Before you go: bookings and closing days
Three tickets should be booked in advance, and two of them are almost never available on the spot on the day in high season:
- Colosseum: a named ticket with a compulsory time slot for entry to the Colosseum, on sale 30 days before the visit. ID is checked at the entrance, and a name that does not match means refused entry with no refund.
- Vatican Museums: booking on the museums' official ticket site is strongly recommended to avoid a queue of several hours.
- Galleria Borghese: booking is compulsory for all tickets, in two-hour slots.
Also check closing days before setting the order of the days. The Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays (except the last Sunday of the month, which is free and packed), Castel Sant'Angelo and Galleria Borghese on Mondays. Day 2 must therefore fall between Tuesday and Saturday, and day 3 on any day other than Monday. If your trip does not fit, simply swap the days.
Day 1: ancient Rome
8:30-10:30am, the Colosseum. Arrive at opening time with your ticket and ID: it is the quietest moment of the day. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the visit. The 24h ticket costs €18 (plus a €2 online booking fee) and includes, within 24 hours, one entry to the Forum and the Palatine; the "Full Experience" tickets at €24, valid for two days, add the arena or the underground. Details and ticket options in our Colosseum page.
10:45am-2pm, the Palatine and the Roman Forum. The entrance is a few minutes' walk from the Colosseum. Climb the Palatine first for the imperial palaces and the view over the Circus Maximus, then walk down to the Roman Forum along the via Sacra. Bring water and a hat from April to October: there is very little shade.
2:30-4:30pm, Piazza del Campidoglio and its museums. From the Forum, the square designed by Michelangelo is a 10-minute walk. The Capitoline Museums (€15 for non-residents) house the She-Wolf and the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, and their underground gallery leads to a terrace overlooking the Forum.
End of the day. Walk down to the Vittoriano, whose terraces can be reached by a (paid) lift, or head to the Monti district, 15 minutes on foot, for dinner.
Day 2: the Vatican, Castel Sant'Angelo and Trastevere
8am-12pm, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Take metro line A to Ottaviano or Cipro, then walk about ten minutes to the entrance on viale Vaticano. The museums open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm (last entry 6pm). The ticket costs €20, plus €5 for online booking. Allow at least three hours for the Gallery of Maps, the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. Route inside and tips in our Vatican Museums page.
12:30-2:30pm, St Peter's Basilica. From the museum exit, allow about 15 minutes on foot along the walls to St Peter's Square. Entry to the basilica is free, with no booking, a security check and a dress code (shoulders and knees covered). The climb to the dome costs €17 by the stairs (551 steps) or €22 with the lift (320 steps remain). See our St Peter's Basilica page.
3-5pm, Castel Sant'Angelo. Via della Conciliazione leads to Hadrian's mausoleum in 10 to 15 minutes. The ticket has cost €18 since 1 July 2026, Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 7:30pm (last entry 6:30pm). The upper terrace offers one of the finest views of St Peter's and the Tiber. Everything you need in our Castel Sant'Angelo page.
Evening, Trastevere. Cross Ponte Sant'Angelo and follow the Tiber south: about 30 minutes on foot to Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, or a few stops on tram 8 from Largo Argentina. Alleys, trattorias and a basilica with golden mosaics: our Trastevere guide gives the addresses and the streets to explore.
Day 3: the historic centre and Villa Borghese
9-9:45am, the Pantheon. Open from 9am to 7pm (last entry 6:30pm), it has cost €7 since 1 July 2026 and remains free on the first Sunday of the month. Entry is by time slot: book the 9am slot online, the quietest of the day. History and dome in our Pantheon page.
10-10:45am, Piazza Navona. Five minutes' walk away, the square built over the Stadium of Domitian brings together three fountains, including Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, opposite Borromini's church of Sant'Agnese. Free, no booking.
11:15am-12pm, the Trevi Fountain. Allow 15 minutes on foot. Since 2 February 2026, access to the inner area around the basin costs €2 for non-residents, from 9am to 10pm (from 11:30am on Mondays and Fridays); the ticket is sold online or on site by card. The fountain can still be seen for free from the square.
12:15-1pm, Piazza di Spagna. Ten minutes' walk away, climb the Spanish Steps (sitting on them is forbidden) and have lunch in the area.
2-5pm, Villa Borghese and its gallery. From the top of the steps, follow viale della Trinità dei Monti to the Pincio terrace (about 10 minutes), then cross the park to the gallery (about 20 minutes). Galleria Borghese opens Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 7pm; the ticket costs €16 plus €2 booking, in two-hour slots. Book an early-afternoon slot for Bernini's sculptures and Caravaggio's paintings, then end the day at the Pincio for sunset.
Itinerary summary
| Day | Stops | Recommended time | Booking | Main transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colosseum, Palatine, Forum, Capitoline | Full day | Colosseum compulsory (named time slot) | On foot, everything within 15 minutes |
| 2 | Vatican Museums, St Peter's, Castel Sant'Angelo, Trastevere | Day and evening | Vatican strongly recommended | Metro A to Ottaviano, then on foot or tram 8 |
| 3 | Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi, Piazza di Spagna, Villa Borghese | Full day | Galleria Borghese compulsory, Pantheon recommended | On foot, 5 to 20 minutes between stops |
Ticket budget
| Site | Full price (non-resident) |
|---|---|
| Colosseum, Forum and Palatine (24h ticket) | €18 + €2 booking |
| Capitoline Museums | €15 |
| Vatican Museums | €20 + €5 online booking |
| St Peter's Basilica | Free (dome €17 or €22) |
| Castel Sant'Angelo | €18 |
| Pantheon | €7 |
| Trevi Fountain (basin area) | €2 |
| Galleria Borghese | €16 + €2 booking |
Prices observed in October 2026. Without the dome of St Peter's, the itinerary's tickets come to €105 per person at full price; add €17 if you climb the dome by the stairs. At state sites (Colosseum, Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, Galleria Borghese), EU citizens aged 18 to 25 get a €2 reduced rate and under-18s go in free.
For transport, a BIT ticket costs €1.50 (100 minutes, one metro ride only) and the Roma 72H pass €22. You can also tap a contactless bank card directly at metro gates and on buses: the total is then capped at €8.50 per day. This itinerary is mostly on foot and needs only a few rides: single tickets are usually enough. The Roma Pass (€62.90 for 72 hours, transport included and the first two sites free) does not cover the Vatican Museums, which belong to the Holy See.
Further reading
If you only have one day, follow our itinerary what to do in Rome in one day. For tickets, lines and contactless payment, read our guide to getting around Rome, and to choose your dates, see the best time to visit Rome.
