bgmanne

We will arrive in Rome late Tuesday afternoon, following 9 fairly leisurely days in Emilia Romagna and Tuscany. We plan to pick up the pace to see as much as possible in just 3 full days (excluding travel days), but without going nuts running from place to place. The following has got to be stretching the limits, if not exceeding them. Please tell me where I am over-scheduling and need to back off. We will be staying 2 to 3 blocks west of Piazza Navona. Much Thanks.

Tuesday Evening: Piazza Navona and Sant’ Agnese in Agone

Wednesday AM: Quick stop at San Pietro in Vincoli on the way to 9:30 meeting with Sonia Tavoletta for private tour of Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine.

Wednesday PM: Capitoline Hill, Museums, and Santa Maria in Aracoeli. Dinner and slow walk back to hotel through Ghetto and Campo de’ Fiori.

Thursday AM: Pantheon, Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, and Trevi Fountain.

Thursday PM: Museo Borghese (3 PM reservation), followed by Piazza and Santa Maria del Popolo, and Spanish Steps. If we ran out of time in the AM, make a point of returning to hotel via the Trevi Fountain.

Friday AM: Private tour (Sonia Tavoletta) of Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s.

Friday PM: Cross the river and stroll south on Via Giulia to its end, crossing back into Trastevere. As time allows, see one or both of Palazzo Corsini/Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica and Santa Maria in Trastevere. Eat dinner in Trastevere, return to hotel and pack up for sad departure.

ggreen

Your Wednesday looks very very crowded, but otherwise IMO the schedule isn't excessive - just a lot to do in each day, as you said. I like to have a plan and then know that the day might not go entirely along those lines (lingering over a cafe, stopping to watch a street performance...)!

Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps are fairly close to one another, and on your way to the Borghese. Again IMO, the Pantheon, Trevi and the steps are all rather brief stops, whereas churches always take longer than one thinks!

Do check the timings for churches you want to see, as they don't tend to be open all day. And the Galleria Borghese is very strict about the two-hour allotment of your reservation; they even close the rooms between reservations to ensure everyone is out. Get there about 15 min ahead of time to pick up your tickets, check your bags (nothing is allowed in), etc., so you can use the two hours to the fullest extent!

TDudette

I'd go to Palazzo Doria Pamphilj first if possible, so you can stay as long as possible. It's a very special place.

Leely2

Wednesday looks heavy. We spent forever and a day in the Forum and also in the Musei Capitolini. But I guess it's not totally out of the question.

Depending on what time you arrive on Tuesday evening and how much you enjoy long walks, you could easily incorporate a few "sights" into a pleasant night stroll about Rome. I remember walking from our apartment near Campo dei Fiori, through Piazza Navona (stopped for coffee), into the Pantheon, by Trevi, the Spanish steps, to Piazza del Popolo, and then down the river past Castel Sant'Angelo back to our apartment. We then freshened up and had a late dinner.

Not that you or anyone would want to do this--we were jetlagged and wanted to force ourselves to stay up--but it made for a beautiful walk.

bgmanne

Thanks for your comments so far.

ggreen: I am with you on willingness to deviate from the plan. But, my advance over planning better prepares me for rescheduling after the deviation.

Leely: We are sure to have a stroll Tuesday evening, but much of what we might see is on the likely route to the Borghese later in the week. Still, there is nothing wrong with seeing Trevi, for example, both in the AM and at night.

On Wednesday AM, I have us generally moving in the direction of the Borghese. If we have extra time, we might then head north to SS and Popolo, saving time after the Borghese for other things.

joannyc

The Trevi Fountain lit up at night makes a great photo op.

StCirq

With the possible exception of Wednesday, it looks just about perfect to me. I'm usually out the door early when traveling and on my feet all day (with the occasional stop for coffee or a quick lunch or just to sit and look around), until dinner, and then often again after dinner, so this looks pretty normal to me, and well planned. You can always change things around on the ground.

ggreen

Oh and speaking of things beautifully lit up at night, on our few days in Rome last spring, we passed the Marcus Aurelius column in Piazza Colonna almost every night.

lindy27

We did almost those exact days while we were in Rome in 2009. They made for long exhausting days, but there was enough time to do it all and we had a great time. I'm not sure when you were going but it would help to fit it all in if it was during the summer so things are open longer and the sun up longer.

bgmanne

Don't really want to post when we will be out of town, but we will have light until at least 8PM.

joannyc

bgmmanne, lol! Do you think we know who you are and where you live and will come rob your house???

abenedek

I am with you on willingness to deviate from the plan. But, my advance over planning better prepares me for rescheduling after the deviation.

I feel exactly the same way, but my husband still thinks I'm nuts

In any event, I think your days in Rome are planned wonderfully.

Lynnaustin

The flaw that I see in the plan is your visit to Campo dei Fiori after dinner on Wed. night. You would want to visit in the morning when the market is set up.

abenedek

and my first attempt at formatting in a message board has failed...oh well

bgmanne

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Will try to hit the Campo de’ Fiori first thing Thursday AM, before heading toward the Pantheon.

nkluedke

This is do-able. My family and I didn't go in with much of a plan and we accidentally found Piazza Navona, Campo di Fiori, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps all on a long leisurely walk our first night there (with one, possibly two stops for gelato along the way). Wandering into a square lit up at night and seeing the Pantheon for the first time is something I'll never forget. On the day we flew out, my husband and I got up early - 5:30ish, threw on some clothes and took a walk over to the Trevi. It was empty. Completely empty. We have a picture of ourselves in front of it taken by the security guard that stands nearby. Was a very cool way to see it. Enjoy!!