Get ready early in the morning and go visit the Vatican city and its museums. In the first part of the day we propose a visit to the papal city and to Castel Sant’Angelo. Then we will take you to Giardini Borghese, Rome Pyramid of Cestius, the Aventine Hill and conclude with dinner by the Colosseum.
Morning in the Vatican: Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica & City Walls
Take the metro from Roma Termini Station to Ottaviano Station – 10 minutes (6 stops) – line A direction Battistini.
Breakfast Options Near the Vatican City
Once you get off at Ottaviano you can grab something to eat from:
- Dolce Maniera – located by the metro stop, in the opposite direction of the Vatican, open non-stop, offering pastries, salads, etc. at very reasonable prices.
- Parenti – pastries and coffee shop located conveniently on the way to the Vatican as coming from the metro stop. They open as early as 7.30 am. They have good sfollitelia and very reasonable prices.
- Panino Divino – nice sandwiches shop, approximately across the street from Parenti. They have good prices and very good paninis. Unfortunately they open late, at 10 am.
Visiting the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
The Vatican Museums ( I Musei Vaticani) are one of the largest and most impressive art collections in the world, housing masterpieces from ancient Egypt to the Renaissance, including Michelangelo’s breathtaking ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. The Vatican Museums preserve centuries of art and history, offering visitors an extraordinary journey through some of the most famous masterpieces in the world.
If you want to do the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel tour you will need half a day or more to do it. The Vatican Museums open at 8.30 am. You can skip it, or not. People do the Vatican Museums tour especially to be able to see the Sistine Chapel, famous for its Michelangelo’s 16th-century painted ceiling.
From Ottaviano metro station go south on Via Ottaviano and at the 4th intersection (big one – Piazza del Risorgimento) keep forward towards south o.n Via di Porta Angelica. At the 4th intersection, the one with Borgo Pio arrive at the Vatican gate Porta Sant’Anna on the right. This is the north gate where you have to pay the entrance, 17 euros per person, and visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
Exploring St. Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City for Free
If you choose to skip the paid tour of the Vatican Museums and visit only Piazza San Pietro and St. Peter’s Basilica you keep forward. From Vatican gate Porta Sant’Anna, continue straight on Via di Porta Angelica. At the second intersection, you will see the Vatican city walls in front. Go slightly left along the city walls on Largo del Colonnato. Follow the walls. Arrive in Piazza Papa Pio XII. Then continue right along the City walls on Via Paolo VI. At the first intersection go right and arrive at the Gate.
St. Peter’s Basilica: Dome Climb and Interior Tour
St. Peter’s Square and St. Peter’s Basilica can be visited for free, daily between 7 am and 10 pm. You will want to visit the cupola; it costs 10 euros to take the elevator. You can visit daily between 7.30 am and 6 pm (last admission before 5 pm).
Go straight to St Peter’s square, pass the security check. You will see the sign “Cupola” and go to the ticket counter on the right side of the façade. You’ll start with the visit of the dome. You will take the elevator and then you will still need to climb 320 steps. You will reach an interior balcony from where you can admire the inside of the church from above.
Then you will climb a spiral staircase and get to the top of the dome. Afterwards, follow the exit signs, descend some steps which lead to a terrace. From there you can see the square and the upper statues. Then you exit into the nave and visit the basilica.
Photography Spots at Vatican City: Piazza San Pietro, Obelisk & Fountains
Take beautiful pictures of the colonnade and the piazza from up the terrace of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking the statues of the façade.
Back down in the piazza, take photos of the colonnade of St. Peter’s Basilica from the middle of the Piazza. Capture images near the Vatican Obelisk. It dates to Ancient Egyptian times. Also take photos along the columns and by the Bernini fountains.
Fun Extras: Swiss Guards, Postcards & Rare Vatican City Coins
Nice for pictures: Swiss Papal Guards (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera). They stand at entrances to the Vatican City. Their role is to provide security and protect the Pope. They wear very colorful clothing.
Mail a letter – Vatican City is a separate sovereign state. It has its own postal system. This system is generally considered to be a bit more reliable than that of Italy. Send a postcard and it will be postmarked from the Vatican City. Change some paper euros when mailing the postcard and get some euro coins as change. The Vatican euro coins are the rarest in circulation among the European countries, so don’t spend them! They are worth a lot more than their face value.
