The Ultimate Rome Bucket List (with costs for 2026)

How much will your Rome bucket list cost?

If you pack your patience and know what to book in advance, you can experience the major sites in Rome on a budget. We’ve calculated that you can see nearly ALL of the essential places and museums for less than €150 euros per person.

The Eternal City has a lot to offer tourists. Some of the most famous places, like the Trevi Fountain, are free to see, and places like the Colosseum are only € 24 for a timed entry ticket.

I spent a summer living in Rome in 2015. During that summer, I did pretty much everything I wanted to do in Rome at least twice. If I skipped it, it was not important.

When we returned in 2025 for a week, we decided we HAD to revisit the essential Roman spots. There are some places that demand your time and attention—like the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Vatican museums.

If you’re planning on visiting Rome for a few days (or a week), here’s what you can expect to spend to visit the most popular sites. I would plan for a minimum of 3 full days in Rome for a visit, but if you can stay longer, 5 days is an ideal length to see the sites at a slower pace, have lots of great meals, and take in the magic of Rome.

Note: While we usually write about family-friendly travel, this itinerary is NOT geared towards children. While our daughter was with us on this trip, we did not spend most of the time catering to her (like we usually do).

---

Must-See Activities in Rome

Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill (Colosseo, Foro Romano, and Palantino): €24 pp or €48 (2 adults + 1 child)

• 1 ticket gives you access to all three places, and this can fill half a day easily. For €24 you can get a timed entry ticket, and tickets go as low as €18 (even cheaper for EU citizens!)

• If you download audio guides and explore every nook and cranny, you could probably spend the entire day in the area.

• Where to purchase: Always purchase on the official Colosseo.it website in order to get the best price.

• Note: Special tickets for the underground or the attic of the Colosseum are more money and go faster on the official website; this is when you might consider booking a pricier tour on Viator or Get Your Guide if you really want the underground tickets.

• For our recent visit, we did pay for a family friendly tour with Maria Claudia tours which was €185 total for all 3 of us.

Domus Aurea (The Golden House of Nero): €26pp or €52 (2 adults + 1 child)

• The Golden House of Nero is less famous, but is VERY interesting. And honestly, for the price we paid for a guided tour, it felt like a STEAL.

• Nero built this after the great fire of Rome in 64 AD. Because Nero was NOT popular, and the emperors that followed wanted to bury his name and evidence of his leadership, the Golden House was also buried. It’s not very noticeable and is just up the hill from the Colosseum.

• You have to go on a guided tour, so make sure to check the language when you book a time.

• The guided tour comes with a VR experience for individuals ages 8+. This allows you to look around underground and see what it would have actually looked like in Nero’s time.

• Where to purchase: Always purchase on the official Colosseo.it website in order to get the best price.

Domus Aurea

Vatican Museum

Vatican Museums: €25pp or €68 (2 adults + 1 child with audioguide)

• Seeing ALL the art in the Vatican museums is impossible. But you can visit some highlights in 2-3 hours.

• Tip: We like to go to the Vatican in the morning and then get lunch. Early or late is best to avoid the crowds in Vatican City.

• Adults: €25 each

• Child with children’s map and kid-friendly audioguide €18

• We booked our timed entry tickets 4 months in advance.

St. Peter’s Basilica €7pp or €14 (2 adults + 1 child)

• The Basilica is free to enter, but you do have to pay in order to reserve a timed entry online. It’s €7 online to book.

• We visited during a jubilee year and at Christmas, so the timed entry ticket was essential. We still had to wait in line, but it was a shorter line than those who did not have tickets.

• To visit the dome via the stairs, add €10 per person.

• To visit the dome via the elevator, plan to spend €22 per person.

Castel Sant’Angelo

Colosseum

Castel Sant’Angelo €16pp or €48 (2 adults + 1 child)

• Castel Sant Angelo is beautiful from the outside; there is a pedestrian bridge that leads up to it and it is picture perfect.

• You do not have to go in, but learning the story of the castle and getting to look down on Rome from the fortress is pretty amazing. (This was once the tallest building in Rome.)

• Free on the first Sunday of each month. (You must queue for these days, you cannot book a free ticket online.)

