Rome in 5 days

An open-air museum where every corner is 2,000 years old, and dinner is still the main event. Best time to visit: April-May and September-October. Average daily budget: $110 to $170 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Centro Storico, The Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the postcard Rome.

Morning: Colosseum + Forum at opening. Book the first slot. By 10am the queues stretch around the block.

Afternoon: Explore Centro Storico, The Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the postcard Rome.

Evening: Vatican Museums on Friday night. Open late April-October, half the daytime crowd.

Eat: Cacio e pepe at Felice a Testaccio

Day 2, Iconic sights

Base: Trastevere, Cobbled lanes, ivy-covered trattorias, the city's best dinner neighbourhood.

Morning: Aperitivo in Trastevere. Spritz, cicchetti, watch the lanes light up.

Afternoon: Explore Trastevere, Cobbled lanes, ivy-covered trattorias, the city's best dinner neighbourhood.

Evening: Trastevere food wander at night. Cross the river to Rome's most atmospheric quarter, cobbled lanes, ivy-draped trattorias and aperitivo crowds. Eat cacio e pepe at a local osteria, then gelato as you wander the alleys.

Eat: Roman pizza al taglio at Bonci Pizzarium

Day 3, Local neighbourhoods

Base: Monti, Boutiques, wine bars, hip without trying.

Morning: Walk the Appian Way on Sunday. The ancient road, closed to cars, lined with ruins and pines.

Afternoon: Explore Monti, Boutiques, wine bars, hip without trying.

Evening: Early-morning Colosseum and Forum. Book the first timed slot and walk into the Colosseum and Roman Forum before the tour groups and the heat. Add the Palatine Hill on the same ticket for the city's best ruins all at once.

Eat: Carbonara at Roscioli (book a week ahead)

Day 4, Day trip or nature

Base: Testaccio, Working-class Rome, the food market, the original Roman cuisine.

Morning: Quartiere Coppedè, a fairytale Art Nouveau enclave most tourists never reach.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Testaccio, Working-class Rome, the food market, the original Roman cuisine.

Evening: The keyhole at the Knights of Malta on Aventine Hill.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Gelato at Otaleg or Fatamorgana

Day 5, Slow finish

Base: Prati, Quiet, elegant, the smart base for the Vatican.

Morning: Centrale Montemartini, Roman statues displayed inside a former power plant.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Prati, Quiet, elegant, the smart base for the Vatican.

Evening: Sant'Eustachio Il Caffè, the espresso Romans actually queue for.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Cacio e pepe at Felice a Testaccio

Hidden gems

Quartiere Coppedè, a fairytale Art Nouveau enclave most tourists never reach.
The keyhole at the Knights of Malta on Aventine Hill.
Centrale Montemartini, Roman statues displayed inside a former power plant.
Sant'Eustachio Il Caffè, the espresso Romans actually queue for.

Getting around

Walk the centre, most icons are within 20 minutes of each other. Use the metro for Vatican and Termini. Avoid driving: ZTL fines and one-way alleys are brutal.

Safety

Very safe. Pickpockets work the metro line A and bus 64 to the Vatican, keep bags zipped and front-facing. Solo travellers feel comfortable in Trastevere and Monti late into the night.

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