2 days in Rome - what are must-sees?

Such a broad question is best answered by a good guidebook. Rick Steves' Rome book gives itinerary advice based on how much time you have. Do you have the book? Actually you might want the Italy book with Firenze and Venezia in it, to.

Just google: "Rome top 10 sights" or something similar and you will have all the info you need.

Day One
Colosseum >> Forum >> Capitoline Hill >> Trevi Fountain >> Spanish Steps >> Piazza del Popolo

Day Two
Vatican Museums >> St. Peter's Basilica >> Castel San Angelo >> Pantheon >> Piazza Navona >> Campo de' Fiori

You should see what is of interest to you. No one can decide this for you. A guide book is your best source of information. Rome has hundreds of sites but not all of them will appeal to you so get a guide book and start reading it to figure out what you want to see and do.

Donna

If I only had two days I would take 2 tours, to get the most bang for your time. RS suggest through eternity tour company as well as Walks thru Italy. I like both companies, small groups(13 or less), and the information they give you really helped us visualize what it was like when Rome was in its glory.
You can of course do this on your own with out a tour company. I don't know where you are staying but everything is a bus or metro(subway) away.

Day 1. Colosseum Tour, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill: In-Depth Experience tour,(5 hr), skip the lines and head set €62 http://www.througheternity.com/tours/rome-group-tours-rome-colosseum-tour-forum-rome
After the tour walk over to the Capitoline Museums (9am-8pm tue-sun)and spend a few hours, look for the She-Wolf@Palazzo in Palazzo dei Conservatori.
Directions from Colosseum to the 2 museums.
Head north on Piazza del Colosseo
Turn left to stay on Piazza del Colosseo
Turn right to stay on Piazza del Colosseo
Turn left onto Via dei Fori Imperiali
Turn left onto Via di San Pietro in Carcere
Turn right at Via del Campidoglio
Take the stairs
Destination will be on the left

Day 2. Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica: In-Depth Experience (5 hr), skip the lines and head set €67. There is an early tour, a bit more money. After this tour, two suggestions. Villa Borghese( need reservations) (catch a bus) or the Pantheon with Piazza Navona, trevi fountain (if its finished with the renovations )and Spanish steps. about a 30 min walk from the Vatican or catch a bus.
http://www.througheternity.com/tours/Vatican-group-tours-vatican-sistine-chapel-tour-in-depth

or Day 1. Rome in a day tour: including vatican, colosseum, historic center & transfer (7.5 hours (includes 1 hr 15 min break) €125
https://www.walksofitaly.com/rome-tours/rome-in-a-day-tour
Day 2. Borghese Gallery and Museum (Monday: closed) Tuesday to Sunday: from 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/evilla.htm
and Pantheon with Piazza Navona.

There is no way I would spend two days in Rome and waste them with a 5 hour and a 7 hour tour.

Visit a few sites that interest you and spend the rest of the time soaking up the city. If you want more indepth tours, come back when you have more time to spend.

Donna

Given the cost of travel a guide book is a bargain. Keeping in mind that one person's must see may be another's forget it, here's Rick's list:

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/rome

▲▲▲ Colosseum Huge stadium where gladiators fought.
▲▲▲ Roman Forum Ancient Rome's main square, with ruins and grand arches.
▲▲▲ Pantheon The defining domed temple.
▲▲▲ St. Peter's Basilica Most impressive church on earth, with Michelangelo's Pietà and dome.
▲▲▲ Vatican Museums Four miles of the finest art of Western civilization, culminating in Michelangelo's glorious Sistine Chapel.
▲▲▲ Borghese Gallery Bernini sculptures and paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael, and Titian in a Baroque palazzo. Reservations mandatory.
▲▲▲ National Museum of Rome Greatest collection of Roman sculpture anywhere.
▲▲▲ Capitoline Museums Ancient statues, mosaics, and expansive view of Forum.
▲▲ Palatine Hill Ruins of emperors' palaces, Circus Maximus view, and museum.
▲▲ Trajan's Column, Market, and Forum Tall column with narrative relief, forum ruins, and museum with entry to Trajan's Market.
▲▲ Museo dell'Ara Pacis Shrine marking the beginning of Rome's Golden Age.
▲▲ Dolce Vita Stroll Evening passeggiata, where Romans strut their stuff.
▲▲ Catacombs Underground tombs, mainly Christian, some outside the city.
▲▲ Church of San Giovanni in Laterano Grandiose and historic “home church of the popes,” with one-of-a-kind Holy Stairs across the street.
▲ Arch of Constantine Honors the emperor who legalized Christianity.
▲ St. Peter-in-Chains Church with Michelangelo's Moses.
▲ Piazza del Campidoglio Square atop Capitoline Hill, designed by Michelangelo, with a museum, grand stairway, and Forum overlooks.
▲ Victor Emmanuel Monument Gigantic edifice celebrating Italian unity, with Rome from the Sky elevator ride up to 360-degree city view.
▲ Trevi Fountain Baroque hot spot into which tourists throw coins to ensure a return trip to Rome.
▲ Castel Sant'Angelo Hadrian's Tomb turned castle, prison, papal refuge, now museum.
▲ Baths of Diocletian Once ancient Rome's immense public baths, now a Michelangelo church.
▲ Santa Maria della Vittoria Church with Bernini's swooning St. Teresa in Ecstasy.
Capuchin Crypt Decorated with the bones of 4,000 Franciscan friars.

Thank you all so very much - I can't tell you how much I appreciate your input!

Maureen,

What I would recommend would depend on how much time you are spending in Italy and what else you are going to see. (Are you going to be what I call museumed out by the time you get to Rome?)

My tops are Coliseum, Roman forum, Borghese (which needs reservations). The Pantheon, I love to go to, can been seen later in the day or evening, with Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona, all later in the day. If you're interested in the Vatican, it probably should be done early and I would suggest a tour, but not everyone is interested. Also, it would help to know when you're going, because seasons and crowds make a difference.

Whenever you're going I hope you have a great time.
Mimi