Things to do in Rome

Four full days is the realistic minimum — one for the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine, one for the Vatican (Sistine Chapel and St Peter's), one for the centro storico (Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi) and one for Trastevere and a slower pace. A week if you also want Ostia Antica and a Castelli Romani day trip.

The Pantheon — and you no longer have to queue much, just walk in (booking required at busy times now). The oculus, the unreinforced concrete dome that's still the largest in the world after 1900 years, and the porphyry tomb of Raphael in a working basilica with mass on Sundays.

Trastevere — cobbled medieval lanes, ivy-covered façades, the Basilica di Santa Maria with 12th-century mosaics, and dinner spots like Da Enzo or Roma Sparita. Across the Tiber from the centro storico, walkable everywhere, with proper Roman trattorias instead of tourist-trap menus.

The four pasta pillars — cacio e pepe, gricia, amatriciana and carbonara — all eaten in the same week. Try cacio e pepe at Felice a Testaccio, carbonara at Roscioli, and saltimbocca alla romana (veal with prosciutto and sage) at Da Cesare. Eat supplì (fried rice balls) on the go.

Walk the centro storico — most of what you want is between Termini and the Vatican on foot. The Metro is only really useful for Colosseo (Line B) and Ottaviano for the Vatican (Line A). The bus 64 from Termini to St Peter's is famous mostly for pickpockets — keep your bag close.

The Aventine Keyhole — peer through the bronze door of the Knights of Malta priory on the Aventine hill and you'll see St Peter's framed perfectly between hedges. Climb up via the Orange Garden (Giardino degli Aranci) for one of the city's most peaceful viewpoints.