One Day In Rome: What To See, Do, Buy, and Eat

Rome wasn't built in a day. But with some savvy planning, you can see the city's most important sites in 24 hours. Here's what you can do with one day in Rome.

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With one day in Rome, you have to make time for pizza.

Rome is known as the Eternal City and, once you visit, you’re going to wish you had an eternity to explore its beautiful, romantic, historic streets. But even if you’re short on time you can pack in a lot of sightseeing in just one day. 

To be clear, this isn't an ideal situation. Rome in 24 hours isn't easy. You won’t be alone in your efforts to squeeze the absolute most from your short time there. The city and its most popular tourist attractions are busy, crowded places. Thus, no matter where you go or which itinerary you follow, it pays to plan ahead. Purchasing “skip the line” tickets or a guided tour package where possible is a savvy investment to minimize the time you spend waiting around.

Of course, you could just spend the whole day doing nothing but visiting gelato shops - frankly, Ryan and I have had glorious days that involve doing little more than that- so don’t be afraid to follow your heart and your stomach! But if you do want to explore as much as you eat, here's how to spend one day in Rome.

Visit Vatican City - But Only If You Go Early

If a visit to Vatican City is of deep spiritual importance to you, than by all means you should spend the bulk of your time there. But if your interest is more cursory I have a different approach. I suggest you go early - extremely early - and leave early as well. When you only have one day in Rome to see all the sites, you have to be strict with your time.

At Vatican City, you’re going to want to pass on the standard early “skip the line” tours. They all start 30 to 60 minutes before the Vatican opens to the general public at 9:00 AM. As such, they all converge at the Vatican at the same time and it gets crowded. Really crowded. In all honestly, I didn't love the experience.

However, a few companies offer a “super early bird” or “extra early bird” tour starting at 7:30 AM or even 7:00 AM. This is absolutely where you want to be, even if it’s a short tour. It will be much easier to hear your guide and the light will be gorgeous for photography. This is about quality, not quantity. The short, super early tours are much more moving and inspiring than anything which lasts longer but starts later. ​

Take A Self Guided Tour of the Colosseum ​

Photo by David Köhler on Unsplash

You simply can’t go to Italy and not visit the Colosseum, even if you only have just one day in Rome. If your budget allows, by all means spring for a guided tour. But I think you can save some money and make the most of your limited time by following a self-guided tour from a guidebook - there’s a good one in Rick Steves' Pocket Rome guidebook that I really like. It will give you a good sense of the scope and scale of this incredible building. 

From the point of view of travel planning, it makes sense to visit here after going to the Vatican. The two sites are actually quite a distance apart and now is the time to spring for a taxi. There will be plenty of time for walking later in the day as you make your way back from the Colosseum to the centre of town. ​

Take a Meandering Walk Towards Campo De’ Fiori

Now it’s time to walk! Between the Colosseum and Campo De’Fiori, you’ll pass by Palatine Hill (where Roman emperors lived) and Circus Maximus in the background (ancient Rome’s chariot racing stadium), as well as the Roman Forum (ancient Rome’s civic centre). Campo De’ Fiori is one of the main markets in Rome and, while it is admittedly a bit touristy these days, it’s still a fun place to explore and grab snacks, pastries, and espresso.

Quickly Hit The Highlights: Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps

How did I get a photo of the Spanish Steps with NO ONE on them? Well, that's a secret that only travel writers know. (Kidding. There were undergoing restoration work and I stuck my camera lens through a hole in the fence).

The Pantheon, the most complete ancient building in Rome, is just a quick walk away from Campo De’ Fiori via Piazza Navona, one of the city’s busiest squares and home to many a souvenir vendor. It’s a good starting point for seeing some of Rome’s most famous sites in quick succession. Admission to the Pantheon is free and you can appreciate its unique architecture and history in 15 minutes or less. Carrying on eastward you can also see the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. 

Thanks to the Pantheon’s generous opening hours (Monday to Saturday from 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM and Sunday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM), this is a great walk to do in the early morning or early evening if you’re mixing up your schedule a bit. It’s also the kind of area you can easily check out before or after a guided city tour. Quite a few meet at the Spanish Steps thanks to the proximity of the nearby Metro station. (Want to get ALL the details on checking out the Pantheon? You can check out our comprehensive blog post here.)​

Save Time To Choose Your Own Adventure

If you’ve been tackling these attractions in order - and have been walking with lots of enthusiasm - you might have time to squeeze in one last activity in the afternoon. Art lovers will want to see the highlights at the Borghese Gallery. You could easily spend half a day here but even an hour or two will be richly rewarding and for 9 Euros you can’t go wrong.

