We will be in Rome for 4 nights in July. My husband, son and I were in Rome last June, but our daughter was unable to accompany us. Paris and Italy are where she has asked to go for her graduation trip this year, so we are going to Paris and then back to Rome and Venice. This is our first trip to Paris. I am trying to figure out our Rome itinerary.

We arrive in Rome on Friday evening after having spent 5 nights in Paris. We are staying again at Hotel Teatro di Pompeo near Campo de Fiori. We loved it there and thought the hotel and location ideal.

Day 1--arrive Friday evening check into hotel, dinner and walk around after dinner.

Day 2 is Saturday--open schedule until 1:45 pm Scavi tour. We did this tour last summer, but our daughter REALLY wanted to go on this tour, so we are doing it again this year. We were fortunate to secure a tour again. We thought about going to Castel Sant'Angelo or Borghese Museum before the Scavi tour, but we are definitely open to suggestions. We did not make it there last time. What else can we do before our 1:45 pm Scavi tour? Good lunch place to recommend?

We tour the Vatican Museum at 9:30 am on Monday and have made a guided tour reservation through rome-museum.com. Too bad our tour requests for Scavi and Vatican Museums did not result in tours on the same day, but I am not complaining.

After Scavi tour we thought we would spend time in St. Peter's and climb the dome. I remember we came up from the Scavi tour inside St. Peter's. I don't know where to go to climb the dome though. We did not climb St. Peter's dome last year.

Return to hotel to rest and freshen up for dinner. Walk around after dinner as energy permits.

Day 3 Sunday---We have an Icon tour of Ancient Rome at 3:45 pm that includes colosseum, palantine hill, forum and mammertine prison. We visited the forum and colosseum last summer, but really wanted to take a tour this summer to make what we are seeing more meaningful.

Should we do Borghese Museum on Sunday morning at 9 or 11 am or skip this? I am worried about getting our children up and out so early to make the 8:30 am arrival required for the 9 am Borghese. Should we skip Borghese again this year? We will have just spent 5 nights in Paris, so maybe we will be on museum overload.

I really want to see San Clemente church this year. I think it is near the Colosseum, so thought that we could see that before our Icon Ancient Rome tour. Where should we eat lunch on a Sunday between the Borghese and Ancient Rome Forum/Colosseum area? Grab a panini or piece of pizza?

Late dinner after Ancient Rome tour.

Day 4 Monday--9:30 am Vatican Museum tour. My son REALLY wants to go to Dino and Tony's which is near the Vatican for lunch again. It was a blast and a very enjoyable lunch. We need to spend today seeing whatever we have not had time or energy to see yet like the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon. If we have been able to see those things on previous days would we have time Monday afternoon for Appian Way or ????????

Where is St. Peter's in chains church? Anywhere to fit that in?

Thanks for any help or advice you can offer. We want to see some new things this year, but are needing to see some of the same things as last summer so that our daughter can experience them. This is hard!

St. Peter in Chains is over by the Colosseum. San Clemente is also in the area. Problem is, you are doing Colosseo on Sunday, when services are held, and the tour in the afternoon when the churches might be available.

You could go there on Sat. morn, hit San Clemente first then Vincoli, then take the metro to Vatican.

Here is a thought, if you wanted to. If you do the Borghese in the early morning (not on Sunday), then go over to Church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Capuccini, using the 52 or 53 bus. Let the kiddies see the 4,000 skeleton art by the Capuchin Monks. This is also a great area for lunch. From here you can hop the Metro to other places.

dave

As you are walking up to the doors of St. Peter's you will see a sign with an arrow that says "Cuppola" I believe. It points to the right, if facing the entrance to the basilica. You will see a little ticket window off tot he right and you can pay a little to go up the elevator to the roof-level, then you walk up from there. Take some time to wander around the roof, it's very cool.

Get a good guide booke that will tell you exactly where the churches are but these were my favorites:

Santa Maria della Vittoria - to see Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Teresa

Santa Maria Maggiore- Beautiful mosaics

San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains)- to see the chains as well as Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses.

We saw all 3 churches (and more) on foot in 1 afternoon. Just map it out.

Don't forget to wander around the beautiful and HUGE Pincio Park that surrounds the Borghese...maybe have a picnic?

sorry, meant to add this to the post above, here's some pics we took in January in the park..

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-1el6rs

You will need to be at the Scavi office by 1:30 for your tour at 1:45. Most places don't start serving lunch until 12:30 or 1:00, so a long lunch might not be an option. You should plan on eating near the Vatican. Da Roberto is a good choice as it is only a block away. Dante Taverna Grecchi is also good.
If you haven't been to the Borghese, I think you should try to see it this time. If you can get a morning reservation for Saturday that would be an option, then take a cab to the Vatican area.
On Sunday, you visit San Clemente and St. Pietro Vincoli (chains) which are near the Colosseum. St. Peter Vincoli is between Via Cavour and Via Monte Oppio.

Thanks everyone. Great information and ideas.

I just found out that I can switch our Ancient Rome tour to Monday afternoon. Would that be better? We could do the Vatican tour in the AM, eat at Dino and Tony's and then go over to Ancient Rome area and walk around and then do that tour at 3:45.

Would that work? Only problem I see is that after that huge lunch at Dino and Tony's we might not feel like being quite so active.

I do have the Rick Steves guide book, but it is really lacking as far as maps. I need to take a look at it again. I have not opened it for awhile.

Thanks again.

I would not do the Vatican Tour and the Ancient Rome tour in the same day. Your mind will be reeling after one. I think the afternoon tour will lose it's interest to some in your group. I would stick to one lengthy organized tour combined with less-structured other activities for the rest of the day.

