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Rome Virtual Tour
If you only have a few days to spend in the eternel city then you will have just enough time to see the main monuments of Rome! This section suggests some walking and scooter tours of Rome.
The Six Hour Lightning Tour!
Doing Rome in six hours is possible. If you have an eight hour aeroplane stop over then you might as well come into town as stay out at the airport.
The monuments that you will see in this walking tour are the major tourist ones that you need to have seen at least once in your life.
The tour assumes that you are starting and finishing the tour from Termini train station. The tour also assumes you are wearing good walking shoes and are reasonably fit!
Because you will be walking past prime tourist sites, you will be also walking through prime pick pocket territory.
- Termini Train Station:: Buy a map of Rome from one of the newspaper stands.
- Termini Metropolitana Station: Follow the signs from Termini train station to the metropolitana station. Buy two tickets from the ticket vending machines at the metro station.
- Colosseo Metropolitana Station: Take Metro Linea B from Termini direction EUR. Get off the metropolitana at Colosseo.
- Colosseo: When you get out of the metropolitana you will be presented with the most well known site of Rome - the Colosseum. Cross the road and have a quick look at the Colosseum. Start walking toward the huge ancient ruins.
- Arch of Constantine: As you walk toward the ruins you will notice on your left an arch. This is the Arch of Constantine. Keep on walking toward the ruins and walk along the wide road (Via dei Fori Imperiali) next to the ruins.
- Foro Romano: The huge ruin you are walking next to is the Roman Forum. Walk along the road until there is a road which goes off to your left. Follow this road around and up the stairs. As you walk up the stairs you will see over your shoulder the great expanses of the Roman Forum.
- Piazza del Campidoglio: Keep on walking up the stairs. You will arrive in a piazza surrounded by three buildings: the city council and two museums. The museum to your left contains a square which you can go into for free. Have a quick look at this. The finger which you can see on the Things to Know / Help is in this square. Go back to the square and walk down the huge staircase which is on the opposite side of the square from whence you came.
- Piazza Venezia: At the bottom of the staircase turn to your right. You will (hopefully) notice a monument several hundred feet high to your right which resembles a typewriter. Walk around the monument and attempt to cross Piazza Venezia without getting killed. You are aiming to get to Via del Corso. This is the road which the several hundred feet high monument that looks like a typewriter is facing.
- Fontana di Trevi: Walk along the right hand side of Via del Corso (right hand side assuming you are walking from Piazza Venezia). Look for a brown tourist sign which says Fontana di Trevi. When you see the sign follow the arrow (it should be pointing right). Within a few hundred metres you will encounter one of the most amazing sites in the world: Fontana di Trevi. Legend has it that if you throw a coin over your shoulder whilst facing away from the fountain you WILL visit Rome again.
- Piazza Colonna: Whilst walking along Via del Corso you will see a column with a statue standing on it. Keep walking along Via Del Corso until you see brown tourist signs pointing towards the Pantheon.
- Pantheon: The Pantheon is the most intact ancient Roman structure surviving today. If this 1900 year old building doesn't impress you, then nothing will. Cross the piazza which the Pantheon is in and follow the brown tourist signs to Piazza Navona.
- Piazza Navona: Have a quick look at Piazza Navona and the fountain in the centre of the piazza - the fountain of four rivers. Leave the square by the road which is directly across from the road which you entered Piazza Navona on.
- Ice Cream: On the street you are now walking along you will notice a lot of icecream shops (gelateria). Buy a gelato (an icecream). The gelato sold in this part of town is amongst the best.
- Castel Sant' Angelo: Continue walking along the street, take one of the streets to the left and continue until you arrive at Via Del Governo Vecchio. Walk along this street, cross Piazza del Orologio and continue along the street opposite Via Del Governo Vecchio. At the end of this street you will arrive in a small piazza. One of the streets leaving the piazza leads to a bridge lined with statues which leads to a castle. Walk along this street. Cross the bridge. Cross the road (crossing this road could prove moderately challenging. Refer to Things to Know / General for a guide to crossing the road in Rome).
- St. Peter's Basilica: Turn left at the castle. And walk along the road until you see a huge domed building at the end of a wide boulevard. The domed building is St. Peter's Basilica, the biggest church in the world. Walk along the boulevard to the St. Peter's Basilica, and the Vatican.
- Postcards: In the left hand side of Piazza San Pietro near St. Peter's Basilica there is a post office. Buy some stamps and send your postcard off.