• The museum is closed on Mondays. 

• Buy the tickets on CoopCulture website.

Pantheon €5pp or €12 (2 adults + 1 child)

• Get to the Pantheon early in the morning (by 10am) and bring cash! This will save you so much time.

  • The line for people who purchased tickets ahead of time was 3 times longer than the cash line.

• It costs only €5 to get in per person.

• The Pantheon was FREE until 2023; it seems that by charging for it, it has become more popular. You used to be able to just pop into the Pantheon during a walk to or from somewhere else.

Borghese Gallery (Galleria Borghese) € 16pp

• Get your fill of some of the most beautiful art in the world. The Borghese features masterpieces by artists such as Caravaggio, Bernini, and Raphael.

• Free on the first Sunday of the month.

• The gallery is closed on Mondays. 

Capitoline Museum (Musei Capitolini) €11pp or € 22 (2 adults + 1 child)

• The Capitoline Museum has some of the most amazing sculptures in Rome.

• It’s also one of my favorite places to visit in the summer when it’s hot and you need a break.

Capuchin Crypt €11pp or € 28.50 (2 adults + 1 child)

• Also known as Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini or simply “the bone church.”

• This crypt features the remains of monks displayed in artistic ways.

• It’s much smaller than some other places like the catacombs in Paris, so if you are claustrophobic, I would skip it!

• Note: When we first visited this site during the summer, we felt a bit nauseous during our walk through the crypt. If you have a sensitive stomach, you might want to skip this! This might be better for a winter visit.

Free and nearly free Activities in Rome:

Some of the most beautiful spots in Rome are the piazzas, churches, and fountains. You could spend an entire time walking around just spend money on espresso and gelato.

• Walk around Campo de’Fiori and look at the food and clothing stalls. There are lots of affordable trinkets. We only spent €5 on a Canvas bag and bracelet for our daughter.

• Walk around Piazza Navona and enjoy the fountains.

  • During the Christmas season, there are market stalls and children can ride on the carousel for €3.

• Visit the Trevi Fountain (but bring a coin to throw in!)

• Walk up the Spanish Steps.

• Visit a church. We love to stop by Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.

Roman Forum

Piazza Navona

Bonus: Family Activities in Rome in December

These are the specific, family-friendly activities we paid for in Rome during our December visit.

• Family Cooking Class: Pizza and Tiramisu €55pp / €155 for a family of 3

  • For a 2.5 hour class, we participated in a family cooking class which we booked on Viator.

  • The event was hosted by Rome with Chef in a small kitchen. There were three families there and we had a GREAT time.

  • We visited on New Year’s Eve, so the price was a bit higher, but you could book the same experience for €30 per person. (In fact, we had booked the same cooking class for a different day and had a lower price, but our plans changed.) The price varies greatly depending on the time of year and demand.

• Christmas World: €16 pp or €48 for family ticket

  • Christmas World is a pop-up amusement park in the Borghese Gardens.

  • You first pay to get into Christmas World (with a timed entry ticket, or you can line up outside when they open.)

  • There are elves walking around, and there are free shows (in Italian), and then you pay for each additional ride.

  • Rides cost about €3 to €5 each. I would plan to spend an additional €20 per child for any visit to Christmas World. (Add more for ice-skating!)

  • There are also food stalls to explore, too. And we grabbed a snack here before heading back to the city.

Cost of Transportation in Rome: €80 total for 1 week

• Rome is a VERY walkable city; you can get around easily. So, bring good shoes and be prepared to travel by foot to really experience the city.

• If you need a break, you can download the ATAC app in order to purchase tickets for the bus, tram, or metro.

• Train from airport to Termini:

  • The Leonardo Express train takes about 32 mins and costs €14 and 1 child is free when traveling with a 1 paying adult.

    • Children under 4 are always free.

• Cabs (we tried to walk, but you can plan to use cabs a couple times, especially when traveling with luggage).

  • We used the Freenow App by Lyft. You can also pay the cabs in cash, and may save money that way.

  • Plan for anywhere from €10 to €15 for a short cab ride under 2 miles.

---

We visited Rome in December of 2025. Read more about our travels below.