We'll be in Rome for 2.5 days and I would like to request some help in what to see in what order given the days of the week we will be there.

We arrive on Friday, May 23 at 9am (Rome time). So we have part of the 23rd.
Then the 24th (Saturday) and the 25th (Sunday).
We are taking a train north on the 26th very early in the morning. So that day is out.

So, basically we have the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and part of Friday.
We want to go to Vatican City, Borghese Gallery, the Colloseum and things around, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Catacomb (if possible).

I know the vatican is closed on Mondays so we would have to do it on Saturday.
What about the rest?

How can we squeeze this in 2.5 days?

Thanks!

Hi jmq - a very sensible question, but not so easy to answer.

assuming your are arriving from the US, you may be jetlagged or just plain tired, so it's probably not a good idea to book anything for that day. Rather concentrate on the main [and free!] sites that you can just walk around - Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, Trevi, Spanish steps, Campo Dei Fiori, even Trastevere if you have the energy.

As you are set on seeing the "Vatican city" [actually part of Rome, very close to the centre] then that has to be your focal point for Saturday. Are you meaning the Vatican museums as well as st. Peter's? if it's just St Peter's, I would advise going there early in the morning to avoid the queues, and you could then climb the Dome as well. if you want to see the museums, then it's probably best to go there first [you can reserve tickets on the vatican website] and then use the "group" door at the back of the Sistine Chapel to take the exit which takes you directly into St. Peter's without having to leave the museums and walk back all the way round the walls again. However, if you've been doing that all morning, you may be too tired for the Borghese Gallery for which you should also make reservations.

Sunday you would have for the Colosseum, & forum in the morning. I strongly recommend taking a guided tour of the Forum which can look just like a pile of stones otherwise. [it does to me and I've been 3 times]. in the afternoon you could possibly see the catacombs - I think that you can hire bikes to ride along the Appian way to visit them. i found this on TA:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attract...ome_Lazio.html

hope this helps.

you could of course go to Rome and do none of the above and still have a wonderful time.

Ditto everything annhig said! I basically followed that itinerary on my 2011 trip - walked to the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, etc on my arrival day (we were incredibly tired and jet lagged and in pjs by 6pm). The next day was Vatican day; we did the Scavi tour and St Peter's in the morning and the museums in the afternoon, but if you don't have Scavi tickets already, annhig's plan would be great. Then the following day we did the Colosseum and Forum. I heartily second the idea for a tour of the Forum - we really had no idea what we were looking at, and whenever I go back I'd love to do a guided tour.

You have received some good advice so far. FYI, Borghese Gallery requires a reservation so you need to book that in advance. This is perhaps the best art museum in Europe so is a must see in my opinion.

I suggest that you eliminate catacombs for another visit. They are not central and there is so much to see just in the central area.

I suggest that you use the first day for the leisurely free stuff: Trevi, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Compo Fiori, Spanish Steps etc.

I also suggest that you book half-day tour of ancient Rome (includes Coliseum and Forum). I have used Zev Borzak PhD at Anno Domini who is excellent: http://www.anno-domini.us/index.htm

A guided tour of the Colosseum including the underground and upper level combined with the Palatine and the Forum takes half a day and is well worth it.

The Borghese must be booked in advance. Although the time in the gallery is strictly limited to 2 hours, the required early arrival and getting to it in the park means it will take a half day. Do not miss it. Do not mistime it or you lose your admission.

The Vatican Museums are wall to wall people, just like the one kilometer line to get in. The collection is virtually unlabeled. The guided tours get you in ahead of the line. My own opinion was that it was a less than outstanding tour except for the Raphael room and the Sistine Ch. You can't see them without doing the whole Museum. St Peters is admission free, long line if you are not there at the opening, and is very impressive.

The other sites can be seen as you walk, as a half day to complete the ancient Rome tour day, or as a jetlag afternoon on arrival.

Although I may be accused of tourism heresy, if you had to cut something out, ditch the Vatican Musem and do the Borghese.

Weather also will affect you. The ancient Rome and walk around are all outside, the others inside. Hope it doesn't rain at all.

