Rome

Walk the empire.

• 08:30

  Colosseum

  Combined ticket €18 (+€6 arena); book a timed slot online to skip lines.

• 10:30

  Roman Forum & Palatine

  Included in the Colosseum ticket; wear good shoes, little shade.

• 13:00

  Lunch in Monti

  Pasta €10-14; charming neighbourhood just behind the Forum.

• 17:00

  Capitoline & evening stroll

  Michelangelo's square; free views over the Forum at dusk.

Art and St Peter's.

• 08:00

  Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

  Entry €20 (+€5 booking); reserve the earliest slot, it gets packed fast.

• 11:30

  St Peter's Basilica

  Free entry; dome climb €8-10. Dress modestly, security queue can be long.

• 14:00

  Lunch in Prati

  Pizza al taglio €4-8; better value than the basilica-front cafes.

• 17:00

  Castel Sant'Angelo

  Entry €15; rooftop views and the bridge of angels at golden hour.

The fountains-and-piazzas day.

• 09:00

  Pantheon

  Entry €5; the best-preserved ancient building, free oculus drama.

• 10:30

  Piazza Navona & Trevi

  Free; toss a coin. Go very early to photograph it without crowds.

• 13:00

  Best gelato & lunch

  Gelato €3-5; near the Pantheon, a Roman institution since 1900.

• 17:30

  Spanish Steps & Villa Borghese

  Free park; rent a bike or catch sunset at the Pincio terrace.

Rome's most charming quarter.

• 10:00

  Testaccio food market

  Supplì €1.50, sandwiches €5; the city's best food-market street eats.

• 13:00

  Carbonara lunch

  Classic carbonara/cacio e pepe €10-14; avoid menus with photos.

• 16:00

  Trastevere wander

  Cobbled lanes, ivy and the glittering basilica mosaics (free).