W E L C O M E TO TH E
G O O D L I F E
I N
R O M E
P L A N N I N G
Due to its enormous popularity as a destination for visitors to Italy, and the continent as a whole, Rome demands a bit of respect with regards to planning visits.
A basic first Itinerary should make up a minimum of four days. Part of the reason for this is the sheer crowd-draw of the key things you will likely wish to see, and our express encouragement not to attempt to combine multiple big attractions into one day.
Every important site is likely to be extremely busy during the high summer season, and tickets will need to be booked well in advance.
Even during the off-season, Rome commands a large number of visitors.
M U S E U M & S I T E B O O K I N G
In particular the Colosseum requires advanced booking.
Visiting the Sistine Chapel during regular hours simply cannot be recommended, and instead, we strongly suggest having one of our guides arrange an after-hours visit to avoid unbearable crowds, at nearly any time of year.
S U G G E S T E D I T I N E R A R Y P O I N T S
DAY I
The Colosseum & Roman Forum, plus some culinary gluttony great or small.
Of the at least 230 known remains of Roman ampitheatres, this is the largest, hosting space for somewhere between 40-50 thousand people.
You’ll want to at least go see it, and there is a good argument for visiting the interior, at least once, though there are others (Nîmes, in particular) more intact than Rome’s Colosseum. The real experiential highlight of this day however, is actually the Forum, showcasing a lot more of what ancient Roman daily life was actually like. From the profound to the utterly quotidian, just standing there and taking it all in is already an immense experience, and taking a great guide can add so much more.
It’s worth hiking up Palatine hill to look down from up top as well.
Finish up with some Roman culinary magic, rustic and beautiful. Now is your chance to have a carbonara, a cacio e pepe, an amatriciana, and a simple glass of wine.
DAY II
The Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica.
One of the world’s most famous museums, the Vatican is unmissable, and of course, the incredible collection of viewable artifacts make up an astonishingly small part of the incredible collections in the archives.
It should here be emphasised that it is essential to visit the Sistine Chapel outside of the normal viewing hours, to avoid a thoroughly uninspiring and overcrowded visit. It’s well worthwhile to climb Michelangelo’s dome.
As far as these attractions with lots of steps are concerned, this is probably one of the most iconic you could pick and an unmistakable view that you will recognise from paintings in galleries throughout Europe.
Most likely, even with a guide to help you focus, and even if you don’t spend the whole day inside, you’ll find yourself likely pretty much at capacity afterwards.
We think you'd be best served grabbing an aperativo in preparation for a spectacular dinner, which we recommend being a leg up in terms of sophistication from yesterday's more rustic fare.
DAY III
Centro Storico & the Borghese
This is where you’ll spend some time visiting some of Rome’s most iconic spots – The Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Piazza del Popolo, and so on.
It’s worth mentioning that as all of these are public spaces, and this is Rome, at any time after about 09:00, you can assume that the crowds will render space more or less standing room only at these sites.
After lunch, a visit to the Borghese villa, gardens, and gallery, is probably the best way to spend your afternoon.
As always, one of our guides can add a depth and richness to the experience, as well as helping you with bookings in a way that will transform your entire experience, whether you are a seasoned gallery enthusiast, or just learning about how wild Caravaggio actually was.
Pre-booked tickets are essential, as only very small numbers of people are admitted per day, and these sell out extremely quickly.
In the event that you are coming last minute, or otherwise unable to secure tickets, this is an ideal opportunity to either take a culinary tour, or learn to cook some Roman classics instead, just to wrap your head around some of the magic of this incredibly endearing style of cuisine.
You could also elect to double down on whichever of the previous two days' meals has secured its place in your heart forever.
Going to the same place twice whilst abroad may sound repetitive, but the author is very much an enthusiast of just saying 'yes, again' to things that he loves.
M E E T Y O U R G U I D E
All of our guides can offer you a spectacular experience. As each person has a slightly different look at the world, due to their own unique interests and specialties, we'd encourage you to read a few profiles.