- Bus 64 to Termini: Leave Piazza San Pietro from the right hand side (assuming you are facing St. Peter's Basilica). The bus 64 terminus is less than a hundred metres from the Piazza. Get on the next bus 64, it will take you to Termini train station. Remember to cancel your ticket when you get on board the bus. If the bus is too crowded to get to the ticket cancelling machine then don't worry about it.
- Termini: Check your watch. If you have just seen Rome in six hours then congratulate yourself and promise yourself that you will return one day to visit this wonderful city properly.
Visit Rome in One Day
If you have one whole day to see Rome we suggest you to follow a similar itinery to the six hour tour, but take the tour at a more relaxed pace. This tour assumes that you are starting and finishing the tour from Termini train station. The tour also assumes you are wearing good walking shoes and are reasonably fit! Because you will be walking past prime tourist sites, you will be also walking through prime pickpocket territory.
Visit Rome in two days
If you have two days to invest in visiting Rome, you will see many of the same things that you could see in the six hour tour, but you will have a more profound experience. You will have time to understand what you are seeing. You will have time to enjoy an ice-cream, to drink a coffee in a beautiful piazza, or to go to a trattoria or pizzeria for a real Italian lunch.
First day
Since the Vatican museum is only open during the morning (from 8.45 am), we propose to begin your first day with a visit in there. Even if, usually, you are not very interested in museums, we can assure you that this one has another dimension! Given it is impossible to see everything in the museum in one visit you will have to make a selection. The museum proposes several itineraries to follow.
Choose a two-hour tour, so you can still go to the Saint Peter's basilica in the same morning.
- The Vatican Museum: The Vatican Museum contains an incredible collection of art and treasures accumulated by the popes. An interesting thing to note is that the famous Sisteen Chapel comes towards the end of a full visit. It is possible to walk straight there and then return to the Quattro Cancalli to pick up one of the itineraries proposed by the museum.
- Saint Peter's Basilica: The Basilica San Pietro was constructed over a period of more than 150 years and is the largest church in the world. Between 64 and 67 AD St. Peter and other Christians were martyred on the place where the church stands now. Saint Peter was buried there which explains how the site became a hidden place of worship for the first Christians. When Christianity became an official religion, Emperor Constantine ordered the construction of a basilica on the site of the apostle's tomb. This first St. Peter's Basilica was consecrated in 326 AD. The church was in a poor state of repair for more than 1000 years. It is only around 1500 that the serious reconstruction began. The impressive basilica's dome (119 metres above the high altar) was designed by the famous Michelangelo. The basilica contains many masterpieces, of which the most famous is certainly the Pietà of Michelangelo who sculpted this jewel of art when he was 25 years old. Also the Baroque canopy (29 metres high) made by Bernini is an extraordinary work. The bronze used to make it was taken from the Pantheon. The high altar, which only the Pope can use, stands over the site of St. Peter's grave. Before you leave the basilica, don't forget to touch the right foot of the famous bronze statue of St. Peter, an old habit of everyone who enters the basilica. You will see how the foot has been worn down by the kisses and touches of pilgrims. After having spent your morning in the museums and the basilica you will be glad to be outside for a while and to enjoy the city itself. Take Via della Conciliazione (the street in front of Piazza San Pietro) and at the end of it go to the right. You will end up at the Tevere (the river) and on your left you will see an impressive castle, Castle Sant'Angelo. Go to the the bridge which is in front of the castle, Ponte Sant'Angelo and admire the beauty of the bridge and castle.
- Castel Sant'Angelo and Ponte Sant'Angelo: Originally, in 130 AD the castle was a huge mausoleum, which was converted into a fortress in 270 AD. It was only in 590 AD that the fortress was called Castle Sant'Angelo. Pope Gregory the Great saw a vision of an angel above the mausoleum which announced the end of the plague. Later, the Castle was linked to the Vatican palaces by a passageway, used often by the popes to escape to the fortress in times of threat. The Ponte Sant'Angelo was made in 133 AD for connecting the battlefields to the mausoleum. Ten of the twelve statues were added by Bernini in the 17th century. Cross the bridge to the other side of the Tevere and take the street in front of you (Via Banco San Spirito), followed by the second little street on your left (Via Banchi Nuovi). If you look at the map, at the right, you will see that you have arrived at the pink block on the map. From now on it is just a matter of following the pink line.
- Via del Governo Vecchio: If you take Via del Governo Vecchio you will smell the typical Roman atmosphere which has become pretty rare in Rome. This narrow but long street offers little clothing shops and several bars and trattorias. If you are hungry, it is the right moment to have something before arriving in the more touristy, thus more expensive zone of town.
