Travel planning is my jam! I love crafting out itineraries and maximizing my time when visiting a city. I also love to share those itineraries with my friends and here on the blog. Today I’m sharing a 5 day in Rome itinerary and budget from my trip back in March. I’m also sharing our expenses for those days. Let’s get started!
5 Days in Rome Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Rome, St. Peters Basilica, Pantheon, Piazza Navona
We arrived in Rome at around midday. Our flight landed at Leonardo Da Vinci airport and we took the Leonardo Express to the city. Our hotel, Vica Pota Guesthouse, was located in the Prati neighborhood of Rome. It is close to the Vatican museums in a nice residential area. After a quick lunch at Osteria dell’ Angelo we decided to visit St. Peters Basilica. After queuing for one hour (!) we made our way in and marveled at the creations of Michelangelo and Bernini.
We then walked towards the Pantheon passing by Castel and Ponte Sant’ Angelo. We ended the day at Piazza Navona where we dined at Ponte e Parione
Day 2: Vatican Museums, Piazza del Popolo, Piazza di Spagna, Fontana di Trevi
Our second day in Rome started with a visit at the Vatican Museums. I had pre-booked tickets for 10 am. In hindsight, it’s better to visit the museums after 1 pm. There was no line at that time and fewer groups visiting! After lunch, we visited Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Spagna before heading to Fontana di Trevi!
Related: 15 things to do in Rome
Day 3: Colosseum, Roman Forum, San Giovanni in Laterano
We started the day from the Colosseum, where I had pre-booked and pre-printed the tickets. We visited the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum before heading to San Giovanni in Laterano.
Day 4: Altare della Patria, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Clemente, Galleria Borghese
Our day began at the Monument of the Fatherland, which has nice views over Piazza Venezia. Then we visited Santa Maria Maggiore and had lunch at Via Panisperna. Our next stop was San Clemente church which dates back to the 11th century AD. We ended the day with a visit to Galleria Borghese (again I had pre-booked tickets).
Day 5: Trastevere
With only half a day to spend, we ventured to Trastevere. Despite the cloudy weather, we walked a lot and explored this popular neighborhood of Rome
Related: Sunday Walk in Trastevere
I’ve also shot a vlog of our trip which you can watch right here:
5 days in Rome Budget
Now let’s discuss our 5 days in Rome budget. First let’s lay out the fixed costs (flights, hotel, transportation, museum tickets). Please note that the prices used for calculation were those effective in March 2017.
Air tickets: 85,17€ per person with Aegean Airlines (booked 6 months in advance on discount)
Transfer to Rome: 28 € per person return ticket from Fumicino airport to Roma Termini
Accommodation: Vico Pota Guesthouse at the Prati area (near the Vatican) 68€/night (+3€ per night city tax). We stayed there for 4 nights.
Sightseeing: 20€ per person pre-booked tickets to visit the Vatican Museums. These tickets are for a specific time slot and include a 4€/ticket online booking fee.
14€ per person online tickets to visit the Colosseum & Roman Forum. These are not for a specific time slot, but you print them at home and avoid queues at ticket offices. The price includes a 2€/ticket online booking fee
Villa Borghese: 17€ per person. These tickets are for a specific time slot and include 2€/ticket online booking fee
Fixed cost (for 2 persons): 448,17
We mostly walked around Rome, therefore we didn’t use the metro or the bus that much. I estimate we spent around 15 € on bus tickets. As for dining, we aimed at spending around 50€ per day and we pretty much succeeded! Some indicative prices include 20€ at Osteria dell Angelo for 2 pasta dishes, 34€ at Ponte e Parione for a pizza and a pasta dish, 8€ at San Crispino Gelateria for 2 cups of ice cream. Two of the evenings we got pizza and Coke from 96 Ore pizzeria which was across from our hotel for 8-11€.
Related: Where to Eat in Rome
Last, but not least I spent 12€ at Kiko Cosmetics for the Pure Clean Scrub & Peel wipes. Lisa Eldridge raves about them and uses them as a lip scrub. As a result, you know, I had to get them!
Approximate variable cost (for 2 persons): 250€
Total Cost for 5 days in Rome (for 2 persons): 698,17 €
I'm Anna and this is my lifestyle and travel blog! 
Ah Rome is always a good idea!! It’s one of my fav cities in Europe! This is such a great itinerary with all the best sites! 🙂 #WanderfulWednesday
Thank you! Indeed I visited the most important sites (and then some more)!
Ahhh Rome, I so wanted to visit there when we were in Italy but we didn’t have time 🙁 Next time though! Looks like there are so many things to see and do there!
Rome needs at least 3 days. There is so much to to see and do!
I have been to Rome twice and on those two occasions I stayed for a bit more than a day. I crammed a lot of these attractions in that day (which is crazy). Anyway, I would like to return to Rome and take it easy. I love that you have included prices. It is nice to know there are affordable stays in the city. #wanderfulwednesday
There are affordable stays indeed, but it depends on the time of the years as well! One day is to little for Rome, you need at least 3!
great itinerary! the cost is about as much as I’d spend too:)
Thank you!
This is a great breakdown for a trip to Rome. We’ve always booked tours in advance so we could skip the longer lines, and they haven’t been that much more expensive! Seems well worth it!! Beautiful pictures!
booking in advance is the way to go in Rome! The sites are always very crowded!
I love your vlog! You picture Rome so peacefully. When I think of the city, I immediately think about thousands of people at all the sights but I guess it doesn’t have to be that way?!
Thank you! Well there were always people around but thankfully I didn’t feel crammed!