Dina, Paria, Emre and Bafrin will join the plan at their earliest convenience (please rush!).
It's our first time in Rome — eight of us in all, three full days, and a flat near the Vatican. We're a little split up, arriving and meeting at different times, but this is the plan we're all loosely following, shared a day at a time.
Thursday is the gentle way in: a slow morning in Villa Borghese, down through the old centre on foot, a long lunch, and the Pantheon before gelato. Nothing is set in stone.
Based
A flat near the Vatican
The crew
Eight of us, split a little here and there — Dennis, Michael, Mark & Sarah to start, with Dina, Paria, Emre & Bafrin joining as they arrive.
The plan
Thursday
Villa Borghese, the old centre & the Pantheon
09:00
Wake up — no rush
We're based near the Vatican, so no early alarms. The plan starts properly with breakfast.
10:00
Breakfast at Sensorio Coffee Lab
Sensorio Coffee Lab · Via Flaminia 69
A proper coffee and something sweet to set the day up.
Late morning
Villa Borghese & the boating lake
Villa Borghese
Walk up into Rome's great park and wander. Down by the Temple of Aesculapius there's a little lake — rent a rowboat from the Esculapio boat rental and take twenty minutes out on the water.
Piazza del Popolo
Piazza del Popolo
Drop out of the park down to the great oval square — twin churches, an Egyptian obelisk, and the Pincio terrace above it for the view back over the city.
Walk down Via del Corso
Via del Corso
Rome's long, straight shopping street runs from Piazza del Popolo right into the heart of the old city. Window-shop your way down and let it pull you into the centre.
14:00–15:00
Lunch at Osteria da Fortunata
Osteria da Fortunata
We'll aim for lunch around two or three, once Paria has arrived. Watch the nonne rolling fresh pasta in the window, then sit down and eat it.
The Pantheon
Pantheon · Piazza della Rotonda
From lunch it's a short walk to the Pantheon — nearly 1,900 years old and still roofed by its open-eyed concrete dome.
We can go in if we want — it's a small, quick timed ticket.
Gelato by the Pantheon
Gelateria La Romana dal 1947 · near Piazza Navona
Sarah's pick to finish the day — the gelato she fell for in Valencia, a couple of minutes from the Pantheon.
Obviously everyone's free to do their own thing, and none of this has to run on time — half the joy of Rome is wandering its streets and seeing where they take you. Friday and Saturday to follow.
Go yourself
Rome, Italy