Hi,
My wife and I are planning to travel to Italy for 5 full days at the end of coming September.
we are bot h around 40 years old and would like to combine 2 days in Rome(visit the highlights places) and 3 days to see some nature and landscape outside of Rome .
we are targeting to rent a car and do day trips that can include hiking up to 5 km per trail for each day and stop with the car at interesting points as: castles, wineries, landscape views, lakes etc.

what are your recommendation for 3 days outside of Rome of our interests ?

Thanks in advanced !

I have a few questions:

Will this be your first time in Rome? Where are you arriving to Rome from? And where will you be going after Rome?

How many nights total would you have for this portion?

In general, 2 full days (assuming one of those is not your arrival day into the city) is barely enough to "see the sights" of Rome. But there is a difference between walking outside the Colosseum vs. going inside it. Same with St. Peter's and Vatican Museums. You can walk around St. Peter's and the Colosseum, but if you want to go inside and actually experience the buildings, you need to either plan ahead or plan for it to be long lines - which you will not have time for. Edit: Vatican Museums (Sistine Chapel) are separate from St. Peter's. If this is something you want to see and not waste your time in line, you'd need to pre-book. Also to pre-book Colosseum (inside) if that is an interest.

But if you've already been to Rome and seen the major attractions, perhaps 2 days is fine.

If your two days also includes an arrival day, it may mean you have only one full day to see anything in Rome, and well just may be too short, but depends on what you want to accomplish.

Now, for your additional time: Are you intending to base in Rome or somewhere else? I cannot think of an area near Rome that would fit the bill to engage in the active and nature pursuits you are wanting. Perhaps someone can chime in. What does come to mind is Tuscany. But still, with your short time frame, you may not have the time ot would take to arrive in the Tuscan region and engage in all of what you want to do.

Keep in mind that September - even the end of the month - is still very much high season for Italy.

Parco dei Castelli Romani might suit, but no way would I rent a car to take day trips in and out of Rome. Find somewhere in that area to stay.

Of course, five full days is just enough for Rome itself, but you do you.

Hi,
Yes - this is out first time in Rome.
we both not the fans of Museums, church's and not plan to be inside the colosseum , only see it from outside.
in Rome we plan to walk to the streets , enjoy the outdoor atmosphere .
we will have 2 full days in Rome and in addition another half day .
for the activities outside of Rome(reaching there by car), we see some day walk and interesting point using google maps:
1. Ponte sodo(Parco di veio)
2. Parco Naturale Regionale di Bracciano
3.Cascate di Monte Gelato
4.Santa Severa Castle
5. Castelli Romani

what do you think ?
are there more day walk place that fits our interests ?
Thanks !

I'd use public transport to do most of these. Having a car in a city designed over millennium to be for feet just suggests a lack of comprehension. However, if you are physically limited then use the highly professional taxis to do the grunt work. You will never drive as well as an Italian and especially a Roman in Rome.

Hi,
we are not going to sleep in Rome while oing the outdoor activities so i think it will be fine to get around with a car rather with taxi.

What do you think about the places i mentioned and are there more day walk trails outside of Rome that involve nature for 3 full days ?
Thanks !

Look out for the ancient Roman roads and any pilgrimage routes. I'm internet constrained at the moment but I know there several to the north of Rome and I assume more to the south. A good Google will find them.

Hi, I don’t have experience with renting a car or with daytrips from Rome for the purposes of long walks and exploring nature. BUT what I can say is that an unexpected joy during a long (2.5 months) late fall/early winter stay in Rome a few years ago involved long walks and exploration of Rome’s many beautiful parks. Though we’d been to Rome many times in the past, we were unaware that Rome had so many wonderful parks. We stayed near Villa Borghese, and that became “our park.” Beautiful and great fun to explore. People watching was terrific (and it was fun to see running and biking groups, people with their dogs, and crossfit type of classes and people working out with a friend or a personal trainer—also the birds, including the many parakeets were wonderful. There are also several cafes in Villa Borghese and it was lovely to stop for a drink or snack during our many long walks. Other very different types of parks that we loved and spent weekend days exploring: Villa Ada (more “wild”/rustic than Villa Borghes, and exploring the Quartiere Coppedč afterwards was great), Villa Doria Pamphilj, Villa Torlornia (also with a lovely cafe serving very good food), and the Parco degli Acquedotti (which was a jumping off point for some walks along the Appian Way). The Botanic Gardens of Rome are also lovely. There were a few other parks that we explored, the names of which escape me now (including one that was very rustic and had an outdoor weight lifting gym (sort of like Venice Beach in California, Roman style) and where we saw the largest rabbits we’d ever seen. So, one does not have to leave Rome to enjoy nature and long walks in green spaces among the Romans. Our walking intensive time in Rome was during the end of Covid and park exploration and long walks proved to be such a lovely outlet for us and also gave us a window into how Romans live in the city. Just some thoughts on an easy way to get into nature and walk w/o having to leave beautiful Rome. I’m longing to go back and revisit these parks.

How many hotel changes are you planning for this short stint?

As I understand, you have 5 days on the ground, 2 in Rome, 3 for your walks. And you'd have to be in Rome the final night for your return home - so that might mean only 2 nights for your walks. Any chance you can extend this a bit more?

It seems awfully rushed for what you want to do and just as soon as you get over your jetlag, you are returning to where you are coming from. Or maybe you're from some place closer and jet lag is not a concern? If you are from farther, North America for instance, fwiw, as I have gotten to my 40s and although I am extremely active, jet lag hits HARD now. Just something to think about.

I was hoping the Sunflower guides would have something about the Roma area or the region nearby but they just don't. These guides are wonderful. If there is a walk that might include a lake and castle, it's (generally) in there. Absent of what has been suggested, the Umbria Marche area is *almost* close enough and *might* have more of a region for you. Check this out this guide: https://sunflowerbooks.co.uk/product...ng-the-marche/ I have not used this one yet, but am using their Amalfi Coast and finding it a fantastic resource.

We flight from Israel and it takes ~3.5 hours flight time.
yes you right, we have 5 days on the ground, 2 in Rome, 3 for your walks(and additional half day in the first day for walk).
unfortunately we cant extend anymore.

according to studenttobe , we might consider to travel 5 days in Rome and walk thorough the park in the city .

Here is a website with walks in the Parco del Veio.

https://www.alltrails.com/it-it/parc...ionale-di-veio

There is apparently also an AllTrails app which might be useful for you.

However, there is also a lot more of interest in Rome besides churches and museums. There are many interesting archaeological sites. The Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, the Baths of Caracalla, the ancient Appian Way, and the Aqueduct Park. The Appian Way and the Aqueduct Park could be combined in a nice long walk. Also Ostia Antica, the ancient Roman port city, is a fascinating place, more interesting to me than Pompeii.