Rome in a Day: What to Do With 24 Hours

One day in Rome is one of the oldest tourist formats in the world, which means the city is well set up for it, but also means the main sites get seriously crowded. Both the Colosseum and the Vatican require advance booking or you will spend hours queuing. Sort that before you arrive and one day in Rome becomes very manageable.

Getting In and Out

Rome has two airports. Fiumicino (FCO) is the main hub, around 30 to 40 minutes from the centre by Leonardo Express train. Ciampino (CIA), used by budget carriers, is 40 to 50 minutes by bus. High-speed trains from Florence take 90 minutes; from Naples, 70 minutes. Both arrive at Roma Termini.

Morning

The Colosseum is the obvious starting point and opening time is the right moment to be there. Prebook tickets (including the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, which are on the same ticket). Allow two hours for the three sites together. The Forum is the most historically atmospheric of the three: walking through the ruins of what was the centre of the Roman world is genuinely moving.

From the Forum, walk north toward the Capitoline Hill and the Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo. The equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius at its centre is a copy (the original is in the Capitoline Museums).

Afternoon

Walk west across the city to the Vatican. It's around 3 kilometres from the Colosseum, or take the Metro to Ottaviano. The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel require advance booking and are heavily visited: the chapel at the end of the museum route is the main event. The ceiling by Michelangelo and The Last Judgment on the altar wall are overwhelming in their scale and detail. Allow 90 minutes minimum for the museum route.

St Peter's Basilica is free to enter and one of the most impressive buildings in the world. The dome (Michelangelo again) can be climbed for views. Allow 45 minutes.

Lunch in the Trastevere neighbourhood, across the Tiber from the Vatican. It's the most characterful residential area in central Rome and has excellent trattorie on streets like Via della Lungaretta.

Evening (if time allows)

It was built in 125 AD and the concrete dome remains the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. It's a 10-minute walk from Piazza Navona.

Throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain: it's mobbed, it's clichéd, and it's still impressive. The fountain is extraordinary baroque architecture. Go late evening when the crowds thin slightly.

What to Skip

The Borghese Gallery is one of Rome's finest museums, but the mandatory timed entry and booking requirements make it hard to fit into a one-day itinerary. Best for a second visit.

Day trips to Pompeii or the Amalfi Coast are full days from Rome by high-speed train. Don't try to combine them with a Rome sightseeing day.

Rome is a city where the longer you stay, the more you find. Our Rome guide covers the full picture.