Hello..

Was wondering if anyone can give me suggestions as to what to do with only 1 day in Rome, I'll be coming off a cruise and have to fly back the next day... its my first time there...
Thanks..

See the colloseum, pantheon and have lunch.

Or see the vatican...

That's very good.

I would say: See the colloseum, pantheon and have lunch on Piazza Navona.

Or see the vatican...

Tough question. Kind of like: "I have only one day in the USA, suggestions?"

I agree with the above, except that I like to have lunch on the Campo dei Fiori!

But there's no way you can tackle the Vatian in that time frame-you can however, go over at night, and walk around the Piazza of St. Peter's to see the Vatican in all its lit-up glory-it is truly stunning at night, and there's virtually no one there.

Have a drink before lunch in Piazza Navona; prosecco, a dry white bubbly wine is nice and not too expensive.

Do not have lunch in Piazza Navona; have it in one of the many restaurants in the streets around Navona: less expensive and probably better food.

With one day, I'd get up early to see the Colosseum as soon as it opens. I'd also do a walk through the heart of the city.

Rick Steves' Rome book has a good walking tour that includes some of the most famous piazzas, the Pantheon, some of the famous fountains (Trevi, etc.) and the Spanish steps. He recommends doing it at night. There are other walking tour guides or you could hire a private guide.

So, if do the Coloseum early, you could take a taxi or the metro to hit the Vatican for a quick look-see at midday, then do an evening walking tour that will allow you to see many more of Rome's high points.

It would be a long day, but a fun one. Take plenty of water and stop for gelato often.

Colosseum and Pantheon are not exactly in the same place - to make the most of your trip, you'll need to use a taxi or two.
Unless you have special contacts that can get you past the queues, you probably don't want to spend your time waiting to get into the vatican; instead, I would start at St Peter's , then walk up the Via Conciliazione to the river, cross over the bridge, and follow your nose into the centro storico, exploring whatever little streets, churches and then restaurants take your fancy. Eventually you will find your way to the campo di fiori, and pizza navonna, and possibly the Pantheon. Wherever you end up, you can't really go wrong.
THen, depending on your interests, get a cab to one of three places -
the colosseum [and possibly the Forum, if only to buy your colosseum tickets and avoid the queue, or sign up for a tour when you get there],
THe capitaline to see the church on teh top and the museums there, or
THe galleria borghese [book your time slot on line before you leave, as it's reservations only].
Whatever you decide, come to terms with the fact you can't see it all and enjoy what you do get to see!

I urge you to pick a few things to see and not to cram too much into your visit.

We have been to Rome 3 times. The first two times it was not so crowded in the fall and the weather was lovely. We spent several days on each trip and took our time visiting the sights and neighbourhoods. In May, we were there for just one day. We tried to see too much...it was hot...crowded and we walked for more than 7 hours. My husband and I agreed that if this was our first and only visit to Rome, we would have been disappointed. Clearly our own fault for trying to do too much.

It is difficult to pop into the Vatican midday and and take a quick look see. Unless you have a reservation for a tour at the museum, you are likely to encounter very long line ups...it is not possible to see anything quickly in the museum.
You could see the exterior of St. Peter's and walk around the square perhaps. If the line up is not too long, you could visit inside the basilica.

I think the idea to see the colloseum...walk through the roman forum and make your way up the hill to the Campidoglio...then over the the pantheon...from there to Piazza Navona stopping for lunch along the way somewhere would be a full and impressive day.

Don't forget to eat gelati along the way! Enjoy your visit.

If I had only one day in Rome, my choice would be to wander around the ruins near the Colosseum/Forum. Several years ago I was in Rome for only two and a half days and didn't get to spend nearly enough time wandering the ruins. My companions wanted to move on elsewhere, and they were right, but I easily could have spent the rest of the day in that area.

I see you say that you are just coming off a cruise and will be in Rome for the day...likely sleeping in Rome.

I add to my above suggestion that at around 4-5pm...go to St. Peter's as there are usually no line ups at the end of the day. You could wander around the basilica for a couple of hours and it would be a nice end to your day before finding a nice place for dinner.

In good weather, see the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, the Forum. Later, if time allows, see the Pantheon (which is free and a rather quick visit, but very impressive). Be sure to see the Trevi Fountain at night.
Or, if bad weather, see the Vatican Museums and St. Peters.
But, do you have a full day? Re-reading your post, it sounds like less than that.
If you're really time-crunched, maybe see the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, walk the side streets, go up Spanish Steps, window shop on via Condotti...
Too much to do in such a short time, so just pick one thing and make sure you see it.
Eat at Maccheroni Ristorante at Piazza delle Coppelle, 44, phone 06 68307895. It’s very popular with locals and gets very busy. The service is friendly and the atmosphere is lively and interesting. About 47 EUR for two, with one-half liter of house wine. It will give you a feel for Roman casual dining.
Enjoy your limited visit to Rome!

I would definitely head to the Colosseum first. I would have a hard time imaging going to Rome and not seeing it. It's an amazing sight. From there I would wander around the Forum and then head towards the Pantheon. I would finish with dinner somewhere near Piazza Navona.

Tracy

Palatine hill is closed until further notice due to unstable ground which is giving way. There is an equally nice view of the forum for the hill at the Campidoglio.