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Please Review my Rome Itinerary!

Hi All,
Thanks so much to all of you for answering my questions as I finalize our itinerary for Rome. We fly from Boston non-stop to Rome. We will start our trip with a few days in Assisi and then return to Rome for 6 full days (arrive back to Rome Sunday afternoon and leave early the following Sunday).
I am hoping you experts can have a look at what I’m thinking and lmk if it’s too much or not enough! I seem to have a lot of free afternoons. With the early tours, maybe a break in the afternoon will be welcome, but I don't want to have "not enough" I don't have good sense of how far between sites/events. We are staying on the Vatican side of the Tiber, and the closest taxi stand is a 6 min walk from our AirBnB (Piazza Pasquale Paoli). I know we will want the option of a lift on the days of early tours that are a big distance from our flat.

Here is what I have:
SUNDAY
Arrive from Assisi early/late afternoon. Settle into AirBnB on Vatican side of Tiber.
I’m thinking we will want to get out walking this evening to see Rome lit up!

DINNER IDEAS?

MONDAY
I booked the “Between the Holy Doors” tour through Treasures of Rome 9am -12:30 pm
Tour ends at 12:30 at St. John Lateran. I’m sure we will stay there longer.

After tour:
--15 minute walk to St. Clement Church to make a visit and see catacombs (timed ticket, not yet purchased.)
--Parco del Cielo is 6 min walk from St Clement. Depending on timing (timed tix for St. Clement) could explore this area before or after St. Clement
LUNCH places in this area?

Late afternoon/evening open…Any ideas? I'd love to look at leather pocketbooks!

TUESDAY
8am—noon Booked small group tour of Colosseum, Forum, Palentine Hill w/ Liv Tours (hubby is civil engineer and can’t wait!)
Arrive by 7:45 at Colosseum Metro Station. We will take taxi since 1 hour ‘s walk away.
After the tour, we can check out Circo Massimo if not on tour (15 minute walk from Palentine Hill). Also, Teatro di Massimo (theater built by Cesar) is 8 minute walk from Circo Massimo. Explore this area.
Lunch in some piazza to people watch?

Afternoon is wide open

WEDNESDAY
Head out by 7am for our own DIY walking tour
--walk to Spanish Steps (30 min walk)
---10 min walk to (empty for cleaning) Trevi Fountain
---10 min walk to Pantheon. (Tix not booked yet. Looks like plenty left rn. Some have posted better to just walk up to counter and do “cash line” and get in that way)
--After Pantheon, 3 min walk to Basilica de Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
---7 min walk to Piazza Novona
---From there it’s a 15 min stroll back to our flat.
Need to be home by noon to prep to meet Nick at Pontifical College (5 min walk from our flat)
Lunch/Tour w/ Nick at Pontifical College (12:45—2:30)

Afternoon free--- NICE DINNER TONIGHT? Ideas?

THURSDAY
Go to St. Peter’s Basilica for 7 am opening (arrive 6:30. 15 min walk from flat)
Do dome climb first, hen explore church, crypt. Adoration , mass, confession
Guessing 7—10 am ??

Grab lunch /other things to do in that area?

Afternoon: St. Paul Outside the Walls by 2:50 for 3pm tour by Seminarians. (1 hour tour). Per Julia, great gift shop (pocket rosaries).
Take taxi since over 1 hour walk
After tour---what to do out that way???

FRIDAY
Do 10:30 tour Priscilla Catacombs
--Walk to Borghese Gallery for tour 1-3 (not booked yet…tix still avail for various time slots. This time would work w timing at Catacomb
--Enjoy park outside gallery.
Things in this area? Walk home /dinner on way home?

SATURDAY
9:30—1:30 bike tour of Appian Way E-bike tour w/ TopBike Rental & Tours, Via Labicana, 49, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Not booked yet. Tour won’t run if under 4 people.. If that is the case, we could rent bikes from there and do it on our own.

Vigil mass at St Peter’s

Please have a look and lmk what you think. Any suggestions/comments welcome!

Thanks,
Joanne

Posted by
2770 posts

see if you can fit in the passeggiata along the corso up to the piazza del popolo and back down one of those evenings, with stops for focaccia and gelato and the various Mary churches.

