3 Days in Rome: A Day-by-Day Itinerary

Three days in Rome cover ancient Rome with the Colosseum, the Forum and the Capitoline Museums, then the Vatican, then the Via Appia Antica and the Rose Garden on the Aventine Hill.

At a glance

• Recommended length: 3 days (Rome in 72 hours)
• Main transport: buses, trams and metro, with bicycles allowed on all three
• Daytime bus service: 5:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (last departures)
• Night buses: 11:30 p.m. until dawn
• Ticket for the whole stay: Roma 72 Hour Ticket, valid 72 hours from first validation

Is 3 days enough in Rome?

Three days is enough for the core of ancient Rome, the Vatican and one outing on the Via Appia Antica. The city’s own 48-hour and 72-hour routes both aim at the unmissable sights, and the 72-hour version is described as three intense days.

With one more day, the coast opens up. The Linee Mare buses run to the beaches of Ostia and Torvaianica, and Castel Porziano sits between them. It has more than two kilometers of sand, dunes and Mediterranean scrub, and it belongs to the Litorale Romano state nature reserve.

The Via Appia Antica and the Rose Garden are the days to drop.

When to plan 3 days in Rome

July and August have 10 to 11 hours of sun a day and highs near 88°F (31°C). That is a season for early starts at the Forum and long breaks indoors, for example at the Capitoline Museums. May is milder at 74°F (23°C) and has about six rainy days.

Getting around Rome in 3 days

Skip the rental car. On Fridays and Saturdays the daytime and night ZTLs (limited traffic zones) are both in force. The Centro zone runs from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The daytime bus network runs 363 lines, and 32 night lines marked N cover 11:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Without a valid ticket, the fine runs from 100 to 500 euros, or 50 euros if paid within five days of notification.

For arrivals by air, note that the regional daily ticket is not valid on the Cotral special connection between Roma Tiburtina or Termini and Fiumicino Airport. It is also not valid on the Trenitalia no-stop connection from Roma Termini to Fiumicino. Tourist Infopoints sell the Roma Pass and Metrebus tickets with maps, and the ATAC website calculates routes. Children up to 10 ride free with a paying adult.

3 Days in Rome, day by day

Day 1: Colosseum, Forum and the Capitoline Museums

Day 1 is ancient Rome, in the order the city’s own two-day route suggests. The Colosseum and the Forum take the morning, and the Capitoline Museums come from 4:30 p.m.

• Colosseum and Forum: morning
• Capitoline Museums: from 4:30 p.m.

The Capitoline Museums are at Piazza del Campidoglio 1, a 5-minute walk from Piazza Venezia. The ticket costs €15 (€9.50 reduced) and covers both palaces, the Galleria Lapidaria, the Tabularium and the Pinacoteca. With the current exhibitions it costs €20.50 (€15 reduced). Inside are the Capitoline Wolf, the equestrian Marcus Aurelius and the Dying Gaul.

For a meal, Campo de’ Fiori market sells meat, fish, cheeses, cured meats and typical products. Mercato Centrale serves hot, fresh food prepared on site by artisans.

Day 2: The Vatican and the Testaccio market

The suggested two-day route gives the second day to the Vatican. Leave the afternoon open for a market meal.

The Roma 24 Hour Ticket at €8.50 pays off on a day with several rides. Bicycles without a motor are always allowed on buses, trams and the metro.

Testaccio market has many stands with street food and vegan options. Eataly sells km 0 products and has many small restaurants inside.

Day 3: Villa dei Quintili and the Rose Garden

Day 3 goes out to the Via Appia Antica. The Villa dei Quintili stands at the fifth mile of the road, at via Appia Nuova 1092. Come back to the Aventine Hill for the Rose Garden, which faces the Palatine ruins and overlooks the Circus Maximus.

The Villa dei Quintili costs €8 (€2 reduced). The Parco dell’Appia Antica ticket costs €12 (€2 reduced) and gives access to every site in the park for seven days, so it suits anyone who plans to return. The Rose Garden entrance is at Via di Valle Murcia 6, and admission is free.

The Rose Garden opens only in set periods, so check the dates before you build the day around it. Guided tours can be booked by phone at 06 5746810, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.