Rome
5
Day Itinerary •
Italy
Five days in Rome and Lazio allows you to explore far beyond the city itself. The ancient port city of Ostia Antica, larger than Pompeii and almost entirely unvisited. The extraordinary Etruscan city of Viterbo and the volcanic Lake Bolsena. The magnificent cliff-top city of Orvieto with its extraordinary striped cathedral and underground Etruscan city. And the full depth of hidden Rome that most visitors miss entirely. This route covers it all. The overlooked Rome of the Appian Way, hidden churches with free Caravaggios, the Vatican beyond the Sistine Chapel, the extraordinary Galleria Borghese, the ancient Roman port at Ostia, the papal wine country of the Castelli Romani, and the magnificent Etruscan Lazio that surrounds Rome on every side.
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 CATACOMBS AT DAWN
At dawn before the tour buses, walk the ancient paving stones of the Via Appia Antica between crumbling tombs in complete silence. The Catacombs of San Callisto and San Sebastiano are vast underground networks of 3rd-century Christian burial tunnels. Entry approx 8 euros each. Drive: 30 min bus to city centre
MIDDAY
OVERLOOKED CHURCHES WITH FREE CARAVAGGIOS
San Luigi dei Francesi has three extraordinary Caravaggio paintings with almost no queue. Santa Maria del Popolo has two more Caravaggios plus Raphael's Chigi Chapel. San Pietro in Vincoli contains Michelangelo's Moses. All free to enter. Drive: 20 min walk to Aventine
AFTERNOON
THE AVENTINE KEYHOLE AND ORANGE GARDEN
The Knights of Malta keyhole perfectly frames the dome of St Peter's at the end of a garden avenue. The adjacent Giardino degli Aranci has the finest panoramic view over Rome. Both free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Protestant Cemetery next to the Pyramid of Cestius is one of the most beautiful places in Rome. Keats and Shelley are buried here. The Pyramid of Cestius itself, a genuine ancient Egyptian pyramid built in 18 BC by a Roman magistrate, is entirely free to see from outside.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar San Calisto, Trastevere Most authentic neighbourhood bar in Rome. Extraordinary coffee at the marble counter. | Lunch: Osteria dell'Angelo, Trastevere Finest traditional Roman trattoria. Cacio e pepe and coda alla vaccinara. Book ahead. | Dinner: Da Enzo al 29, Trastevere Most beloved trattoria in Trastevere. Classic Roman cuisine at honest prices.
DAY 2
VATICAN AND BORGHESE
MORNING
THE VATICAN BEYOND THE SISTINE CHAPEL
Book the earliest entry (8am) and go directly to the Gallery of Maps and Raphael Rooms before the crowds reach them. The Museo Pio-Clementino Greek and Roman sculpture collection is extraordinary and largely walked through by visitors rushing to the Sistine. Drive: 15 min walk to Castel Sant'Angelo
MIDDAY
CASTEL SANT'ANGELO
A Roman mausoleum converted to medieval fortress. The extraordinary ramparts give the finest view of the Tiber. Entry approx 15 euros. Drive: 20 min walk to Borghese
AFTERNOON
GALLERIA BORGHESE
The greatest concentration of genius per square metre of any museum in the world. Bernini's Apollo and Daphne and Caravaggio's finest paintings in one small villa. Book weeks in advance at galleriaborghese.it. Entry approx 13 euros plus booking. Non-negotiable.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Vatican Necropolis beneath St Peter's Basilica contains the tomb of Saint Peter himself. Entry by guided tour only, booked months in advance at scavi.va. One of the most extraordinary and least known experiences in Rome.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe San Pietro Strong coffee near the Vatican before the museums open at 8am. | Lunch: Pizzarium Bonci, Prati Finest pizza al taglio in Rome. Gabriele Bonci's extraordinary toppings. Queue and point. | Dinner: Osteria Fernanda, Trastevere Outstanding modern Roman cuisine. Creative interpretations of Roman classics.
DAY 3
OSTIA ANTICA AND TRASTEVERE
MORNING
OSTIA ANTICA, THE ANCIENT ROMAN PORT CITY
Ostia Antica is the best kept secret near Rome. The ancient port city of Rome, founded in the 4th century BC and home to 100,000 people at its height, is extraordinarily well preserved and receives a fraction of the visitors of Pompeii. The Terme di Nettuno mosaics, the Thermopolium, the theatre, the Capitolium and the extraordinary apartment blocks give a more complete picture of Roman urban life than anywhere except Pompeii. Entry approx 12 euros. Drive: 30 min train back to Rome
MIDDAY
TRASTEVERE, THE REAL ROME
Trastevere is the most authentic neighbourhood in Rome, a dense network of medieval streets where the city's working-class roots survive. The Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest churches in Rome, with extraordinary 12th-century mosaics. The streets around the Campo de' Fiori contain the finest food market in central Rome. Drive: 20 min walk to Gianicolo
AFTERNOON
GIANICOLO, THE HILL ABOVE ROME
The Gianicolo hill above Trastevere gives the finest panoramic view of Rome, better than any other viewpoint in the city. The daily cannon fired at noon from the Gianicolo has been the signal for Romans to set their clocks since 1847. The Fontana dell'Acqua Paola at the base of the hill is an extraordinary 17th-century fountain.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Isola Tiberina in the Tiber river below Trastevere is one of the most extraordinary places in Rome. A natural island in the Tiber, inhabited continuously since ancient times, it contains a hospital that has operated for 2,000 years and a medieval church built over the Temple of Aesculapius. Free to visit and almost always quiet.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar at Ostia Antica station Coffee before taking the train to the ancient city. Buy your entry ticket online. | Lunch: Ostia Antica cafe within site Eat in the cafe within the archaeological site. The setting is extraordinary. | Dinner: Tonnarello, Trastevere The most beloved traditional trattoria in Trastevere. Bucatini all'amatriciana and local house wine.
