What to see in Rome in 2 days and don’t miss the important things? You’ve come to the right place.
Rome has a number of interesting places that tourists flock to year round. The best thing? They are all free. Sure, there are a number of unique places in Rome, which will be difficult to get into without paying, but in this article we will talk about those that you can see in Rome for 2 days for free.
St. Peter’s Basilica
This Catholic cathedral is known to every believer. St. Peter’s Cathedral is a temple that outshines all the famous Christian churches with its power. The most interesting thing is that you can see it inside without paying a fee.
You should not expect to be the only one who wants to see this attraction in Rome. A huge number of tourists arrive in Rome every day, eager to see one of the four supreme basilicas firsthand. But it’s expensive to see the real handiwork in Rome:
- Michelangelo
- Raphael
- Bernini
- Bramante
The Obelisk of Heliopolis is also among the places to see in two days in Rome. The obelisk is a reminder that the gardens of Nero’s circus were once located here.
The first basilica on the site of the supposed burial place of the Apostle Peter dates back to 324. The present-day dimensions of St. Peter’s Cathedral appeared in the XVII century.
Important: There is no charge to enter the Cathedral, but you will need tickets to see the Sistine Chapel inside. You will also need to pay to enter the Vatican Museums. It’s a good idea to worry about tickets in advance and buy them online.
The Cathedral is open for entry Monday through Sunday: 7:00-18:30 (1.10 to 31.03), 7:00-19:00 (other times).
Address: Piazza San Pietro.
Do not forget to buy tickets to visit the attraction in advance. You can do so via the link on the official ticketing platform.
Trevi Fountain
The list of what to see in Rome in 2 days continues with one of the most famous attractions.
The Trevi Fountain is a very photogenic place and it is also the largest fountain in Rome.
It was created in the XVIII century by the architect Nicolo Salvi, who so successfully placed the figures of the fountain on the background of the palace Palazzo Poli that it seems as if Neptune rides out of the central niche of the palace as if on a chariot.
Tourists do not hesitate to choose the Trevi Fountain as one of the main attractions that to see in Rome is a must. This work of art is completely free to display on the streets of Rome. The god of the sea surrounded by shells and sea creatures becomes the background for photos of a huge number of tourists.
The Trevi Fountain has a tradition related to money. Everyone dreams of throwing a coin into the fountain to return to Rome. It is said that the daily catch of the fountain significantly helps the treasury of Rome.
Address: Piazza di Trevi
Spanish Steps
What else is worth visiting in Rome? Of course, to descend the Spanish Steps, or maybe to climb them and leave a photo of this landmark in your smartphone. The appearance of this tourist spot in Rome was thanks to the French ambassador, who planned this way to the church of Trinita dei Monti, erected also not without the intervention of the French.
The staircase got its name thanks to the square where it is placed. The Spanish Steps are worth including in the list of things to see in Rome.
A graceful cascade of steps in the Roman Baroque style has long attracted the attention of the city’s creative intelligentsia and visitors to Rome. People with different interests and hobbies meet here.
Via Condotti, the main shopping street, a dream of shopaholics who prefer premium stores, starts from the Spanish Steps.
Address: Piazza di Spagna
The Pantheon
The Pantheon surprises with its precise proportions and harmony. Michelangelo described the Pantheon as the work of angelic hands, but not of human hands.
The modern The Pantheon’s present form was created by the Emperor Hadrian, who in 126 AD A.D. restored the shape of the once square wooden temple, which had suffered repeatedly from fires.
The Pantheon came into being thanks to monolithic columns brought from Egypt. The concrete dome covering the base is considered the largest of its kind in the world. What to see if you find yourself in Rome at the Pantheon. Undoubtedly, you will be surprised by the fact that the building is devoid of windows, the light falls only through a hole in the dome. Such lighting allowed the sun’s rays to illuminate the statues of the gods, installed in niches on the inner perimeter of the temple.
The Pantheon existed for a long time as a place of worship for paganism. It was consecrated in 609, so it is now a functioning Christian church.
