MrsOtter

My DH and I are arriving in Rome from Venice on Sept 6th in the late afternoon. We are staying for four full days with the fifth day being a travel day. Does this Itinerary make sense so we aren't backtracking or missing tons of things? Also I have no idea about restaurants. Any suggestions or should we just ask at our hotel?

Day 1: Friday
arrival at Termini station 4pm
walk to hotel (downtown accomodation on via cavour)
walk to Santa Maria Maggiore
Dinner

Day 2: Saturday
Breakfast at hotel
Basilica Di San Clemente
Colosseum
Arch of Constantine
Palatine Hill
Forum
Santa Maria in Aracoeli
Vittorio Emmanuele Monument
Church of the Gesu
St. Peter in Chains


Day Three: Sunday
Breakfast at hotel
Campo Di Fiori
Sant Andrea della Valle
Piazza Navona
S. Ivo in Sapienza (if it is still open)
Pantheon
Trevi Fountain (any interesting churches between here and the steps)
Spanish steps

Day Four: Monday
Breakfast at hotel
Borghese Gallery & Gardens
Piazza del Popolo
-the three Santa Maria Churches
-climb steps to see overview of the city
**Would like to go to some more churches or do some shopping here**

Day Five: Tuesday
Breakfast at hotel
Scavi Tour 9:15am
Vatican 11:30 ish
St. Peters Basilica
Trastevere Neighborhood
S. Maria in Trastevere

Day 6: Wed
Breakfast
Depart to Airport to go home

denisea

I think your Saturday is way too crowded with things...you will be exhausted. You'd be amazed how much time it takes to cover the Colisseum and the Forum area.

One suggestion for Sunday is to go the Pantheon first thing before it gets crowded. Hit Campo dei Fiori for lunch. Really not much to see there but worth popping into Roscioli or Forno for the pizza (my fav is the pomodoro at Roscioli, the bakery not the restaurant).

Maybe move the Spanish steps to after Borghese Gallery for your shopping day.

Santa Maria in Trastavere is just lovely...found it by accident when lost (and we were lost in Rome a lot).

MrsOtter

I will switch the pantheon and campo dei fiori around. Do you think I could take some of the churches from saturday and move them to Monday after the Piazza del Popolo?

Leely2

I don't think your Saturday looks too busy, but other than going underground I have always just visited the Colosseum briefly, never spent much time there. I do tend to linger in the Forum. The real reason Saturday concerns me is closing hours of the churches. Have you checked? I remember on one of my first few visits to Rome arriving at St. Peter in Chains to discover it was closed. Finally got there a few years ago!

If you can squeeze in Santa Cecilia while you're in Trastevere you won't regret it.

Ambitious itinerary, but it's sensible and organized.

Ian

While probably doable, every day sounds somewhat ambitious. I don't see any cafe 'down' time or lingering lunches - or any time for them either.

Narrow your list down to the absolutely, positively must sees & make sure you allow for them . . . & treat the rest as "if we have the energy".

Ian

denisea

My thoughts Ian...we were there last Sept and can tell you that after the Colisseum, the Forum, etc....we were hot and tired! A cool glass of wine was a must....in the shade, off my feet. We did tour the entire Colisseum with a small group and were there for a while, same with the Forum.

And we had to

denisea

Build in time to get lost, as we were really GOOD at that!

nytraveler

TMHO if you are interested the Colosseum takes at least 1.5 to 2 hours and the forum take 3 to 4 hours to really explore - esp the if you are going up to the Capitoline Museum.

Also you need more than an hour for San Clemente.

Way too much for one day unless you just want a walk by.

Jean

As others have mentioned, your plan depends entirely on your level of interest in the various sights. For me, your Saturday plan would probably take almost two days, but I admit I'm very interested in Ancient Rome.

Don't forget to set aside time in your daily schedule for lunch, even if you only intend to do take-away panini and drinks. If you want table service, you should plan for at least an hour. You may also want to set aside a little time in the afternoon to stop for cold drinks or gelato. After hours of walking, sitting down for 15 minutes can be fairly restorative.

cferrb

I agree that Saturday is too packed. Personally I would not spend much time in the Vittorio Emmanuele monument. You will see it since you will be in the neighborhood and it's hard to miss, but I didn't feel like it was a good use of my time.

I just went to Campo de Fiori and was very disappointed by it. I didn't get there until mid-afternoon (after getting lost trying to find it), and I think there was one flower stand, and a bunch of stands selling stuff to tourists. Maybe it's better in the morning, but based on what I saw it's not a good use of time either. Just my two cents.

kybourbon

Many churches will close for 3-4 hours in the afternoon. The four churches you listed on Saturday just aren't that practical as they are not that close together (some would be better combined with other things) and you have to work around all the closing hours or services.

>>>walk to hotel (downtown accomodation on via cavour)<<<

Via Cavour is a long street (downhill from Termini to the Forum). What is the name of your hotel? You might prefer transport depending on your hotel location.