However, the Borghese might combine nicely with one or the other since it's guaranteed only 2 hours

It's a short walk from your hotel to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, Sacra Torre Argentina, the Ara Pacis, the Theater of Marcello, and four great churches, San Andrea del Valle, San Luigi dei Francesca, San Augustino, and San Ignazio. As far as eating goes, Al Pompiere in the ghetto is fairly close and you're a five minute walk from Pancrazio.

Maui,
Look for an Artwise Rome map in the map area of your local bookstore (well worth $7.95). It features the same ease of use and durability that make Streetwise maps so popular, except this version indexes and clearly marks all the churches, monuments, museums and galleries along with contact information and hours of operation.

You could definitely go out to the Via Appia Antica in an afternoon if you have one free. The hop on/hop off archeo bus is a convenient way to get there.

If you don't want to do museums other than the Vatican, there is lots of great art work in the churches. San Luigi dei Francesci dei Francesci near Piazza Navona has 3 Caravaggios of the life of St. Matthew

Thanks again to everyone for your advice.

Anyone have any advice about whether changing out ancient Rome tour to Monday afternoon (after the morning Vatican tour) would be a better idea than Sunday afternoon?

How does this revised itinerary look?

Saturday-

Borghese Museum 9 am-11 am

quick lunch

Vatican for Scavi tour at 1:30 pm
St. Peters after Scavi including climbing the dome

Castel Sant'Angelo then back to hotel to rest and freshen up for dinner.

Sunday- we could go to Hadrian's Villa/Tivoli or Appian Way or Ostia Antica or just do the big Rome sights we have not gotten to yet.

Monday--9 am Vatican guided tour, lunch at Dino and Tony's, travel to Ancient Rome area with tour at 3:45 and also visit San Clemente and San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains.

I just need to decide quickly whether I want to change our Ancient Rome tour to Monday instead of Sunday afternoon.

Thanks again everyone!

I agree with ellenm that doing guided tours of both the Vatican museums and Ancient Rome in one day would be tiring. I would keep the Ancient rome tour (which seems to cover a lot--how long is it?) for Sunday.
One problem with seeing the churches you are interested in either day is that they are closed in the middle of the day, reopening just about the time your tour would start. You might be able to see St Pietro in Vincoli (open until 7) after the tour depending on what time and where it ends--but that would probably be pushing things.
You could also follow daveesl's suggestion to do those two churches Saturday morning instead of the Borghese

I really wanted to see both San Clemente and St. Pietro in Vincoli when we were in rome and ended up not able to figure out a schedule that included them and wouldn't drive our 16 year old son (not a great fan of church visits) crazy. He really enjoyed the Piazza Navona/Piazza della rotunda area, about a 10 minute walk from the apartment we were renting, so it was easier to visit churches in that part of the city than to fight to go back to the Colosseum area.

the great thing about Rome is that there are so many wonderful options. You just have to accept that you will leave with a long list of other things you were not able to see.

I agree, don't do the two tours (Vatican and Ancient Rome) in the same day. Way too much and too tiring.

Go to the Borghese Sat morning, then cab or bus to the Vatican for the Scavi, climb the dome after the Scavi.

On Sunday morning, go to San Pietro in Vincoli (open 7-12:30 & 3:30-7 M-Sat, 8:45-11:45 Sunday. Then go to San Clemente (open 9-12:30, 3-6 daily, except opens at 10:00 on Sunday). Then have lunch somewhere before your Ancient Rome tour.

Monday go to your Vatican tour, have lunch, then whatever else interests you, maybe Castel Sant'Angelo on the way over to the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain.

At least one evening after dinner, go the Piazza Navona and enjoy a drink (Limoncello for me ) while you watch the fountains, artists and people. I like to do this every night!

Thanks so much EVERYONE for your kindness in helping us figure this out. It helps so much to get your perspective and advice.

Castel Sant'Angelo is closed on Monday, so we will have to do that on Saturday if we are going to see that this trip.

We DO LOVE Piazza Navona, but I understand the fountain is undergoing renovation. I hate it that our daughter does not get to see it in "all of its glory".

We leave in 2 weeks and the excitement is really starting to "kick in".

Thanks again everyone. You all are the best!

Oh, sure, Castel Sant'Angelo was the one thing I didn't check opening time/day for!

Haha Susan! You are GREAT! I really appreciate you posting the opening times for San Clemente and San Pietro in Vincoli. That is very helpful.

Sandi thanks for the pics! They are wonderful!
Dave, Church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Capuccini is one I had forgotten about. That is one place my husband mentioned he would like to see.

Where is the best place to buy the Roma Pass other than Termini? We arrive at the FCO airport Friday evening and then go straight to our hotel near Campo di Fiori. We will want to use it on Saturday.

Thanks again to EVERYONE for your wonderful help. I really appreciate it.

Cupid, I thought I had thanked you for the suggestion of the Artwise map. It sounds great and I will check it out. We do not have a good Rome map yet.

Thanks again!

I have seen several references to the fact that the crypt at Santa Maria della Concezione was closed for some period for structural renovations. Not sure if it has reopened.
It is close to the Spanish Steps and Trevi fountain.
when it is open the church is open daily 7 to noon and 3 to 7 but the crypt (where the chapels and bones of the Capuchin friars are) is only open from 9 to noon and 3 to 6, Friday to Wednesday

San Clemente is a great site for kids because they can actually see the layers of Rome's history first hand: main floor is an old church, basement is an early Christian church and sub-basement is a temple to Mithras. Amazing and fun to explore.
Cheers,
Ellen