Rome-7-day-itinerary
Rome ranks consistently among the world’s most pickpocketed cities, a fact worth understanding before you arrive rather than after. Knowing this shapes how you carry money (split it across pockets, never in a back pocket), which buses you avoid (the 40 and 64 are notorious), and what to do when someone bumps into you near the Colosseum (assume their accomplice is behind you). None of this should diminish the city. It just requires a clear head alongside the wonder.
Getting from Fiumicino Airport to the City
Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport is 30 km from the centre. The fastest option is the Leonardo Express train direct to Roma Termini: it runs every 15 minutes, takes 32 minutes, and costs EUR 14 one-way. Buy tickets from the machine at the airport rail station. The regional FL1 train serves Trastevere, Ostiense, and Tiburtina stations for EUR 8 and runs every 15 to 30 minutes. A licensed taxi has a fixed rate of EUR 55 to anywhere within the Aurelian Walls, regardless of traffic. Buses run from EUR 6 upwards but take 50 to 80 minutes depending on congestion. Do not accept unsolicited offers from drivers at arrivals.
Where to Stay
For central access without overpaying, the area around Campo de’ Fiori or the Jewish Ghetto puts you within walking distance of most Day 1 through 3 sights. Relais Teatro Argentina (mid-range, from EUR 140 per night) sits directly on Largo di Torre Argentina and is quiet despite the location. For Trastevere immersion, Hotel Santa Maria (mid-range, from EUR 150) occupies a converted 16th-century cloister with a courtyard and is a more charming base than anything near Termini.
Day 1: Arrival, Piazzas, and First Evening
Check in and resist the urge to rush straight to major monuments. The city centre rewards an unhurried first evening. Walk through Campo de’ Fiori for the late-afternoon market atmosphere, then head north to Piazza Navona, where the Baroque fountains by Bernini are free and accessible around the clock.
Dinner: Da Enzo al 29 in Trastevere draws a largely Roman crowd for cacio e pepe and coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew) at EUR 15 to 35 per main. It books out quickly; reserve online a day ahead.
Tip: Rome’s tap water is among the best in Europe, supplied through the same ancient aqueduct network that has served the city for millennia. The public fountains (nasoni) across the city dispense the same water. Drink from them. Skip the bottled water sold near monuments.
Day 2: Ancient Rome - Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill
Start at 8:30 am when the gates open. Colosseum tickets sell out weeks in advance online, and 10:00 to 14:00 are the worst hours for crowds when tour coaches arrive. A combined Colosseum and Roman Forum ticket costs EUR 18 (full price) and covers the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill on the same day. The Forum entry is on Via Sacra, a five-minute walk from the Colosseum. Palatine Hill, accessible via the same ticket, gives the best elevated view of the Forum below.
The Colosseum itself held up to 80,000 spectators for events that ran from 80 AD until the sixth century. The current arena floor (a reconstruction added in 2023) restores the look of the original sand surface. Book the underground and arena floor experience separately for EUR 9 extra if available, as it adds substantial context.
Lunch: Supplizio on Via dei Banchi Vecchi serves Rome’s best supplì (deep-fried risotto balls with mozzarella) as a quick street-food stop, EUR 3 to 5 each.
Dinner: Felice a Testaccio in the Testaccio neighbourhood has been serving cacio e pepe since 1936. Retro checkered floors, reservation essential, EUR 25 to 45 per person. Testaccio is itself the old slaughterhouse district and the historic home of Roman offal cooking: tripe, oxtail, and rigatoni con pajata (pasta with calf intestine) are the neighbourhood specialties.
Day 3: Vatican City
The Vatican Museums are the second most visited museum complex in the world. Book online only through the official Vatican Museums site. Third-party resellers charge inflated prices and sometimes sell invalid tickets. Adult entry costs EUR 17 to EUR 21 depending on the ticket type; under-6s enter free.
Enter early (9 am opening) and walk directly to the Sistine Chapel before crowds build. The standard route through the galleries takes two to three hours minimum. St. Peter’s Basilica is a separate visit, free to enter, and the queue wraps the piazza by mid-morning. A climb to the dome costs EUR 8 (by stairs) or EUR 10 (by lift plus stairs), and the panorama from the top across Rome is the best elevated view available in the city.
A practical note on the “petition scam”: outside St. Peter’s Square, individuals carrying clipboards approach tourists claiming to be deaf and asking for a donation on behalf of a charity. This is a well-documented scam. Walk past without engaging.
