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Now I have done a number of day trips in the past, and I have done lots of trips to Italy as you will find, but I have never in my life considered doing Rome in a day before. I had been to Rome before during COVID19, and when my friend mentioned that she hadn’t been to a World Wonder before I said we need to change that this year and so suggested that we could easily do Rome in a day.
I booked our tickets with Ryanair for a day trip in Rome, Italy which for people cost around £120 ( a very questionable airline lol , more on this later) and planned everything which only made sense given my recent launch on my travel company Ayoviama.com.
Anyways this post is for anyone looking for a Rome in a day itinerary, where I will be sharing more detail on what I ate with Secret Food Tours, where I share my vert own Secret Food tours Rome Reviews, my experience on travelling to Rome for the second time. And just how I was able to squeeze in a few key iconic landmarks, a slight (very) travel hiccup, and another country in Vatican City.
Related post: A Travel Guide for Italy: 3 Amazing days in Italy, Rome
Key Things to Know Before Doing A Day Trip In Rome Italy
- Internet: You’ll definitely want internet while exploring the city. I usually use **Airalo for an eSIM**, which allow you to get mobile data as soon as you land.
- Travel Insurance: I recommend anyone travelling should have travel insurance which you can get via SafetyWing here.
- Payments: Most places in Rome accept card payments, so you rarely need to carry much cash.
- The British Embassy: The Embassy is in Rome. Here is the address: Via 20 Settembre 80A – 00187 Roma (Lazio). You can always check your countries Embassy on Embassies.info. You should always do this before you travel even if you are doing Rome in a day.
About Rome
Rome is the capital city and is often reffered to as the “City of Seven Hills” due to its geography and also being knowns as the “Eternal City”. It is one of the most populated with a populations of 2.7 million. It holds the smallest country in the world and the headquarters of the worldwide Catholic Church Vatican City.
Entry Requirements for Rome in a Day
For UK citizens you can travel to Italy without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180 day period. For Canadian and US citizens you can can enter Italy visa-free for stays of up to 90 days, so a Rome day trip you will have no issue at all. Nigerian passport holders do need a Schengen visa to enter Italy as Nigeria is not on the visa-exempt list. For all other countries you can find out more via iVisa.
For a day trip in Rome Italy, you’re well within that limit. However, I will also say that your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the day you plan to leave.
EES – The New Biometric Check The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is now being implemented across the Schengen area. When you travel into Italy, you may need to register your biometric details, this will include fingerprints and a photo at a special booth before proceeding to immigration. There is currently no cost for this. Biometric kiosks are already installed at Rome Fiumicino, so factor in a little extra time at the airport if needed. GOV.UK.
ETIAS – Coming Later in 2026 From the final quarter of 2026, UK travellers will need to apply for the ETIAS travel authorisation before entering Italy. This isn’t a visa, it’s an online authorisation to improve border security, and it’s quick to complete. Keep an eye on this if you’re planning a trip later in the year. You can read more about this here.
Always check the UK FCDO Government’s Italy travel page before you go, as requirements can change.
Getting to Rome
One thing I will flag that I didn’t pick up from my first time in Rome was that the city has two international airports, and they are not the same. They are literally 30-40 mins from one another.
On my first visit I flew into Fiumicino (FCO), the main hub, well connected to the city centre by the Leonardo Express train. However, on my recent second trip I landed at Ciampino (CIA), a much smaller airport used mainly by budget carriers, further out and requires a bus or taxi/Uber transfer into the city.
Neither are bad at all, but it is certainly worth knowing which one you’re flying into especially if you are doing Rome for a day.
The Ryanair “Experience”
Now, I promised earlier that I’d come back to you on the Ryanair “experience”. I mentioned earlier that we was only supposed to Rome in a day right. However, Rome in a day turned into an overnight stay, and not by choice.
After boarding our flight home, we sat on the plane for over three hours before being told there was a leakage on the runway. What are the chances? The flight was cancelled, and before we knew it we were being shuttled to a hotel. We had a two hour nap before heading straight back to the airport to fly home the next morning. So technically, I did stay the night in Rome just not quite in the way I would hope of plan too.
The silver lining? At least I always travel with travel insurance which should cover the misshapps. I use SafetyWing get it here.
The Food Tour with Secret Food Tours
I did a food tour with Secret Food Tours Rome, a company that runs small-group (no more than 4) food tours in cities around the world with a focus on going beyond the tourist trail. The secret food tours Rome last about three hours and the experience in Rome takes you to the places Romans actually use still today. These are places like the neighborhood bar, the family-run bakery, the cheese shop that’s been slicing Parmigiano for generations. All of it is super authentic and soo amazing. Below is a list of things I ate:
1. Coffee: We started with the same way that most if not every Roman starts their day. With an espresso in about 45 seconds, and feeling immediately better about everything. I am not fan of drinking coffee so only had a sip but the short, dark, slightly sweet drink is certainly that the type of coffee that makes you understand why the Italian espresso is still the global benchmark.
