I've seen some great advice on these forums so I would love your help. My husband and I will be traveling to Rome in May 2016. This will be our first time in Rome and we would like to make the most of it. If there are any other sights or areas that you would recommend please let me know so I can research and try to fit it into our itinerary. I am considering the day tours found on the Walks of Italy and Dark Rome website since there were mixed reviews in other forums for the Viator tours.

Day 1
Explore around the hotel – via Veneto area
Jewish ghetto Area

Day 2
Colosseum
Roman Forum/Palatine Hill
Vittorio Emmanuel II Monument

Day 3
Vatican / St. Peter’s Basilica/ Sistine Chapel
Ponte Sant’Angelo /Castel Sant’Angelo

Day 4
Spanish steps
Trevi Fountain
Capital Hill

Day 5
Pantheon
Piazza Navona
Campo de’ Fioro

Day 6
Day trip to Pomepeii with Alamafi Coast drive (Walks of Italy tour)

Day 7
Borghese Gallery
Pincio Gardens
Piazza del popolo

Day 8
Day trip to Tuscany (dark Rome Tour)

Day 9
Explore Trastevere area

Day 10- Return Home

Pompeii is great but right in the suburbs of Rome is ancient Ostia, Classical Rome's main port and now a ruins that to me is on a par with Pompeii in substance just that it did not get covered by a volcano for eons - Ostia Antica is on a metro line and would take about a half day - can get guided tour once there if want - but a very evocative site each to reach from Rome.

https://www.google.com/search?q=osti...HSw2BXMQsAQIHg

And a short enough bus ride east of Rome is Tivoli and Hadrian's Villa - the former is known for the Villa d'Este and its famous water gardens - built buy a corrupt cardinal or bishop as his country retreat:

https://www.google.com/search?q=vill...HRv_A3IQsAQIGw

Hadrian's Villa is an archaeological site of Emperor Hadrian's once lavish countryside villa - where he led a Bacchanalian life - trysts with young boys, etc.

again an easy to do on your own day trip to Rome. Rome is great but it is also a huge busy city with often foul air - a day in the country is a nice relief IMO.

https://www.google.com/search?q=hadr...HdHdA3sQsAQIGw

So Rome itself has some real gems right on its door step.

PalenQ offers you some good ideas.

I too am a great fan of Ostia Antica and would choose it over a day trip to Pompeii.

Hadrian's Villa is another great idea.

I am not sure about a day trip to "Tuscany" which is a huge region. Where do they take you and what is the transport?

I might want to spend a day in Florence. Since you have 9 days, maybe 2 for Florence and you can do a Tuscany day from there. Lots of recommended operators.

Many Fodorites love Orvieto which is a very quick day trip by train from Rome. Many things there close mid day, so I always suggest going very early or a little later.

You might want to add the Capitoline to your Forum day, but it's a long day, depending on how much you want to see indoors.

There are great museums and fantastic churches chock a block in Rome. Maybe start a little list.

Some of your days - esp Day 5 - is very light. You can use it to explore a couple of neighborhoods or check out additional piazzas/fountains or churches.

As for Pompeii I think it's fantastic. But be aware that there is no shade at all and even i May it can be very bright and hot. Also I would not pick a day in advance in case you get rain - but wait until a day or two before and yo have a good weather forecast.

Ostia Antica is a perfect half day trip from Rome, easily and cheaply done by public transportation as others have noted. There will be less crowds, you can walk around at your own pace, and it also has a nice cafe. Pompeii makes for a long day from Rome. We have done both trips from Rome and would suggest Oestia Antica.

My husband and I took a morning train from Rome to Orvieto last summer and really enjoyed the town. We walked around for a few hours and enjoyed an excellent lunch.

Ostia Antica and Pompeii/Amalfi are both excellent daytrips. I think you can do them both.

Your itinerary of Rome looks overplanned to me and you will see that many things go faster than planned. You have listed many things that require just a few minutes to see.

