We had visited Rome nine years earlier and spent a full week in the city. On our most recent trip to Italy, however, Rome was simply our arrival and departure point for a trip to Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. That left us with about 24 hours in Rome, split between the beginning and end of the trip.
Rather than try to see everything, we chose a few experiences we wanted to revisit or try for the first time. We joined a Rome street food tour, returned to the Colosseum, explored Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, and visited the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps early in the morning. For a short stay, this worked well because we saw several of Rome’s major sights without trying to cram too much into a limited amount of time.
We travelled with our kids, who were 10 and 12 at the time, but this article focuses on the Rome experience itself rather than on travelling there as a family.
How We Spent 24 Hours in Rome
Our 24 hours of sightseeing in Rome were divided between two short stays. On our arrival day, we joined a street food tour in the evening, then took the train to Ercolano the following morning.
About a week later, we returned to Rome. That afternoon, we visited the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. On our departure morning, we got up early to see the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps before leaving the city.
If you have one full day in Rome rather than two partial days, I’ve included the order I would use later in this article.
Rome Street Food Tour
Our flight from Canada arrived in Rome in the early afternoon, and instead of simply choosing a restaurant for dinner, we booked a Rome street food tour. We met our group at Campo de’ Fiori at 5 p.m. It was Easter Sunday, but we were happy to see parts of the famous food market were still open.
The tour combined dinner with a walk through central Rome, which made good use of our first evening. Our first stop was a pizza shop, where we tried a margherita pizza and another based on Cacio e pepe, the classic Roman pasta dish. The Romano cheese on the Cacio e pepe pizza was quite sharp and unlike any pizza we had tried before. The margherita was excellent as well, with a crust that was both crunchy and chewy.
From there, we continued through Rome’s side streets to a small restaurant known for lamb skewers. I am not normally a fan of lamb, but these were salty, tender and surprisingly good. We also tried chicken skewers, although we found those less memorable.
At our next stop, we tried suppli, deep-fried rice balls filled with melted mozzarella and tomato sauce. They were one of the more memorable comfort foods we had on the tour.
We then walked into Rome’s Jewish Ghetto to try Carciofi alla Giudia, a deep-fried Jewish artichoke dish. Celine was excited to try it, while the rest of us were less certain. We all tried it, and Celine and I both really enjoyed it.
The tour finished with gelato. Blackberries and strawberries were in season, and our guide recommended both. Of the flavours we tried, those were the best.
The food tour was one of the highlights of our short stay in Rome because it combined dinner with sightseeing and gave us a chance to try foods we had never encountered before. For us, it was a fun way to enjoy Easter dinner in Rome.
Visiting the Colosseum
When we returned to Rome about a week later, our first stop was the Colosseum. We had visited nine years earlier, but it was still one of the highlights of the trip.
Unlike our first visit to the Colosseum, visitors now have to remain on the designated visitor routes through the building. We found the viewpoints on the first floor limited and very crowded, but the second floor was better. There were more places to stop, take in the views and appreciate the scale of the Colosseum.
We had Full Experience Tickets, which included the regular visitor areas and the Arena floor. The Arena floor was our favourite part of the visit because it was less crowded than the main visitor areas and gave us a completely different perspective on the size of the building. Standing there made it much easier to imagine what it might have felt like to be in the centre of a packed Colosseum.
What We Did When Regular Tickets Were Sold Out
We decided to visit the Colosseum only a few days before our trip. By then, the official tickets for our date were sold out, so we found a self-guided audio tour on Viator. It was more expensive than buying tickets directly, but it included admission tickets, so we were happy to pay.
We never actually used the audio tour. We booked it because it gave us access to the Colosseum at the date and time we wanted. If I were planning again, I would try to buy the official timed-entry tickets earlier and use this type of option only if regular tickets were already sold out.
Palatine Hill
After the Colosseum, we continued to Palatine Hill, which was included with our tickets. We mostly wandered around without much of a plan, and that suited us well after the structured route through the Colosseum.
We could walk at our own pace, explore the ruins and gardens, and stop when we wanted. Palatine Hill also gave us elevated views over the Roman Forum. The area felt noticeably more relaxed than the Colosseum. We do not particularly enjoy crowds, so the extra space and slower pace were welcome.
