Rome
3
Day Itinerary •
Italy
Rome is the most layered city on earth. 2,800 years of continuous civilisation means that every street contains Roman foundations beneath medieval churches beneath Renaissance palaces beneath Baroque facades. Most visitors see the headline monuments and miss the city entirely. The hidden Rome is extraordinary and completely accessible if you know where to look. This 3-day route goes deep into hidden Rome. The ancient Appian Way and the Catacombs at dawn before the tour buses. The extraordinary overlooked churches of the city centre with art that rivals the Vatican Museums. The authentic neighbourhood of Trastevere and the Gianicolo hill above it. And the Castelli Romani, the volcanic lake towns above Rome where the popes retreated in summer and the locals still eat and drink extraordinarily well.
Best Time To Visit
March to June or September to November
Getting There
Fly into Rome Fiumicino (FCO) or Ciampino (CIA)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 100 to 160 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
HIDDEN ROME
MORNING
THE APPIAN WAY AND THE CATACOMBS AT DAWN
The Via Appia Antica is the oldest road in Rome, built in 312 BC and used continuously for 2,000 years. At dawn before the tour buses arrive, you can walk the ancient paving stones between crumbling tombs in complete silence. The Catacombs of San Callisto and San Sebastiano, vast underground networks of 3rd-century Christian burial tunnels, are accessed from the Appian Way. Entry approx 8 euros each and one of the most extraordinary underground experiences in Rome. Drive: 30 min bus to city centre
MIDDAY
THE OVERLOOKED CHURCHES OF CENTRAL ROME
Rome's lesser-visited churches contain art that rivals the Vatican. San Luigi dei Francesi has three extraordinary Caravaggio paintings in the Contarelli Chapel, usually with no queue. Santa Maria del Popolo has two more Caravaggios plus Raphael's Chigi Chapel. San Pietro in Vincoli contains Michelangelo's Moses, one of the most powerful sculptures in Rome, almost always accessible without the crowds. All are free to enter. Drive: 20 min walk to Aventine
AFTERNOON
THE AVENTINE KEYHOLE AND HIDDEN ROME
The Aventine hill is the most peaceful of Rome's seven hills and contains extraordinary hidden Rome. The Knights of Malta keyhole at the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta perfectly frames the dome of St Peter's Basilica at the end of a long garden avenue , one of the most famous hidden views in Rome. The adjacent Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden) has the finest panoramic view over Rome from the Aventine terrace. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Protestant Cemetery next to the Pyramid of Cestius is one of the most beautiful and moving places in Rome. Keats and Shelley are buried here, alongside 4,000 others from across the world. The Pyramid itself, a genuine ancient Egyptian pyramid built by a Roman magistrate in 18 BC, is entirely free to see from outside and extraordinary.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar San Calisto, Trastevere The most authentic neighbourhood bar in Rome. Extraordinary coffee and cornetti at the marble counter. | Lunch: Osteria dell'Angelo, Trastevere The finest traditional Roman trattoria. Cacio e pepe, coda alla vaccinara and house wine. Book ahead. | Dinner: Da Enzo al 29, Trastevere Most beloved trattoria in Trastevere. Classic Roman cuisine, honest prices and the finest house wine in the quarter.
DAY 2
VATICAN AND TRASTEVERE
MORNING
THE VATICAN BEYOND THE SISTINE CHAPEL
Book the Vatican Museums for the earliest possible entry (8am) and go directly to the Gallery of Maps, one of the most extraordinary rooms in the world, and then to the Raphael Rooms before the Sistine Chapel. The Pinecone Courtyard and the Museo Pio-Clementino Greek and Roman sculpture collection are extraordinary and largely walked through by visitors rushing to the Sistine. The Vatican Gardens can be visited on separate guided tours with extraordinary views over the dome. Drive: 15 min walk to Castel Sant'Angelo
MIDDAY
CASTEL SANT'ANGELO AND THE SECRET PASSAGEWAY
Castel Sant'Angelo is a Roman mausoleum converted to a medieval fortress. The Passetto di Borgo, a secret elevated passage connecting the Vatican to the castle used by popes in emergencies, is visible from outside and occasionally accessible. The castle's extraordinary ramparts give the finest view of the Tiber and the city. Entry approx 15 euros. Drive: 20 min walk to Borghese
AFTERNOON
GALLERIA BORGHESE, THE HIDDEN MUSEUM OF GENIUS
The Galleria Borghese contains the greatest concentration of genius per square metre of any museum in the world. Bernini's extraordinary marble sculptures (Apollo and Daphne, The Rape of Proserpina) stand alongside Caravaggio's finest paintings in a single small villa. Visits are strictly timed at 2 hours, entry approx 13 euros plus booking fee. Book weeks in advance , this is non-negotiable.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Necropoli di San Pietro, the Vatican Necropolis beneath St Peter's Basilica, is one of the most extraordinary and least known experiences in Rome. The tomb of Saint Peter himself is believed to be here, and the 2nd-century necropolis is extraordinary. Entry by guided tour only, booked months in advance at scavi.va. Worth every effort.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe San Pietro, Vatican area Strong coffee near the Vatican before the museums open at 8am. The line at the door starts at 7:30am. | Lunch: Pizzarium Bonci, Prati The finest pizza al taglio in Rome. Gabriele Bonci's extraordinary toppings on perfect Roman-style base. Queue and point. | Dinner: Osteria Fernanda, Trastevere Outstanding modern Roman cuisine in a beautiful space. Creative interpretations of Roman classics.
