Rome 7-day itinerary

Book the 9am Colosseum slot (€18 combined or €24 with underground). Walk the arena floor where gladiators fought, explore the underground corridors, then through the Roman Forum — Temple of Saturn, Arch of Titus, the House of the Vestal Virgins. Climb Palatine Hill for panoramic views over the Circus Maximus. Allow 3 hours.

Capitoline Museums (€16) house the She-Wolf, Marcus Aurelius statue, and Caravaggio works. The rooftop cafe has Forum views. Then the Jewish Ghetto — Rome's oldest Jewish quarter with a heartbreaking history and incredible food. Nonna Betta does the best carciofi alla giudia (€8) and carbonara (€12) in the city.

Cross Ponte Sisto as the golden hour hits — Trastevere's ochre walls glow amber. Dinner at Da Enzo al 29 (arrive 20 mins before 7:30pm opening, cacio e pepe €10) or grab supplì at Supplizio (€5). Walk the piazza, then drinks at Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà for craft beers or Freni e Frizioni for aperitivo with free buffet.

Pre-book the 8am opening slot (€17 official site). The Sistine Chapel is manageable before 9:30am. Walk through the Gallery of Maps, Raphael Rooms, and Gallery of the Candelabra. Michelangelo's ceiling is overwhelming in person — the Creation of Adam, the Last Judgment. Exit through St. Peter's Basilica for the Pietà and Bernini's baldachin.

Climb St. Peter's dome (€10 with lift, €8 stairs only — 551 steps). The view from the top over St. Peter's Square and Rome is unmatched. Walk to Castel Sant'Angelo (€17) — Hadrian's Mausoleum turned papal fortress with rooftop views. Lunch at Pizzarium Bonci near the Vatican — Rome's best pizza al taglio, created by pizza maestro Gabriele Bonci (€5–8).

Prati — the neighbourhood behind the Vatican — is where Vatican employees and local families eat. Far less touristy than the centro storico. Try Sciascia Caffè for Rome's best coffee or Osteria dell'Angelo for a set menu (€30 with wine, Roman classics). Walk the Tiber at sunset — the bridges are romantic and beautiful, especially Ponte Sant'Angelo.

Pre-book the 9am slot at Galleria Borghese (€15, mandatory reservation). Bernini's Apollo and Daphne, Canova's Pauline Bonaparte, Caravaggio's Boy with a Basket of Fruit. Two hours maximum enforced, which is enough. Walk the Borghese Gardens afterwards — rent a rowboat on the lake (€3) or visit the Pincio terrace for a panoramic view.

Walk to the Pantheon (free, reserve time online) — stand beneath the 43-metre dome and watch the light beam through the oculus. Continue to Piazza Navona for Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers. Lunch at Roscioli — the famous deli-bakery on Via dei Chiavari (pasta €12–16, worth every cent). Browse the antique shops on Via del Governo Vecchio.

Visit the Trevi Fountain after 8pm when it is lit and less crowded. Walk up to the Spanish Steps and Pincio terrace for night views. Aperitivo (6–9pm) is Rome's best deal — €8–12 for a cocktail with a buffet spread. Salotto 42 near the Pantheon, or Il Barretto at Via del Governo Vecchio, are excellent choices for aperitivo culture.

Start at the Orange Garden (Giardino degli Aranci) on Aventine Hill — a peaceful garden with sweeping views over the Tiber and St. Peter's dome. Walk to the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta and peer through the famous keyhole — the perfectly framed view of St. Peter's dome through a garden tunnel is one of Rome's best surprises. Free.

Mercato Testaccio (closed Sun) is Rome's best food market. Try trapizzino at the original stall (stuffed pizza pockets, €3.50), supplì from Supplì stall, and pasta from Mordi e Vai. Explore the Monte Testaccio hill of Roman pottery shards. The Protestant Cemetery holds Keats's and Shelley's graves — peaceful and beautiful (free, donations appreciated).

Take bus 118 to the Via Appia Antica — Rome's ancient highway lined with ruins, tombs, and umbrella pines. The catacombs of San Callisto (€8) hold 500,000 burials in underground tunnels. Walk the original Roman basalt stones as the sun sets — the pine trees silhouetted against the sky are iconic. Return for dinner at a Testaccio trattoria.

Train from Roma Porta San Paolo to Ostia Antica (30 min, €1.50 with metro ticket). This ancient Roman port city is as impressive as Pompeii but without the crowds. Walk the Decumanus Maximus past the theatre, baths, apartments, and mosaics. The thermopolium (ancient bar) has a preserved menu on the wall. Allow 3 hours minimum. Entry €12.

Continue on the train to Ostia Lido for a beach afternoon (free public sections, or €10–15 for a sunbed at a stabilimento). The water is decent for a capital city beach. Alternatively, head back to Rome and visit the Baths of Caracalla (€10) — the enormous 3rd-century bath complex ruins are stunning and host summer opera performances.

San Lorenzo is Rome's student neighbourhood, just outside the Aurelian Walls near Sapienza University. The vibe is young, politically charged, and covered in street art. Cheap trattorias, underground bars, and live music venues. Dinner at Pompi for Rome's best tiramisù (€5 a slice), then drinks at bars along Via dei Volsci. Entry is usually free.

Monti is Rome's answer to Le Marais — medieval lanes packed with vintage boutiques, artisan workshops, and wine bars. Browse Via del Boschetto, Via Panisperna, and the Mercato Monti vintage market (weekends). Coffee at La Bottega del Caffè on Piazza della Madonna dei Monti — one of the most beautiful small squares in Rome, where locals sit on the fountain steps.

The Palazzo Doria Pamphilj (€14) is a privately owned palace with an art collection rivalling the Borghese — Velázquez's Pope Innocent X portrait, Caravaggio works, and lavish baroque apartments. Afterwards, a self-guided gelato tour: Fatamorgana (Via Laurina, creative flavours), Il Gelato di Claudio Torcè (Via di San Giovanni in Laterano), and Giolitti (Via degli Uffici del Vicario, since 1890).

Walk up the Gianicolo hill (Janiculum) above Trastevere for the best panoramic sunset view in Rome — the entire city spread from the Colosseum to St. Peter's. A cannon fires daily at noon from here. Then descend into Trastevere for a farewell dinner and drinks. Try Grazia & Graziella or Da Enzo. The neighbourhood is liveliest Thursday through Saturday.

Walk up to the Quirinal Palace — the Italian President's residence (open select Sundays, €1.50). The Piazza del Quirinale has a view rivalling the more famous spots. Walk down Via del Quirinale past the two Bernini and Borromini churches facing each other — a Baroque architecture showdown. Coffee at Antico Caffè Greco (Via dei Condotti, since 1760).

Browse the morning market at Campo de' Fiori (Mon–Sat) for dried pasta, olive oil, and limoncello as souvenirs. The square transforms from a flower and food market by day to a lively bar scene at night. For gifts, Confetteria Moriondo e Gariglio (since 1850) sells exquisite handmade chocolates. Pack your bags and soak in one last Roman afternoon.

A final Roman dinner at Roscioli (book ahead, pasta €14–16) or splurge at Armando al Pantheon (traditional Roman cuisine, mains €16–20, book days ahead). Then a last night walk — the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Colosseum are all dramatically lit and far less crowded after 10pm. Rome is never more beautiful than when you are about to leave.