Should I spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Rome?
Should you spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Rome?
Many visitors spend three to seven days in Rome during their visit. If you're not sure how much time you might need here, we have the answers because there's so much to see and do. This city offers a number of attractions to explore, including the museums and landmarks, the big city activities, the restaurant scene, and the nightlife.
Rome is the capital city of Italy, and for many visitors it serves as the entry and departure point of their trip. Rome is filled with ancient ruins hidden next to modern development. It's a history enthusiasts dream. The city is also filled with cafes and Italian restaurants where you can sip wine and dine on Italian pasta dishes.
Do you have one or two days to visit Rome? Here's our comprehensive breakdown of how much time you might need for your trip along with some suggestions for things to do.
Is one day enough time in Rome?
With only one day, you might feel a bit pressed for time when it comes to exploring the main attractions. After all, Rome holds a significant allure for tourists because of its many sights and attractions. To fully embrace Rome, a longer visit is better. Most travelers tend to allocate at least 3 or as many as 7 days to browse the museums, enjoy the city's energy, taste delicious cuisine, and dance the night away. Nevertheless, if your schedule is limited, we can provide some suggestions to maximize your visit.
How to spend a day in Rome
When visiting Rome, you absolutely can't miss the Colosseum as it's one of the most famous places in the world. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to fully experience it.
The culinary scene in Rome is world famous, and draws visitors from around the globe. Make sure you spend time enjoying breakfast, lunch, and dinner at some of this city's best restaurants. And consider a food tour, too. Many are either a half day or just a few hours, so you can fit one into your schedule easily. Homemade pasta, fresh sauces, and fine wine all make the food scene among the best. Also make sure you try the gelato.
A few tour suggestions include:
- Spritz & Spaghetti: Tipsy Cooking Class in Rome ($86)
- Private Cooking Class at Daniela's home in Rome ($82)
- Castel Gandolfo Kayak Tour with Wine and Food Tasting ($71)
Rome is a walkable city and easy to explore on foot. With only a day in the city, you'll have no trouble seeing the local sights. You'll find many of the most popular sights in a compact area that's easily explored on foot. Do watch out for traffic, which can be a bit chaotic at times.
Is a weekend (two to three days) enough time in Rome?
To do everything that Rome has to offer, you'll need more than a weekend, but two or three days does allow you a bit more time to explore. You'll have a chance to experience at least some of the highlights. In addition to the great museums and landmarks and fun big city activities, visitors can enjoy the nightlife, beautiful scenery, and live music. By staying a night or two, you'll be able to take advantage of the most interesting activities found here, and we have some suggestions below.
How to spend 2 days in Rome
With a weekend (two to three days) in Rome, you'll have a bit more time to enjoy everything that the city has to offer.
Rome is famous for it's world-class attractions, museums, and landmarks. You'll want to spend at least a day exploring one or more that you're interested in the most. The historical sights around the city are among the most impressive in the world. Almost anywhere you look you'll find a notable landmark but some of the most famous include the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, and the Roman Forum.
A few tour suggestions include:
- Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Small Group Tour ($125)
- Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tour ($75)
- Jewish ghetto, Jewish museum and synagogues with Jewish Roman guide 3 hours ($163)
The nightlife scene is very popular here. After dark, head out to one of the many venues around town. You'll find a huge concentration of bars and clubs in the Testaccio area. There are late night clubs with salsa dancing, merengue, and live DJ's spinning every type of music.
A few tour suggestions include:
- Tipsy Tour: Fun Bar Crawl In Rome With Local Guide ($53)
- Rome's Ultimate Party aka the Spanish Steps Pub Crawl ($52)
The public transit in Rome is fast and efficient. Over the course of a few days, you should be able to explore the city quite easily and affordably. There's a metro system, trams, and a comprehensive bus system that goes around the city.
More Info
If you're looking for more information about Rome, we have even more advice to help you plan your journey.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
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