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Traveling to Rome requires sound planning, whether it’s for one day or two, and even more so if you are staying five days. What can you do in 5 days in Rome? You will definitely have enough room for the major landmarks and some rest time.
Like for every trip, there are many things to consider when you start planning. From the areas to stay to the itinerary you want, a big city like Rome can feel overwhelming.
So many questions arise when you start planning a trip, and so many emails I receive from travelers who have all sorts of doubts. I get it, Rome can be scary, and even though it’s a very touristy destination, it’s also huge and chaotic.
Angela, aren’t five days in Rome too much?
This is a question I get asked a lot. Are five days too many for only one city when they can go and explore more places in Italy?
This very much depends on what type of holiday you want.
Are you in for a landmark marathon and don’t really care about visiting the attractions inside? Then in two days, you can see many of the most famous sights from outside, or maybe go inside a few of them.
Do you prefer taking your time to learn about the monuments and also have some rest time to enjoy the Italian dolce vita? Then four or five days are a perfect time.
Of course, you will also need to consider the overall time you can afford to travel and how many more places you want to visit in Italy. If you ask me, if you only have one week, I would stick to two cities max rather than doing the classic Venice-Cinque Terre-Florence-Rome-Amalfi Coast itinerary where you will spend most of the time traveling than actually enjoying the destination.
Start planning five days in Rome
If I were to plan five days in Rome, I would start by considering what are the best neighborhoods to book a hotel and whether I would be using public transport or not.
I would then consider what type of hotel will most meet my travel needs and of course what monuments I want to include in my itinerary.
You might not think planning your meals is worth it, but let me assure you that if you don’t want to end up in tourist traps, some restaurant research is required.
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What to do in Rome in 5 days
But now let’s see how you can organize your stay. Assuming it’s your first time in the city, an ideal 5-day Rome itinerary would go like this:
Day 1 – Colosseum & Centro Storico
The first of your five days in Rome is usually the busiest. You can start bright and early by exploring the relics of Ancient Rome in the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo.
Ideally, you will purchase the ticket to gain access to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill, but if you wish to see more sites such as the Domus Aurea or maybe enter the Colosseum’s Arena floor, you will need different tickets.
Check out my full guide to visiting the Colosseum
Ancient Rome can be done in the morning so after lunch, you can take in the beauty of the historic center and see sights like Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain.
Day 2 – Vatican
The second day is all about the landmarks and monuments of Vatican City. Being these among the busiest in Rome, I suggest planning wisely to avoid standing in line for hours and to enjoy them in peace rather than being dragged by the crowds.
Especially for the Vatican Museums, I suggest a quality tour or even a private tour if you are willing to pay more for an exclusive and crowd-free experience.
Day 3 – Trastevere & Jewish Ghetto
On day three, take it easy and enjoy strolling around the historical and quaint neighborhoods of Trastevere and the Jewish Quarter.
These are a bridge away from each other so to go from one to another, make it a point to go through Tiber Island for more history and great views of the river.
All these areas are very touristy so make sure you take your time to do some restaurant research if you wish to sample authentic Roman cuisine.
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Check out my custom Rome itineraries!
Day 4 – Day trip
On day four, why not get out of the city’s traffic for a quality day trip to learn more about the region? The surrounding towns and archaeological sites have obviously been heavily influenced by the presence of Rome throughout the centuries.
The way I see it, a day trip means carrying on with your sightseeing but in a more relaxed way than in Rome’s city center!
There are so many day trips you can easily take from Rome, either using public transport or joining a tour. Some ideas? Tivoli to see two UNESCO-listed historical villas, Viterbo to soak in the medieval city of popes, or Cerveteri to learn more about the Etruscan civilization and visit the wonderful necropolis.
Check out our video from Cerveteri to decide if it’s something you might enjoy
Day 5 – Relax or go offbeat
What you will do on the last day depends on what time you have to catch your train or flight or if you actually have another full day in Rome and leave early in the morning.
If you only have a couple of hours, I would suggest heading back to one of the neighborhoods you particularly liked and seeing some more of the local landmarks and monuments. Of course, you can do this without rushing around and maybe stopping for a coffee at a local bar or relaxing in a piazza to see the Roman life go by.
If you feel still full of energy and in the discovery mode, you can head to some lesser-visited neighborhoods where you are likely to see very few tourists, such as Ostiense or Testaccio, or even take a cooking class.