Please critique my 5 day Rome Itinerary
 

Day 1 (Saturday):
- Arrive at Airport
- Take taxi / metro / bus to Westin Hotel
- Check into Hotel
- Visit Villa Borghese
o Stroll (walk identified in Fodors book?)
o Pincio: Park with best views of the City
- Spanish Steps (Piazza di Spagna)
o Via Condotti (purse shops)
- Visit Trevi Fountain (Fontana del Tritone)
o See during the day & at night

Day 2 (Sunday):
Vatican City
- Vatican Museum / Sistine Chapel
o Closed on Sundays EXCEPT Last Sunday of the month
- Scavi Tour??
- St. Peter’s Basilica
o Go into Dome for amazing views
o Go to Gift Shop for stamps and gifts
- St. Peter’s Square
o Area not best for dining options
o Old Bridge – Via Bastioni di Michelangelo 5, near St. Peter’s Square (Gelato’s)
o Papal Blessing (Wednesdays and Sundays)
- Castel Sant’ Angelo

Day 3 (Monday):
Central Rome
- Pantheon
o Café on Piazza della Rotanda
o Giolitti – Via degli Uffici del Vicario 40 (Gelatos)
- Via Giulia
o “most beautiful street in Rome”
- Piazza Campo de’ Fiori
o Fruit market
o Shopping areas
- Piazza Navona???

Day 4 (Tuesday):
Ancient Rome
- Start at and tour Colosseum (buy tickets online)
- Walk through the Forum (Foro Romano)
o Start at Arch of Constantine
o Palatino Hill (Monte Palatino)
 Gardens
o Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta on Aventine Hill
 For best view of Rome
 located South of Colosseum
 Left of the church of Santa Sabina and to the end of the piazza
 Look through key hole of the door (no. 3) of the Priory of the Knights of Malta
o Piazza del Campidoglio
o Rostum
o End at Fori Imperiali
- San Clemente???

Day 5 (Wednesday):
Northern Rome
- Piazza del Popolo
o Santa Marie del Popolo
- Day Trip
o Tivoli’s Villa D’Este
- Trastevere
- Pincio Gardens (picnic for sunset)
- Villa Borghese and / or Trevi Fountain (for last visit)

Looks pretty good. You hit all the highlights, have things grouped logically, and allow enough time for everything.

<b>Sunday</b> looks pretty exhausting (especially if you need to climb the dome!). I would plan on an <b>extended lunch break</b> between the Vatican Museum and St. Peters Basilica (don't give the Basilica short shrift - allow two hours even without climbing the dome) and get off your feet for 60-90 minutes.

You'll be eating enough stellar food at all other times, so I would just lunch at the Vatican Museum cafe (it's not bad) to save time/energy and to maximize your free time in Vatican City.

Also consider staying somewhere west of Via del Corso to be a little more central. The St. George (on Via Giulia) is closer to much of what you've planned (and in a super charming neighborhood (though you would need to taxi to Villa Borghese).


http://www.stgeorgehotel.it/

Personally, I would avoid going to the Vatican Museums on a weekend, especially on the free Sunday. Weekend + Free = major crowds.

My niece really, really wanted to see the view through the keyhole at Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta. A friend had told her about it. We walked there on a lovely day and she was incredibly disappointed to see what the view actually was. We did stop at Santa Sabina, and spent a few minutes in the Giardino di Aranci nearby to enjoy the view, but it is far from the best view of Rome in my opinion. I prefer the views from Pincio, or the top of Spanish Steps, or the top of Monument to Vittorio Emanuele, or from in front of the Quirinale Palace, or from Gianicolo.

Well, my thoughts were that we would go on a Sunday to see the Pope come out of his apartment and give the crowd a Papal Blessing. However, I hear he also does a Papal Audience on Wednesdays. What is the difference between a Papal Blessing on Sunday and the Papal Audience on Wednesdays?

Out of all the places you listed for a good view of Rome, which one is your favorite?

