How many days do I need to cover major sights in Rome

I think that 8 days are the minimum if you want to visit the Domus Aurea (or Ostia Antica or the roman houses under Palazzo Valentini) and you are interested in sculpture and painting.
In 3 days (4 nights) you can see the Colosseum/Forum, the Vatican Museums with Saint Peter's and take a walk from the Pantheon to Trevi fountain.
Some spend days inside the Vatican Museums and others run to the Chapel ignoring the Laocoön, it is a matter of tastes.

My first visit as an adult was 6 nights, which gave me 5 full days. Depending on your energy and definition of "major sights" 4 could work, I think 5 was good, but I've gone back and will do so again and still haven't seen everything I want.

Vatican - if you want the museum and the church and the dome climb then that is most of a day. You will want a rest, then you will have an evening for a stroll but not time or energy for another big sight. If you love museums and can linger for many hours, then this plan may even be too short. I personally like museums but find the Vatican Museums too crowded to enjoy for very long. Much more so than other famous museums like the Louvre or Prado. Personally, I would do the museums via early entry tour one day, then do something else after, and a different day go to the Basilica early, if you have the time. Helps beat the crowds.

Colosseum - if you mean the Colosseum and Forum and Palatine, then one day is fine. If you start adding in everything nearby then it adds up fast.

Here is how I did my first 5-day trip. These are the big sights I saw, we popped into smaller things and spent lots of time walking and eating too. We'd walk around different neighborhoods at and after dinner so saw outdoor things like squares, obelisks, and views that way. I also am probably forgetting something.

0 - arrival day - arrive afternoon, rest, Rick's Heart of Rome walk at night (Trevi Fountain, Pantheon outside, Piazza Navona, Campo di Fiori...)
1 - Pantheon in the morning, Borghese Museum in the afternoon
2 - Vatican - Pristine Sistine Tour, wine tasting dinner at night
3 - Capitoline Museum, a few churches and ruins in that area, dinner and walk in Trastevere
4 - Tour of Colosseum and Forum
5 - Multiple churches, San Clemente, John the Lateran, Mary Maggiore
6 - go home

It depends on what really interests you and how much you like to cram into a day. Rick Steves offers some sample itineraries here ranging from one to seven days. Might help you decide priorities and also inform about places beyond the Vatican and Colosseo, et. al.

Hi Calvin -
Oof, I don't know as there's an easy answer as there are so many variables!

My list of must-do list of "major" sights might be longer than yours.
My stamina level might be different than yours.
The amount of time I might wish to spend at each attraction might be longer or shorter than your preference.
My tolerance for crowds might be greater or lesser than yours.
Traveling with small children? That comes with its own constraints.

That said, the minimum I usually recommend for first-timers to Rome is 4 nights/3 full days. Arrival day can be a jet-lagged haze so a fresh-air walk by some of the piazzas, fountains and whatnot is a good activity for staying awake.

Grouping attractions by area is a time saver so yes, I'd do the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine on one of your full days as they're right next to each other. It's not difficult to slip the Pantheon into that day either.

St Peter's and the Vatican Museums should be done on another full day to avoid backtracking, and can eat up the better part of it depending on how much time you care to spend. Some folks sign up for 3-hour combo tours which include both the museums (selected highlights only) and the basilica, and others prefer to wander the museums on their own for twice as long. Heavy crowds can be wearing at the Vatican so if you hate those, you might be fine with just 1/2 a day.

That leaves one full day for "majors" of your choice. If archeology and Roman history are your thing - and it's a sunny day - you can't much do better than a long ramble on the Appia Antica: oodles of fascinating things to see along the way. Are you an art lover? Then a couple of hours at Galleria Borghese is a MUST. Follow it up with a stroll through Villa Borghese, over to the Pincio and down into Piazza del Popolo; take in the Caravaggios and other important works at Santa Maria del Popolo church. Head down to Basilica di Sant'Andrea delle Fratte to see the two Bernini angels which were supposed to be placed with his student's carvings on lovely Ponte Sant'Angelo. On overload? A day just to wander around Trastevere and the Jewish Ghetto might be a welcome break from museums and indoor attractions.

I love Rome and have spent a week and more there without coming close to running out of things to do - popping in and out of its many glorious churches can keep me occupied for DAYS - but we're all different.

And after you see the sights inside the city, you can move to the suburbs where there are many other sights to see.

Our first experience in Rome was two days as the last location of a RS tour. We saw the Coliseum/Roman Forum the first day and the Vatican the second day - full, exhausting hot days with so much to see! We came back to Rome on a different trip on our own and stayed four days. We enjoyed staying near the Pantheon and saw more major sites, participated in a fun cooking class, and spent half a day at Ostia Antica.

Our first stay in Rome, part of a longer trip a few years ago, was only 2 nights and consisted of a fly-by using the Hop-On-Hop-Off buses. We did stop at the outside of the Colosseum and took the Vatican tour. Also visited the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere, but that was about it. In short, it was not particularly fulfilling at all, and I was not overly impressed.

