11 Best things to do in Rome in 1 Day
Rome is a city full of interesting things to do. From its ancient heritage dating back the Roman Empire or its long history with the church. It’s a city worth visiting for any type of travellers. To truly discover it, let’s say that 4 to 5 days would be best but there are also a lot you can do in a shorter stay.
If you only have 1 day there, this guide will allow you to get the most of it. It will be intense, and you won’t have too long in each of the top spot, but you will be able to get most of it.
If you need more detail about Rome, you can read our ultimate guide.
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
11 Best things to do in Rome in 1 Day
St. Angelo Bridge
Let’s start by going toward the St. Angelo Bridge. This will give you a top view of the Castel Sant’Angelo. And in the morning, it won’t be crowded at all.
St. Peter’s Square
From there head toward the Vatican and St. Peter’s Square. You just step in and you changed country and are now in Vatican city. At the centre of the square is an ancient Egyptian obelisk, erected at the current site in 1586.
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
Don’t worry, we will be back on the square later. From there head out from the left and walk around the Vatican wall until the museum. There are a total of 13 museums and the collections in them are just amazing. There is an order to follow within the museum, but you can go as you want as well. At the end of the museum, you will visit the Sistine Chapel before going out on the square.
St. Peter's Basilica & its dome
Now, you can line up to enter St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world.
But before entering the huge Basilica, you can get to its dome to get the best view of St Peter’s square. To access the rooftop, you can either take the stairs or an elevator and then walk some stairs. While going up, it gets pretty tight in there.
St. Peter’s Basilica entrance is free, but the dome is 8 or 10€.
At the exist of the dome, you will be in the Basilica.
Castel Sant'Angelo
Time to walk back the Fortress. On your way, you could grab a pizza from a smaller street near the Vatican and then go eat it in the park around the Castel Sant’Angelo.
With only 1 day In Rome, you could consider visiting this monument but faster than usual or just skip it altogether.
Piazza Venezia & Altar of the Fatherland
Then walk back and head to Piazza Venezia, one of the main squares of Rome. As this square is only a big roundabout, it’s a quick stop to simply enjoy the Altar of the Fatherland. If later during the day, you have some free time, you can always visit it, but personally we didn’t. Most of those recent monuments are often more majestic from outside.
Trajan Forum
Next, and on your way to the Colosseum, you will walk along the Trajan Forum which was the was the last of the Imperial fora to be constructed in ancient Rome. The ruins are simply amazing and super big. You just need to walk all along them toward the colosseum.
In the middle there is a bridge where you can seat for a while and enjoy the Roman sun and the ruins altogether.
Arch of Constantine
Right next to the Colosseum is the Arch of Constantine, a triumphal arch dedicated to the emperor Constantine the Great. The arch was commissioned by the Roman Senate to commemorate Constantine’s victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in AD 312. You can simply admire it a few minutes before entering the Colosseum.
Colosseum
Next is The Colosseum. with a capacity of more than 50,000 spectators, it was the largest amphitheatre of the Roman empire.
Before entering it, you can go around it as well as on the small hill on its left side for some nice views.
In order to visit it, you need to buy a ticket online. We bought the “Full Experience ticket” for 22€ that gives access to some additional parts of the Colosseum, as well as the Roman forum, the Palatine and other attractions made by the Parco archeologico del Colosseo that manage all those sites.
Also, we personally got an audio-guide in the colosseum, and we found it worth it. It was nice to lean about the place directly in it.
Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
Next to the Colosseum, you will be able to access the Roman forum which is a huge archaeological complex where the life Rome was taking place. You can either first walk the Palatine Hill or the Roman forum. To do both you need to go back and forth. In the past there was an exit from the Roman forum toward the Capitol square, but it was closed in December 2021.
Still, we would recommend starting will the hill, get an amazing view of the site, stroll on it, visit the Palatine Museum and then go to the forum.
On the top of the hill, you can also take some time to stop and seat and enjoy the ruins while take a break.
Historical center
From there and depending on the time you have, you can now stroll around the historical city center and go to places like Trevi fountain, Spanish steps, Pantheon, Plaza Nueva. Even a night those places are really nice to see.
That’s the end of our 11 Best things to do in Rome in 1 Day
Where to Stay
L’Abito Non Fa il Monaco – “Clothes Don’t Make the Man” and “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover”
