Rome Layover Guide (CIA)

Rome: Borghese Gallery

A visit to the Borghese Gallery in Rome is one of the best ways to discover masterpieces of art inside this former villa. The art collection available is vast yet you can explore the huge collections at your own pace. Bedazzled sculptures and paintings by Bernini, Canova, Caravaggio, Titian and other masters of the art will be a sight to marvel at. Discover highlights such as the representation of Pauline Bonaparte by Canova, and go to the Caravaggio room to look at paintings such as “David with the Head of Goliath” and the “Boy with a Basket of Fruit.” See Raphael’s “The Deposition” and “Lady with a Unicorn,” along with sculptures by Bernini, including his “Apollo and Daphne” and “David”. Go for a stroll around the gardens for a view over the Piazza del Popolo » book this tour

Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill

Get into the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum in central Rome through the fast track entrance with this combined package. This affords you a hassle-free experience at your own pace as you get to marvel at the remains of some of the greatest monuments of the Roman Republic. The best convenience is skipping the long ticket line and going straight to the fast track entrance for security checks. After entering the Colosseum at your allotted time, relive the stories of emperors and gladiators which begun under the emperor Vespasian in 72 AD, and was completed by his son Titus in 80 AD, the Colosseum was the largest amphitheater ever built and one of the wonders of the ancient world. Your ticket also includes one entry to the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum, which are must-see sights for all those visiting the “Eternal City.” » book this tour

Skip-the-Line Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Tour

Immerse yourself in the Vatican’s awe-inspiring art at the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, and more. This tour allows you more time in the Vatican’s awe-inspiring art with no-wait access to the museums and basilica. With this tour, you will be in a group of 20 people or fewer and your expert guide will bring the art and history to life in the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, and more. You also get to avoid the long public line and go straight to the front of the Vatican Museums. Get to learn about the history and people behind the art in the Pinecone Courtyard, the Hall of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, and the Gallery of Candelabra. Next, you will visit and hear the story of the magnificent Sistine Chapel. The tour ends in St. Peter’s Square, here you can spot the balcony where the Pope delivers his public addresses, and take photos of the imposing exterior of the basilica. » book this tour

Palatine Hill

Set 50 meters above the Tiber, the Palatine Hill is evident of Rome’s earliest settlement. The rock-cuttings found in front of the Temple of Cybele show human activity as far back as the ninth century BC. The site was later chosen by the emperors and the aristocratic families for their palaces. The beautiful Farnese Gardens were laid out on the hill for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese in the 16th century, a pleasure park of terraces, trees, pavilions and fountains designed in the form of stage-setting for social gatherings.

Time required: 1 hour.

Airport to here: You can get here in 25 minutes by taxi or shuttle or in 40 minutes by train.

The Pantheon

The Pantheon is the best-preserved monument of Roman antiquity. This is because of how it has been remarkably intact for its 2000 years and still counting. Pope Gregory III removed the gilded bronze roof tiles, and Pope Urban VIII also ordered its bronze roof stripped and melted down to cast the canopy over the altar in St. Peter’s and cannons for Castel Sant’Angelo. The Pantheon was reconstructed after it was damaged by fire in AD 80, and the brickwork, as a result, shows the extraordinarily high and unique technical mastery of Roman builders. Its 43-meter dome, the supreme achievement of Roman interior architecture, hangs suspended without any visible supports – these are meticulously hidden inside the walls. The harmonious effect of the interior is a result of its proportions: the height is the same as the diameter and its nine-meter central opening is the building’s only source of light.

Time required: 2 hours.

Airport to here: It takes about 25 minutes to get here by taxi or 45 minutes by train.

Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla was completed in 216, these weren’t ordinary public baths. They were a complete sports center, with hot and cold baths, dry and steam saunas, a swimming pool, gymnastics and sports facilities, libraries, hairdressers, gardens, social rooms, and shops. The huge and magnificent structure covers an area of 300 square meters, a complex of gigantic halls whose domes and vaulting are supported by huge columns and piers. It could accommodate a large number of 1,500 people at a time. The floors and walls here were covered with marbles, frescoes, and mosaics making it still outstanding even in its ruins.

Time required: 1 hour.

Airport to here: You can get here in about 20 minutes by taxi or 50 minutes by bus.

The Catacombs and Via Appia Antica

The Catacombs of San Callisto (St. Callixtus) and San Sebastiano, are both underground burial places in the Via Appia Antica( Appian Way). They are extensive – San Callista fills an area of 300 by 400 meters with intricate multi-layered networks of passages and chambers that have been carved into the soft tufa. In addition, St. Calixtus is home to six sacramental chapels, built between 290 and 310, with pagan and early Christian wall paintings. San Sebastiano, one of the seven pilgrimage churches in Rome, was built in the fourth century on the site of old cemeteries and catacombs that, along with the foundations of a Constantinian basilica, can be explored at any time.

Time required: 1 hour.

Airport to here: One can get here in less that 30 minutes by taxi or in 1 hour by train.

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is one of Rome’s most famous Baroque squares. It still has the outline of the Roman stadium built here by Emperor Domitian. The square was used for festivals and horse races during the Middle Ages and was reconstructed in the Baroque style by Borromini, the well-known designer of a magnificent series of palaces and the church of Sant’Agnese, on its west side. In the crypt of Sant’Agnese, there is Alessandro Algardi’s 1653 The Miracle of St. Agnes and the remains of a Roman mosaic floor.

Time required: 1 hour.

Airport to here: You can reach here by taxi in 25 minutes or by bus in 50 minutes.

Santa Maria Maggiore

Considered to be one of Rome’s biggest churches, Santa Maria Maggiore has been in existence since the fourth-century. Pope Liberius once had a vision of the Holy Virgin directing him to construct a church where snow fell the next day. It was August and surprisingly snow did fall on the Esquiline hill the following morning, so the great basilica was built here. The three aisles of 86-meter-long structure’s interior are separated by 40 columns of marble and four of granite, where the apse added in the 13th century is lined with mosaics of the Old and New Testament themes. Mass comes off here every day since the fifth century

Time required: 2 hours.

Airport to here: It usually takes about 20 minutes to get here by taxi or 40 minutes by by train.

Centro Storico and Spanish Steps

Centro Storico, the historic center of Rome, with so many art-filled churches, resplendent palaces, and vibrant squares that you may end up using your whole vacation strolling its ancient streets and lanes. the neighborhood’s atmosphere is something you must spend some time absorbing instead of going from one of its attractions to the next. At the Spanish Steps is the flight of irregular stairs and landings that lead up to the French church of Trinità dei Monti. The stairs got their name from Piazza di Spagna, the plaza at their base and one the most typical squares in Rome. The stairs have been a favorite place for tourists over the years.

Time required: 2 hours.

Airport to here: It takes an average of 30 minutes to get here by taxi or 40 minutes by the recommended train.

Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions and Mass has been held here every day since the fifth century. In films countless times until it almost needs a first-hand visit. The 17th-Century masterpiece is an outstanding place to be. Throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain is a tradition that supposedly assures you of your return to Rome. Being Rome’s largest fountain, Fontana di Trevi(Trevi Fountain) is supplied by an aqueduct originally built by Agrippa, the great art patron of the first century BC, to bring water to his baths.

Time required: 1 hour.

Airport to here: It usually takes about 25 minutes to get here by taxi or 40 minutes by train.