First trip to Italy and staying first two days in Rome before meeting family in Tuscany. Arrive at noon on a Thursday. Definitely want to do a small group tour at Vatican. Couple of questions:
Do I need to have a tour of Colosseum? How much time will I need to see Colosseum?
Any suggestions for first day since arriving at noon?
Besides Vatican and Colosseum, what are must sees?
Thanks!
There is no requirement to take a tour in order to see the colosseum. If you want to take a tour you can, but it is well signed and easy to understand. How much time you'll need is dependent on your interest but I would plan at least an hour.
Rome has hundreds of sites that are worth seeing. What appeals to you may be different than what appeals to me. You really should get a good guide book to help you determine what your priority sites are. It would make no sense to visit a site without knowing what it is or its history. A guidebook will give you that information and help you make the choices of what you want to see.
With only 2 days I would visit the colosseum area on one day and the Vatican museums on the other. You'll be able to squeeze in a few other sites but not many.
Donna
I would try to add the Roman Forum.
Will you be in Rome two full days? Try the nearby pizzeria San Angelo.
Trastevere is also worth a few hours.
Also, there are free Rick Steves audio tours available for downloading for many sights including Colosseum and Roman Forum.
Thanks for the replies! I have decided on an underground Colosseum tour Sat morning and a Vatican tour on Friday afternoon. That leaves us with most of the day Friday to get some other sites in. I'm taking advice for guidebook and will plan ahead.
Kim,
If you're planning to visit the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Forum, I believe you can by a combo ticket that covers all three. Should be details in the guidebook, but it's been awhile since I checked. The ticket office on Palatine Hill is usually less crowded, so try there first.
I'd suggest taking at least the in-house tour of the Colosseum as you'll learn far more about the history than if you just wander about on your own. Once you get through the security checkpoint, look for a booth with all the audioguides and you should be able to book the tour there. It's not expensive. The nice thing about having a "live" guide is that you'll be able to ask questions if necessary.
Don't bother getting a photo with the scammer "Roman Centurions".
After the tour of the Colosseum, you can walk or take the train over to Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain and Pantheon area to spend the afternoon.
There is no train that goes to Piazza Navona. The trains skirt the outer parts of the city. There also is no metro that goes to P. Navona. You can take a bus, walk or take a taxi.
Donna
It takes about 30 minutes to walk from the Colosseum to Piazza Navona, through some of the most interesting parts of the City. From Piazza Navona it's an easy walk to the Pantheon, then across Via del Corso to Trevi Fountain. Then return to Via del Corso and continue north to Piazza del Popolo with a side trip to Spanish Steps. It's all very walkable, and the walks themselves can be a highlight of your visit. Be inquisitive. Plan to be on the (pedestrianized) northern part of Via del Corso in the early evening and be part of the passeggiata.
By 'train' I meant 'bus'. I know there's no direct Metro that goes from the Colosseum to the Pantheon area.