What to see in Rome if you find yourself in the Pantheon? This is where the tombs of famous Romans are located. For example, the tomb of the first king of united Italy Victor Emmanuel II and the great painter Raphael.
The Pantheon is open: Mon-Sat: 9:00-19:15, Wed: 9:00-17:45.
It is located at the address: Piazza della Rotonda.
Want to visit the Pantheon in Rome? Follow the link to the official ticket platform to buy tickets to visit it with an audio guide and avoid queues at the entrance.
Piazza Navona
Among the squares, what to see in Rome in 2 days, it is worth highlighting Piazza Navona. The most beautiful place in Rome has become the center of artists, musicians, and painters.
Every day this square is crowded. Performances against the background of the works of Bernini and Borromini, as if arranged a competition in the skill of sculpture and architecture. What to see in Rome in this square? Take a look around, everything here is worthy of your attention!
Italians tell legends about creative disputes between the two great masters, but history puts everything in its place. And the grimace of disgust of one of the statues of Bernini’s fountain, facing the Borromini Church, turns out to be accidental, not invented by the creator. After all, the Church of St. Agnes appeared later than the Fountain of the Four Rivers.
Piazza Navona was once the arena of an ancient stadium
People began to settle in this area of Rome in the Middle Ages. After that, the Church of St. Agnes and the Basilica of the Virgin Mary appeared. Now this square will give you special emotions from what to see in Rome in 2 days.
Address: Piazza Navona
The Gardens of Villa Borghese
The gardens of Villa Borghese are free to visit in Rome. A tour of the Borghese Gallery is quite expensive, but you can admire the gardens for free in Rome. The gardens have an incredible number of very beautiful plants, fountains, ancient Roman sculptures. Here you can even find monuments to Pushkin and Gogol!
But if you still want to visit the gallery itself, we advise you to buy tickets in advance online. You can do it on the official ticket platform at the link.
Once the gardens appeared in this place of Rome by order of Cardinal Shipione Berghese, this important event took place in the XVII century. And two centuries later the garden acquired a modern look in the English style. What to see in the gardens of Villa Borghese:
- the smallest movie theater (according to the Guinness Book of World Records)
- a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe
Address: Villa Borghese, Piazza del Popolo
The Aventine Keyhole of the Order of Malta (Buco Della Serratura)
There is one more attraction in Rome that doesn’t seem to present anything unique. The keyhole will give you the opportunity to see 3 states at once:
- The Vatican
- The Order of Malta
- Italy
Here’s what’s worth seeing in two days in Rome. Find the Castle Well in Rome on the Aventine Hill, Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta not far from the equally famous Orange Garden.
Address: Aventino hill
The Mouth of Truth Sculpture (Bocca della Verità)
What to see in Rome in 2 days for free related to interesting legends? A stone disk-face with hollows instead of eyes and mouth can be found near the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. It was once believed that a liar would lose his hand if he placed his hand inside.
There are no documents confirming this action, but it is known that this is how marital fidelity was tested for a long time.
It was the movie about Rome, Roman Holiday, that gave the Mouth of Truth its popularity.
Open: Mon-Fri 9:30-17:30
Address: 18 Bocca della Verità Square (Circus Maximus)
The Ancient Appian Way
The road of about 540 km appeared thanks to the consul of the Roman Republic Appius Caecus at the end of the IV century BC.
It took almost two hundred years to build the famous road. Along the road you can see ancient ruins, museums and catacombs.
The Appian Way is surrounded not only by pine trees, but also by numerous ruins, museums and catacombs. Among the latter are the “cities of the dead”, the catacombs:
- San Callisto
- San Sebastiano
Want to join a bicycle tour along the Appian Way? You can sign up for the tour online via a link on the official ticketing platform.
The best time to see this Roman road is on weekends, when no cars are allowed here. This is just a small list of what to see in Rome in 2 days is a must-see.
Well, if you have more than two days for a vacation in Rome, earlier we wrote what to see in Rome in 4 days.
