Another itinerary critique

There will be a big contrast between your time in Rome and your time in the CT. You don't need a whole day for example to explore Riomaggiore and Manarola - they are lovely towns but not very big, especially Manarola. And you can't hike between them (not the Via dell'Amore anyway, which is still closed - there may be an alternate, indirect trail). So your pace would be greatly slowed down in the CT I'd say at least that day. There are day trips you could do in the riviera say to other towns (e.g. Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino).

I think some people would dissuade you from trying to do both Rome and CT together like this, given that you spend so much time going back and forth between the CT and Rome. Too bad you can't fly out of Genoa or Pisa instead of having to go all the way back to Rome...

Unfortunately flying in and out of Rome was our best option.

I understand that the blue trail is closed in parts. We would take the red trails from Rio and back down, same for Manarola. We plan to train or ferry between the two. We will hike between locations where the blue trail is open.

Is 2-3 hours of hiking each day on top of touring the towns and enjoying meals still not enough to fill our time?

The towns are lovely - you could enjoy a leisurely meal after your hike and slow it down, but there isn't really much else to do as I recall. I'd be bored unless I were just looking to relax. One fun thing I like to do in Riomaggiore is just sit in the little town square (not many tourists) and listen to the kids at the nearby school practicing music. I know it sounds like a silly thing to enjoy - but it makes me feel like I'm not a tourist for just a moment. But I wouldn't be able to do that all day.

I'd plan day trips for both of those days. You don't have to do them if you find you are enjoying yourselves. Just figure out the logistics ahead of time, so you don't have to waste time while there figuring out what to do. The trains are easy; figure out which ones you'd take where to get to which towns, how to get to certain places by ferry or bus, etc. Just have it at the ready, even if you never leave the villages because you're having such a good time.

I'll leave the CT alone as I probably wouldn't do it on this trip; it's a better combo with Florence, IMHO, if you aren't flying open jaw.

But Rome....your itinerary has you running from one end of the city to another on the same day, or duplicating attractions. For instance, there's no need to see the exterior of Pantheon at night on one day and returning for the interior the next. Same with Piazza Del Popolo/Santa Maria del Popolo; do it once, not twice. Trastevere is also about as far across the city as you can get from the Borghese.

You'd do better to group your sightseeing by area. And what you can manage on arrival day may depend on WHERE in the city your accommodations are.

If you leave Campo de Fiore for the evening you miss part of the biggest charm of it which is the market in the center which closes down in the afternoon. Definitely do Pantheon interior on the same day (2) as exterior for a better flow. Vittorio Emmanuel
and Colliseum/Roman Forum/Palatine Hill would be enough for 1 day and do Travstevere on that night 3. Moving Terrazza de Pincio & Piazza de Popolo to night 4 (didn't do that so have no opinion on it). Can't help you on CT have yet to explore that area.

Have a great trip.

I wondered that about Campo de Fiore as well, even though we have little interest in buying at the market. It was included in the Night Walk Across Rome from RS so I added it.

Thanks for the input, all!