4 Days in Rome

Today I want to bring you my travel itinerary for 4 days in Rome. The capital of Italy is known throughout the world for its ancient monuments, historic architecture, and delicious food. From the Colosseum to the Trevi Fountain, there are plenty of exciting things to do in Rome. I’m here now and I can’t wait to show you the best of the Eternal City. I’ve included an interactive map, too.

My 4-day itinerary for Rome will show you the sightseeing highlights and culinary delights of the city. From landmarks like the Pantheon to restaurants serving classic Roman dishes, it covers all the things I love about this part of Europe.

4 days is enough time to visit Rome. It will allow you to see the highlights and experience the best of the city. If you’ve been here before, you can even take a day trip to experience another part of Italy.

Above all, there’s no right or wrong way to spend your time in Rome. This itinerary has a mix of the big attractions and the places locals love (not least because I’m meeting up with a number of locals while I’m here).

You can adjust it to fit your interests and travel style, but I hope it gives you a solid overview of what you can do in the Italian capital on a 4-day trip to Rome.

Where to Stay in Rome

There are lots of options for accommodation in Rome. Whether you want to stay in a hotel, apartment, hostel, or elsewhere, the Eternal City has a wide variety of places to choose from.

On this trip I’ve booked a room at The Hoxton. This hip hotel is in a local neighborhood near the Galleria Borghese.

I love its stylish decor, buzzing lobby bar, and beautiful guest rooms. It’s everything I’d hoped for, and it makes a great base for exploring the city.

If you want more ideas, you can also find deals and book accommodation in Rome here. With so many choices, you’re bound to find the perfect fit for your trip.

Day 1 in Rome

After arriving late and checking into The Hoxton, my boyfriend and I wake up the next morning and start our 4 days in Rome with coffee. Italy is famous for it, after all, and when in Rome…

Breakfast at Faro

At the recommendation of a friend who’s from the city, we walk over to Faro. This contemporary cafe is known for being the first independent shop to introduce artisanal coffee to Rome.

It’s buzzing with people having breakfast and drinking espresso at the counter. We settle into a table and order cappuccinos and big bowls of yogurt. It’s a great way to start the day.

Colosseum

Fueled, we hop on a bus to get to the first sightseeing stop on our 4-day Rome itinerary: the Colosseum. No trip to the city would be complete without visiting it (I’ve been to Rome twice before, and I’ve always made a point of going).

We’ve pre-booked skip-the-line tickets to avoid the crowds, so we head straight into the ancient structure.

We spend the next hour walking through the halls, admiring the views of the interior and the Arch of Constantine, and taking in the exhibits with historic artifacts and information about how the Colosseum was constructed and used in Ancient Rome.

Lunch

After the tour we hop on a bus and pass the ancient Circo Massimo arena and the stunning Altare della Patria monument on our way to our lunch stop. We’re eating at Antico Forno Roscioli, a famous deli in Rome.

It’s come highly recommended by locals and culinary icons alike (my boyfriend asked legendary chef Nancy Silverton where she would eat in Rome when he flagged her down at Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles a few months back, and she told us we had to go).

As soon as we walk in, we’re overwhelmed by the range of pastries, breads, pizzas, and other Italian fare.

It all looks delicious, but we manage to choose a contemporary-style pizza from among the rest. We eat it outside on the street, savoring the flavors of burrata and pesto as the crowds go by around us.

Gelato

No lunch would be complete without dessert, so after we finish the pizza we walk over to a gelato shop called Frigidarium. It’s supposed to be one of the best gelaterias in Rome, and we can’t wait to try the flavors.

I go for the signature Frigidarium flavor (it’s a mix of chocolate, caramel, and cookies) and a scoop of tiramisu gelato. It’s a delicious combination, and it’s photogenic with a cookie on top.

Piazza Navona

After gelato, the first of our 4 days in Rome continues with a short walk to Piazza Navona. This historic square is known for its artistic masterpieces by the likes of Bernini and Borromini.

The former’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) and the latter’s Sant’Agnese in Agone church make it one of the world’s most important Baroque squares.

San Luigi dei Francesi

We stroll through Piazza Navona and take in the scene before walking one street over to get to the church of San Luigi dei Francesi. A French house of worship, this Baroque number is famous for housing three Caravaggio paintings.

We take in the ornate ceiling and beautiful architecture before heading to the chapel at the end of the left nave to admire the master’s work. His paintings are themed around Saint Matthew the Evangelist, and they’re stunning to see in situ.

Pantheon

From the church it’s a few minutes’ walk to the Pantheon. This former temple is now a church, and it’s one of the best-preserved Ancient Roman buildings. It’s also one of the city’s most important attractions.

Known for its classical facade, Corinthian columns, and round hole in the domed ceiling, the Pantheon is another must on any 4-day trip to Rome.

We wait in a snaking line to enter (thankfully it moves quickly), then spend time taking in the impressive interior with its sculptures and tombs (one of which belongs to the great Renaissance artist Raphael).

The Column of Marcus Aurelius

After leaving the Pantheon, we walk through the narrow streets to get to the Column of Marcus Aurelius.

This towering 2nd-century monument in Piazza Colonna commemorates the victories of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius over the Marcomanni and Sarmatians.

The column features sculpted reliefs with battle scenes that spiral their way up to the top. I find it impressive to see something so old still standing, and inspiring given I recently read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations (it’s amazing if you haven’t read it).

Rooftop Bar

When we’ve finished admiring the column, we head back to The Hoxton for a quick rest before hopping in a taxi to make our way to Terrazza Les Etoiles. It’s a famous rooftop bar in Rome.

