Heart of Italy tour, sights around Vatican City

We enjoyed the farmers market west of the Vatican.

If you are looking for a quieter, slower paced afternoon after spending the morning in the Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica, and St. Peter's Square, consider strolling the Trastevere neighborhood just south of Vatican City. The RS Rome guidebook has a nice self-directed Trastevere walk. If you are interested in getting a sampling of the foods of Rome / Trastevere, consider joining a slow pace food tour of Trastevere. For recommendations on food tour organizers, you can ask the RS tour office suggestions on the food tour folks they work with for their Best of Rome 7 day tour.

Thanks for the suggestions. We're trying to make the best of our free time, yet get the flavor of the city and must see things.

I'd agree with a walk around Trastevere.

Other options:

• Castel Sant'Angelo
• Cross the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II or Ponte Principe Amedeo Savoia Aosta just to the south, then walk along Via dei Banchi Vecchi and/or Via Giulia, both attractive, relatively non-touristy streets stretching to the south. That takes you in the general direction of Campo de' Fiori.

You may be ready for some outdoor time. On that tour that afternoon my nephews and I found the Aventine Keyhole. We started at Circo Massimo, walked uphill through the rose gardens and came out on the tiny square where the door with the keyhole is.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-aventine-keyhole-rome-rome-italy

Castel San’Angelo is near the Vatican as well.

You will have walked in the Pantheon/Trevi Fountain area your first night I suspect.

You will be in the Prati neighbourhood when you finish your tour and it is a lovely area to walk around for a more local feel. There are also lots of excellent restaurants in close proximity. We have stayed in this area on our last 2 visits to Rome and enjoyed it very much.

You may be ready for some outdoor time. On that tour that afternoon my
nephews and I found the Aventine Keyhole. We started at Circo Massimo,
walked uphill through the rose gardens and came out on the tiny square
where the door with the keyhole is.

I'll second that! While not in the Vatican's general area, the Municipal Rose Garden should be in full bloom, as it was for us on a May trip. Note the arrangement of one slope of the gardens into the shape of a menorah; a nod to one of this patch of ground's former lives as a Jewish Cemetery.

https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/rose-garden

You get an impressive view of the Palatine from gardens, and you should visit Santa Sabina en route to the keyhole. She's a VERY old and important lady. As well, stop and admire the view from the orange garden next door to the church; its a pleasant spot to enjoy a packed-along snack too.

https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/basilica-saint-sabina-allaventino
https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/savello-park-or-orange-garden

More on Santa Sabina: make note of her 5th-century wooden door with one of the oldest depictions of the Crucifixion in existence.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/basilica-of-santa-sabina

More on the keyhole in the gate of the Priory of Malta; it took a bit of doing to line up my own shot through the thing!
https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/villa-magistrale-sovereign-order-malta-aventine

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions. The Municipal Rose Garden looks like a must for me.

We were there in May as well and it was beautiful! Even the nephews enjoyed looking at the lush blooms which was a surprise to me, lol. They are not really garden type guys. 🤣