- Campo de' Fiori: After having grabbed something to eat, cross the Corso Vittorio Emauele and go to the famous Campo de' Fiori, where each morning an alimentary market (an expensive one!) is held. When you are standing in the middle of the market you'll see another place at a distance of 100 metres from you. This is Piazza Farnese. Have a look at this beautiful place with its original fountains and with the huge Palazzo Farnese, the largest one of the Renaissance period that Rome owns. Since 1874 the Palazzo is used by the French embassy.
- Largo Torre Argentina: Continue your way toward Largo Torre Argentina where you will see the most ancient ruins of Rome. Notice the difference between the grounds level of today compared with those in ancient times.
- Piazza Minerva / Pantheon: When you continue following the pink line, indicated on the map, you will first be led to Piazza Minerva. Here you will find Bernini's statue of the elephant in the middle of the piazza and the back wall of the Pantheon. Twenty metres further you'll reach Piazza della Rotonda and the front of the Pantheon. The Pantheon is the most beautiful, and most intact monument of all ancient Rome. It was dedicated to the planetary gods, as its name implies. The original temple was built by Marcus Agrippa in 27 BC. Over the centuries the temple was consistently plundered and damaged. The fact that the Pantheon is still intact, after 1850 years, and that is has survived earthquakes that have collapsed many other buildings, is only explainable by its perfect balance. The Italian Kings, Victor Emanuele II and Umberto I and Raphael are buried in the Pantheon. Follow the indications for Piazza Navona which is approximately 5 minutes walking distance from Piazza della Rotonda.
- Piazza Navona: This piazza, called by many people "the most beautiful place in the world", takes the place of Domitianus' stadium. The only thing that still remains from the stadiiun is the entrance gate (at the outside of the north of the place). The stadium was an arena for athletics, boxing, wrestling, etc. The name Navona is the deformation of (Campus) Agonis, which means contest square.
- Fontana di Trevi: Therefore you should go to Via del Corso. The best way is to go by foot (toward the Pantheon) and to ask the way (Dovè Via del Corso per favore? which means Where is Via del Corso please?). From Piazza Navona it should take between ten and fifteen minutes to get there. Given that you are in Italy "shopping" is not to be neglected, and it is a nice way of ending a cultural day.
- Shopping: Once you arrive at the Via del Corso you should not only see this main street but also, or especially, the shops in the little streets around. Don't forget the most famous and most expensive street, called Via Condotti, leading you to Piazza di Spagna.
Secondo giorno
Good morning! Ready for another tiring day? Wherever you are starting your second day, you should go to the colosseum. You can take the metropolitana Linea B which stops in front of the Colosseum (The metro stop is called Colosseo.) Or you can go by foot and ask the way: it is close to Via del Corso where you were yesterday.
- Colosseum / Arch of Constantine: The Colosseum is one of the most well known sites of Rome. Its reputation as a symbol of Rome dates to the Middle Ages, when Christian pilgrims are said to have predicted that when the Colosseum fell, Rome also would fall. Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, the Colosseum got its name in the medieval period because of either its colossal size (the massive structure could seat more than 80,000 people) or, because of the huge statue of Nero that was placed before its entrance. Bloody gladiator combats were held here, as well as wild beast shows. Next to the Colosseum you will see a huge arch, called Arch of Constantine. The triumphal arch was built to honour Constantine following his victory over Maxentius, at the battle of the Milvian Bridge (Ponte Milvio) in 312 AD. Its decorative reliefs were taken from earlier structures from the 2nd century. Walk toward the ruins and walk along the wide road (Via dei Fori Imperiali) next to the ruins. The huge ruin you are walking next to is the Roman Forum. Walk along the road until there is a road which goes off to your left. Follow this road around and up the stairs. As you walk up the stairs you will see (over your shoulder) the great expanses of the Roman Forum.
- Roman Forum: The forum is the most vast architectural complex of ancient Rome currently preserved. It was constructed over a period of 900 years. Little by little, the Forum became the commercial, political and religious centre of ancient Rome. The chiefs met there to make decisions concerning the community, and inhabitants used the area to exchange their products and to worship their gods. After the last Etruscan king was expelled in 509 BC, the Consulate was established. The Republic had begun and Rome, the rural city, was preparing to become the Empire's capital. The beginning of the republican period was characterised by the extension of the territory. When Rome was at war with its neighbours in the 5th century BC, it was in the Forum that the victories were celebrated. The Forum's importance declined after the 4th century AD, and the buildings, temples and monuments constructed by consuls, emperors and senators fell into ruin. Keep on walking up the stairs.
