Colosseum ()
There is so much to see and do in Rome that it can be overwhelming. I have put this itinerary together to help you better plan. There were three adults and no children on this trip, so substitute and re-arrange as needed.
These are my suggestions for days three and four of the trip. We allotted time to walk to the attractions. Please note for the dinner options, there were plenty of non-pasta options as well, but I could usually only eat the pasta course and dessert. Click here to see a condensed itinerary of all seven days in Rome.
Baths of Caracalla with small pond in front (Tamala Malerk)
Day Three
Wake-Up: 7:30 a.m. (to sit and eat breakfast) | 8 a.m. (to eat breakfast on the go)
Breakfast from Caffe Camerino. We got coffee and pastries to-go because we had reserved tickets for attractions.
Teatro Marcellus (Photo stop, recommend 10-15 minutes)
This is an open-air theater in Ancient Rome and a great spot to take pictures because there was no one else around and it was beautiful.
Circus Maximus (Reserve in advance, recommend two hours)
10:05 a.m. Reservation
Put on your virtual-reality goggles (provided by the staff) and see what an Ancient Roman circus was really like on this self-guided tour.
Walk around to designated watchpoints and “see” what happened there as the audio guide explains everything.
Baths of Caracalla (Free to visit, no reservations needed)
We got here around 1 p.m.
These were Rome’s second-largest public baths and some of the best preserved.
Lunch: Barretta Pesce e Porchetta
We ate lunch later in the day because we wanted to try this place. You can eat earlier (and probably be less hangry) somewhere close to the Circus and Baths if pork isn’t your thing.
Porchetta is my new favorite street food sandwich. It consists of pork and crispy pork, essentially. Here, you even see the pig that your sandwich meat came from.
I recommend the Il Classico for first timers like I was.
This is a multi-room store and art gallery filled with prints from a variety of artists. I actually stumbled upon it my first night in town but got a chance to check it out later.
Dinner: Mercato Hosteria
They have a huge selection of gluten-free menu items and are certified with the Italian Celiac Association (Associazione Italiana Celiachi)
I recommend: Cacio e Pepe and Pistachio Cheesecake
No After Dinner Activity (too tired)
Interior of Fox Gallery (Tamala Malerk)
Day Four
Wake-Up: 7:00 a.m. (to sit and eat breakfast) | 7:30 a.m. (to eat breakfast on the go)
Breakfast from Caffe Camerino. We got coffee and pastries to-go because we had reserved tickets for attractions.
Colosseum (Recommend two to three hours)
We had 8:45 a.m. reservations.
There are a variety of ticket options. We chose the one that allowed us to visit most (but not all) areas of the Colosseum and Palatine Hill.
Go to the smaller gift shop closer to the exit rather than the one at the end of the interior attraction area. It has the same souvenirs as the larger one, but you’ll actually have room to walk around and not just be crowded in like sardines.
Palatine Hill (Recommend three to four hours)
This is much larger than we initially thought, with much more to see and do.
There are only vending machines on-site; bring snacks/lunch or grab lunch after the Colosseum before coming in lest you end up like me scarfing a tiny three-euro bag of chips on the ancient steps outside of a museum.
Enjoy the several museums on-site (requires the combo-ticket mentioned above)
I enjoyed the temporary exhibit on Penelope from The Odyssey that spanned two rooms as well as the permanent museum, the House of Livia.
Dinner: Magus Bistro and Winery
I recommend: Amatriciana
After Dinner Activity: Walking around the area and eating gelato.
Exterior of Colosseum on a sunny day (Tamala Malerk)
Click here for days five and six.
Cacio e Pepe in a white bowl (Tamala Malerk)
