Rome, the capital of Italy, is the Eternal City. Tourists flock to it since the city is rich in history. With many sites to visit, how many days would take a person to visit and go around Rome? We will find out here. How Many Days In Rome Should I Stay On A Trip?
Many agree that spending anything between three to five days in Rome would be fine. Others say that five days would be quite ideal as it will not leave you rushed to go from one place to another. With many interesting sites to visit, taking it all in five days might not even be enough.
What To See In Rome?
Of course, a trip to Rome would not be complete without a visit to the Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon and Vatican City. A trip to the Vatican itself would already consume much of the day. Visiting historic churches in Rome is also recommended.
The Colosseum
One of the most visited sites in Rome is the Colosseum. This was first built by the emperor Vespasian in 72 A.D. though it wasn’t completed until the reign of Titus in 80 A.D. It is considered as the largest amphitheater ever built.
The Colosseum is large and can hold anywhere from 50,000 to 80,000 people. It has become famous because it was where gladiator fights were held. Today the Colosseum still stands as a monument to Rome’s past glory.
The Forum
The Forum is a site where a number of ruins can be seen. These ruins are the remains of government buildings during the Roman Empire.
It is located in the center of Rome and during the time of the Roman Empire has been used as a place where public speeches and criminal trials were held. It was also a place where commerce was done. The place has once been filled with buildings and statues that reflected much of the Roman Empire’s glory.
Some of the shrines to the Roman gods and goddesses can also be found around or near the Forum. The Forum became the center of government and commerce again under Constantine the Great, when he had the basilica of Maxentius built in 312 A.D. The Forum has been built gradually over time as buildings were erected around it.
Vatican City
St. Peter’s Square
Vatican City is “a city within a city”. Essentially the Vatican is a state in itself. There are many points of interest in the Vatican, and in itself it would take more than a day to tour.
Some of the points of interests in the Vatican include St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums.
St. Peter’s Square
Vatican City is “a city within a city”. Essentially the Vatican is a state in itself. There are many points of interest in the Vatican, and in itself it would take more than a day to tour.
Some of the points of interests in the Vatican include St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums.
St. Peter’s Basilica
Central to the Vatican is St. Peter’s Basilica, easily the most recognizable structure there. It is one of the largest churches in the world. St. Peter’s Basilica is said to be where St. Peter’s tomb is, located just beneath the altar.
Fronting St. Peter’s Basilica is St. Peter’s Square. At the center of St. Peter’s Square is an Egyptian obelisk originally found in Heliopolis. The obelisk is now fixed with a cross on top.
Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel is also another attraction and is part of the Apostolic Palace where the Pope resides. The Sistine Chapel has many famous frescoes, one of which is Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment.”
The Vatican Museums should also be included when having a tour of the Vatican. It houses an impressive collection such as sculptures and masterpieces. There are 54 galleries in the Vatican Museums, and that includes the Sistine Chapel, the very last gallery that can be toured.
The Tour of Vatican
Aside from these sites, going around Rome should also include a tour of some of the churches around it. There are seven major pilgrimage churches in Rome.
One of them is already St. Peter’s Basilica. The other pilgrimage churches include:
- Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
- Basilica of St. John Lateran
- Basilica of St. Mary Major
- Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls
- Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem
- The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love.
Basilica of St. John Lateran
Of major note here aside from St. Peter’s Basilica is the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which is the cathedra or chair of the Pope. It is the oldest church in the West and is the ecumenical chair of the Catholic Church.
The cost of touring the sites as well as many others in Rome will depend. Typically the budget might be around $4,000 or that would be about 3,000 Euros. Here’s a site lists the breakdown of costs.
Keep in mind that the costs there are for a two-week budget, so adjustments might be made for a much lesser time in Rome. Also bear in mind that costs there are from 2012, so adjustments must also be made due to inflation. Still, the costs there are a good approximation on how much one needs in order to tour the whole of Rome.
How Many Days in Rome Should I Stay?
With many sites to go to, it will take more than a week to visit them all. A good estimation would be that it will take five to nine days to adequately visit all of the sites there. Three days might not be enough to get to all of the major sites. The Vatican alone will already take more than a day.
Enjoying Rome must be done gradually in order to take in everything that is to see there, and to explore as well as take in the history of the city. Cost management is key in enjoying any tour, so you should manage it carefully.
Conclusion
We hope this guide has been of use to you if you consider how many days in Rome would be enough. Perhaps you have more tips to add or questions to pose? If so, tell us below.
To conclude, in our opinion…
- Five to nine days would be enough
- Two weeks would be ideal to enjoy all the beauty of Rome, if budget permits.
