Europe

How to Conquer Rome in 2 Days!

We all know that Rome wasn’t built in a day (or two)… but that doesn’t mean you can’t try to SEE it in that amount of time! My husband and I just got back from a fun trip to Italy. Neither of us had been there before and it was really fun to experience it with a lot of my husband’s family. We are FOREVER grateful for my parents holding down the fort at home so we could do this!

We had 4 full days in Italy and we spent 2 of them in Rome. Our plane landed around 8:30 AM and then we left around 8 pm the next night for a train down to Florence (more on that later). So 2 full touring days / 1 night in Rome on this trip.

us in downtown Rome with the stone pine trees
obsessed with these trees all over Rome- apparently called “stone pine trees”

What to prioritize?

So… for the understatement of the century… there is a decent amount of history that has happened in Rome. 😉 However, we found it pretty easy to narrow it down to our own personal must-do’s for this 2 day itinerary. We wanted to include:

  1. the Colosseum
  2. Pasta
  3. the Pantheon
  4. the Vatican Museums (the Sistine Chapel)
  5. St. Peter’s Square + St. Peter’s Basilica
  6. Gelato
  7. Trevi Fountain
  8. Spanish Steps

Not in that order, obviously. Gelato was top priority. JOKING, in real life we probably cared most about seeing St. Peter’s Square and the Vatican City. This is partly due to our deep Christian faith and also due to my abiding love for the Dan Brown book Angels & Demons. 😉

I’m so happy to say that despite several transportation setbacks we were able to hit everything on our list! I attribute that to a little bit of luck with timing plus a lot of planning ahead of time (shout out to lots of work from our SIL & family members!).

Here is a brief summary of everything we were able to conquer over 2 days in ROME! And for a bunch of other tips (including how we decided our itinerary and strategy) read THIS POST for first-time visitors to Rome.

Day 1: The Colosseum + Beyond

Day 1 we landed in Rome and hit the ground running. Well, hit the ground walking. And I mean WALKING. With the exception of one local bus, we walked eeeeeeverywhere on Day 1. Bring your best walking shoes for those cobblestone paths, and let’s go!

Arrival at Rome Termini Station + Luggage Storage

We landed in Rome at 8:30 AM then took the local train to Rome Termini Station.

We first walked to Bibbo Luggage Storage Unit (a fabulous recommendation from our Airbnb host) since we couldn’t check into our place until later that afternoon.

Cheap and friendly service at this luggage place – and a location near the Colosseum- made this a winner.

Our AirBNB in the Monti location was a beautiful and safe location with great walking access to both Rome Termini station and many of the major sites.

The Colosseum

First things first: The Colosseum! Our tickets (buy them in advance from the official website HERE) were for mid-morning. There are several different types of tickets, so do your research on which levels are important for you to visit.

It is a massive building, and it does take awhile to find the right entrance. Allow plenty of time for navigating the area amidst the massive crowds.

Colosseum in Rome

We did not choose a guided tour or audio guide. If you do the same, I would really recommend downloading Rick Steve’s free walking guide or doing quite a bit of research beforehand to give some context. While I did do some minimal research ahead of time, I also expected there to be more background information on placards around, but that was pretty limited.

Come armed with your own knowledge (podcasts, YouTube video research etc.) in order to get the most out of this experience! Touring the Colosseum only took us 1.5 hours (max).

Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

While you’re here, you should also explore the nearby Roman Forum & Palatine Hill (included with admission to the Colosseum). We were all starving so unfortunately didn’t explore these, but this would be the time to do so on a 2 day itinerary if you’re wanting to! It looks amazing.

Photo by Tibor Szabo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/ruins-of-forum-romanum-16441878/

Lunch Nearby the Colosseum:

If you are looking for a quick bite to eat around this area, I’d recommend a few nearby sandwich shops:

Fuorinorma & Mizio’s Street Food

And this gelato shop! (read more in depth reviews on these foods and others at our Best Foods We Ate in Rome post.)

gelato in Rome
Gelateria Al CoNosseo – I love how they often come with a little cookie that doubles as a scooper

After we were full, we took a quick stop in the afternoon to check into our AirBNB and drop off our bags.

Then we all met up to walk as a group through the city and head towards a certain famous building before it closed for the day…

The Pantheon

When you think about the fact that construction began on the Pantheon in 25 BC (!!!!) and its reconstruction completed in 125 AD– and it is still standing today, it really starts to put things into perspective. How vast the history of Rome is, and how creative and powerful this empire was!

For only 5 euros you can enter this world-famous ancient temple. The skylight and dome are both historically significant and visually impressive. And artist Raphael is actually buried here!

Pantheon in Rome

You won’t need long here, but I also wouldn’t skip it! We enjoyed listening to the Rick Steve’s free audio guide (download ahead of time) to get some nice background info on the architecture and art here.

Learn more HERE on their official website.

After making sure we got into the Pantheon and snagged some more delicious gelato, we walked over towards the…

Spanish Steps at Sunset

The “Spanish Steps” refers to the large grand staircase that leads down to the Spanish Embassy. It’s a popular place for tourists & locals alike to congregate- especially around dusk- to see the beautiful view!

A beautiful Catholic church awaits you at the top, too!

