48 hours in Rome | See the Best of Rome in only 2 Days

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We had so many things that we wanted to see in Italy, so we only had 2 days to pick what to do in Rome. Our full week ideal itinerary in Italy begins in Venice and ends with 2 days in Rome.

Rome is so full of history, art architecture and culture.  Especially coming from America, where we have ‘old’ buildings that are 200 years old, to see the Pantheon built 27BC  is awe-inspiring.

Most of the sights in Rome are in limited use zones (See my driving tips here) so you aren’t able to drive or use public transport to rest your legs.

We had our 7-year-old son with us, but he rode a scooter through the city and we were trying to keep up with him!  Find other tips for sight-seeing with kids.

Here’s an easy list of what to do in Rome in the order we saw them.  We took the subway to the closest we could get to the first destination and then walked the rest of the day. Download google maps of the area and it will guide you right to the destination.

Day 1

• Palentine Hill
• Roman Forums
• Colosseum
• Altare Della Patria
• Trevi Fountain
• Spanish Steps
• Trinità dei Monti Church
• Villa Borghese Gardens
• Piazza Popolo

Day 2

• St. Peter’s Square
• Vatican Museum
• St. Peters Basilica
• Castel Sant’Angelo
• Piazza Navona
• Pantheon

Palentine Hill

We got off the Subway at the Colosseum and Roman Forums. It was so large! I couldn’t believe my eyes.

But before you wait in line for Colosseum, buy tickets at the Palatine Hill entrance and you will most likely have no wait!

Palatine Hill was good, but even with the headphone tour guide, I didn’t have enough information to tell me what I was seeing.

Roman Forum

I thought the Roman Forums were really interesting and I wished I could’ve known more about what they were.  I really wanted a tour guide at this point!  But it was getting hot and Jackson was getting tired, so we quickly headed over to see the inside of the Colosseum.

Colosseum

The Audio guide at the Colosseum was easier to follow and find the places but still didn’t get as much information as I wanted.  I guess this would be a good time to recommend that you do some historical research before sight-seeing so you can get more out of it.

It was so interesting to see the ‘floor’ and the underground passageways and imagine the scenes that were played out there.

Altare Della Patriap

We first walked past this building on our way to the next sight.  It wasn’t on my list of must-see. But I was completely enamored by it.  It was so beautiful, massive and ornate.  I couldn’t believe I didn’t have this monument on my highlight list! It was created as a memorial for war heroes.  Don’t miss it!

Trevi Fountain

I’m not sure how I went my whole life thinking the Trevi fountain was a small circular fountain in a square, but when we finally arrived at this fountain I was completely amazed and smitten by it!  Apparently, it was recently cleaned so it just shone with white statues and crystal clear water.

We spent a lot of time just sitting and watching and trying to cool off from the beating sun.  At this point, I was wondering how people visit Rome in the summer.  It was so hot and it was only April! Trickling the fountain water on our hands helped cool off.

Wandering in Rome

There were so many sights as we wandered around Rome that was amazing and stunning.  I would see them and wonder why they weren’t on our sight-seeing tour lists of what to do in Rome.  The churches, old buildings, statues, and fountains are art are plentiful around every corner.  You will love strolling along through the pedestrian zone of Rome.

Spanish Steps

The Spanish steps were under construction and thus a bit underwhelming to me.  But I did like the plaza and fountain.  Plus, the step lead to the next best sights.

At the base of the step,s you’ll find this fountain memorial.  The story goes that after a tsunami, a boat was found in this exact spot. 

Trinità dei Monti Church

At the top of the Spanish steps, we were rewarded with a spectacular view of Rome.

Inside the modest church, there are beautiful Christ-centered sculptures and pictures.

Villa Borghese Gardens

At this point in the day, we were pretty beat from walking so far.  But our 7-year-old son was still going strong on the scooter, so we trudged on to the giant park, Villa Borghese Gardens.  We rented a buggy bike and went riding around the park.  Believe it or not, peddling was a pleasant and needed change from walking.

We were able to explore most of the park in under an hour.

We ended the night at a local gelateria (turns out we have been paying double or MORE for gelato than the locals do!!) It was so yummy and a perfect way to end the night.

Day 2

St. Peter’s Square in The Vatican

Walking through this massive plaza was quite the sight. With St. Peter’s Basilica looking over it all and the rounded hallways and pillars we spent quite a bit of time taking photos.

Vatican Museums

Getting inside the Vatican museums was quite the runaround.  We bought tickets for later in the day, but were able to get in 2 hours before the tickets we had bought.  Buying the ticket online the night before meant we could skip the line, so we were happy.

Unfortunately, we have not been skilled in the form of art appreciation, so after a few rooms of art we were ready to move on. But you have to walk through the entire museum to get to the crowning jewel of the Sistine Chapel.  We happen to be there on a very crowded day. We were literally shuffling toe to toe through each room.  Jackson was so short he could barely see things through the masses of people.  Luckily, he was entertained trying to take pictures.

Sistene Chapel

We finally made it to the Sistine Chapel to see the ceiling painted by Michelangelo.  The guards informed Jackson he couldn’t take pics so he was devastated.  He was so disappointed and annoyed that it had taken so long to go through the museum.  We were just worn out, which means a mini-tantrum from the kids.   I enjoyed looking, but my neck hurt from looking up.  Wish I had followed advice and brought a mirror to look into to see up. 

We didn’t stay as long as I would’ve liked, but we needed food and a break from museum walking.   

St. Peter’s Basilica

After a lunch in St. Peter’s Square, we were hoping our son would have the energy to climb the stairs to the top of St. Peters Basilica. I wondered aloud how many steps there were and Jackson started counting…900+steps later we reached the top of the dome.  The view is a spectacular overview of the city of Rome with the many domes and churches.  Jackson was a bit scared to be that high so we didn’t stay long, but it was gorgeous.

Also, halfway up the steps, you can enter the bottom of the dome to look up inside it.  Seeing it up close helps you appreciate the grandeur of the structure.

 Castle Sant’Angelo

I loved learning the history of the castle and the different periods of time and what it was used for. It was such a different feel from the basilica, so sturdy and heavy.  Obviously a defensive structure.  They have old artifacts and information about the protection of the city of Rome.

We climbed to the top of the castle and were rewarded with another great view.

Walking across the bridge and next to the river is a beautiful perk of heading to Piazza Navona.

Piazza Navona

This Piazza is so busy and bustling.  There are so many options for places to eat, shop and get gelato.  We sat by the gorgeous fountain and people watched for a long time as we ate our final gelato.

The Pantheon

What a better way to end your time in Rome, than at the most preserved and influential building in Rome. When you think about this being in existence 2000 years ago, it is mind-blowing.  This is a definite must-see.

Rome has so much to offer, so deciding what to do in Rome can be daunting.  If you are an art or history lover, you could spend weeks here.  For our purposes, we saw the best of the best in only 2 days.  We conquered Rome in 48 hours!  Is there any other must-see sight we missed? Tell me in the comments!

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