We had only 2 days to explore Rome, so we headed off on foot from Hotel Colonna Palace, trying to follow the walking path laid out in the Italy Lonely Planet. The Hotel Colonna Palace is directly opposite the Italian Parliament so we had already had a good look at that from our hotel room window. We walked to the Pantheon about 5 minutes away, and then through the back streets to the Piazza Venezia. Here is the huge monument to Vittorio Emanuaele II and the tomb of the Lost Soldier - also known as the Wedding Cake or the Typewriter. Make sure you walk up the to the top where you get a great view across to the dome of St Peters Basilica, across the Forum to the Colosseum and across the rooftops of Rome. Go inside to tour the museum - especially if the weather is hot as the marble interior makes it nice and cool.
We then walked along to the Forum and the Colosseum and stopped for lunch before touring these two crowded attractions.
From the Colosseum we caught a taxi to the Spanish Steps as our feet were in need of a rest and the day was very hot.
From the Spanish Steps we shopped our way back along the Via Condotti and the Via del Corso to Trevi Fountain. It was then only a short walk back to the Colonna Palace Hotel for a cool drink and a rest up before walking to the lively Piazza Navona for dinner. The Piazza is surrounded by restaurants and has lots of artists doing painting in the middle of the piazza. The restaurants are there for the tourists and charge accordingly. Our food wasn't that great either. Try to get a recommendation for a restaurant as a good one is hard to find without local knowledge.
The next morning we picked up the open-top bus at the Piazza Venezia and visited the Vatican. Get there early to avoid the queues and crowds. The open-top bus is highly recommended and had a good audio guide. It cost 13 euro each for the day and made getting around easy. Don’t' forget your hat if the weather’s hot!