You don't mention the museums on top of the Palatine Hill or the Trastevere neighborhood -- are they included in one of the tour itineraries?

Your civ engin DH will appreciate St Clements even more if you read up on the various construction levels beforehand; this is true of every spot you visit!

Posted by
86 posts

St. John in Lateran is beautiful! Don't miss the cloister there for 2 euros, said to be the largest medieval cloister in Rome.

I did not want to commit to a set time when I'd be in the area of St. Clement, so I did not purchase a timed ticket in advance and it was unavailable when I arrived. It may be wise to purchase in advance.

Smart move with plan to arrive at St. Peter's early! I regret paying extra for a guided tour that led me to believe we would enter sooner, rather than join the line after standing off to the side waiting for what I don't know.

I had no plans on purchasing a Pantheon ticket in advance until I read that some people missed it due to being sold out when they arrived. In a panic, I tried to purchase a ticket online from home without success. I was able to walk up to the Pantheon on my arrival day, a Saturday at 3pm, entering the cash only queue with about a 15 minute wait. However, there were far more people inside than I had hoped, dulling the experience a bit. It's an incredible building inside and out!

I never made it to the Spanish Steps and only snapped a quick photo of the waterless Trevi Fountain while walking back to my Airbnb from where I had my golf tour driver let me out. I hated the crowds of people and tried to go where they weren't. I did walk by Piazza Navona several times during my visit, and found it more interesting at night when I would find street musicians performing. Even with the boarded up fountains here you could find beauty in the scenery.

Posted by
11900 posts

Have not plotted all your 'walking' times, but appears you are what I would call a 'power walker'. Given you may not have the sidewalks all to yourself, (and may have traffic lights) you might want to allow a bit more time for your point to point walking. Not everyone will be laser focused on 'getting there' and walking at a 3-4 mph pace. And if it's summer the heat will slow everyone down even more

In case you look sideways you may see something that is worth a bit of time to look at that is not on your 'schedule'.

Posted by
8259 posts

Excellent planning.

Also, consider visiting The Capitoline Museum and the Trajan's Markets.
If one of your tours doesn't include the Sistine Chapel, be sure not to miss this amazing place.

Posted by
1192 posts

10 min walk to (empty for cleaning) Trevi Fountain
---10 min walk to Pantheon.

I agree with joe32F - walking times may not be realistic. We were there the first two weeks of November last year and encountered shoulder-to-shoulder pedestrians at many locations, including the narrow pedestrianized streets leading to/from the Pantheon,

Posted by
68 posts

Hi guys,
Thanks for input on realistic walking times. I was just putting the times in for very general idea based on google maps. I don't expect it to be 100 percent realistic, but wanted overall idea of timing.
Thanks.
Joanne

Posted by
983 posts

Not clear when you are going but you may appreciate some siesta time after busy mornings. Some places I like…..

Please try and visit two churches in Trastevere, Santa Cecilia and Santa Maria in Trastevere, two of the oldest in Rome and with histories going back to the Roman period. Santa Maria has a beautiful mosaic apse that glows when it is lit up (look for the coin operated box to the left of the altar). The basement of Sta Cecilia contains the remains of the Saint’s house. There is also an early mosaic apse here. See Rick’s Rome guide for more info.

I also like the two churches associated with the Jesuits: Gesu and St. Ignazio. OTT Baroque which I think St I would’ve hated but nonetheless interesting. Especially the tromp d’oeil dome painted on the ceiling of St Ignazio.

The Jewish Ghetto is interesting with a mix of Roman ruins, the remains of the Teatro di Marcellus, (Roman Theatre believed to be the template for the Colosseum, with 16th century apartments built into it. Now very expensive homes), the Synagogue, reminders of 1943 when many of Rome’s Jews were transported. A nice, quieter and interesting area of Rome

Posted by
75 posts

I agree with Lesley's suggestions and would add: Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, quite near the Pantheon, for its magnificent Filippino Lippi frescoes and Michelangelo's Christ the Redeemer. Make sure to have a euro on hand to light up the frescoes. And San Luigi dei Francesi, near the Panetheon and Piazza Navona, with its Caravaggio, Reni and Domenichino artworks. (Again, have a euro.) It doesn't take long to visit these two amazing churches.

Also, Palazzo Barberini is wonderful if you have time and enjoy art museums.