2. At the cheese meats and wine shop we had a spread that made a very decent lunch on its own. It included:
- Stracciatella – creamy, milky, delicate. The inner soul of burrata.
- Buffalo Mozzarella
- Parmigiano Reggiano – aged, crystalline, nutty. A completely different beast from what you get at home.
- Pecorino Romano- quite sharp and salty. Suddenly the backbone of half of Rome’s pasta dishes made sense to me.
- Mortadella – a silky and aromatic, nothing like its processed supermarket cousin.
- Salame “Pressata Romana” – a Roman pressed salami, mild and herby, perfect against the sharper cheeses.
And to end this all we had a glass of local white wine alongside all of this all before 11 am in the morning!
3. The Forno: At the Forno, a bakery and pizza-by-the-slice shop, and in Rome it is a civic institution. There was a super long line but because of Secrets Food Tour we didn’t have to wait too long: We tried three things:
- Supplì (in French meaning suprise) – a fried risotto balls with a molten mozzarella centre. Rome’s version of arancini, and arguably better: crunchier shell, creamier fill, more savoury depth.
- Pizza con le patate – pizza topped with thinly sliced potatoes, olive oil, and rosemary. Sounds like carbs on carbs.
- Pizza Margherita – thin, crisp, Roman-style base. Sold by weight, cut with scissors and super cheesy my favourite.
4. The Pastry Shop: A brief but essential stop for a miniature Cannoli Siciliani filled with fresh ricotta. This was a bite-sized, crisp shell, lightly sweet, billowing with fresh cheese. Small enough to leave you wanting more, which for me, as it turns out, was good preparation for what came later in Vatican City (more on this later hehe)
5. At the Holy Trinity: The sit-down was the centerpiece of the tour where we had three of Rome’s most iconic pasta dishes, in order:
- Carciofi alla Romana. This is a Roman style artichoke braised with garlic, mint, and olive oil until completely tender. Earthy, silky, and totally unlike any artichoke I’d had before.
- Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe. This is a thick spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper. Just cheese, pepper, and pasta water transformed into something impossibly rich. After tasting the Pecorino earlier in the day, the dish clicked in a completely new way.
- Rigatoni all’Amatriciana. This is guanciale and tomato sauce with Pecorino on ridged rigatoni that catches every drop absolutely my favourite.
All super delicious, however, I will say I need to make my pasta al dente because this was a shock to my system LOL!
6. The Gelateria: The tour finished with artisanal gelato. The key word is artisanal because in Rome where the gelato is stored in covered metal containers rather than piled high in bright coloured mounds (those heaps are typically loaded with artificial flavouring). The texture is denser, the flavours cleaner, and the experience is entirely different.
Overall, I would say that the Secret Food Tour Rome was brilliant and I would highly recommend you can book the exact same tour here.
Rome in a Day Itinerary
After the food tour with Secret Food Tours we decided to go and visit some landmarks like the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and of course the Vatican city.
- Colosseum – A World Wonder – This was my second time visiting the Colosseum and it was very different. The first time it was empty there was no tourist; however when I went this time around it was packed with tourist. I just went to see it but you can book a tour via GetYourGuide here.
- Trevi Fountain – Trevi Fountain is touristy, indeed. The first time I went in 2020 it was so quite there was literally no one there. However, this time I could barely even take content lol. There was so much noise and too many people that it was a very in out situation.
- Vatican City – The day finished in Vatican City with the snack that deserved to close everything, a peanut and pistachio cannoli. This was my second time standing in Vatican City and I feel like I spent a bit more time exploring it, which was nice. You can easily walk here from Trevi Fountain or catch an Uber. Or you can get a tour via GetYourGuide here.
More Travel Tools & Resources for Rome in A Day
- My Instagram and TikTok have quick snap videos on the specifics of my visit to Rome and DM me if you have any questions about your trip.
- Before going to any of these countries, I recommend visiting the Foreign Advice Page for U.K. travellers. Check if you need visas here.
- Book with Viator or Get Your Guide if you want specific tours for Rome. Please read the reviews before booking!
- Get travel insurance, I recommend anyone travelling should have travel insurance which you can get via SafetyWing here.
- I used Airlo, an e-SIM card, for data. You can purchase it here and use the code ADEBOL5279 for a discount.
Final Views on Rome in a Day
Rome in a day is a very easily trip to do and is genuinely very achievable, especially with a food tour to anchor the morning. Secret Food Tours Rome made the day really because I was able to eat local food that really went into the Roman history rather than just a tasting menu.
What do you think would you be doing a Rome in a day trip anytime soon? Or have you ever considered a day trip in Rome Italy?
Let me know in the comments and as always.
Speak soon,
MBV x
