ROME · ITALY
Forum stones, Sistine ceilings, espresso at the bar.
Tours of the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Forum and St Peter's, plus the day trips out to Pompeii, Vesuvius and the Amalfi coast.
The first stop
Start with the one that everyone books.
If you've only got one day in Rome, start here. The booking Rome is built around.
The classics
Rome's Most Popular Tours
Colosseum, Vatican, Forum, Pantheon. The reason most travellers come to Rome.
How long you've got
If you've only got a few days in Rome.
A short trip picks three things. A long one picks the coast and the ruins south of it. Three plans below.
1 Day
The whirlwind
Pick three things and don't try to do more.
3 Days
The classic
Cover the city without rushing.
A Week
The deep dive
Rome plus the coast and the ruins south of it.
By attraction
Pick a Roman landmark.
Colosseum for the empire. Vatican for the ceiling. Forum for the Republic. Catacombs for what's underneath the city.
Beyond the city
When you want to leave Rome for a day.
Pompeii for the volcano. Vesuvius for the climb. Amalfi for the cliffs. Each one is a full day round-trip.
By tour type
Or pick how you want to see Rome.
Guided if you want the stories. Skip-the-line if you want straight in. Audio tours if you want to wander on your own clock. Food and drink if you want the long lunch.
Worth knowing
Four things travellers wish they'd read first.
Quick, evergreen, save-yourself-a-headache notes about visiting Rome.
Vatican Museums close Sundays.
Except the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free. Free means very crowded — go early or go another day.
St Peter's Basilica is free — and separate.
Most Vatican tours cover the Museums and Sistine Chapel only. The basilica is a free walk-in next door, with its own security queue.
Book the Colosseum a week ahead.
May through October, skip-the-line slots routinely fill seven to ten days out. Booking the morning of mostly works in winter only.
Pompeii eats a full day.
Roughly 2.5 hours by train from Termini each way, plus the site itself and a lunch stop. Don't try to pair it with Rome on the same day.
Just added