A photograph of Rome

City guide · Italy

Rome

Rome is a broad historic city whose central archaeological, papal and baroque districts are close enough to walk but too dense to compress into one route. The C...

Photograph · Bert Kaufmann from Roermond, Netherlands · CC BY-SA 2.0

11,530 Places
Suggested stay
4-5 days
Getting around
Walking, metro, tram and bus

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Rome

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Rome is a broad historic city whose central archaeological, papal and baroque districts are close enough to walk but too dense to compress into one route. The Colosseum and forums, the Pantheon-Navona core, Vatican-Prati and Trastevere form separate clusters. Public transport handles longer links, yet much of a visit still happens on foot over uneven surfaces. Plan fewer major interiors per day and keep each route on one side of the Tiber where possible.

Checked 2026-08-26

Practical information

Language spoken
Italian
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+39
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C, F and L · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor statement was recorded

Planning a visit

September · September cools Rome to a 26.5°C mean high, though normal rainfall rises to 73.3 mm.

  1. January: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  2. February: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  3. March: good time to visit
  4. April: good time to visit
  5. May: best time to visit
  6. June: best time to visit
  7. July: good time to visit
  8. August: good time to visit
  9. September: best time to visit — current month
  10. October: good time to visit
  11. November: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  12. December: viable with meaningful trade-offs

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
    02 30 min

    Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

    The Basilica of Saint Mary Major, or Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, is one of Rome’s four major basilicas and the city’s largest Marian church.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  2. Archbasilica of St. John Lateran Archbasilica of St. John Lateran
    03 30 min

    Archbasilica of St. John Lateran

    Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano

    The Archbasilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral church of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Pope.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  3. Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls
    04 30 min

    Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls

    Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura

    The Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls is one of Rome’s four major papal basilicas.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  4. Santa Maria in Trastevere Santa Maria in Trastevere
    05 30 min

    Santa Maria in Trastevere

    Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere

    Santa Maria in Trastevere is a basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the heart of Rome’s Trastevere district.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  5. San Pietro in Vincoli San Pietro in Vincoli
    06 30 min

    San Pietro in Vincoli

    Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli

    San Pietro in Vincoli is a basilica in Rome, officially named Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli. The church stands on the Oppian Hill near the Colosseum.

    • High
    • Place of worship

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

The historic centre lies east of the Tiber around the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori and the Trevi-Spanish Steps axis. Southeast, the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine, Aventine and Baths of Caracalla form the main archaeological corridor. Across the river, Vatican City and Prati sit north of Trastevere and the Janiculum. Termini, Monti and Esquilino form the transport-facing eastern centre, while the Appian Way, EUR and Ostia Antica are separate outings beyond the core. The official tourism map treats these as distinct visitor zones for good reason.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Walk within the historic centre and use metro, tram or bus for the longer jumps. Rome's official tourism service notes that the public network connects the principal visitor sites, while the Metrebus system provides the common ticket framework. Metro coverage is useful for Termini, the Colosseum, the Vatican side and selected outer districts, but many central sights sit between stations. Buses fill those gaps and are vulnerable to road traffic. For the Appian Way or Ostia Antica, plan the complete outward and return connection before leaving the centre.

Checked 2026-08-26

More city guides

Common questions

How many days does Rome need?

Four to five days suit a first visit. Three days can cover the ancient core, the baroque centre and the Vatican side, while extra time allows the Appian Way, Ostia Antica or less compressed museum visits.

When is the best time to visit Rome?

April through May and September through October generally offer more comfortable walking weather than midsummer. Rome remains busy in these periods, but lower heat matters because the historic centre is best explored on foot.

Is Rome easy to explore on foot?

The central clusters are walkable, but the whole city is not. Use walking for the Pantheon-Navona area, the forums or Trastevere, then use public transport between those zones rather than linking every district on foot.

Which Rome sights should be grouped together?

Keep the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine together; pair the Pantheon with Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori; and give the Vatican-Prati side its own day. Trastevere works naturally after a central river crossing.

Do visitors need a car in Rome?

No. Walking and the public transport network cover the principal visitor areas, while a car adds parking and restricted-access complications in the historic centre. Outer trips are generally better planned by rail, metro or bus.