Visiting Rome In A Day For The First Time

While Rome hasn't necessarily existed forever, it has been around for a very, very long time. There are layers and layers to see. Do you want to see ancient sights, religious centers, or medieval and modern Rome?

When you're contemplating a visit... your first visit... all you can hope to do is see the highlights... SOME of the highlights. You're going to have to limit yourself if all you have is a day or even two. You can get a good overview of all the layers of the city if you plan it right.

Good guidebooks will give you specific information about what buses and subway lines to catch... and you'll need to have this planned out in advance to make any plan to visit Rome in a day work.

To get a feel for the Imperial City, start at the Piazza del Campidoglio on the summit of Capitoline Hill. Around this ancient sacred site are a couple of museums that you should see... someday, but not on this trip. Walk around the corner of the Town Council (the Senatorium) for a panoramic view of the Forum. Dying to go in, aren't you? Check out the statues in the piazza and make due with the panoramic view if all you have is a day!

Leaving Capitoline Hill, walk east along the Via dei Fori Imperiali. Here you can get a little closer look at the Forum. It's a good vantage point to get some photos and at least get a feel for the size of what has been uncovered.

At the end of this walk, you'll arrive at the Colosseum, and you can see the Arch of Constantine. Don't linger though, there are more modern layers of Rome to sample. Take a cab, bus or subway to Vatican City. Squeeze in a lunch on the run or at a little cafe somewhere in between.

You can check the lines for the Vatican Museum. If you're REALLY lucky, the line won't be too long, and you can try to make a quick visit. You'll have to dash through... glance at most of the master's paintings, and make your way to the Sistine Chapel.

Even that will take you a couple of hours. You might be able to sidestep the lines by paying for a guided tour right there in front of St Peter's. If the lines are too long, and you can't find a tour, settle for seeing St. Peter's Basilica. Climb the dome to get a great view of the Piazza. (If you DO get into the museum, you can see St. Peter's, but you won't have time to climb the dome.)

No time to stop... you're visiting Rome in a day, right? Now head for the Pantheon. It stays open until 7:30 Monday-Saturday. After a quick visit to this ancient monument, wander around the corner to the Piazza Navona for a romantic place to have dinner.

Before you choose one of the open air restaurants, wander around the piazza. Used for chariot races in ancient times, the piazza is now graced by Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers and medieval churches. With the modern restaurants, you'll be dining with three layers of Rome around you.

After dinner, catch a cab to the Spanish Steps or the Trevi Fountain. After you've seen one, you can walk though some of the oldest streets in Rome to the other. Grab a gelato on the way.

So have you been able to visit Rome in a day? No, but now you know you'll be back.