MrsOtter

kybourbon- Downtown Accommodation is the hotel name. It is a 15 min walk down via cavour from Termini.

I am thinking about cutting out Palatine Hill. I just don't know if we are that interested in wandering around in the hot sun for hours and hours. It seems a bit dry.

The churches on Sat are only about a 12 min walk from our hotel. I would like to fit them in Sat. but if we can't we could always just hop down another day that we have time.

Thanks everyone! Gives me things to think about.

bilboburgler

I suggest dropping the steps, I too went there full of excitement at the idea of the place and discovered "steps", no finer than anywhere else and full of idiots with cameras. There are better looking steps all over the world.

I too would plan in some getting lost time, the pleasure of finding a little shop selling only bronzed angels is far greater than looking at a piece of marble carved by a second rate artist.

Weather should also modify your route, I have been there in the rain and I promise you you will want to be inside when it hammers down, while if it is hot you will want to be on the top of a hill or in a park.

kybourbon

>>>The churches on Sat are only about a 12 min walk from our hotel.<<<

Not accurate. You are underestimating how long it will take to get between places. Some of these churches have a lot of steps so I don't think you quite understand how much walking all of this is especially combined with the Colosseum/Forum/Palantine. Walking on cobblestones and uneven terrain can be tiring in the heat.

Steps to S. Maria in Aracoeli:

http://romanchurches.wikia.com/wiki/...eli_facade.jpg

Lower stairs from Via Cavour up to S. Pietro in Vincoli:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MjfyHCGvJR...a%2BCavour.JPG

Upper stairs (start just out of the picture I linked above) from Via Cavour to reach S. Pietro in Vincoli:

http://www.romaviva.com/Santa-Maria-...rgia_steps.htm

http://edwud.com/2011/12/05/huge-cob...side-colosseum

>>>Downtown Accommodation is the hotel name. It is a 15 min walk down via cavour from Termini.<<<

While this is a downhill walk, it will likely take a bit longer as hotels always underestimate the walking distance to sites and you will be dragging luggage on a busy street. You can take the metro from Termini one stop to the Cavour stop and be closer, but there is a flight of stairs to exit at Cavour. There are also a couple of buses you can hop.

Dukey1

IMO this whole plan is fabulous as long as you relaize that it is an OUTLINE.

For the sake of yourself AND those people who have consented to go along are you willing to be FLEXIBLE and even drop a couple of things if necessary?

There are times when you can really get "museumed" or "churched" or whatevered---<B>OUT</B> and it is time to simply stop somewhere and rest and contemplate or even go back to the hotel for a while.

As to the Spanish Stairs as they are known by some...willing to live dangerously? If so, drop in after dark. Don't worry, nothing bad will happen you'll find out why certain sorts of folks hang out there. Look, it is part of Rome as is the MacDonald's near the bottom. Enjoy the city for what it IS.

denisea

An idea for when it is hot out and you still want to see something (but want to avoid crowds and the sun)....Galleria Doria Pamphilj on Via del Corso is a really underrated attraction. For us, it was a gem we would have missed and we were glad we visited it. It is right in the heart of the city-easy to get to. Talk about a well connected family!

http://www.doriapamphilj.it/ukhome.asp

Caliban

Be prepared to rearrange your schedule for possible inclement weather. A good indoor activity is the Palazzo Massimo with its collection of top-notch ancient art and artefacts. The Doria Pamhiilij already mentioned is also very worthwhile. Your hotel may be in easy reach of the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria to see the Bernini sculpture of St. Teresa in Ecstasy (near Termini).

You won't be able to to do everything you plan and will do unplanned things. That is the purpose of Rome.

Jean

Suggestions to skip this or that are based on personal preference, so make these decisions for yourself based on your own interests.

The roof of the Vittorio Emmanuele monument (access by elevator) offers a great view of the Forum and Colosseum and a 360 degree view of the entire city.

The fountain at the foot of the Spanish Steps was designed by a Bernini.

msteacher

Since you plan to visit the Borghese Gallery, be aware that you must have timed reserved tickets to enter. It is a wonderful museum, and you will be allowed two hours to visit it, which is pretty much exactly what you need. Reserve your tickets in advance online, and arrive a half hour before your scheduled time. In looking at your Monday, the time of your reservation may dictate the plans for the remainder of your day.

Delaine

After you visit the Borghese Gallery, you can walk through the park and will come to the top of the stairs overlooking Piazza del Popolo. You can take in the view and then walk down the stairs to the Piazza, without having to climb up.

Jean is right about the views from the top of the Vittorio Emmanuele monument. There is also a cafe if you do the stairs and want to rest.

If you like Caravaggio (perhaps the reason for the visit to Santa Maria del Popolo), also visit San Luigi dei Francesi. It is near the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.