Rome is a city that needs a minimum of 3 or 4 days to be visited, but we can’t forget about those travelers who only want to spend a weekend in the capital. Here we offer you our itinerary.
Day 1: the Vatican
If you’re traveling on a weekend and want to visit the Vatican Museums, you’ll have to get there on a Saturday, because they’re closed on Sundays (except for the last Sunday of the month, when admission is free).
If you’re traveling to Rome for two days, you’ve surely anticipated having to wake up early to visit the capital in the limited time available. We recommend that you get to the Vatican no later than 9am.
To get to Vatican City, you’ll have to take the metro to the Ottaviano stop. Upon exiting the metro station, you can take Via Ottaviano until you reach St. Peter’s Square.
Once you’ve caught your breath (the image of the square is breathtaking!) get in line to enter St. Peter’s Basilica, the most important temple of Catholicism!
If you want to contemplate the extraordinary views, you can not miss those of the dome, from which you can see Rome from its 136 meters high. Reaching the dome is hard work and a bit distressing, but that’s part of its charm.
Once you get off the dome, you can leave St. Peter’s Square and follow the signs to get to the Vatican Museums. If you’re lucky, you won’t find a long line and you’ll be able to get in quickly. If you love art and are interested in visiting the museums in depth, you’ll spend several hours in this exhibition center, even if only to contemplate Michelangelo’s masterpiece: The Sistine Chapel.
When you’re done visiting the Vatican, you can take Via della Conciliazione from St. Peter’s Square. From this street you’ll reach Castel Sant’Angelo and the homonymous bridge, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in Rome. If you want you can visit Castel Sant’Angelo.
Crossing the bridge and following the signs, you’ll have no problem getting to Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, which you can visit during the day.
If there is still sunlight and you want to rest a little, you can reach the gardens of Villa Borghese, for a relaxing walk. If you are traveling with children, they will certainly love it!
In the evening, you can simply stroll through the streets of the city and let yourself be surprised by the wonders that you will discover in every corner. You can end the evening at Campo de’ Fiori.
Day 2: Imperial Rome
If you love history, undoubtedly this last leg of the trip will be to your liking, because you’ll visit the Roman Forum, the Palatine and the Colosseum. If you’re tired of walking, you can take the metro to the Colosseum stop.
As soon as you exit the metro, you’ll be dazzled by an extraordinary piece of architecture: the Colosseum. If you find a long queue (with more than 15 minutes waiting time) you can visit the Roman Forum first and then Mount Palatine. The ticket is the same and then you can visit the Colosseum, without having to wait too long in line.
After the visit, you can reach the Capitoline Hill from the northern area of the forum. Arriving at Piazza del Campidoglio, don’t miss the statue of Romulus and Remus!
Going down the stairs of the square you will take, on the left, Via del Teatro Marcello. In less than 10 minutes you will reach the Church of Santa Maria di Cosmedin, where the Bocca della Verità is located.
Crossing the Tiber, you’ll arrive in Trastevere, one of the favorite neighborhoods of travelers. The atmosphere of the area is authentic and its restaurants are good and cheap. You can have an ice cream around the Basilica of Santa Maria di Trastevere.
If you’re still not tired and have some time to spare, before taking the train or plane back home, you can visit other really interesting places, such as the ruins of the Circus Maximus or the Baths of Caracalla.