Walking Through the Roman Forum
From Palatine Hill, we continued into the Roman Forum. We spent a surprising amount of time walking through the ruins, and unlike the Colosseum, there was no rigid route dictating our pace. That freedom made the experience more relaxed. We could wander through the site, stop where we wanted and take our time looking around.
Some of the recognizable sights include the Arch of Titus, the Temple of Saturn and the Via Sacra, the ancient road that runs through the Forum. For us, the Colosseum was still the main attraction of the afternoon, but Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum added a very different experience.
Visit the Trevi Fountain Early
We first tried to visit the Trevi Fountain on our arrival day while walking toward the food tour. It was late afternoon on Easter Sunday, and the area was extremely crowded. Even the line to pay to get close to the fountain was excessively long. We decided it was not worth staying and returned early on the morning of our departure, which was a much better experience.
We arrived at 8:45 a.m. The area was not empty, but compared with our first visit it felt almost deserted. We could walk down to the front of the fountain and take our time. For me, the Trevi Fountain is the most beautiful structure in Rome. Seeing it without the worst of the crowds made a major difference.
The Spanish Steps in the Morning
After the Trevi Fountain, we still had time before we needed to leave Rome, so we walked to the Spanish Steps. We arrived shortly after 9 a.m., and they were virtually empty.
Our kids took advantage of the open space and raced each other to the top while we enjoyed having the area almost to ourselves. The Spanish Steps would not be one of my highest priorities on a very short Rome visit, but they were easy to add because we were already nearby.
Our Recommended One Day in Rome Itinerary
Our own sightseeing in Rome was split over two visits, but if I were putting the same experiences into one full day, I would start with the Trevi Fountain. Our 8:45 a.m. visit was dramatically better than our late-afternoon attempt, so if seeing the fountain without the worst crowds matters to you, I would even delay breakfast.
The Spanish Steps are close enough to combine with the Trevi Fountain. We arrived shortly after 9 a.m. and found them nearly empty, but if your day is already packed, I would consider them optional.
From there, I would continue to the Colosseum. Book your ticket in advance if possible. We waited too long and had to purchase a self-guided tour package simply to secure admission. Allow enough time to see the Colosseum without rushing, and if you can get a ticket that includes the Arena floor, we found that addition worthwhile.
After the Colosseum, continue through Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. This part of the day involves a lot of walking, but you have more freedom to move at your own pace than inside the Colosseum. Based on our experience, you should be finished with the three sites by mid-afternoon.
From there, you could rest or begin walking toward Campo de’ Fiori. The route can take you past the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. We also returned to Frigidarium for gelato on this trip after first visiting nine years earlier. We loved it on our first visit, and it was just as good the second time.
For the rest of the day, I would choose between the Rome street food tour we took and a visit to the Vatican Museums. If you choose the Vatican Museums, keep in mind that the current final entry time is 6 p.m.
This would be a full day in Rome, but it covers the places and experiences we most enjoyed on this return visit.
Where We Stayed in Rome
Our hotel choice on this trip was very different from our first visit to Rome. Nine years earlier, we had seven full days in Rome with young kids and wanted to stay in the historic centre. We also needed separate bedrooms, a kitchen and laundry facilities, so we rented an apartment near Piazza Navona.
This time, proximity to the Rome train station mattered more. We used Roma Termini four times during this trip, so staying close to the station made our arrival and departure days much easier.
We stayed at Hotel Marcantonio Rome on both our first and final nights in Rome. The hotel was about a ten-minute walk from Roma Termini, yet we could still walk to both the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum in roughly 20 minutes.
Our room had a queen bed and two single beds, and the hotel delivered a simple breakfast to our room each morning.
For this particular trip, the location worked very well because we needed easy access to the train station without giving up the ability to walk into central Rome.
For more details about our stay, be sure to read our Hotel Marcantonio Rome Review.
Is 24 Hours in Rome Enough?
Twenty-four hours is not enough to see everything in Rome, but it can still be enough for a worthwhile visit if you are selective. We focused on a small number of experiences rather than trying to cover the entire city.
The food tour gave us an enjoyable first evening, the Colosseum was worth revisiting, and Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum gave us room to slow down after the crowds. Our biggest practical lesson was the value of timing. The Trevi Fountain was unpleasantly crowded in the late afternoon and completely different at 8:45 the next morning.
For a short visit to Rome, I would prioritize the places that matter most to you, book major attractions early, and avoid filling every available hour. That left us enough time to enjoy the places we chose rather than simply checking them off a list.
