 distance from the Baths of Caracalla, there’s La Bocca della Verità, or Mouth of Truth in English, which is located by the entrance of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Originally a manhole that dates back to the 1st century, this large marble mask that was placed by the side of the church in 1632.
According to legend the mouth bites off the hand of liars. You may give it a try! Though there may be a line when you visit, rest assured as it moves quite quickly. Besides, you have a full week in Rome so you can take your time!
INTERESTING FACT: Wondering where you first saw The Mouth of Truth? It probably is in the movie Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.
You will get plenty of amazing views during your week in Rome.
After you leave the Mouth of Truth, head to the Giardino degli Aranci, or Orange Garden. You probably have never heard of it, but it’s a really gorgeous place – it’s a well kept garden, designed in 1932 by Raffaele de Vico, from where you can get impressive views of the city and especially of St. Peter’s Basilica. Not a bad place to end your day of exploration!
This is meant to be a fun, easy day during which you will explore two of the most authentic, interesting neighborhoods in Rome. There will be some sightseeing, but for the most part I recommend to enjoy your walk, taking in the lovely views, and try all the food that you can get your hands on. Indeed, Testaccio and Trastevere are the best places to visit in Rome to try local specialties.
You can download a map of the itinerary for your second day in Rome here. If you enlarge the map, you will see that there are a lot of bars and restaurants in the area.
Testaccio is one of the prettiest neighborhoods in Rome. Known as Rome’s original foodie neighborhood, it also has a nice market and a pretty main square (Piazza Testaccio). Make sure to go during your week in Rome.
TIP: If you are keen on eating in Testaccio, go to Flavio Al Velavevodetto – make sure to book in advance.
On your way from Testaccio to Trastevere, make sure to stop at the Non-Catholic Cemetery. It’s the resting place of famous non-catholics such as poet Percy Shelley, and it’s currently home of one of the largest cat sanctuaries in Rome. Besides, you get incredible views of the pyramid.
Given you are in Rome, finding an Egyptian looking pyramid is slightly odd. Caius Cestius Pyramid was built around 12 BC, as the tomb of a prominent public figure. The tomb has been ransacked since, but the pyramid is well kept and a nice sight. Not many people go – but if you have one week in Rome, you may as well.
As the name says, Trastevere is right on the other side of the Tiber River. I find this to be one of the most interesting neighborhoods in Rome, and more than anything a good place for nightlife as it is packed with bars, pubs, restaurants and cafés. Most people who visit Trastevere go there for the food – so you may do the same and join a food tour. You can go on this one or this one. Or even this tour, in case you also want wine.
After a relaxing day in Testaccio and Trastevere, it’s time to go to some well known tourist attractions again. Today you are going to visit the Vatican, including St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel and Castel Sant’Angelo.
You can download a map of your day 3 itinerary here. Though it looks like there isn’t much walking, rest assured this will be a tiring day as the Vatican is quite big!
If you would rather avoid the crowds, head out no later than 7:00 am to go on an early tour of the Vatican – it’s one of the very few early starts you’ll have in your week in Rome. If you do this, you’ll be done no later than 12:00 pm, meaning that you’ll have the rest of the day to just relax.
The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel officially open to the public at 9:00 AM, while St. Peter’s Basilica opens at 7:00 AM and St. Peter’s Basilica Dome at 7:30. Please note that the lines to get into the Vatican Museums start forming as early as 7:30 AM.
My tip is to get an early access Vatican tour with which you also get a dedicated entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica.
Alternatively, you can go to St. Peter’s Basilica as soon as it opens and then visit the Vatican Museums (there is no dedicate entrance this way around).
TIP: The lines at the Vatican Museums are terrible. Check out my post “How To Get Tickets To The Sistine Chapel And The Vatican Museums And Skip The Line” to find out how to avoid them.
All in all, I prefer recommending an early morning guided tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, which means you’ll also get a guide and visit the place when it is still virtually empty.
At the end of the tour, you can then hang around a bit longer to climb St. Peter’s Basilica Dome for incredible views.
The Vatican Museums huge, with a whopping 54 chambers and a very large collection. Right next to them, the Sistine Chapel is home to one of Renaissance’s greatest works, Michelangelo’s masterpiece – The Last Judgement.
St. Peter’s Basilica, the most important church for Catholics, was built by Michelangelo, Bernini and Bramante over a site thought to be the tomb of St. Peter. The church has 11 chapels, 45 altars and beautiful mosaics. Inside there are Michelangelo’s Pietà, Bernini’s Baldacchino, as well as the Chair of St. Peter.
TIP: Modest clothing is a must to visit the Vatican. Make sure to cover your knees and shoulders.
TIP: Photos inside the Basilica are allowed, but not inside the Sistine Chapel.
If you have a week in Rome, make sure to pop into Castel Sant’Angelo. Built as a mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian, it subsequently became a prison and it is now a museum. The building itself is the most interesting part, and the views of the Vatican from the roof are splendid.
If you have one full week in Rome, you will feel the need to get out of city. Some people venture as far as Florence or Naples, but I think you should stick to the region and go somewhere close. There are plenty of incredible places to visit within an hour or 90 minutes reach. For your fourth day in Rome, I suggest going to Ostia Antica or Tivoli.
Ostia Antica is at just 30 km from Rome. There, you will find a wonderful archeological site. The city – which at its peak had more than 100000 inhabitants – is right on the Tyrrhenian Sea and it used to serve as a commercial port to store and ship goods to Rome. It was incredibly affluent – that’s why you will find remnants of villas, shops, taverns, temples as well as thermal baths and an amphitheater.
Ostia can be visited independently – the train leaves from Porta San Paolo station and you need to go towards Roma Lido. It takes about 40 minutes.
Two of best preserved Roman villas in the surroundings of Rome are located in Tivoli.
Hadrian’s Villa was built in the 2nd century by Emperor Hadrian, and it was his official residence in his final years.It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in incredibly good conditions, and inside you’ll find the remains of temples, palaces, libraries and barracks.
Villa d’Este used to be the home of the son of Lucrezia Borgia. It was built in the 16th century and it is surrounded by a gorgeous garden with lots of scenic fountains.
If you want to go to Tivoli by yourself, take the train that leaves from Rome Tiburtina station. It takes less than one hour to get to Tivoli. You can buy tickets to Villa Adriana here or here.
After a day out of the city, you will be ready to get right back into it. On your fifth day, you will be visiting Borghese Gallery, one of the best art collections in the world, and explore the historic center of Rome. Once you are done with the gallery, you will literally have no obligations to be anywhere at a specific time – so you can take it easy.
You’ll find a map of today’s itinerary here but keep in mind that not all places mentioned in the itinerary appear on the itinerary. They are easy to get to, though.
With one week in Rome, visiting Galleria Borghese is a must.
Borghese Gallery and Gardens are among the most pleasant places to visit in Rome. The Gallery has a fantastic art collection, with paintings and sculptures of artists such as Bernini, Canova, Caravaggio and Titian.
Galleria Borghese has timed entrances and only allows 360 visitors can get in at the