Day 5
Pantheon
Piazza Navona
Campo de’ Fioro

The Pantheon is perhaps Rome's most magnificent building, but it is quick and easy to visit and you will not spend more than 30 minutes there. Piazza Navona is just a square (though a beautiful one) with three fountains. You will not spend more than half an hour to walk across the square, admire the ensemble and take your photos. And never, ever have a meal or drink in one of the excessively overpriced and poor quality restaurants on this square. Campo de Fiori may require a little more time if you want to browse through the market stands. And here, a meal in Ristorante La Carbonara is really recommendable.

This said, your program would fill not more than half a day. Or, in other words, you win half a day which you can use for a trip to Ostia Antica.

The same applies for several other days of your itinerary. E.g., the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain require not more than a few minutes each. If your hotel is in the Via Veneto you will find out that it is just a short walk to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.

And you will find yourself wandering through town, exploring this magnificent city, peeping into side alleys and finding hidden gems rather than working yourself through a list of single attractions.

>>>Viator tours<<<

I don't believe Viator runs any tours. They are just a booking engine for other company's tours. I think they were bought by Trip Advisor.

>>>Day 1
Explore around the hotel – via Veneto area
Jewish ghetto Area<<<

These aren't close together. Would make more sense to add Spanish Steps and Trevi instead of the ghetto area on day 1. Put the ghetto on your Pantheon/Navona/Campo day. You could also put it on your Trastevere day.

As for your tours to Tuscany and Pompeii, you should provide links for the tours.

Ostia Antica and Pompeii/Amalfi are both excellent daytrips. I think you can do them both.>

Though I and some others felt Ostia Antica was even better than Pompeii - especially since not nearly so MOBBED - Pompeii is Pompeii and I would put it first - if you did not see it you would always be kicking yourselves - but as traveler1959 says you can easily do both - Ostia need not take up more than a half-day and your proposed Rome itinerary has lots of room for more on most days as others have pointed out.

Thank you so much for the advice!

These are the tours that I was looking into:

https://darkrome.com/rome-tours/tuscany-tours-from-rome
https://darkrome.com/rome-tours/osti...ours-from-rome
https://www.walksofitaly.com/rome-to...ours-from-rome

Have you already booked a hotel or apartment for the whole time? If not, consider moving around just a bit.
Now, just personal, and others will differ. I have been to Rome several times and love the city.

However, for me, 4/5 days would make a nice first time visit. Since you want to see Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, consider spending at least two or three days there. It should not be too hot yet in May. Stay in Sorrento this first time, go to Pompeii one day and ferry down the coast another.

Rather than a long tour from Rome, take the train up to Florence. Spend 3 nights, one day for Florence, one day for smaller town or countryside, Siena or Lucca.

You would have time to do this because some of your Rome days could be done in a couple of hours or 1/2 day. Chances are if you take one of the tours, you will be passing them anyway. Example: Spanish Steps - pretty at Sunset (20 minutes or less), Trevi Fountain - Admire, take pictures, throw in a coin. (30 minutes max),
Pantheon - very interesting if you have read about the history and connection with dome building during the Renaissance. Still, maybe an hour. You could do all three on a late afternoon or evening walk.

Days 4,5,7 & 9 could all very easily be done in two days. You could use 2 of those added to the day you were going to see Pompeii and two for Florence. It would not be a lazy kind of pace, but IMHO, it would not be that rushed either. I hate rushing and would be the last to advise a half dozen places in 10 days, but this would be only three, so very doable.

Day4, I'd not waste any time at the spanish steps or the fountain, really nothing has happened there for 500 years and the steps are just steps, free the day up

Go for cocktails at the type writer "Vittorio Emmanuel II Monument" the most hidden of bars-with-a-view and don't go to the very top just get drinks on the platform below the lift. Very relaxing at 6pm

Ostia Antica is a great destination and close in. Having recently visited both sites, I would agree that Ostia Antica is to the level of Pompeii. Pompeii is different in that it was buried in volcanic ash with inhabitants still present at the time (human casts are unique to Pompeii), while Ostia Antica was buried in river silt years after it was abandoned.

Another destination I would add is Aquaduct Park (aquaducts from ancient times) and Appia Antica(main Roman street from the BC era). They are close to each other and less touristy. Along Appia Antica, there is also a crypts to see, if you're interested.

Feel free to check out my blog http://budgettravelwithkids.com for more details.