I have been reading RS Rome and trying to figure out if we can do the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Capitaline Hill (including museums) and Palantine Hill in one day or is that too much to pack in? Has anybody done this?
We have seen the Colosseum already but my husband wants to check it out again.
Thanks!
Our 1st trip to Rome was in 1984, so my memory has faded a bit; however, I seem to recollect that we did the Forum and Capitoline Hill in one day. More would have been too much.
You should be able to do this in a long day, especially if you're willing to focus on particular things in the Capitoline Museums instead of trying to "see it all." Keep in mind that there are two museum buildings connected by a below-ground arcade (which has great views down into the Forum).
I'd suggest starting with the Colosseum and working north, ending with the museums. That way you'll see the settings for many of the objects in the museums and, if you run out of gas, you can tailor your museum visit to the time and energy you have left or even hold it for another day.
We have toured the Colosseo/Palatino/Foro Romano (all on one ticket, all connected) in 4 hours. I’d target that for a morning, arriving at opening, then schedule a long lunch. If you still have energy, tackle the Capitoline.
We did all that in one day, but it was a full day.
I suggest doing some research and read up about the Forum and the buildings (ruins) that are there.
For example, prior to going to Rome, years ago, I expected that since the Roman Senate building was in the Forum that the building was the site of Julius Caesar's assassination. Not so, the Senate had moved to Pompey's Forum to the north, due to a mob burning down the original Senate building.
In my opinion that is too much to do in one day. I think it depends on how much you like to linger in each place. Do you just breeze through museums, for example, or do you prefer to go more slowly? Personally, I was in such awe of the Colosseum that I could have spent a couple of hours in there without getting bored. Also, remember that it will be crowded and it may take a while to even enter some of those sites. Is it possible for you to spread them out over two days?
Have you considered a guided tour? A tour can make your explorations more efficient so you aren’t juggling a guidebook, trying to figure out what you are looking at and where to go. A guide can add context. A private tour of 4 hours will run about €200 - €250 and group tours from an excellent company, Walks of Italy, start at about $66 per person. See info here.
We did this easily all in one day - and that was with my 65-year old parents and two teenagers along. We booked a tour that included the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill that started early in the morning (8:30), then went back to our rooms for an afternoon break from the heat, then went to the Capitoline museums in the early evening (it was open until 8:00 p.m.). It was a tiring day but definitely worth it and do-able!
We took this Walks of Italy tour, 'Caesar's Palace': https://www.walksofitaly.com/rome-tours/vip-ancient-rome-tour-caesar-s-palace/ which in 3.5 hours of skip-the-line efficiency moved us through the Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill with small museum and must-reserve access to frescoed rooms which were part of Augustus Caesar's house,. Then after a lingering late lunch visited the Capitaline museums. I actually wished for more time and information at both the Forum and Colosseum but I'm an absolute nut when it comes to Roman history. I wanted a guide to get a better feel for what I was seeing, but unfortunately the forum felt like a quick stroll through to me. My husband, who is more temperate about all things ancient Roman, found that day's schedule just about right although with some Roman overload. The next day we spent a couple of hours roaming through nearby Trajan's Market, taking our time and absorbing the information at our own pace, and frankly I remember a lot more about the Market than the 3.5 hours mentioned earlier. The Market takes a deep dive on Roman trade and commerce which we both found very engaging. If you've already seen a lot of Roman stuff in your travels, it's a different experience to attend a museum with a somewhat narrower focus.
Wow! You've all given me a lot to think about. I know that my husband will want to linger in each of the places. We spent about 3.5 hours in the Colosseum alone so perhaps doing it over two days may be better. I do, however, like the idea of a tour so we can better understand what we are seeing. I have been reading up a bit and, corny as this sounds, I plan to watch the movies "Sparticus" and "Gladiator" to get a better perspective on what it was like back then.
We have some free time built into that portion of the trip so there is flexibility to spread this out over two days.
Thank you for all the input!
d.balinski, please ignore the link to the Colosseum ticketing vendor in the 4/1/19 post above. Not your best resource.
Kathy,
It appears the posting has disappeared. Thank you for the warning.
Diane
Hi Diane! Yep, the spammer was removed so all's well! :O)