If you are planning to visit the Vatican Museums (Sistine Chapel is in the museum) on the free Sunday they close early (last entrance at 12:30) and lines will be very long. There are no Scavi tours on Sunday. While the Vatican Museums are open the last Sunday, I'm not sure the Vatican gift shop, post office, etc. will be open as the Museums are quite .from St.Peter's.

The Sunday Blessing is in the piazza - no tickets necessary.

I don't think you will have time to do many of the things listed, especially on day 5.

Sorry, I've never felt the need to see the Papal Blessing so I can't advise on actual procedures, except to say that my Italian friends have advised me to avoid the Vatican on Papal Blessing days--too crowded. If a blessing is meaningful for you, then by all means make the effort.

My favorite view? It depends on the time of day, where the Sun is in the sky. My favorite is the one I come upon unexpectedly. I think we were disappointed with the Knights of Malta keyhole view because we traveled out of our way just to see it and it was a let down.

I think the view from the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele is really good because you can walk around and see different angles over the Forum and toward the Vatican. . . in all directions. Plus it is right next to others places you plan to be--Campidoglio and Forum. You have to climb an incredible number of steps or search for the elevator. Because it is right in the center of things, you have an interesting bird's eye view of places you are visiting.

The top of the Spanish Steps or the Quirinale Palace are actually just places along the way in the center of the city you might happen upon as you are walking from one place to another without even making a purposeful climb.

I love the view from Gianicolo, though it is more of an effort, but to me you have all of the centro storico spread out before you, plus you can see the Vittorio Emanuele horses riding across the rooftops. This is also the rooftop view of Rome that is often featured in movies.

My favorite view is also the gianicolo... but I don't think it is much "effort" - just a 5 minute taxi from the Centro Storico or Trastevere.

I don't think I'd visit the Borghese on arrival day. (I'm assuming you're coming from the US into Rome.) I like to be out in the fresh air, staving off sleep, and museums put me to sleep if I'm jetlagged and running on empty. If you're not arriving from the US, then go for it.

NanBug - Villa Borghese is a park. Galleria Borghese is the museum (in the Villa Borghese park).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Borghese_gardens

Oops. Misread that.

Thanks for all the advice on the different views.

Is there anything I am missing on my itinerary that would be a shame to miss?

Given the number of days you are there, you are not missing anything. If you were staying an additioal week, there would be a whole new list of "don't miss", but for this trip it's just right.

You MUST do the Scavi Tour -- but book in advance. Also, go out to one of the catacombs -- fascinating! I would do that instead of your day 5 activities in northern Rome.

There is a fantastic Panificio on Via delle Croce (which is right near Via Condotti) about 4 shops in from the Piazza di Spagna. They make and sell fresh pasta but everyday about 1pm they serve lunch specials with the pasta they have made that day and it was only 4 euros when I went last June. It's fantastic and a total local thing to do.

I second a trip to the catacombs. We visited San Sebastian and found the whole experience fascinating. I think the guides were Catholic clergy.

Suz - what exactly is the Scavi Tour?

Kayten - Very cool! I will definitely check that out. This whole apertivo hour I am learning about sounds amazing too. Are there certain ones that are really good?

I read your itinerary with interest as I am also planning our first trip to Rome! I like the way you have arranged your days!

Can you please tell me about the tour of the Colosseum you will be booking? Will you visit the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel independently rather than on a tour?

Thanks!

I too would like to know why the Scavi Tour is a "must".

I haven't been to Rome for 40 years (sadly), but want to in the next couple of years--I remember great little renaissance churches with amazing art in them--are any of these on the list? (Sounds like a pretty great itinerary, by the way, although you should factor in fatigue!) I remember Villa d'Este very fondly, make sure you have enough time there.

WWanderer - I am assuming Jill will be popping in to look at all those wonderful little renaissance churches (and the Raphael, Bernini, Michaelangelo, etc., masterpieces within) on Day 3 (Monday) as she will be going past many of them on her walk through Renaissance Rome that day.

Glad to hear Villa d'Este is good because it is a 30 minute bus ride from Rome. It just sounded so romantic.