jrosie

I am planning a trip to Rome in May. I have been there before but my husband has not. What are the top 5 things to see/do in Rome in your expert opinions?

Patrick

Colliseum
Vatican
Trevi Fountain
Piazza Navonna
The forum

Jocelyn_P

Getting lost in a residental area, away from the hordes of tourists.

craisin

The Borghese gallery with the amazing 'garden' (more like a state park!) should be in your top 5 IMHO.

The museum itself is very doable...lots of AMAZING Bernini sculptures!

LJ

1.Pantheon
2. Scavi (excavasions under St. Peters)
3. Sermoneta(Linen Store-trust me, amazing)
4. The Sistine Chapel
5. Your husband's face, smiling at you, across the table in any truly excellent restaurant and Rome has more per capita than any other city in the world

Enjoy...

mamc

St.Peters is definitely in the top 5 and hasn't been mentioned. I'd add the Colliseum, the Vatican Museums with the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, the Pantheon and the Forum.

papagena

1. Vatican museum (Egypt rooms, outdoor sculpture part and sistine chapel)
2. Coliseum
3. St Peter's
4. Trevi fountain

Only four because I think these are the absolutely unmissible things - there are then many, many more options.
We did a one hour tour of part of the forum (Palatine hill I think) which was very good; although we only saw a limited section of the forum it was probably better to use our limited time to see a small part in detail rather than rushing round all of it. The tour didn't need prebooking, you just pay at the entrance.

mr_go

I'll play:
1. St. Peter's/Vatican/Sistine Chapel
2. Colloseum/Fora
3. Pantheon
4. Piazza Navonna & area (including Campo de Fiori)
5. Borghese Gallery

coffeeaddict

I agree with almost all of these choices, but for me, it's important to be more specific of when to go/experience these places.

1. Trevi Fountain on a clear night, enjoying some gelato from the nearby San Crispino.

2. Piazza Navona early in the morning (before 9 a.m.), when the one people there save locals cutting through on their way to work. That is the best time to enjoy breakfast at a cafe.

3. St. Peter's Basilica and the climb to the top of the cupola.

4. The piazza bianca at Al Forno de Campo dei Fiori. Arrive before 1 p.m., line up, and tell the counter people how much you want. The best snack I ever enjoyed in recent memory.

5. The Capitoline Museums. Easy to miss these; don't.

Iregeo

Borghese Gallery
St. Peters/Vatican Museums
Pantheon
Coliseum
Trevi Fountain

Appam

Borghese Gallery - wonderful Bernini sculptures and the entire museum was wonderful

Coliseum - make sure you get an audio guide (the live guide is not recommended.. the groups are too large to really hear anything).. Linger on and let your mind wander to the days when entertainment was painted by blood and feel the chills

The Vatican - must see, must do. It is absolutely amazing... St. Peters Cathedral is monumental, the museum is fabulous, and Sistine Chapel.. sigh!!

The fountains - Trevi, Piazza Navona.. hang around and see people go by

Campo di Fiori - for FOOD.. absolutely the best food we had in Rome...

The Forum - read up the history and walk where the great Ceasars walked and picture Marc Anthony standing there addressing the people after the death of Julius Ceasar.. truly awesome

And then.. there are all the piazzas, gelato places...(I didnt care for the Spanish Steps.. it was over-rated in my opinion and we saw nothing but a bunch of drunk German boys chugging beer on the steps and insulting the poor Bangladeshi flower vendors)

Have a great time.

dln

Purely subjective on my part, and not in order:

1. Borghese Museum
2. looking through the Maltese keyhole
3. Forum at night
4. all Rome's churches
5. Trastevere

bobthenavigator

For a more definitive list I would go to www.twenj.net for all things Roman.

omalley

Instead of naming the obvious, there were several other sites we absolutely loved and highly recommend.
1.Church of San Clemente
2.Church of St. Peter in Chains
3.Capuchin chapel of the bones
4.Maria Sopra Minerva
5.Spanish Steps