I love to explore new places, and my recent trip to Italy was no exception.
Italy, Rome specifically, is easy to navigate on foot and offers spectacular architecture and art at literally every turn. The people watching was unsurpassed! You can probably have a pretty incredible trip just walking around the different neighborhoods for three days. Of course, especially if you’re a first-time visitor, there are things you can’t miss.
Here’s a three-day itinerary that will make the most of your time.
Day One in Rome
After an all-night flight with a 7:30 am arrival in Rome we purchase tickets for a Hop On Hop Off bus tour. While it’s great to get our bearings and to map out a plan, this tour could have easily been skipped. Traffic is heavy in Rome; you can make better time walking. Public transportation options abound as well.
We ended up at the Vatican and opted for a Skip-the-Line tour. No need to purchase tickets in advance, operators are abundant as you walk towards Vatican City. Take note: you may skip the first line(s), which will save you quite a bit of time depending on when you visit, but you will quickly merge in with the massive sea of humanity making their way to the Sistine Chapel.
If you opted for the tour, you would take a shortcut to St. Peter’s Basilica after leaving the Sistine Chapel, thus saving yourself another long wait.
After visiting Vatican City, we cross the Tiber River (we crossed the bridge at sunset – serendipity!) into a beautiful neighborhood with shops and restaurants lining the cobblestone streets for dinner and a lovely glass of wine.
Day Two
Today we make our way back in time to what was “downtown Rome’ in the days of Julius Caeser. Again, we opt for a tour which allowed us to skip the line and travel through Ancient Rome with an archaeologist named Fillirico.
The tour enabled us to visit a few places in the Colosseum not open to the public, even walking through a tunnel onto the main stage area. It is fascinating to look up and imagine what the gladiators felt as the crowds looked upon them from the stands.
In addition to the Colosseum, be sure and see Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. You can view Circus Maximus from Palatine Hill in one direction; look the other way for stunning views of the Forum and Ancient Rome. There is little to no signage in these areas, so the tour is worth it.
Knowledgable guides ensure that we know what we’re looking at as well as provide a history lesson. Fascinating!
After another fabulous lunch, and of course, more wine, we head over to the Victor Emmanual Monument and climb the 242 stairs for a magnificent view of the city. Take the Rome From the Sky elevator to the very top if you wish. Arriving just before sunset, the line was long, so we opted to enjoy the show from that vantage point.
Day Three
The best way to see a city is on foot. There are plenty of walking tours for hire, but we decided to follow our own itinerary. Armed with a Rick Steves guidebook and map, we make our way to the Spanish Steps spending the entire day meandering through the heart of Rome.
Don’t miss Trevi Fountain, crowded but fun, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Campo de’ Fiori with its fabulous flower market. Plenty of cafes, wine bars, and gelaterias line the streets, so stop often, and enjoy the sights, sounds, and people of Rome.
Be sure to get lost at least once, and enjoy the blend of ancient and modern in this endlessly entertaining city!
Ciao for now!
