Day 1: Ancient Rome in 24 Hours
Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Hill
Start at the Colosseum at opening (9am, €18 combined ticket with Forum and Palatine). Book the underground and arena floor upgrade (€24) for the most dramatic views. Walk through the Roman Forum, the political heart of the ancient world, then climb Palatine Hill for panoramic views over the ruins and the Circus Maximus below. Allow 3 hours total.
Pantheon, Piazzas & Gelato
Walk to the Pantheon (free entry, reserve online), 2,000 years old and still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The oculus casts a beam of light that rotates through the interior. Continue to Piazza Navona for Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, then to the Trevi Fountain. Gelato at Fatamorgana (€2.50–4, no artificial ingredients) on Via Laurina.
Trastevere: Food & Nightlife
Cross the Tiber to Trastevere, Rome's most atmospheric neighbourhood. Cobblestone lanes draped in ivy, ochre-walled trattorias, and a genuine village feel. Dinner at Da Enzo al 29 (book ahead, pasta from €10) or Tonnarello (no reservations, queue early). Walk Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere for the illuminated basilica, then drinks at Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà craft beer bar.