Exit Vatican City Through Via della Conciliazione for Iconic Views
Get out of the Vatican on the same gate, the one in Via Paolo VI. Take a left on Via Paolo VI along the Vatican walls. Arrive in Piazza Papa Pio XII. Then, go right on Via della Conciliazione. Take photos of the Basilica S. Pietro from Via della Conciliazione, there is a perfect geometry of the street and the basilica in the background. Drink some cold water from the Fontanelle del Palazzo dei Penitenzieri on the right.
Castel Sant’Angelo, Tiber Walk & Lunch Stops with Vatican City views
If hungry after the visit at the Vatican, stop for lunch at il Baretto Rome. Their prices are good: pizza around 10 euros, pasta 12 – 18 euros.
Go straight ahead and reach an intersection. There is a green zone on the left. The Tiber River is on the right. That is a square called Lungotevere Castello. Go forward along the Tiber. Find Castel Sant’Angelo on the left. It is a circular, 2nd-century castle. The castle houses furniture and paintings collections in beautiful Renaissance apartments. See the Sant’Angelo Bridge on the right. It is a pedestrian bridge, built in 134 A.D. over the River Tiber, with travertine marble fascias. Just before the castle, you can see Monumento di Santa Caterina on the left. Take pictures of Via della Conciliazione and St. Peter’s Basilica in the back. Visit Castel Sant’Angelo, a ticket costs 13 euros (included in the Roma Pass). It’s open daily between 9 am and 7.30 pm (last admission at 6.30 pm).
Take photos of Rome from the terrace of the Castle and take photos of the Castle from the bridge. Have a cappuccino or something to drink at Minuetto bar within the castle. From the terrace you can have amazing views of St. Peter’s Basilica. You can also have a meal there, they serve some paninis and other food.
Piazza del Popolo & Villa Borghese Gradens
From Castel Sant’Angelo to Piazza del Popolo
From Castel Sant’Angelo go left on Lungotevere Castello. Then keep left at the intersection in Piazza Adriana and arrive in a parking lot. Continue forward at Piazza Adriana and at the intersection go on the diagonal and get to Piazza Cavour where is a nice park. You will notice Corte Suprema di Cassazione, an impressive building.
Cross Piazza Cavour and you can take the 301 bus in the direction Augusto Imperatore and get off at the 5th stop called Maria Adelaide. It is a 5-minutes bus ride. Then eventually walk to Piazza del Popolo – from the bus station go left on Via Ferdinando di Savoia and arrive in the piazza. It is a vast landmark square with Rome’s oldest obelisk in its center – Obelisco Flaminio, completed by Pharaoh Ramses II; has ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Or walk from Piazza Cavour: cross the park on the diagonal, see Chiesa Valdese on the right, then go on the diagonal street Via Federico Corsi. Then continue forward on the street and at the 4th intersection there is a park, cross it on diagonal and head right on Ponte Regina Margherita over the Tiber. Go forward on Via Ferdinando di Savoia and finally arrive in Piazza del Popolo. Take photos from the middle of the piazza, by the obelisk and the Fountain of the Lions (suggestion: take a close up photo of the lion caught between the 2 churches and with the water of the fountain below).
Lunch Options Around Piazza Cavour and Piazza del Popolo
If you didn’t have lunch, eat at Camillo B Roma restaurant in Piazza Cavour – prices 10 – 20 euros a course, or continue the walk to Piazza del Popolo and have a slice of pizza at Miss Pizza Forno a Legna Prati/Centro, but keep in mind that this place is only opened by 3 pm for lunch. Other food options in the area are: Pizza Rustica, also serving pizza by the slice at very good prices, frequented by locals which is a good sign; and Mondo arancina Flaminia – Sicilian restaurant with prices between 13 and 20 euros.
Exploring Villa Borghese Gardens from Terrazza del Pincio
From Piazza del Popolo you can visit Villa Borghese Gardens starting with Terrazza del Pincio. It is a lavish villa with formally landscaped gardens. From the piazza climb the stairs that get to Viale Gabriele d’Annunzio and then on the alley Salita del Pincio that gets to Terrazza del Pincio – historic promenade featuring more than 200 busts of prominent figures.