- Piazza del Campidoglio: You will arrive in a piazza surrounded by three buildings: the city council and two museums. The piazza is situated on Capitoline Hill, one of the seven hills on which Rome was built. This hill was (and still is) the most important of the seven. This is because it was the religious centre of ancient Rome before it became the seat of Rome's government, from the Middle Ages until today. Thanks to its perfect stability and its harmonious proportions, piazza del Campidoglio is one the most beautiful of the Renaissance piazzas. It was designed by Michelangelo in the 16th century. The two colossal statues you can see at the end of the monumental steps are art-pieces of the roman period (4th century AD). The museum at the left contains a square which you should have a look at. The treasures it exposes will amaze you! Go back to the square and walk down the huge staircase which is on the opposite side of the square from whence you came. At the bottom of the staircase turn to your right and you will arrive at Piazza Venezia.
- Piazza Venezia: On the west side of the piazza is the Renaissance Palazzo Venezia. Mussolini used it as his offical residence and made some of his speeches from the balcony. The monument which resembles a typewriter (as the Romans say) and which doesn't fit in the general atmosphere of Rome was built to commemorate Italian unification. Walk along the right hand side of Via del Corso (right hand side assuming you are walking from Piazza Venezia). Look for a brown tourist sign which says Fontana di Trevi. When you see the sign follow the arrow (it should be pointing right).
- Fontana di Trevi: Within a few hundred metres you will encounter the world known high-Baroque Fontana di Trevi. This is probably thanks to Anita Ekberg, who takes a nocturnal bath in the fountain in Fellini's film Dolca Vita. The famous custom is to throw a coin into the fountain, over your shoulder, to ensure your return to Rome. Take the little street Via San Vincenzo followed by Via della Dataria at your left. Take the stairs which will lead you to the beautiful coloured piazza del Quirinale.
- Piazza del Quirinale: The Palazzo del Quirinale is the official residence of the President of the Republic. The palace was built in 1574 but has undergone many changes until the early 18th century. In the beginning the palace was the summer residence of the popes, before it became the royal palace of Italy's kings in 1870. Go back to the piazza di Trevi and take Via Stamperia. When you arrive at Via del Tritone go to the right and at Largo Tritone you take Via Due Macelli on your left. You will end up in Piazza di Spagna.
- Piazza di Spagna: This place, known by the entire world, is these days "the" meeting place for young Romans at night. The piazza took its name in the 17th century, when the Spainish embassy settled in the Palazzo di Spagna. The Spanish Steps (138 steps) were built in 1725 and lead to the Santissima Trinità dei Monti. In May each year the steps are decorated with pink azaleas. From Piazza di Spagna take Via del Babuino (when standing on the steps, at your right) which leads to Piazza del Popolo.
- Piazza del Popolo / Veduta panoramica: The neoclassical desiging of the Piazza del Popolo was the work of Giuseppe Valadier (1762-1839). Conserving the Porta del Popolo, the central obelisk and the two Baroque churches, he made the most vast piazza that Rome offers. The obelisk was brought by Augustus from Heliopolis and was moved to the piazza from its place in the Circo Massimo in the mid-16th century. In order to complete the piazza, G. Valdier added two statues decorated by fountains and made a monumental composition from the piazza up to Pincio's terraces, offering a nice view of the city. Go up the stairs and enjoy the sunset from those terraces.
And your trip in Rome is finished... You might be tired after those two days running around, but hopefully you found it worthwile. You have seen the major sites of Rome in two days, which is not bad. It is not difficult to imagine that this has given you the desire to see more of this beautiful city. You should come back...
Visit Rome in three days
Day 1
View previous itinerary
Day 2
View previous itinerary
Terzo giorno
If you have three days to spend in Rome you will have the chance to get a good idea of what the city of Rome has to offer. Of course, there are still hundreds of galleries, museums and exhibitions to see, but as far as the big monuments are concerned you will have already seen a great deal. The first two days we propose you stay in the historical centre where you can go and see the major sites by foot. In order to see other interesting things, a bit out of the centre, it is a good idea to hire vespa (motorino) on the third day. Besides the advantage of being able to see twice as much with a vespa, it is also very amusing. But do pay attention. The Roman's riding behaviour might surprise you sometimes.