Didn't make it back to Roma until this past March, when through some Chicago acquaintances we had met in Salerno a couple years prior, were advised to rent an apartment and embrace the vibe of the Eternal City. What a difference! We had a second-floor walkup overlooking the Campo de' Fiori market for six nights, got ourselves a weekly bus pass, and just grooved by shopping each morning at the market, stopping for an early morning caffe, and exploring the city from one end to the other. Our friends turned us on to so many under-the-radar places like the Baths of Diocletian, Villa Torlonia, and St. Costanza, and I know there's so much more to see. It felt like home, and we were sad to leave. No doubt we'll be back for a longer stay.

So...2-3 days will get you the Cliff Notes' version of Rome at best, and at worst a misconception about one of the world's great cities.

So...2-3 days will get you the Cliff Notes' version of Rome at best,
and at worst a misconception about one of the world's great cities.

Wise words from our Jay. :O)
Seems a fair amount of folks who didn't find Rome to their liking just didn't give it enough time to get to know her. If one is just running from one big tourist magnet to the next - and spending all of their time wading through the crowds at those places - one might not come away with the best impression. It helps to not to have to plan every day down to the minute to try and cram it all in. Allowing some "down" time just to take a few breathers and/or explore the less-overrun corners can make a big difference.

And please avoid hoho buses if at all possible! Not a good way to get around this particular city.

We did most of the major sights with 3 nights 2 full days. For me that was enough Rome. We actually were considering leaving after the 2nd night. In full disclosure I do prefer small towns/villages with the exception of London:)

As you can tell by the replies this is very much “how long is a piece of string?” question.

If Rome for you just means St Peters, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, and a quick jaunt thru The Forum, then 2 or 3 full days is just fine. If you are interested in a plan heavy with churches and museums then a week would not be enough.

It depends on the overall length of the trip and your personal intersts.
For a typical 2 week vacation, I’d stay 3 nights minimum, but 4 nights are better.

I’m with much of the other posters on this. Three solid days would allow you to cover all the “must-see” sights, but you need to be efficient with that time. A Roma Pass, and advance tickets should be used whenever possible. Also, be flexible! There’s so many sights to choose from. The old RS axiom “assume you will return” served me well in Rome. You need to make priorities, but not be afraid to change them if you’re not up to it. The two times I had tried to visit St. Peter’s the lines were insane. I decided I wasn’t going to waste an afternoon waiting and saw something else instead.

Thank you all for the value inputs. I think I will go by the solid 3 days plan.

Three days will give you a good taste. We have spent three weeks in Rome over the past ten years or so and still haven't hit everything. We spend too much time enjoying our morning coffee and afternoon wine (occasional beer) in the sidewalk cafes. Save a few, you will be back.

One thing I would recommend that you do.... if you are near the Forum, Colosseum area, take the elevator to the top of Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II .
It is next to the Forum. You can see all over Rome and it has wonderful views. You can spend a much time up there as you want and you have 360 degree views of Rome. We loved it and took plenty of pictures.
It is also great for orientation as to where things are in Rome.
It was less than 7 Euros to ride the elevator to the top.

Thank you all again for all the suggestions. Actually, Rome is going to be the first city. I will stay in Florence for 2 nights, and Venice for 2 nights. Any suggestion what to see in these 2 cities? I came across the "Cicchetti" for cheap eats in Venice. It only says item cost range from 1.5 Euro to 3 Euro when you order a glass of wine at the bar. My question is, how much will the wine cost normally?

Hi calvinsun91. Anytime you buy a beverage (wine, coffee or otherwise) at the bar, it will be less expensive by half or more. Table service, street views included, is always more expensive--but also a completely different experience. Inside you rub shoulders with the locals. Outside you're watching the parade go by. Both can be great regardless of cost.

The highlights in any major city is well covered in guidebooks. So go to your library and check out what you need. If you purchase something at the bar, do not then take it to a table. A huge NO. NO, and you will be yelled at and you will not under the Italian being used to describe you to all other Italians. Drink or eat it at the bar.

The roof of the Vittorio Emanuele II monument had large, well-labeled photo murals when I visited two years ago, so you know what you are looking at.

Most of the considerations have already been covered above; I'll just add, it also depends on the season/weather. I was there for five nights (4 1/2 days) in late June, and had to slow down my initial plan due to the heat. I'd do something in the morning, go back to the hotel for a shower/rest, and then go out again later in the afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay, and I saw many amazing things (the Domus Aurea and the evening Colosseum tour were probably my top two).

It only says item cost range from 1.5 Euro to 3 Euro when you order a glass of wine at the bar. My question is, how much will the wine cost normally?

During aperitivo time you can get a small glass also for 1.5-3 Euros. We do not find cicchetti to be a very inexpensive way to eat a meal because they are small, so be prepared to pay 10-20 Euros for your food and wine, depending on how much wine you drink. It is a fun thing to do, so you should experience it. You just might need a plate of pasta afterwards.