The sculptures in the Borghese are so beautiful they capture your heart and soul - my favourite is Bernini's Apollo & Daphne. As others have said, book your ticket in advance - you cannot pay on the door on the day. Walk back from the Villa Borghese via Piazza del Popolo down through Tridente to get a good feel for the city and then on to Fontana di Trevi - wonderful

I also agree that the Catacombs can wait for another trip given your available time

All of the advice given thus far is excellent in my view and experience

St Peters is stunning but very tiring if you do the museums and Sistine Chapel too but I guess that is part of being a tourist - being wowed by world sites and getting back to your room for a shower before hitting the streets for dinner

Again I agree regarding the Forum - a guided tour is a must to get the full understanding of the history of these stunning ruins

Don't forget to get your ice cream from Giolitti after your trip to the Pantheon

Have a great time

Nothing to add except that 2.5 days is simply not enough time even for what you have listed. Trying to 'squeeze' things into anything simply results in not enough time spent in any of them.

We took this free [tip only] walking tour our first day in Rome. Our guide was great and it gave us a wonderful overview of the city in 2 hours.

http://www.newromefreetour.com/

"a wonderful overview of the city in 2 hours."

From link:
"With us you will discover many fascinating highlights of the city such as: the real Angels of Bernini, Queen Margherita’s tomb, the biggest optical illusion ( trompe l’oeil) in town and much more by walking with us across the Spanish Square, Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain."

Rome in 2 hours, amazing.

The only way you can get an 'overview of the city' in 2 hours DebitNM is from an airplane.

dulcius - for someone new to Rome who wants an orientation [or for someone just there for a night] surely a tour with someone who can point out the main sites is better than nothing? Some people are not comfortable following maps and guide books and need the security blanket of a guide.

not everyone has your knowledge and experience.

It was an absolutely great way for someone who has never been to Rome to get the lay of the land and get an overview of some of the sites that many people want to see. I didn't say this was a complete view of the sites; we went back to almost all of them on our own to explore further, but it sure made it much easier for us, map, guidebooks et al. In fact; the guide pointed out things and gave us information that all of my research [and I did lots] missed.

You see so much more if your eyes aren't blinded by arrogance.

it sounds like a very good idea, Debit. did you do any of their other tours?

I love getting an overview tour to orient myself to a new city. I think it's a perfect activity for that first weary day.

My favorite must-see is the Pantheon.

Only other suggestion I would add to the good advice above is to plan a dinner over in Trastevere; maybe go over by taxi, take a little time to walk around before, get a feel for the neighborhood.

We didn't do any of the others, as we had already made plans for the other tours we took [Vatican; Colosseum] before I found their website.

The Pantheon has the largest unsupported dome in the world. Da Vinici was frustrated in never figuring out how they did it. That wasn't determined until the early 20th century.

We have 4.5 days in Rome next month and plan to spend one day seeing the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill/Capotoline museum and a second at St.Peters/Vatican/Scavi. The rest of the time we just want to wander around and drink in the sights and sounds of Rome. Angel tours has a free Pantheon tour at 7 each evening, check it out. (http://angeltours.eu/rome/free-pantheon-tour) I really do want to see the Borghese but none of the others does, so will probably have to miss it

If I said "a wonderful overview of some of the top tourist spots" would that satisfy you?? Most likely not...

I think that any sort of "overview" aka orientation is worth doing. We rode the hop on - hop off bus in Verona, and found that we had a much better idea of the city after taking the trip.

It gave us a good understanding about why Verona is where it is, the defensive perimeter formed by the river, the high ground essential for withstanding siege. If we go to Rome again, we'd ride the Rome hop on - hop off bus for sure.

That is a simply ludicrious statement. That anyone would attempt to argue that it is not is also ludicrious.>>

so what DO you suggest that the OP and her party do in the time available. I doubt that they are finding your criticisms of Debit's well-meant suggestion very helpful. All you've done so far is to say that the time they've got is not long enough.

Not everyone is able to take long vacations spending an extended period in each city. We have a little over three weeks this summer, 8 days between Rome and Venice, a week in the Greek isles and another 8 days between Istanbul and Capadoccia. We've been to all these places before except Capadoccia and felt that this time was sufficient, but even if we hadn't, 4.5 days in Rome is still better than 0!