Rome 3-day itinerary

Book the 9am slot for the Colosseum (€18 combined, or €24 with underground and arena floor). The underground passages where gladiators waited and the arena-level view are breathtaking. Walk through the Roman Forum — Temple of Saturn, Arch of Titus, House of the Vestal Virgins. Climb Palatine Hill for views over the Circus Maximus. Allow 3 hours total.

Walk up Capitoline Hill to the Capitoline Museums (€16) — the world's oldest public museum with the iconic She-Wolf sculpture, Marcus Aurelius equestrian statue, and Caravaggio paintings. Then descend into the Jewish Ghetto for lunch — Nonna Betta serves legendary carciofi alla giudia (Jewish-style fried artichokes, €8) and the best carbonara in Rome (€12).

Cross the Ponte Sisto to Trastevere at sunset — the ochre and terracotta buildings glow in the golden hour. Dinner at Da Enzo al 29 (cacio e pepe, €10), Tonnarello (queue for handmade pasta), or grab a €5 supplì (fried rice ball) from Supplizio. Walk Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, then drinks at the bars along Via della Lungaretta.

Pre-book the Vatican Museums (€17, book on the official site weeks ahead). Arrive at 8am opening — the Sistine Chapel is manageable before 9:30am. Walk through the Gallery of Maps, Raphael Rooms, and the Gallery of the Candelabra before reaching Michelangelo's ceiling. Allow 2.5 hours. Exit through St. Peter's Basilica (free) for the Pietà and Bernini's baldachin.

Walk to the Pantheon (free, reserve online) — 2,000 years old, the oculus is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome on Earth. The beam of light through the opening is especially dramatic at midday. Continue to Piazza Navona with Bernini's fountains. Lunch at Antico Forno Roscioli on Via dei Chiavari — pizza al taglio (by the slice) from €3 and famous aged pasta.

Walk to the Trevi Fountain — visit after 8pm when it is beautifully lit and the daytime crowds have thinned. Continue up to the Spanish Steps and the Pincio terrace in Villa Borghese for sunset views over the rooftops. Then back down for aperitivo (€8–12 for a drink with a buffet) at Salotto 42 or Freni e Frizioni in Trastevere.

Pre-book Galleria Borghese (€15, mandatory reservation in 2-hour slots) — one of the world's greatest small museums. Bernini's Apollo and Daphne, Canova's Pauline Bonaparte, Caravaggio's dark masterpieces. The villa setting in the Borghese Gardens makes it intimate and overwhelming. Book the first slot (9am) and walk the gardens afterwards.

Metro to Testaccio — Rome's authentic working-class food neighbourhood. Mercato Testaccio (covered market, closed Sun) has incredible street food stalls — trapizzino (stuffed pizza pockets, €3.50) and supplì from the legendary Supplì stall. Walk to Monte Testaccio — an ancient hill literally made of 53 million broken Roman amphorae. The non-Catholic cemetery nearby holds Keats's grave.

Monti is Rome's hippest neighbourhood — independent boutiques, vintage shops, and wine bars crammed into medieval lanes. Browse Via del Boschetto and Via Panisperna, then settle at Ai Tre Scalini for a €5 glass of wine on the cobblestones. Farewell dinner at Trattoria Monti (book ahead, Marche-style pasta, mains €14–18) — one of the best meals in the city.