Please Rate our Rome Itinerary (10/8 - 10/17)

You’ve done a lot of thoughtful planning. I’m just going to comment on a couple of your days. I’m sure others will chime in on the rest of your itinerary.

What time will you arrive in Rome (are you coming from the airport or elsewhere?)? Which neighborhood will you be staying in? I’m guessing from your day1 itinerary that you may be planning to stay near Campo de Fiori or Piazza Navona—that’s a great choice because there’s so much you can get to on foot from such a central location.

Much of your day 1 itinerary is covered in one of Rick’s walks. When we were in Rome in 2024, we did a portion of the same walk on our first day. We never made it as far as the Spanish Steps that day, because the hordes of tourists at Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain made it hard to move. Think Disney crowds x 100. However, later in our stay we got up very early in the morning and walked to both the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain.The area around the Pantheon was completely empty when we arrived, and when we entered as soon as it opened, we were among the first dozen people in the building. It was amazing. Even very early in the morning Trevi Fountain wasn’t deserted, but it also wasn’t packed, and we were able to walk right up to toss in our coins. We found Rome to be magical early in the morning, and seeing these sights without huge crowds was great.

If you are walkers, you could return to central Rome from the Borghese Gallery via the Spanish Steps, which would be a fun way to experience them.

If it were me, I’d consider a different plan for day one, maybe focusing on less crowded places.You could enjoy the panoramic views from the top of the Victoria Emmanuel building, and walk down Michelangelo’s staircase, for example.

Most of your days seem very full, but you have a very light day on Day 8. Im not sure why you want to visit the Campo de Fiori market again, but it’s become very touristy. You might want to consider moving your food tour to the morning of day 8, taking Eating Rome’s Taste of Testaccio tour. It gets you into a much more authentic neighborhood with an amazing market hall, and it’s not at all crowded with tourists. This tour was one of our favorite things in Rome. After the tour you can visit the Protestant Cemetery (where John Keats is buried) or walk back to central Rome via the orange grove and rose garden, two lesser known attractions.

Looks good.
Also, consider visiting Capitoline Hill Museum, Trajan's Forum and Nero's buried palace near the Coliseum.

I also think it looks good. The remarks about the Pantheon are true. Either early or at the end of the day.

I was in Rome around 2010 and again in 2023. The difference in the crowd size at Trevi Fountain between the two visits was shocking. It was busy at night first visit, but we were able to walk right up and toss our coins. Second visit, I just wanted to move someplace quieter. The suggestion to visit early A.M. is worth noting. Have a great trip!

DAY 9
Maybe Baths of Caracalla?
Head to FCO

What time is your flight? The Baths open at 9AM

It is now possible to go online and book an entry time for St. Peter's. That gets you an audio guide and provides access to a dedicated, shorter security line. You should definitely do this so you can avoid the extremely long general security line. The entry points for the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's are rather far apart. Be careful about that as you decide what time to schedule those two sights. You'll need to check on when the tickets go on sale. They will sell out ahead of time.

Borghese Gallery tickets also sell out in advance.

The fastest way to Pompeii includes a Freccia train from Rome to Naples. Those tickets will be cheapest if bought early, but the cheap tickets tie you to a particular travel date and time, so there is a trade off. I wouldn't want to go to Pompeii on a rainy day. The monster cobblestones are problematic enough when dry.

The archaeological museum in Naples is very good; it houses a lot of the decorative elements found at Pompeii. You might consider spending a couple of nights in Naples to avoid the long, challenging Rome-to-Pompeii day trip. There's plenty to keep you busy in Rome; it's just that the Pompeii trip is likely to be tiring.

Just wanted to add a detail to your well-thought out itinerary. You may know this if you've been to the Borghese before but they have a restriction on the size of purse you can bring in. They do have a bag check for bigger bags but last time I went I just made sure I had a tiny purse for that day. It always throws me for a loop if I have to check my actual purse and I'm not expecting it. I want to be able to have my money/cards/passport on my body.

