Speaking for most college-aged or young-adult travelers, we don’t stay in one place for very long. In fact, a lot of us want to see as much as we can (sometimes in as little time as we can). We throw away our love for sleep and our cares about staying in fancy hotels to travel to destinations we’ve only seen in amazing pictures.
Rome, Italy is obviously a popular destination for everyone traveling around Europe. The Colosseum is a commonly known ancient masterpiece and well, everyone loves pasta right??!
I’ve had multiple friends and acquaintances travel to Rome for extremely short periods of time and ask me what they should see. Now, I definitely like venturing off the beaten path, but if I’m going to be in Rome for a short period, I better see the dang Colosseum and eat some pasta!!
With that being said, I have compiled an itinerary that will allow you to see a lot of Rome in little time. Read below to see how you can conquer Rome in 24 hours.
Now, I’m being bias, but Trastevere is a great place to stay. It is in the middle of everything and you can easily access the Vatican and northern points as well as the Colosseum all by walking! This neighborhood is teeming with little cafes and delicious restaurants too so you’ll never be hungry.
For the purposes of this post, I’m going to base everything by staying in Trastevere
Start: 8:30 a.m
I hope you’re an early riser, because in order to get everything done you’re going to need to allow yourself a FULL day!
The first thing you should do: breakfast at a cafe! You can sit there or get it to take away, either way the service is fast and the food is delicious!
9 a.m- Walk to the Vatican
The walk should take no more than 30-40 minutes, or you could take a bus too!
10/10:15 a.m- Tour of Vatican
You can get a self guided tour, or a tour offered through a tour service. I personally recommend the tour service. These tours are usually 2-2.5 hours and they show you the entirety of the Vatican!
Tip: buy your tickets well in advance!
12/12:30- Lunch Time
I highly recommend getting lunch around the Vatican. There are plenty of panino (sandwich) or to-go pizza places that offer quick service!
1 p.m- Head to the Colosseum
Definitely take public transportation, at least to Piazza Venezia!
2 p.m- Arrive for tour of Colosseum
I gave you a lot of time to get to the Colosseum in case lunch runs late or the busses, there’s a large probability of either if I’m being honest!
Tip: buy your tickets well in advance!
3/3:15 p.m- Finish Tour of Colosseum
If you do a self-guided tour, it will take less than an hour to get through as a lot of the area within is roped off
3:30 p.m- Enter the Roman Forum
The Forum is HUGE and is included in your ticket to the Colosseum in most cases. You can go at your own pace and see what you want to see, but if it’s a nice day definitely stay there for at least an hour- an hour and a half.
5 p.m- Begin your walk to the Spanish Steps
This walk is around 25 minutes long, but recent metro developments near the Colosseum may allow for a subway ride there in the near future!
5:30- Arrive and Explore Spanish Steps
If you want, bring a bottle of wine or grab some gelato and sit on the steps! It’s a common thing to do, and super relaxing after a day of walking
6/6:30 p.m- Make your way to the Trevi Fountain
The Trevi is only a 10 minute walk through narrow side streets filled with food and souvenir shops! Remember to save your appetite for Trastevere’s restaurants however!
6:45 p.m arrive at the Trevi Fountain
Seeing the Trevi is usually quick because there’s always about 4 billion people there. Take some time to snap some pics and get outta there!
7 p.m- Walk back to Trastevere
It’s only around a 20 minute walk through Via Del Corso and Piazza Venezia
7:30- Feast
Go to one of Trastevere’s many restaurants and get some delicious Italian food! My favorites: Dar Poeta (sit down) for pizza and Ombre Rosse for pasta dishes.
Italians don’t eat until late, so although 7:30 may seem late, you still beat the dinner rush! Sit there as long as you want and order multiple courses in true Italian fashion!
9/9:30 p.m- Go get gelato and sit in Piazza di Santa Maria
It’s a common thing, especially during the warmer months for performers to be playing, drawing, singing something in this Piazza. Go for a walk and get gelato at Gelateria Del Viale or Old Bridge and sit on the fountain in the Piazza!
10 p.m onwards- Go to bed or hit the bars!
That’s a wrap!
Well, looking back thats a very busy day! If you do all of this, you’ll definitely be able to say you conquered Rome in a day. With this guide, you’ll definitely hit most of the popular spots and you will certainly be EXHAUSTED after!
Obviously you can modify this plan however you’d like but definitely be sure to look at a map of Rome before you do! Keep in mind that Rome is definitely a walking city and that many of the roads are too narrow for public transportation!
And with that, you are officially ready to conquer Rome in a day!
Boston & Beyond 