Take Via del Corso to Piazza Venezia and continue along Via dei Fori Imperiali, that you find on the left handside of the Monument Vittorio Emanuele II (the several hundred feet high momument which looks like a typewriter). You will pass by the Roman Forum that you can see on your right. Then, turn around the Colosseum, take the Via Labicana and go to the right into the Via Merulana, and you will bump into San Giovanni in Laterano.
- San Giovanni in Laterano: The basilic San Giovanni in Laterano is the first church of the catholic world and the most majestic one. The popes lived in Laterano until 1309, the year of their exile in Avignon. As first christian basilic, it became the architectal model of all early christian churches. In the course of history, the beautifully decorated church had to sustain the plundering of the Vandals and the Normans, as well as the terrible earth-quakes, before being completely destroyed by the fire of 1308. After its reconstruction, in 1650, pope Innocent XI employed the baroque architect, Borromini, to completely redesign the basilic. After having visited this amazing church, take the Via Amba Aradam, followed by the Via Druso. At the end of this street you will end up in a piazza where you will see the Caracalla Baths on your right.
- Terme di Caracalla: The baths were in use from the 3rd until the 6th century. Covering 10 hectares, the Caracalla Baths also contained shops, sporting activities, gardens, libraries, meeting rooms and other entertainment. After you have had a look at the baths' ruins, take the Via delle Terme to the Circo Maximo where, to the left, you will find the Via del Circo Massimo. After approximately 300 metres, to the right of the little piazza La Malfa, take a little climbing road on the left (Via di Valle Murcio) which will lead you to the Monte San Sabina.
- Veduta panoramica: From the park you will have a splendid view of Rome. Continue along Via di San Sabina to the end (Piazza Cav. di Malta), where you will find on your right handside a big door, with a little key hole. Have a look through the key hole.... a surprise is waiting for you! Return to the Via del Circo Massimo and take the direction of the river Tevere (to the left). When you arrive at the Lungotevere, go to the right. Follow the Lungotevere, pass by (or stop at) the little island you see on your left, and take the Ponte Garibaldi (the first bridge after the island) which leads you into Trastevere. When you are on the Viale di Trastevere, take one of the first streets to your right, called Fratte di Trastevere. Then (again) take the first street on your right and you will end up in a little piazza (di S. Cosimato).
- Trastevere: If you feel like wandering around in the little streets where you can smell the roman atmosphere, park and chain (!) your vespa on this piazza. A nice place to have a drink is the beautiful Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, which is just nearby. Also have a look at the little church, Santa Maria in Trastevere, that you will see on the piazza. It is considered to be a beautiful medieval jewel. Afterwards, you need to cross Trastevere to join the Via Garibaldi. Take Via S. Cosimato (one of the little streets a little on from the piazza where you are parked), and go right into Luciana Manara. Follow this street until the end where you will see the climbing street (Via Garibaldi) to the Gianicolo. In the middle of your climb you will see a little place on your right.
- Fontana di Trevi: Dopo poche centinaia di metri vi troverete di fronte la Fontana di Trevi, espressione dell'architettura tardo barocca, famosissima in tutto il mondo. Prendete Via San Vincenzo e subito dopo Via della Dataria, sulla sinistra. Salite le scale che vi porteranno in Piazza del Quirinale. Dopo la passeggiata, attraversate Trastevere per raggiungere Via Garibaldi: prendete Via S. Cosimato (una delle stradine poco lontane dalla piazzetta in cui avete parcheggiato) e andate a destra in Via Luciana Manara. Proseguite per questa strada fino alla fine dove incontrerete una strada in salita (Via Garibaldi) che porta al Gianicolo. A metà della vostra salita vedrete un piccolo spiazzo sulla vostra destra.
- Tempietto/Parco: Once there, have a quick look at Bramamte's beautiful tempietto (little temple) and at the church (Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio) before enjoying the view of Rome. Don't lose too much time there, because if you continue along the road you will end up at the famous piazza with Garibaldi's monument. From this place you will will have the most vast view of Rome that exists.
- Villa Doria Pamphili: Depending on the time left, you could have a walk in the biggest and most beautiful park of Rome, Villa Doria Pamphili, which is nearby. (From Piazza Garibaldi pass through Porta S. Pancrazio and continue along a street of the same name).
Visit Rome in a week
If you have one week in Rome then you won't need a suggested walking tour. You will have enough time to walk around, get lost, and find a magical little piazza. Whilst sitting at a cafe in the piazza try to work out where you are on your map and then continue on your tour of Rome.
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