From their website:

"Only small pouches and handbags (maximum size: 21 x 15 cm) are permitted. Non-allowed bags must be left in the cloakroom at the museum entrance."

21 x 15cm is 8.2in x 5.9in

Have a great time!

Looks like a good trip, especially for your boyfriend since it's his first experience in Rome! The one place i don't see on your schedule is Trastevere. There are several places to explore there but it is also a wonderful place for drinks and dinne! After a long day of exploring, the piazza in front of Santa Maria in Trastevere is the place I go to. People watching, a spritz and some finger food give a nice opportunity to talk about all the things and places you saw during the day. Dinner is very long in Italy, so you have even more opportunity to cherish new memories and look at your plans for the next day.

It looks quite good to me also. On day 2, consider also making time for the San Clemente church not far from the Colosseum. It's a fascinating multilevel dive through Roman history. Despite several visits to Rome I haven't yet made it to Tivoli for the two villas -- hope to next time. I think some find the logistics of public transportation to try to see both of these a bit complicated and find the convenience of a day tour to be money well spent. Pompeii is of course amazing, and many do it as a long day trip from Rome as you're planning, but consider as well Ostia Antica, also a fascinating Roman town and one much closer to Rome, either in addition or as an alternative to Pompeii (saving Pompeii for another trip to cover the Naples-Amalfi Coast--Pompeii/Herculaneum -- Capri area, as it deserves much more than a rushed day trip). Perhaps on day 8 if you're not "ruined out" by then with forum and Pompeii, as you may well be.

For a full visit to San Clemente, including the archaeological excavations under the church, one must buy an online ticket. Here's the official website: https://www.basilicasanclemente.com/eng/booking/. Capacity is limited. I don't think San Clemente sells out way ahead of time, but monitoring the website and buying a ticket at least a bit ahead of time may well be necessary.

I'm not sure I have any right to comment since I've never been to Rome, but I'm planning a trip there in May and my itinerary, though shorter is very similar. One recommendation someone made to me was to cut out Pompeii and go to Ostia Antica instead. It's only about a half hour from Rome by commuter train and is apparently far less crowded. You might save a lot of transit time and avoid crowds. That's what I concluded anyway. My trip is only 4 nights.

Day 1 - more or less the same as yours
Day 2 - Colosseum, etc. and Trastevere
Day 3 - Vatican, Catcombs, and Baths of Caracalla
Day 4 - Ostia Antica, Trajan's Market/Fora Museum, brief Capitoline Museum visit
Day 5 - San Pietro in Vincoli - and then leave for another city

Appian Way, Tivoli/Hadrian's Villa, and Borghese are all great adds! I wish I had more time!!!

Have fun...

You’ve done a lot of great research and you have some great plans.

I am another advocate to add the Capitoline Museum to your Capitoline Hill and Forum plans. Even if you just spend 60 to 90 minutes there, it will enrich your experience of Ancient Rome.

There are so many other churches in Rome that you might choose to visit. For the art. Michelangelo, Bernini, Caravaggio to name a few. Churches to consider are San Pietro in Vincoli, Santa Maria Sopre Minerva, and the Basilica Santa Maria del Popolo. Maybe take a look at the DK Eyewitness Guide and figure out when and how to easily add those (or others, such as Santa Maria in Trastevere) to your ramblings. Perhaps add the first of these churches and scratch the Spanish Steps on Day 1. Add the second of these churches to Day 5 and the third to Day 7.

I know lots of people do that long day trip to get to Pompeii. We did not do that on our two visits to Rome. On our third trip to Italy, we spent a few nights in Naples, which was as far north as we went.

If it were my trip planning, I’d research Ostia Antica as one alternative vs. a 2 day trip to Pompeii and take in the Anthropology Museum in Naples and a passeggiata on the SpaccaNapoli and a wee bit more. One day to Pompeii and back sounds too rushed and too abbreviated to me.

Whatever you ultimately do, Buon Viagge.

Itinerary looks great to me. I would skip Pompeii and go to Isle of Capri instead.