Rome - Other Sights and Day Trips

I was in Rome mid-September for four full days. I avoided the large touristy sights (been there, done that thinking) and wanted smaller museums and something fun.

The two museums I enjoyed the most were Colonna Palazzo and the Jewish Museum. Basicilica San Clemente was the most interesting of the three archaeological sights I visited. Not for everyone but I really enjoyed horseback riding along the Appian Way to see the monuments and I had a wonderful homemade lunch afterwards.
https://www.galleriacolonna.it/en/visits-to-the-palace/
https://museoebraico.roma.it/en/
https://www.basilicasanclemente.com/eng/
https://www.ridingancientrome.it/

Other less touristy archaeological sights I visited were Palazzo Valentini and Domus Aurea. On the art side, I also spent a few hours at Galleria Doria Pamphilj. Instead of a day trip to Ostia Antica, I took a vacation from my vacation and just wandered around Rome, stopping for a lot of gelato.

Don't forget food tours. I scheduled with Eating Europe for the Twilight Trastevere tour. It was my sixth food tour with them in the past five years.
https://www.eatingeurope.com/rome/

Buon Viaggio!

I have been to Rome four times. The best day trip you can take is to Tivoli and Villa d’Este!

I recommend taking the metro out to the aqueduct parks. I was fascinated by the ancient water systems. I also recommend Torre Argentina near the Pantheon. It is a cat rescue center in a square of ancient ruins. It is also where Caesar was assassinated. I love to watch the cats chasing each other among the ruins.

I think that this may be considered a "hijack". If so, sorry, it just seemed like a logical place to ask. Anyone have opinions on visiting Tivoli mid February? I would guess the gardens might be "drab" and fountains off??

Outside Rome: Orvieto. Lovely (not undiscovered) hill town with some really good sights (fabulous cathedral and museums, etc.) Actually has enough to keep you busy for more than a day.

In Rome: Art Nouveau Quartiere Coppede, Centrale Montemartini (classical sculpture and mosaics), Palazzo Venezia (important collection of decorative arts), Villa Giulia (Etruscan Museum) and so many fabulous churches: Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere (check out the crypt), Santa Prassede (very old mosaics), Santa Pudenziana (even older mosaic).

Rome is a very hectic city with crowded sidewalks in many neighborhoods. It's nice to spend some time wandering around quieter areas. One possibility is the area south of the Castel Sant'Angelo, on the east side of the Tiber. Via Giulia and Via dei Banchi Vecchi were worth checking out for a change of pace in winter 2023. Also nice was the Via Margutta, which is just north of the Spanish Steps; it's one block east of the Via del Babuino.

There is a new post that may be of interest:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/rome-again-sites-you-might-not-otherwise-visit