Lunch: The Prati neighbourhood, directly east of the Vatican, has numerous good trattorias. Trattoria Pizzeria Ai Balestrari on Via degli Scipioni is solid and reasonably priced at EUR 12 to 25 per main.
Day 4: Trastevere and the Jewish Ghetto
Trastevere is the medieval quarter across the Tiber, with narrow cobbled streets and some of Rome’s most local-feeling neighbourhoods. The church of Santa Maria in Trastevere has a facade mosaic from the 12th century that ranks among the finest in Rome and is free to visit (opens 7:30 am).
From Trastevere, walk across the Tiber to the Jewish Ghetto. Rome’s Jewish community has been continuously present since at least the second century BC, making this one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. The Great Synagogue of Rome offers guided tours (EUR 15, closed Saturday). The surrounding streets have excellent carciofi alla giudea (Jewish-style fried artichokes) at numerous small restaurants.
Dinner: Da Teo, also in Trastevere, is a neighbourhood trattoria with outside seating on Piazza dei Ponziani. Expect EUR 20 to 40 per person.
Day 5: Galleria Borghese and Villa Borghese
The Galleria Borghese holds the best collection of Bernini sculptures outside a church and several major Caravaggio paintings in a single grand-villa setting. Entry is capped at 360 visitors per two-hour slot, making advance booking obligatory: book through the official gallery website, EUR 16 plus the obligatory EUR 2 booking fee. Without a reservation you will not get in, regardless of queues or payment. The Roma Pass (72 hours, EUR 58) covers the Borghese admission and includes free public transport.
After the gallery, Villa Borghese park is free and ideal for a picnic lunch bought from the Prati market or any alimentari. The park rents rowboats on the small lake (EUR 5 to 8 for 30 minutes).
Afternoon: The Testaccio Market (Via Galvani, Tuesday through Saturday until 2 pm) is one of Rome’s best food markets with genuine local shopping rather than tourist-oriented stalls. It opened in its current covered location in 2012 and replaced the historic outdoor market.
Day 6: Day Trip to Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica is the best-preserved ancient Roman town outside Pompeii, located 25 km southwest of Rome and reachable by train from Piramide station in 30 minutes (EUR 2.10 with a standard transit ticket). The site is dramatically less crowded than the Roman Forum, has better-preserved mosaics and streets, and takes a full morning to explore properly. Entry costs EUR 12. The ancient port town gives a much clearer sense of how an ordinary Roman settlement functioned than the Forum’s temple ruins do.
Return to Rome: Piatto Romano in Testaccio serves daily changing specials including carciofi and polpette (meatballs) for EUR 15 to 30.
Day 7: Pantheon, Gelato, Departure
The Pantheon, built around 125 AD, has been in continuous use as a place of worship since 609 AD, which is why it survives in near-complete condition. Entry now costs EUR 5 (free for under-18s), introduced in 2023 to manage visitor numbers. Arrive at opening (9 am) for the quiet that makes the oculus’s light shaft visible against the marble floor. Nearby, Caffe Sant’Eustachio on the piazza of the same name is the most consistently recommended espresso in Rome; EUR 1.40 at the bar.
From the Pantheon, Piazza della Rotonda connects to a short walk east to Piazza della Minerva, where Bernini’s elephant obelisk stands in front of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the only surviving Gothic church in Rome and free to visit.
Final gelato: Il Gelato di San Crispino, two minutes from the Pantheon, is widely considered the best gelato in central Rome. Hazelnut and honey are the signature flavours; expect EUR 3.50 for two scoops.
Departure: For Fiumicino, allow at least 90 minutes from central Rome for the train journey plus check-in. The Leonardo Express at Roma Termini runs reliably until late evening.
Practical Notes
The Roma Pass (72 hours, EUR 58) makes financial sense if you plan to visit the Colosseum, the Capitoline Museums, and the Borghese Gallery, as those three alone nearly cover the cost. It includes unlimited metro and bus travel within the validity period.
Dress modestly for churches: shoulders and knees must be covered. This is strictly enforced at the Vatican and Santa Maria in Trastevere. Carry a scarf or light layer for visits that come up spontaneously.
For the final evening before departure, the area around Largo di Torre Argentina has consistent aperitivo options from 6 pm, and the Roman cat sanctuary in the ruins below the piazza (free, run by volunteers) is one of the more unexpected local pleasures the city offers.