Spread across the top floors of the Atlante Star Hotel, it has views of the iconic dome of St Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican, the Monte Mario Observatory, the Villa Borghese Park, and other landmarks.

It’s raining when we arrive, but we still get to see some of the best views of Rome as we sip Campari cocktails and enjoy a big aperitivo spread. As day fades into night, we watch the city light up as we listen to the rain pour down.

Dinner

From Terrazza Les Etoiles we head to dinner. We’re eating at Antico Arco, another restaurant that’s come highly recommended.

We settle into a table in the modern dining room and feast on everything from truffle dishes to classic Roman pastas. It’s the perfect way to end our first day in Italy.

Day 2 in Rome

The next morning our 4 days in Rome continue with more coffee. At the recommendation of a local friend, we leave The Hoxton and make our way to Forno Conti & Co.

This artisanal bakery in Rome’s Esquilino neighborhood is known for its sleek contemporary interior and delicious pastries.

We settle in at a table by the window and enjoy classic cappuccinos and not-so-Roman cinnamon rolls. Both are delicious, and they set us up for another day of sightseeing (and eating!).

Roman Forum

After breakfast we walk through the Colle Oppio Park to get to the Roman Forum. It’s busy and the lines are long, but we’ve pre-booked our tickets and we manage to see a few highlights in the short time we’ve allotted ourselves (I stayed here for hours on my last trip to Rome).

It’s amazing to see the ruins up close, and to imagine what life was like in Ancient Rome.

Once the site of everything from public gatherings to courts of law and gladiatorial combats, it’s now known for its stunning ruins, tall columns, and historic importance.

Food Tour

When we leave the forum we head to the Campo de’ Fiori. My boyfriend has booked us a food tour with a local guide who grew up in the area. We meet him at the market in the middle of the square, excited to taste Rome with him.

Our guide starts by taking us around the market to show us the best stalls and point out which produce is in season. It’s a great way to learn about Roman cuisine and whet our appetites for the culinary odyssey we’re about to embark on.

For the next three hours, we walk all over the area as our guide takes us to his favorite places to sip espresso, taste pastries, eat Roman pizza, sample fried zucchini flowers, nibble porchetta and cheese, and savor gelato.

In between stops, he walks us through the city, pointing out historic residences like the Palazzo Spada, taking us into hidden courtyards, and pointing out famous ruins, churches, and landmarks.

It’s a great way to see the city and sample some of its best food at the same time.

Galleria Borghese

After the food tour, the second of our 4 days in Rome continues with a tour of the Galleria Borghese. Set in the stunning Villa Borghese Pinciana, it’s one of the city’s best art museums. It was a highlight of my last trip to Rome, and I’m excited to be back.

Tickets sell out a few weeks in advance, and we didn’t get them in time. To get around it, we’ve pre-booked a guided tour in order to see the collection.

Our guide takes us through the main rooms of the museum, telling us about everything from the important Bernini sculptures to the Caravaggio paintings.

He brings the art to life with stories of both the artists and the subjects, and by the end we feel like we’ve gotten to know both better.

Dinner

After the museum we relax in our room at The Hoxton before heading out for the evening. We start with cocktails at a bar called V Essenza in Piazza Barberini. My Aperol Spritz goes down a treat and starts the night on a positive note.

It’s a short walk from the bar to Ristorante Tullio, a traditional Florentine place. My boyfriend studied abroad in Florence when he was in college, and he’s been homesick for a bistecca alla fiorentina steak.

While he devours his meat, I tuck into eggplant Parmesan. We both enjoy our meals as we recount all the fun things we’ve done in Rome during the day.

Day 3 in Naples and Rome

The next morning our 4 days in Rome continue with a day trip to Naples. We hop on a high-speed train at Roma Termini station and arrive on the coast an hour and 15 minutes later.

We spend the day sightseeing, eating pizza, and walking through the historic streets. It’s a great place to spend a day, and we arrive back in Rome happy to have made the trip (if you want to learn more, you can check out my blog post about spending 1 day in Naples).

Drinks

After our train pulls into the station, we head directly to Mons Angels. My boyfriend went to this graffiti-covered bar near Piazza Navona on a previous trip to the city, and he wants to take a Negroni-filled trip down memory lane.

Dinner

We enjoy drinks under the bar’s vaulted ceilings, then walk over to dinner at Casalino Osteria Kosher. We’ve wanted to try Rome’s Jewish cuisine, and this family-run place came highly recommended.

We settle in at a table in the dining room and order everything from Jewish-style fried artichokes to a trio of seafood tartare, classic Roman suppli rice balls, traditional puntarelle with anchovies, eggplant Parmesan (handmade by our server’s mother-in-law), and ravioli.

It’s an enjoyable feast, and we can’t help but walk back to Frigidarium for more gelato afterwards. It’s the perfect end to a great day in Italy.

Day 4 in Rome

The following morning our 4 days in Rome continue with breakfast at Roscioli Caffe. It’s right near the deli of the same name where we ate lunch at the beginning of our trip.

Cafes

We meet my friend Giulia, a Roman who lives abroad but is visiting home, and take her advice to enjoy a breakfast of cappuccinos and classic maritozzi. The latter are fluffy cream-filled brioche rolls, and they’re divine.

After catching up with Giulia, we head across the Tiber to an area near the Vatican to meet my friend Dom and his sister for drinks at Cafe San Pietro.

They’re visiting from London too, and we catch up at a sunny outdoor table on a street with a view of St Peter’s.