DAY 3
CASTELLI ROMANI
MORNING
CASTEL GANDOLFO, THE POPE'S SUMMER PALACE
Castel Gandolfo stands on the crater rim above Lago Albano, 25km south of Rome. The Papal Palace here was the summer residence of popes from the 17th century to 2013. Pope Francis controversially opened the papal gardens and palace to the public in 2016. The guided tour of the extraordinary gardens and apartments gives a fascinating insight into papal life. Entry approx 25 euros. The views over the volcanic lake below are extraordinary. Drive: 20 min drive around lake
MIDDAY
THE CASTELLI ROMANI WINE TOWNS
The Castelli Romani are a ring of medieval hill towns on the rim of an ancient volcanic crater, 25km from Rome. Frascati produces the finest white wine in Lazio, drunk by the locals from enormous jugs in the wine bars of the town since the 16th century. Marino holds a festival every October where the town fountain runs with wine. Ariccia is famous for the finest porchetta (whole roast pig) in Italy and the extraordinary Baroque town centre designed by Bernini. Drive: 20 min drive to Nemi
AFTERNOON
NEMI, THE STRAWBERRY VILLAGE ABOVE THE HIDDEN LAKE
Nemi is the finest of the Castelli Romani, a tiny village perched above the extraordinary Lago di Nemi, a perfectly circular volcanic crater lake surrounded by strawberry fields. The village is famous throughout Italy for its fragoline di Nemi, tiny wild strawberries grown on the crater slopes that are among the finest in the world. The view down from the village to the perfectly circular lake is extraordinary. The Museo delle Navi Romane tells the story of the two extraordinary pleasure ships Caligula built on the lake.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Lago di Nemi is a perfectly circular volcanic crater lake so small and hidden that it is almost entirely unknown to international visitors to Rome. The Emperor Caligula built two enormous pleasure ships on the lake, the largest wooden vessels of the ancient world. They were recovered from the lake bottom in the 1930s but destroyed in 1944. Free to view.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe del Parlamento, Rome Stop for coffee in Rome before driving to the Castelli. One of the finest traditional Roman cafes. | Lunch: Osteria di Nemi Outstanding traditional restaurant in the village above the lake. Local lamb, ricotta and Castelli wine. | Dinner: Porchetta stall, Ariccia Eat the finest porchetta in Italy standing up from the stalls in the Piazza di Corte. Under 10 euros.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Trastevere, all nights Hotel Santa Maria, a beautiful 16th-century cloister hotel in Trastevere. Approx 130 to 200 euros per night. Alternative Hotel Palazzo Manfredi with Colosseum views, approx 200 euros. Hotel Locarno, Prati, approx 120 euros. Budget Option Residenza Paolo VI near the Vatican from approx 80 euros. Guesthouse in Trastevere from approx 65 euros.
Top Tips
1. Book the Galleria Borghese weeks in advance at galleriaborghese.it. Entry is strictly timed, no exceptions.
2. The Vatican Necropolis (Scavi) must be booked at scavi.va months ahead. Worth every effort.
3. San Luigi dei Francesi Caravaggios are free. Visit at 10am on a weekday to have them almost to yourself.
4. Appian Way is best before 8am. Take Bus 118 from Circo Massimo. The catacombs open at 9am.
5. Roman restaurants do not open for dinner before 7:30pm. The best are full by 8pm. Book ahead.
6. The Galleria Borghese garden is free to walk and extraordinary in spring. The museum needs booking.
Total Budget
85 to 140 euros/day