From Terrazza del Pincio within Villa Borghese Gardens you can take nice pictures of Piazza del Popolo. From there go right on Pincio Promenade and arrive at The ‘Pinciano’ Obelisk, from the Obelisk you can walk a little to the right and then arrive at Casina Valadier, an elegant Italian fine dining restaurant offering views of city rooftops from its terrace.
Giardini Borghese: Water Clock at Pincio & Temple of Asclepius
Return to the obelisk and afterwards continue east. Before arriving at a wider street and an intersection, turn left on an alley and find the Water clock at Pincio. From there go back right and then left and arrive at the intersection also mentioned before. From there go right on Via delle Magnolie. Go left on the second alley called Viale Tarragona, at the intersection with a wider road go left on Viale Fiorello la Guardia and at the roundabout go right on Viale Esculapio. Continue until arriving at a lake from where you can see the Temple of Asclepius.
Gardens, Temples & Villa Borghese Gallery
Go right on Viale dell’Aranciera and then go left on Viale del Lago and surround the lake until you arrive in the middle, in front of the temple. Then turn right and continue on Viale de Lago until you arrive on a perpendicular street, Viale Pietro Canonica, and then go left. Keep moving forward and at the next intersection also keep forward and arrive at the Temple of Antonio and Faustina.
As facing the temple from Via Canonica, go right on Viale Antonio e Faustina and at the next intersection go left on Viale delle due Piramidi. At the big crossroads in front turn right and go on Viale dell’ Uccelliera and arrive at Museo e Galleria Borghese, villa housing 15th- to 18th-century artworks with pieces by Bernini and Caravaggio. From Galleria Borghese, as facing the museum, go back, towards west on Viale del Museo Borghese that is an alley. Keep forward at all the intersections with other alleys and at the intersection with the main road go left and finally arrive at Porta Pinciana, an arched gate built in the 5th century.
Getting to Flaminio Metro Station
To get back to Flaminio metro station you can take bus 61 or bus 161 from bus stop Veneto/Sardegna and get off at the 4th stop called Villa Borghese/Washington. Buses depart every 15 minutes.
So, go through Porta Pinciana, cross the big intersection and get on the street in the middle, Via Vittorio Veneto. After the first intersection with a street on the left, arrive at the bus station which is also on the left. The bus you need will get you back to Porta Pinciana, cross Villa Borghese Gardens and then arrive at Borghese/Washington bus stop. Continue forward and finally arrive at Flaminio Metro Station which is on the right.
Other Sites Inside Villa Borghese Gardens
Moreover, don’t forget to take a photo of Porta del Popolo from outside of Piazza del Popolo. It is a 16th-century gate with marble columns, statues of saints and also a papal coat of arms.
Within the Villa Borghese Gardens there is also Bioparco di Roma zoo. The entrance ticket costs 9 – 19 euros. There is also Villa Medici which can be visited at the price of 10 euros. But, if you want to visit Villa Medici you have to arrive on Via Trinita dei Monti, from Piazza di Spagna.
Rome Pyramid
Then out of Villa Borghese Gardens and back to Flaminio Metro Station get on line MEA for 4 stops to Termini, change line at Termini and continue for 4 stops on line MEB1, direction Laurentina. Finally, get off at Rome Pyramid Metro Station – 26-minutes metro ride. Before heading to the Aventine Hill you can have a look at the Rome Pyramid and the surrounding area.
Get out of Rome Pyramid Metro Station towards Piazzale Ostiense. Cross the street to the left and finally arrive at Rome Pyramid of Cestius, a pyramid built in the Egyptian style, with a frescoed interior, to serve as a tomb for a rich magistrate of ancient Rome. To be more specific, the Pyramid of Cestius in Rome is an ancient Roman tomb built around 18–12 BCE for the magistrate Gaius Cestius. The pyramid is remarkable for its sharp Egyptian-inspired shape and for being one of the best-preserved ancient structures in Rome.
