Rome in 4 days: the classics and the quiet corners

4 days Italy 4 min read

Rome holds more than two thousand years of history in a city you can mostly cover on foot. Ancient temples stand next to baroque churches, Renaissance palaces open onto fountains in cobbled squares, and the Vatican, an independent state, sits across the river with the largest church in the world. Daily life carries on around all of it, with markets, trams and long lunches.

Four days gives you a day for ancient Rome, a day for the Vatican, a day for the baroque centre and a day for Trastevere and the quieter neighbourhoods. Book the big sites in advance, walk as much as you can and leave time to sit in a square.

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Top places to see

1
Colosseum
The Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre ever built, finished in 80 AD and able to hold around 50,000 spectators for gladiator fights and animal hunts. The outer wall, the tiers of seating and the underground passages where animals and fighters waited are all visible. Tickets sell out, so book online for a timed slot well ahead. The combined ticket also covers the Forum and Palatine Hill next door.
2
Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
The Forum was the political and commercial centre of ancient Rome, now a valley of temple columns, triumphal arches and basilica foundations between the Capitoline and Palatine hills. The Palatine above it has the ruins of the imperial palaces and shaded gardens with views over the whole site. Enter from the Palatine side on Via di San Gregorio, where the queues are usually shorter.
3
Pantheon
The Pantheon is the best preserved building of ancient Rome, a temple to all the gods completed around 126 AD and in continuous use ever since, now as a church. Its concrete dome, with an open oculus at the top, is still the largest unreinforced dome in the world. Rain falls straight through onto the marble floor. Visit on a sunny morning to see the beam of light move across the walls.
4
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
The Vatican Museums hold one of the world's great art collections across kilometres of galleries, ending in the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's ceiling and Last Judgement. Book a timed ticket online, choose the earliest slot and go straight to the Raphael Rooms and the chapel before doubling back. Shoulders and knees must be covered. Closed on most Sundays except the last of the month.
5
St Peter's Basilica
St Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world, built over the tomb of the apostle, with Michelangelo's Pieta inside the entrance and Bernini's bronze canopy over the altar. Entry is free but there is a security queue that is shortest early in the morning. The climb to the dome, partly by lift and then up a narrow spiral staircase, gives the best view in Rome over the square and the city.
6
Trastevere
Trastevere is the neighbourhood across the river from the centre, a tangle of narrow cobbled streets, ivy-covered houses and small piazzas. The church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, with twelfth century golden mosaics, anchors the main square. By day it is quiet; in the evening the lanes fill with people eating outside. Walk over from the Jewish Ghetto by the Tiber Island bridges.
7
Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona keeps the long oval shape of the ancient stadium it was built on, lined with baroque palaces and centred on Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers. Street artists and cafes fill the square, which is at its best early in the morning or after dark when the fountains are lit. The Campo de Fiori market, a short walk south, sells fruit, flowers and spices every morning except Sunday.
8
Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain fills the whole facade of a palace with sculpted sea horses, tritons and Oceanus riding a shell chariot, fed by an aqueduct that has carried water since ancient times. Tossing a coin over your shoulder is said to guarantee a return to Rome. The small square is packed most of the day; the only quiet time is before eight in the morning or late at night.

Good to know

Book the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums and the Borghese Gallery online before you arrive. Walk-up tickets are limited or unavailable, and timed entry saves hours of queuing in summer.
The historic centre is compact and best on foot. For longer hops, the metro and buses accept contactless bank cards on board, so you do not need a paper ticket.
Churches, including St Peter's, require covered shoulders and knees for everyone. Carry a light scarf or shawl in summer so you are not turned away at the door.
Watch for pickpockets on crowded buses, the metro and around the Trevi Fountain and Termini station. Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket or a closed bag.

Best time to visit

April to June and September to October are the best months, with warm days around 20 to 27 degrees and long evenings in the squares. July and August are hot, often above 33 degrees, and many locals leave in August. Winter is mild and sometimes rainy, with far shorter queues at the main sites and the city lit up for Christmas.

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