Trinità dei Monti
sunset at spanish steps in Rome
Spanish Steps at sunset

Pictures don’t do it justice, but trust me! It was gorgeous. We looked up the actual time of sunset and got there a little ahead of time to make sure we didn’t miss it (this was around 7 pm for us in September).

Trevi Fountain

From here, you can walk over to the Trevi Fountain! Bring a coin (or two or three!) so you can throw them in & make a wish! It was VERY packed when we arrived that night- some members of our group woke up early the next day to see it in daylight with lighter crowds.

Trevi fountain in rome
Trevi Fountain in Rome!

I will say that this was a really fun landmark to see in person. It felt very grand and significant. I loved thinking about all of these fountains being beautiful…but also providing water sources for Romans from various ancient aqueducts.

And also Lizzie McGuire of course! 😉

Late Dinner

Now is a great time to catch a late dinner somewhere. Restaurants seem to stay open very late in Rome! We decided to eat at the Birthplace of Fettuccine Alfredo, and it was a really fun meal to enjoy together!

(If you are more in the mood for pizza, Trieste Pizza was on my list as a place with great reviews).

Day 2: Pasta-Making Class + Vatican City

Quick Breakfast on-the-Go:

We stopped at a local bakery on our way out the door on Day 2. Croissants, or “cornettos” seem to be a popular breakfast go-to here in Italy. They are filled with nuts and creams, or you can get them plain.

Pastamania Class

I knew a cooking class was going to be important when we visited Italy- I’ve loved them in the past (read about the cooking classes in Thailand, Vietnam (#7 on the list), and Korea)!

This pasta class was so much fun for our whole group to do together. Sofia was the best instructor!

Pastamania pasta making in Rome

We learned how to make fettuccine and a few ricotta-filled pastas. Highly recommend!

Next Up: Vatican City

It was a bit of a gamble for us to leave the most important item on our itinerary for the last half of our last day… but it ended up working out! I would plan for TONS of extra time at the Vatican City when planning out your Rome Itinerary. The lines in every section are formidable and unpredictable, and you can’t easily skip ahead from one area to the next.

We actually missed our 2:30 PM reservation for the Vatican City Museums (by an hour! due to subway closures) but luckily they let us in anyways. PHEW!

Vatican City Museums + the Sistine Chapel

The Vatican City Museums are where you can see The Sistine Chapel. Heads-Up: for skip-the-line tickets you WILL need to buy tickets way ahead of time online. You can either buy them on the official website, or via 3rd party websites like GetYourGuide. The lines can be VERY long, even with reservations!

map room in Vatican Museums
the map room – Vatican City Museums

I wish we’d allotted more time for the Vatican City Museums- there is SO MUCH THERE. I particularly loved the rooms towards the end with the Raphael frescos and the more modern and emotion-filled depictions of Christ and various popes. The map room + mosaics were very cool, too. And the statues! AH!

The last step on your tour, though, is THE Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo’s mighty masterpiece and the world’s most famous ceiling.

Sistine Chapel ceiling
Photo by Ilia Bronskiy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/sistine-chapel-ceiling-frescoes-in-vatican-city-28733354/

There is so much to take in here. I could barely stare at it for several minutes without my neck feeling sore, I have NO clue how he painted it all!! It’s incredible.

You are asked to be quiet and to not take photos. It is considered a sacred place where a popal conclave meets after the death of a pope to decide who the new pope will be. Very cool to see and worth the wait!

St. Peter’s Square + St. Peter’s Basilica

OK Maybe I’d just been watching too much of The Chosen Season 3 on our flight across the Atlantic… but I really loved seeing these tributes to Peter the Apostle! And a place that is so sacred and special to so many people worldwide.

couple at St. Peter's Square at Vatican City

St. Peter’s Square is the large open area where the Romans originally had chariot races and also where they killed early Christians (Peter included). It is now the global headquarters of the Catholic church, and the site where thousands of faithful Catholics gather for various important occasions.

The marble statues adorning the square are iconic and quite a sight to behold.

people waiting in line to enter St. Peter’s Basilica

We got in line for St. Peter’s Basilica around 4 pm, hoping that it was true that the lines were slightly better in the late afternoon. (It’s free to enter but the lines are LONG). We lucked out and it was only about a 30 minute wait -compared to 1-2+ hours at other times of day.

It was really significant to see where the apostle Peter is buried as well as the beautiful Pieta statue by Michelangelo (Mary holding the dead body of the Savior).

inside St. Peter's Basilica

The text wrapping around the top of the basilica comes from all of the scripture verses that are about Peter. You could really spend ages touring this building and keep finding new details. It’s HUGE. And 100% worth waiting in the line to enter, IMO!

Final Eats in Rome

After we had toured for as long as we could at the Vatican City, we needed to head back to Rome Termini station to catch a train by 8 pm. Since the yellow subway line was still down we walked back.

walking from Vatican City back to Rome Termini Station

It was a long walk (understatement), but the silver lining was definitely THIS GELATO. Our absolute favorite of the trip. We also grabbed pizza right near the station for a quick dinner and then were on our way down to Florence!

Arrivederci, Roma! We hope to come back someday!

That’s it for our 2 Days in Rome!

There you have it, folks! The highlights of Rome in 2 days.

What would you add to this itinerary?

What would you love to do on this list?

Let us know in the comments below!

& Also feel free to Check Out Our Other Posts on Italy:

The Best Foods We Ate in Rome

Tips for First Time Visitors to Rome

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