Since I made the move to Germany to study and finally be with my partner, I promised myself to try to make the most out of living in Europe and to travel as often as possible. It seemed like a no-brainer at first, but soon proved to be a lot harder than anticipated, because my boyfriend has his career and it’s been hard for both of us to have time off to explore. Nonetheless I tried to make it work, even if that means we could only spend a weekend away, which is rather short but I managed to jam pack it with all of the cool stuff I’ve been wanting to check out. Anything is possible if you’re determined, create a solid itinerary, and keep to it! So alas, peep the Rome itinerary that I think hits most of the hot spots if you’re only stopping by for two days with just a backpack.
Easy peasy Rome Itinerary
Day 1
10:00 Yummy “Roma” Breakfast
11:30 Roman Forum
13:00 Palatine Hill
14:00 Colosseum
17:00 Dinner
18:00 Gelato, duh
18:30 Pantheon
19:00 Trevi Fountain
19:15 Explore the twists and turns of the city, you’ll be guaranteed to find something!
Day 2
8:00 Check-out
8:30 Espresso & Breakfast
9:00 Free time to explore
11:00 Walk to Vatican City
11:30 Stop by any Forno for a slice of pizza
12:00 Go through security at the Vatican Museums
13:00 Vatican Museums Tour
17:00 Mouth of Truth
17:30 Dinner in Trastevere district
Rest of day is yours!
So there’s my short and sweet itinerary! I haven’t been to Rome since I was a little girl, and these places were at the very top of my list – so obviously they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but I hope my time management was at least helpful for you to plan your stay. I will include more information below that I think is important to be mindful of if you are sticking to my itinerary.
Hotel
I stayed at the very fine Piazza Del Gesu Luxury Suites that is a short walking distance to the Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, and Roman Forum. Not only is it close to everything, the accommodation was clean and cozy. I highly recommend this affordable hotel, especially for us backpackers that need to utilize every second of our short stay.
Piazza Del Gesu Luxury Suites
Website
Piazza del Gesù, 48, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
(+39) 0 637894138
Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill
The reason why I grouped these together is that all of these locations are included in the price for one ticket. It grants you a one-time entry to each place and the admission is valid for two consecutive days, which was perfect for us! The line for the colosseum is bonkers, so I recommend getting your tickets just down the street at the Roman Forum, but if you’re doing this, GO EARLY. We nonchalantly showed up later in the day and at a certain time they only sell tickets for the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, why? I have no idea. So we had to drudge along to the Colosseum for the 3-for-1 but thankfully the line wasn’t as long, but be warned!
Buy tickets online here
Hours: 8:30 – 19:00
Pizza (and Food)
If you’re going to Italy then you’re obviously going to have pizza. My partner and I might have made a rookie mistake or just happened to choose the wrong place, but we were disappointed with our pizza that we took back to our hotel room. We figured any old pizza from any old place would do, but I think the move here is to go to a Forno. They’re little shops that have pre-made pizza on display. It’s cheaper than getting an entire box that we did, and they’re delish. Here specifically is Suppli Roma. They have a line out the door for a reason, and that’s because all of their sh*t is good. Try a slice of pizza or a fried pasta ball, they’re all great. It’s also in Trastevere, the district that contains all of the yummy foods.
Recommendations
Suppli Roma
Mercato Centrale Roma (Great especially if you’ll be at Termini station for travel)
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
This is technically not Rome, but why pass it up? There are amazing artworks and I wanted to make the most of our visit so I went with the guided tour and I promise you it’s worth it. If you look into it early enough, you could snag a tour online from their official website rather than third party tour guides that charges almost double the price. Our tour started at 1 pm and it lasts about 2 1/2 hours, but get there early so you don’t lose your place in the tour because entrance can be confusing and long.
Just please, shut up when you’re in the Sistine Chapel!
Official Vatican Museums Website
Monday – Saturday 9:00 – 18:00
Viale Vaticano, 00165 Rome
+39 06 69884676
+39 06 69883145
info.mv@scv.va
Was my easy peasy Rome in 48 hours travel guide helpful? Want to create your own itinerary? Check out my post on how to organize your itinerary with simple google docs that can be set to offline mode here!
