Walking routes in Rome

Rome is two walks that happen to share a city. The ancient core between the Capitoline and the Colosseum is barely a kilometre end to end; the day that also takes in the Vatican is five and needs the whole of it. Both are below — pick by how much time you actually have, not by what you would like to see.

3h Budget

Ancient Rome in three hours

Michelangelo's square, the Forum and Palatine, the Colosseum, and a church built on three earlier ones.

Piazza del Campidoglio · Roman Forum & Palatine Hill · Colosseum · Basilica di San Clemente

1.3 km on foot 4 stops 2h 52m total

3h Budget

Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain in three hours

Campo de' Fiori's market, Bernini's fountain in a Roman stadium, the best-kept building of ancient Rome, a painted dome that is not there, and the fountain everyone throws a coin into.

Campo de' Fiori · Piazza Navona · Pantheon · Sant'Ignazio · Trevi Fountain

1.3 km on foot 5 stops 2h 18m total

3h Budget

Trastevere and the Gianicolo in three hours

The island in the Tiber, two of Rome's oldest churches, the great fountain, Bramante's perfect temple and the view over the whole city from the Janiculum.

Tiber Island · Santa Cecilia in Trastevere · Santa Maria in Trastevere · Fontana dell'Acqua Paola · Tempietto di Bramante · Gianicolo

2.1 km on foot 6 stops 2h 33m total

6h Budget

Monti and the Esquiline in six hours

Trajan's market, the village streets of Monti, Michelangelo's Moses, two churches of mosaic and the Roman baths that Michelangelo turned into a church.

Trajan's Market · Piazza della Madonna dei Monti · San Pietro in Vincoli · Santa Prassede · Santa Maria Maggiore · Santa Maria degli Angeli · Palazzo Massimo

2.2 km on foot 7 stops 4h 59m total

6h Mid-range

The Vatican and Castel Sant'Angelo in six hours

The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, St Peter's and its dome, Bernini's square and the emperor's tomb that became the popes' fortress.

Vatican Museums · St Peter's Basilica · St Peter's Square · Castel Sant'Angelo · Ponte Sant'Angelo

1.7 km on foot 5 stops 5h 22m total

6h Mid-range

Villa Borghese to the Spanish Steps in six hours

The Borghese sculptures, the Pincio terrace, Caravaggio in Santa Maria del Popolo, lunch on Via Margutta, the Spanish Steps, Keats's house and the altar of Augustus.

Borghese Gallery · Pincio Terrace · Santa Maria del Popolo · Via Margutta · Spanish Steps · Keats-Shelley House · Ara Pacis

2.8 km on foot 7 stops 5h 57m total

12h Mid-range

Rome end to end in twelve hours

Vatican at opening, the centro storico over lunch, the ancient core at golden hour. Five kilometres, nine stops.

Vatican Museums · St Peter's Basilica · Castel Sant'Angelo · Piazza Navona · Campo de' Fiori · Pantheon · Trevi Fountain · Roman Forum & Palatine Hill · Colosseum

5.3 km on foot 9 stops 11h 01m total

12h Budget

Rome in a day: the Appian Way to Testaccio

The pope's cathedral and the Holy Stairs, the Baths of Caracalla, the catacombs and the tombs of the Appian Way, the Aventine's garden and keyhole, the pyramid and dinner in Testaccio.

San Giovanni in Laterano · Scala Santa · Baths of Caracalla · Catacombs of San Callisto · Tomb of Caecilia Metella · Giardino degli Aranci · Aventine Keyhole · Pyramid of Cestius · Testaccio

4.4 km on foot 9 stops 7h 34m total

Planning the rest of the trip

These routes cover the walking. The Rome guide has where to stay, what a day costs at each tier, and what to book before you go.