Three Days in Rome – An Itinerary

With international travel temporarily restricted; and ever-changing regulations for domestic travel taking a lot of the relaxation and joy out of travel, many are choosing to stay at home. I’ve rescheduled and canceled more trips in 2020 than I care to remember. So, what to do in the meantime? Now is as good a time as any to revisit some past adventures. Let’s spend three days in Rome!

Easy to navigate on foot, the Eternal City offers spectacular architecture and art at literally every turn. With unsurpassed people watching, one can have an incredible trip just strolling around the different neighborhoods. Of course, there are some things you can’t miss, particularly if you’re a first-time visitor.

Here’s a three-day itinerary that will make the most of your time.

Day One

After an all-night flight with a 7:30 am arrival in Rome, my husband and I bought tickets for a Hop On Hop Off bus tour. While it’s great to get your bearings and to map out a plan, this tour could have easily been skipped. Traffic is heavy in Rome; you can make better time walking. Public transportation options abound as well.

We ended up at the Vatican and opted for a Skip-the-Line tour. No need to purchase tickets in advance, operators are abundant as you walk towards Vatican City. Take note: you may skip the first line(s), which will save you quite a bit of time depending on when you visit, but you will quickly merge in with the massive sea of humanity making their way to the Sistine Chapel.

If you opted for the tour, you would take a shortcut to St. Peter’s Basilica after leaving the Sistine Chapel, saving yourself another long wait.

After visiting Vatican City, we crossed the Tiber River – if you can time it around sunset, you’ll be greatly rewarded – into a beautiful neighborhood with shops and restaurants lining the cobblestone streets for a lovely dinner.

Day Two

Today we make our way back in time to what was “downtown Rome’ in the days of Julius Caeser. Again, we opt for a tour that allowed us to skip the line and travel through Ancient Rome with an archaeologist named Fillirico.

The tour enabled us to visit a few places in the Colosseum which were not open to the public. We even walked through a tunnel onto the main stage area, imagining what the gladiators felt as the crowds looked upon them from the stands.

In addition to the Colosseum, be sure and see Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. You can view Circus Maximus from Palatine Hill in one direction; look the other way for stunning views of the Forum and Ancient Rome. There is little to no signage in these areas, so the tour is worth it. Knowledgable guides ensure that we know what we’re looking at as well as providing a fascinating history lesson.

After another fabulous meal, we head over to the Victor Emmanual Monument and climb the 242 stairs for a magnificent view of the city. Take the Rome From the Sky elevator to the very top if you wish. Arriving just before sunset, the line was long, so we opted to enjoy the show from that vantage point.

Day Three

The best way to see any city is on foot, and Rome is no exception. There are plenty of walking tours for hire, but we decided to follow our own itinerary. Armed with a Rick Steves guidebook and map, we began the day at the Spanish Steps, spending the entire day meandering through the heart of Rome.

Don’t miss Trevi Fountain, crowded but fun, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Campo de’ Fiori with its fabulous flower market. Plenty of cafes, coffee bars, and gelaterias line the streets, so stop often, and enjoy the sights, sounds, and people of Rome.

Be sure to get lost at least once, and enjoy the blend of ancient and modern in this endlessly entertaining city!

Ciao for now! Thanks for joining me for three days in Rome.

As always, thanks for reading!

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