What's open on Sundays in Rome?

Sunday in Rome is quieter than weekdays but far from shut down. The Vatican Museums are open (book in advance; the queue without a reservation is genuinely brutal), and the major basilicas — St. Peter's, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano — are free and accessible, though Mass schedules affect which areas you can enter. Most museums run normal hours, including the Borghese Gallery, which requires advance booking regardless of the day. Supermarkets in central neighborhoods like Prati and Trastevere typically open by mid-morning, and bars and cafés run their usual hours throughout. Many small, family-run restaurants actually do strong Sunday lunch service, so it's a good day to sit down for a proper meal. What closes: most neighborhood shops, some pharmacies (look for the rotating on-call sign posted in windows), and government offices. Avoid expecting Sunday to feel like a workday; it moves at a different pace, and that's worth working with rather than against.

Trip Friend knows Rome cold.

Plan a real trip there, and Trip Friend can answer every follow-up — with your dates, your style, and your places baked into the conversation.

• Where do locals actually go for aperitivo in Rome?
• Where do locals drink coffee in Rome?
• What does a local breakfast look like in Rome?
• Where is the street food in Rome actually good?
• Where can I eat after midnight in Rome?
• How do I get from the airport to the city in Rome?