The National Museum of Rome is a great place to put Rome’s remarkable history into context and its proximity to Termini, Rome’s central station and main Metro hub, makes it a convenient and accessible choice. It’s also a great place to take refuge if the weather is poor.

Or, you can simply spend some extra time soaking in the city and doing what speaks to you, like window shopping some legendary Italian designers or popping into tiny churches and even tinier espresso counters at random. Take some time to relax and enjoy the city

Where To Eat in Rome

There's a bit of a bad joke that circulates among food writers and it goes something like this:

“Where should you eat when in Rome?”

“McDonalds”.

The deadpan punchline is a tribute to the fact that there are plenty of subpar restaurants in Rome and no shortage of fast food either. But the birthplace of pasta carbonara is still chock-full of culinary gems - you just need a little advice on where to go. 

Ristorante Di Rienzo is a good restaurant - but not spectacular. So why does it make this list? It’s got a gorgeous view of the Pantheon (they share a courtyard) and, as such, it’s easy to find and very convenient. I really liked their spaghetti carbonara too. You could do far worse for a restaurant in the heart of Rome’s tourism zone. 

Alice Pizza has several locations around Rome. The shop sells small pieces of pizza by weight, making it the perfect choice for quick snacks or more substantial lunches. They offer everything from classic margarita pizza to eggplant pizza to potato pizza (shockingly delicious!) It’s a good place for vegetarian and vegan options and, in wine loving Rome, this is one place where beer rules supreme. Ryan and I LOVED it.

Il Giardino Romano, in Rome’s Jewish quarter, serves up delicious Roman-Jewish cuisine like deep fried artichokes, salted cod fish, and fried, stuffed zucchini blossoms.

Dispensa Cibo Urbana is a tiny cafe and food shop and I love to visit it for smoothies, salads, sandwiches, cakes, pastries, and coffee. I am so obsessed that the next time I'm in Rome, I want to stay some place super close just so I can pop in every day.

Mastro Ciccia Bomba is a fantastic spot for homemade pizza and pasta and is a good choice for families.

Gelato shops abound around Rome and Vatican City is no exception. Gelateria Old Bridge is outside the Vatican’s main entrance and, if you’ll pardon the pun, it's truly heavenly. I had a rich blackberry gelato that I still dream about. Punto Gelato (also called Gunther Gelato, not far from the Pantheon) had flavours I still dream about, including Indonesia cinnamon and pine. (Yes, PINE!)

You'll also love Punto's next door neighbour, Sant'Eustachio Caffe, where you can get killer espresso and gorgeous tiny moka pots in bright sunshine yellow to bring home as a souvenir. 

Pro Tip: There's a little grocery store in the lower level of the central train station (that's where you'll also find a pharmacy, a destination I am sadly all too familiar with...) 

Shopping In Rome

Repeat after me: Do not buy any of the cheap trinkets for sale between Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps. This is not the place you want to spend your money!

The shops in and around Campo De’ Fiori are a much better choice for souvenirs when it comes to both price and variety. With one day in Rome, you’re going to want to keep your eyes open for olive oil, balsamic vinegar, wine, cooking tools, and - of course - designer fashion. 

Via della Reginella
On this neat little street you’ll find a fascinating mish-mash of shops, like a hot sauce vendor and a Harry Potter fan shop. Lots of fun!

Via Condotti and Via Borgognona
Everyone who’s anyone in Italian design has shops on these two streets not far from the Spanish Steps. Keep an eye out for Prada, Dior, Gucci, and so much more. Sadly, my Roman budget did not allow for anything more than browsing.

Almost Corner Bookstore
One of Rome’s most popular English language bookstores, you’ll find all the latest best sellers in a cute shop on a narrow cobblestone street.

DOM
This gorgeous kitchen supply store will have you vowing to make homemade pasta every day of the week. 

Enoteca Costantini
This amazing wine store boasts more than 4,000 labels and, if temptation takes over, they can arrange for online order and international deliveries.

If a small taste of Rome leaves you wanting more, there’s one surefire way to guarantee you’ll return. Visit the Trevi fountain, turn your back to it and, using your right hand, throw a coin over your left shoulder. Sure, it sounds like superstition but it worked for me and I bet it will work for you!

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