With summer just around the corner, adventurous holidays and European cities are on my mind. Last summer, I spent time in Italy with my family, and we had a lengthy agenda. Our time in Rome was a hectic adventure, and we hit most of the major spots in just two days. While I would recommend having extra time to stroll the streets of any foreign city, if you need to fit things into a short timeframe, below are some key places I would recommend.
OUR TWO-DAY ITINERARY
Day 1
Touring the Vatican: We spent the majority of our first day in Vatican City. We chose to do a 3-hour private group tour, booked through Viator. A major bonus of this booking was that it allowed us to skip the long lines leading into the Vatican. Our guide led us through Raphael’s rooms, the “Pinecone Courtyard,” the Gallery of the Maps, the Gallery of the Tapestries, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. The tour ended at St. Peter’s Square, where we were allowed to stay and take pictures. Having a guide to explain the history and to direct our attention to key details in different art pieces helped us to get the most out of our visit.
Strolling the streets: After a late lunch and a trip back to our apartment, we still had enough energy to do an afternoon stroll with the goal of finding the Trevi Fountain. We began our walk on Corso del Rinascimento, and we walked through Piazza Navona, where we stopped to take photos of the beautiful fountains.
After consulting with our map and reorienting, we walked to the Pantheon, which wasn’t open at the time we arrived, but just viewing it from the outside was an experience in and of itself. As we continued, we walked past Il Tempio di Adriano (The Temple of Hadrian), which looked as ancient as it sounds. We didn’t plan to see this site, but we were glad we stumbled upon it because the way the temple has been incorporated into a later building is a great illustration of the many layers of Rome–the old and the new.
We ended our day at the Trevi Fountain. We were able to see it both in the daylight and at night, as we ate close by and made sure to revisit. In the evening, the fountain lights illuminated the water, and we threw our coins behind our backs and made a wish.
Day 2
Galleria Borghese: The owner of the apartment in which we were staying recommended a visit to Galleria Borghese, naming it a must-see. If you are looking for an art gallery to visit in Rome, this is the one. We booked tickets directly through their website, and we picked up an audio guide to hear more about pieces of interest. We were designated a timeframe during which we could stay inside the gallery, as it is small and busy. I would recommend doing a bit of research on what’s inside so that you can prioritize your time.
Ancient Rome: After taking a midday nap, we made our way to our final tour of the trip. We booked another private group tour through Viator to check out the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. There is a lot to see and a lot to learn, so having a live guide was incredibly helpful. For our experience, both locations were part of the same tour with the same guide. We were able to skip lines and had a more personalized experience because our guide ensured each member of our group was engaged and that our expectations were met.
The following day, we would leave on an evening flight, so we had some time in the morning to revisit the Trevi Fountain and the surrounding area. I would certainly revisit and spend more time enjoying the streets of Rome. This trip served as a great introduction to the Eternal City!