DAY 4
CASTELLI ROMANI
MORNING
CASTEL GANDOLFO, THE POPE'S SUMMER PALACE
The Papal Palace and extraordinary gardens on the crater rim above Lago Albano, now open to the public since 2016. The guided tour gives a fascinating insight into papal life. Entry approx 25 euros. The views over the volcanic lake are extraordinary. Drive: 20 min drive around lake
MIDDAY
FRASCATI, ARICCIA AND THE WINE COUNTRY
Frascati produces the finest white wine in Lazio, drunk from enormous jugs in the wine bars since the 16th century. Ariccia is famous for the finest porchetta in Italy and an extraordinary Baroque town centre designed by Bernini. The local restaurants serve porchetta sandwiches from enormous whole roasted pigs for under 5 euros. Drive: 20 min drive to Nemi
AFTERNOON
NEMI, THE STRAWBERRY VILLAGE ABOVE THE LAKE
The finest of the Castelli Romani above the perfectly circular volcanic Lago di Nemi surrounded by strawberry fields. The fragoline di Nemi are the finest wild strawberries in the world. The view from the village down to the circular lake is extraordinary.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Lago di Nemi is a perfectly circular volcanic crater lake almost entirely unknown to international visitors. The Emperor Caligula built two enormous pleasure ships on the lake. They were recovered from the lake bottom in the 1930s but destroyed in 1944. Free to view.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe in Frascati Excellent local cafe in the wine town. Coffee and local pastries before the vineyards. | Lunch: Porchetta stall, Ariccia Finest porchetta in Italy from the stalls in the Piazza di Corte. Under 10 euros standing up. | Dinner: Osteria di Nemi Traditional restaurant above the crater lake. Local lamb and Castelli wine.
DAY 5
VITERBO AND ORVIETO
MORNING
VITERBO, THE MEDIEVAL PAPAL CITY
Viterbo was the seat of the papacy for 24 years in the 13th century and has the finest medieval quarter in Lazio. The Quartiere San Pellegrino is an extraordinary intact medieval neighbourhood of towers, external staircases and arched passages, almost entirely unchanged since the 13th century. The Palazzo dei Papi, where several popes are buried and where the first conclave in history was held in 1268, is extraordinary. Entry to the palazzo approx 4 euros. Drive: 45 min drive to Orvieto
MIDDAY
ORVIETO CATHEDRAL, THE FINEST FACADE IN ITALY
The Duomo di Orvieto, begun in 1290 and still under construction in the 16th century, has the most extraordinary Gothic facade in Italy. The Cathedral contains the Cappella di San Brizio with a cycle of frescoes by Luca Signorelli that Michelangelo studied before painting the Sistine Chapel. The extraordinary striped black and white marble exterior is extraordinary even from the funicular. Entry approx 5 euros. Drive: 30 min walk underground
AFTERNOON
ORVIETO UNDERGROUND, THE ETRUSCAN CITY BELOW
Orvieto sits on an enormous tufa rock entirely hollow beneath. The Orvieto Underground tour descends into 1,200 years of tunnels, Etruscan cellars, medieval pigeon houses and World War II air raid shelters carved into the rock. Entry approx 6 euros. The city also contains the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia collection of Etruscan artefacts.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
Lake Bolsena, north of Viterbo, is the largest volcanic crater lake in Europe and almost entirely unknown internationally. The medieval town of Bolsena on its shore contains an extraordinary 13th-century miracle story that led directly to the creation of Corpus Christi. The lake has extraordinary clear water and is free to swim in from the town beach.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe in Viterbo old town Breakfast in the medieval quarter before the Palazzo dei Papi opens. | Lunch: Trattoria del Matto, Orvieto Outstanding traditional Umbrian-Lazian restaurant. Local wild boar, truffles and Orvieto Classico wine. | Dinner: Return to Rome for final dinner One last dinner in Trastevere. Cacio e pepe, saltimbocca and a glass of Frascati.
Where To Stay
Trastevere, Nights 1 to 3 Hotel Santa Maria, a 16th-century cloister hotel. Approx 130 to 200 euros per night. Castelli or Orvieto, Nights 4 to 5 Stay in the wine towns or Hotel Palazzo Piccolomini, Orvieto. Approx 100 to 180 euros. Budget Option Trastevere guesthouse from approx 65 euros. Orvieto: B and B from approx 55 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