can go up further by getting tickets to access the elevator lift.
Altar of the Fatherland
 
Mary profile picture
A bridge with a nice view of Vatican City. Nice area to also walk along the river.
Ponte Umberto I
 
Mary profile picture
Bustling marketplace to buy produce or souvenirs.
Campo de' Fiori

Day 2: Ancient Rome

Time to step back in time.

 
Mary profile picture
You have to book tickets far in advance for the Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill. I wasn't able to get tickets, so I did a guided tour that gave access to all 3 places. The guide was informative in teaching us about the history of each plac...
Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Priority Access ...
 
Mary profile picture
The Colosseum is the one place you absolutely have to visit in Rome. It's unreal being there in person and seeing the largest ancient amphitheater ever built.
Colosseum
 
Mary profile picture
Really cool forum to walk through and get a feel of what Rome once was like.
Roman Forum
 
Mary profile picture
You'll get to see the Farnese gardens when touring Palatine Hill, where my favorite panoramic view of Rome is at the top of the Farnese gardens
The Farnese Gardens, Palatine Hill
 
Mary profile picture
Visit the old sites of aristocrats and emperors. Make sure you visit the Farnese Gardens when you're here and get one of the best panoramic views of Rome.
Palatine Hill

Day 3: Vatican City

Your day for visiting museums, art & churches.

 
Mary profile picture
Beautiful interior. Free to enter and walk around inside where you can get tickets to visit the Dome. Get there early, you'll start seeing a line wrap around Vatican City even before the church opens!
St. Peter's Basilica
 
Mary profile picture
If you love art, you'll love visiting the Vatican museums. Make sure to grab tickets in advance to skip the line. There are so many different types of exhibits, where this is where you'll also find the famous painted ceiling.
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Additional Day

Have a few extra days? There's still so much to see.

 
Mary profile picture
Beautifully creepy crypt. It contains the skeletal remains of Capuchin friars, but assembled where the bones created artwork. Creepy, but also beautiful.
The Capuchin Crypt: Bone Chapel
 
Mary profile picture
Known to be the food neighborhood in Rome. Tons of restaurants and bars here to try.
Trastevere
 
Mary profile picture
A tiny island in Rome. Seriously, it's tiny. You can walk the island in probably 5 minutes.
Tiber Island (Isola Tiberina)
 
Mary profile picture
Nice park to stroll through and relax at
Giardino degli Aranci
 
Mary profile picture
It's a little bit of a hike up, but a nice hilltop offering panoramic views of Rome.
Janiculum Hill
 
Mary profile picture
Known to be the mausoleum of the Roman emperor Hadrian. Even if you don't get tickets to go inside, it's a lovely area to walk around right by the water.
Castel Sant'Angelo
 
Mary profile picture
Beautiful bridge right by the Castel Sant’Angelo
Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II
 
Mary profile picture
If you love sculptures, this is where to go. Here you'll find famous collections from Bernini.
Borghese Gallery and Museum
 
Mary profile picture
Pretty cool marble mask sculpture said to bite the hand of those who lied. Many people take pictures here to reenact the scene from Roman Holiday.
Mouth of Truth

Places to Eat

Need a quick bite while exploring Rome? Here's where to go.

 
Mary profile picture
One of my favorite gelato shops. Get the pistachio flavor!
GIOLITTI
 
Mary profile picture
Delicious pasta, greeted by the nicest owner. Highly recommend!
al42 by Pasta Chef rione Monti
 
Mary profile picture
Great place to grab a sandwich. Super kind staff and if you sit outside you'll get a view of a Roman temple Il Tempio di Adriano
IL PANINO INGEGNOSO
 
Mary profile picture
Great place for quick pizza. Try a variety of flavors since each one is priced by weight.
Pizzeria Boccaccia
 
Mary profile picture
Try a fried pizza here! It was delicious, especially the dough.
Ce Stamo A Pensà
 
Mary profile picture
Casual place for grabbing pizza priced by the weight.
La Prezzemolina
 
Mary profile picture
First time trying a triangle-shaped pizza pocket and it was delicious!
Il Trapizzino
 
Mary profile picture
Came here for pasta after crossing the Isola Tiberina
Restaurant Carlo Menta
 
Mary profile picture
Great place for grabbing cannolis.
I Dolci di Nonna Vincenza
 
Mary profile picture
Tasty spot for tiramisu in a variety of flavors. Best of it, there are 2 sizes - small and large - so you can try more than one flavor
Two Sizes
 
Mary profile picture
Great place for gelato - especially if you want a chocolate drizzle on top
Come il Latte
 
Mary profile picture
Over 100 flavors of gelato. Cool to check out and see all the flavors, but there are tons of other gelato places that are much better.
Gelateria Della Palma
 
Mary profile picture
Nice bakery with cannolis and also quick bites like sandwiches and pizzas
Bakery Roscioli Pietro
 
Mary profile picture
Came here a few times to grab cookies & pastries.
Regoli Pasticceria
 
Mary profile picture
Grabbed a cappuccino and cornetto here on my first day in Rome
Ottavi dal 1921
 
Mary profile picture
Came here after visiting the Vatican museums for some quick pasta. Great flavor, where you can watch them freshly make the pasta in-stores
Pastasciutta
 
Mary profile picture
Great pasta
Tonnarello
 
Mary profile picture
Came here when I really needed a salad. A variety of options available, enjoyed my salad.
L'Insalata Ricca - Piazza di Pasquino
 
Mary profile picture
Came here for breakfast before visiting the Colosseum. Just a 5 min. walk away with a hearty American breakfast option available. You can also see the Colosseum when sitting outside.
La Licata