Would you please critique my 7 day Rome itinerary for October 2026?

Where are you staying? With that information we may be able to suggest sights you can see readily as you head out in the morning or return in the afternoon. That can work especially well for churches; Rome has so many fabulous (and different) churches; I like to pop in to see them when it is convenient. Because there are so many great ones, I tend not to traipse across the city just to see a church, opting for what's close at hand. (Not referring to St. Peter's here, of course.)

I can't help much at all because I skipped most of the places you've mentioned despite spending 20 days in Rome a few years ago. My sightseeing tastes are odd--I skip many things that are must-sees for others and spend a great deal of time in the places I do visit, so I'm bad at estimating how much time others will spend at particular sights.

On your arrival day, I'd recommend staying outside as much as possible. The Domus Aurea is interesting but must be prebooked (perhaps even weeks in advance), so that's not really an optional sight for arrival day.

On Saturday are you thinking of the Villa Borghese (the park) or the Galleria Borghese (the museum)? If it's the fine Galleria Borghese you're interested in, that must be prebooked--probably at least weeks in advance. Timed entries allow you two hours inside, so it's easy to know approximately how much time you'll spend there.

I am a huge fan of Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture, so I was looking forward to the Villa Torlonia. I was disappointed; the quality of the interior decor was nowhere near what I've seen in other places like Barcelona, Vienna, Brussels, Budapest, etc. You may have an interest in the history, which could change things. I much preferred just walking around the Quartiere Coppede, an Art Nouveau residential district not too far from the Villa Borghese park.

Despite the well-known exceptions (Vatican Museums, St. Peter's, Colosseum, Villa Borghese, Domus Aurea among them), the vast majority of sights in Rome in Rome do not need to be pre-planned beyond deciding whether they are interesting to you or not and knowing where they are and when they are open. I wouldn't feel the need to make definite plans for every part of every day--though I know many travelers are uncomfortable without firm plans. I like to see what the weather is like and consider what I'm most interested in seeing each day after I arrive in the city. Maybe I'll feel like an out-of-town trip, or maybe I'll be more interested in one of the sights on my target list.

Unfortunately, San Clemente--which is very interesting--may not work as a spur-of-the-minute decision. I haven't heard that it sells out much in advance, but at the time of my winter 2023 visit, you couldn't buy walk-up tickets at the church. You had to buy online, which can be iffy at the last minute if your data connection isn't good. It would be better to make that decision before leaving your hotel in the morning so you can use Wi-Fi. I'd also check the website a few days ahead of time to be sure ticket availability looks OK; that's a prudent step to take when tickets are timed rather than just dated. For entry this month they are not selling entries between noon and 2 PM, so that's something to be aware of.

For your visit to St. Peter's on Tuesday morning, book entry ahead of time to have access to the shorter security line. I think that entry includes an audio guide. The Vatican Museums sell out well in advance. Monitor museivaticani.va very closely so you don't end up empty-handed.

Trastevere is a large area where you can spend hours wandering around. Two churches I especially like in that area are Santa Maria in Trastevere and Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. Santa Cecilia has a very pretty crypt that may close somewhat earlier than the church itself.

Thursday looks like a lot (though I have not been to the Colosseum or the Forum). The Capitoline Museums are quite large.

Hello ACraven, thanks for the reply especially your thoughts on the Villa Torlonia!

I had not realize that this post had posted until I saw your response to it!

I do plan to take advantage, as much as possible, of the prebooking for various sights, which is why I'm trying to oultine an itinerary that has reasonable timing for each attraction. It's so easy to book yourself silly when it's all just pen and paper plans.

It looked like the post had gotten eaten by the internet Gods!

Based on comments similar to yours provided elsewhere, I revised the itinerary earlier this morning, and reposted it, as revised, here.... It's still very much a work in progress.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/7-day-itinerary-to-rome-for-october-2026

I will add that we have booked our dates for both Hotel Smeraldo and Hotel Lancelot, at fully refundable rates. I recognize Smeraldo gets more love on this forum generally and has a very good location; Hotel Lancelot also gets good reviews and offers a more affordable price point for this trip.

Good plan but did you want to see the amazing Sistine Chapel at St. Peter's.