Contents 7
Three rules that hold it together
- One major site, not three. We go inside once. Everything else we see from outside and on the move.
- Food is part of the route, not a pause in it. A hungry child ends the sightseeing instantly and irreversibly.
- The Vatican or antiquity. They do not fit together, and trying to squeeze in both is the commonest mistake of a one-day Rome.
8:00 — 11:00. The Colosseum and the Forum
Arrive at opening. The first Colosseum slot is the only time you can move inside, and in summer the only bearable one. Buy the ticket online in advance: the details are in how to buy Colosseum tickets and what they include.
The same ticket covers the Roman Forum and the Palatine — go there straight after the amphitheatre, through the same entrance. Do go up the Palatine: from above the Forum reads as a city, from below it is just stones.
Rest stop: the shade of the pines on the Palatine. There are benches, and it is the best place on the route to sit for twenty minutes.
11:00 — 13:00. The Circus Maximus and the walk into the centre
From the Forum you walk down to the Circus Maximus — free, fifteen minutes. A huge field where chariot races were held, and it works better with children than many museums: you can run across it.
Then through Piazza Venezia into the centre. The Vittoriano — the white building with columns — is worth walking round: the lower terraces are free and give a good view down over the Forums.
Lunch: walk two or three blocks away from Piazza Venezia in any direction. The rule is simple and works across the centre: right by a monument the price is double and the food is worse.
13:00 — 16:00. The Pantheon, Trevi, Navona
This is the densest part of the route — and the easiest, because everything is five minutes apart.
- The Pantheon — EUR 7 for adults, free under 18. Twenty minutes. The hole in the dome is not glazed, the rain comes in, and the floor has drains for it — children like that better than the history.
- The Trevi Fountain — since February going down to the basin costs EUR 2. The details are in why the Trevi Fountain started charging. It is crowded by day; if you only have one day, go anyway — there will be no second chance.
- Piazza Navona — free, three fountains and street artists. A good place to buy gelato and sit down.
Rest stop: Navona. The one place in the centre where you can sit quietly without paying for a table.
16:00 onwards. Where to spend what is left
It depends on the state of the child. Three options, from energetic to none:
- Castel Sant’Angelo — EUR 18, free under 18. The spiral climb, cannons and the rooftop view. Of all Rome’s sights, children like this one best.
- Trastevere — cross the Tiber and walk the narrow streets. Free, and the best place for dinner.
- Simply a park. Villa Borghese, where you can hire bicycles. If the morning was hard, that is more honest than another museum.
What to drop without regret
- The Vatican Museums. Two or three hours in a crowd plus the queue to get in. They do not fit into a one-day Rome at all.
- The Spanish Steps. Sitting on them is banned and fined, and standing in a crowd with a child for a photograph is a doubtful trade.
- The Colosseum underground. A separate slot, a separate price and narrow passages children find dull.
- A second museum after lunch. Any of them. It will not be remembered.
What it costs a family of four
Two adults and two children under 18:
- Colosseum, Forum and Palatine — EUR 36 (children free, but tickets still needed).
- Pantheon — EUR 14.
- Trevi Fountain, down to the basin — EUR 8 if the children are over six.
- Transport — EUR 6: two journeys per adult; children under 10 travel free.
About EUR 64 for the day, food excluded. More on prices in how much money to bring to Rome.
The quest tour “Time Travel”
Two hours through the Colosseum, the Imperial Forums and Piazza Venezia — exactly the first half of this route, but with a guide and in quest form. A good way not to spend the best morning hours on explanations a child is not listening to.
EUR 220 per group of up to 5 · each additional person +EUR 20 · 2 hours · ages 6+ · you buy the Colosseum entry tickets yourself
If you do have more than one day, start with the main sights of Rome with a map — it shows what pairs well with what.
Frequently asked questions
What can you see in Rome in one day
The Colosseum with the Roman Forum in the morning, the centre with the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain after lunch, Trastevere or Piazza Navona in the evening. The Vatican does not fit into that day — it is either that or antiquity.
Can you do the Colosseum and the Vatican in one day
Formally yes, realistically with children no. That is two entrances with security, two queues and eight kilometres between them. By lunchtime the child is finished and you will walk the second site quickly and in silence.
How many kilometres is it in a day
About six kilometres on foot on our route. That is a lot for a child under seven: plan one metro ride instead of a walking stretch.
Where should we eat in central Rome with children
Not in the first café by a monument: it is dearer and worse. Walk two or three blocks away from the square — the price halves and the quality rises.
What time should we start the day in Rome
Eight in the morning. The first two hours are the only time the main sights are almost empty, and in summer the only time it is not hot.
