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Get up at dawn for the unforgettable experience of an almost empty Piazza San Pietro, and enter the Basilica, along with nuns, priests and pilgrims, at 7am. The spiral steps winding up inside the shell of the dome to the cupola open at 8am – having the views to yourself is magical. Book a slot to the Vatican Museums online in advance, and take in the glories of the Cortile della Pigna over breakfast in the café. See the Sistine Chapel ceiling, then select your other highlights in the museums, breaking for lunch in the pizzeria outside the Carriage Pavilion.
Clear your mind with a long, bracing walk up the Janiculum Hill for fabulous views over the city, winding down past Bramante’s Tempietto into Trastevere to browse its boutiques. Marvel at the splendid mosaics in the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Enjoy a well-earned aperitivo on Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, followed by dinner at Enoteca Ferrara.
Explore the Colosseum, then head to the Palatine. With pine trees shading its slopes and wild flowers surrounding its ruins, this is one of the most evocative of Rome’s ancient sites. Don’t miss the lovely Farnese Gardens or the surviving section of Emperor Nero’s Cryptoporticus tunnel. Walk downhill into the Roman Forum, and see if you can spot the melted coins fused to the pavement of the Basilica Aemilia and the gameboards carved into the steps of Basilica Julia. Treat yourself to lunch at the bistro, La Bottega del Caffè, on Monti’s traffic-free Piazza Madonna dei Monti.
Stroll up past the quirky fashion boutiques of Via dei Serpenti to Trajan’s Markets, an ancient Roman shopping mall, and the digitally reconstructed Roman villas below Palazzo Valentini. See superb frescoes at Palazzo Massimo alle Terme.
Collapse over a fine glass of wine at the Trimani II Wine Bar, followed by a dinner of inventive Italian dishes at L’Asino d’Oro.
Start with a leisurely caffè latte at the Antico Caffè Vitti on pretty Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina, then browse the chic shops of Via Campo Marzio, Via del Leone and Piazzetta della Toretta; strike across Piazza del Parlamento to Piazza del Montecitorio – watch politicians and lobbyists coming and going from the parliament building, then zig-zag down to the Pantheon, taking in little Piazza delle Coppelle. See Caravaggio canvasses in San Luigi dei Francesi and the ingenious courtyard of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza, then cross Piazza Navona for lunch at Chiostro del Bramante Bistro (Arco della Pace 5).
Head up to Villa Borghese to see world-famous sculptures by Bernini in the Galleria Borghese, and, if you are not too tired, the incredible Etruscan collection at Villa Giulia.
Wind down with an aperitivo on the garden terrace of the Galleria d’Arte Nazionale Moderna’s Caffè delle Belle Arti, then walk to Dal Pollarolo restaurant for a dinner of local Italian pasta dishes (Via di Ripetta 4–5).
Discover Itineraries
t Pavement tables at a typical café