There may be some cats around the pyramid because there is a cat shelter in the back called the Cats of the Pyramid in Rome. Also, see Porta San Polo to the right of the pyramid, a well preserved 3rd-century city gate, part of the Aurelian wall of Rome.
If hungry, you can eat at Taverna Cestia Roma, if opened at that hour.
Heading to the Aventine Hill for views of St Peter’s at Vatican City
From the pyramid go north on Via Marmorata, head towards the Aventine Hill, which is one of the 7 hills of ancient Rome, popular for its view of Saint Peter’s dome through a keyhole, the Aventine Keyhole. At the first intersection on the left cross the street and go left, north on Via Asinio Pollione. At the crossroads go left on the first street Via di Porta Lavernale.
Visiting the Aventine Hill Keyhole & Orange Garden
Continue forward until the street ends, and you will arrive in a square – Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta. Go left and find the Aventine Hill Keyhole (Buco della Serratura). You can look through this keyhole to enjoy a spectacularly framed view of St Peter’s.
The Aventine Hill today is a quiet, elegant district of Rome, where ancient ruins, medieval churches, and lush gardens blend harmoniously with stunning views over the Tiber River. You have to explore the Aventine Hill further. So, if you go east on Via di Santa Sabina and forward on Via di S. Alessio, you will arrive at a parking lot and a piazzetta called Piazza Pietro D’Illiria and you will find Fontana del Mascherone di Santa Sabina. Then continue on the alley to the right Viale Michele Galdieri and at the crossroads go left on the alley Viale Nino Manfredi and arrive at Giardino degli Aranci – orange trees botanical garden, a hidden gem of the Aventine hill. Wander through the garden and arrive at a belvedere spot, offering views over the city and the Tiber River.
Viewpoint Over Circus Maximus
Go back to Fontana del Mascherone di Santa Sabina and get to Via di Santa Sabina and go left and continue until the third intersection. Walk on the alley in the middle called Via di Viale Murcia and enter the Roseto di Roma, the last stop on the Aventine hill. From there you can see Circus Maximus, where the Romans held chariot races in ancient times. Get out of the Rose Garden on the south-east exit and arrive in Via del Circo Massimo. Cross the street to see Circus Maximus from Belvedere Romolo e Remo point.
From there continue right on Via del Circo Massimo and arrive at Circo Massimo Metro Station at the big intersection. Circo Massimo Metro Station – Colosseo Metro Station is a 2-minutes metro ride – 1 stop on line B, direction Rebibbia.
Evening & Dinner Options near the Colosseum
Now you can admire the Colosseum at night. You can have dinner near Colosseum or back at Termini.
If not crowded, have dinner at Ristoro Della Salute, sometimes with a 40% discount on The Fork app. Or simply get some take away pizza from Come Una Volta.. small pizzeria.
From Colosseo Metro Station board line B metro, direction Rebibbia and get off at the second stop, Termini and finally get to the hotel.
Read On
Be sure to check out our Day 4 itinerary to continue exploring — from hidden corners to grand vistas, there’s much more to discover. You can find all our posts about Rome on this page. For more inspiration and practical tips on visiting Italy, grab our maps and travel guides and head over to our Italy Travel Hub and Italy Bucket List — your starting point for all things Italian! Want to discover more? Don’t miss our posts on Naples, and also our day trips to the Amalfi Coast, Capri and Pompeii.
Thanks for reading!
Table of contents
- Morning in the Vatican: Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica & City Walls
- Castel Sant’Angelo, Tiber Walk & Lunch Stops with Vatican City views
- Piazza del Popolo & Villa Borghese Gradens
- From Castel Sant’Angelo to Piazza del Popolo
- Lunch Options Around Piazza Cavour and Piazza del Popolo
- Exploring Villa Borghese Gardens from Terrazza del Pincio
- Giardini Borghese: Water Clock at Pincio & Temple of Asclepius
- Gardens, Temples & Villa Borghese Gallery
- Getting to Flaminio Metro Station
- Other Sites Inside Villa Borghese Gardens
- Rome Pyramid
- Heading to the Aventine Hill for views of St Peter’s at Vatican City
- Evening & Dinner Options near the Colosseum
- Read On
Related:
Have questions or want to connect?
