Firsthand Visit

Rome | Oct 5–7, 2025

Our second time in Rome: two nights, about 54 hours, the sights we wanted to repeat, an early-morning run, and an Appian Way tour before the train to Venice.

October 5–7, 2025Josh, Kalie + family2 nightsRome to Venice by train

Visit snapshot

Arrival	Sunday, October 5. Our flight landed at Rome Fiumicino at 9:20 AM and we used a pre-arranged private airport transfer. My parents’ flights were delayed, so we met them at the hotel later.
Hotel	The Tribune, JdV by Hyatt, near Villa Borghese. We used Hyatt points for a standard king room and then a junior suite with a balcony and city view.
Sunday	First lunch, private golf-cart orientation tour, Villa Borghese run, and rooftop dinner at Terrazza Borghese.
Monday	St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Grottoes, Colosseum Underground, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Mamertine Prison, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Trevi Fountain.
Tuesday	5.88-mile pre-sunrise run, Aventine Hill, Appian Way, San Sebastiano catacombs and basilica, Villa of Maxentius, and lunch at Quel Che C’è.
Departure	Frecciarossa 9426 from Roma Termini at 3:35 PM on October 7, arriving at Venezia Santa Lucia at 7:34 PM.

Sunday: getting back into Rome

We had arranged our airport transfer before leaving home, which made things easier when my parents’ incoming flights were delayed. Kalie and I headed into the city, left our bags at The Tribune, and grabbed a simple outdoor lunch while we waited for our rooms.

The hotel sits right across from the Aurelian Walls, and that was the first thing that grabbed my attention. We used a private golf-cart tour to get reacquainted with the city, then went for a run through Villa Borghese and stumbled across an event featuring exotic Italian cars. Dinner that night was upstairs at Terrazza Borghese, with pasta, steak, dessert, and a sunset view.

Aurelian Walls opposite our hotel in Rome — The Aurelian Walls across from The Tribune made an impression as soon as we arrived.

Monday: Vatican and ancient Rome

We started early at St. Peter’s Basilica. Seeing Michelangelo’s Pietà with Kalie was especially meaningful because she’d studied the sculpture in college, long before we thought we’d be looking at it together in person. We also visited during the 2025 Jubilee and passed through the Holy Door.

Our Basilica tour ran behind, and we missed the dome so we could make our timed Colosseum Underground tour. The Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill were experiences we’d enjoyed before and wanted my parents to see. We continued through the historic center that evening, including the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, and finished by seeing Trevi Fountain after dark.

Michelangelo's Pietà inside St. Peter's Basilica in Rome — Seeing the Pietà in person was one of the most memorable parts of our Rome visit.

Tuesday: the run and the Appian Way

The early run was something I’d trained for after seeing a video of someone jogging through Rome. Our activity record shows 5.88 miles, a 1:24:06 duration, a 14:18 average pace, and 849 calories. The best part wasn’t the pace. It was seeing Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Colosseum before the crowds arrived.

Recorded Rome running route with distance, duration, average pace and calories — Our morning run took us through the historic center while much of Rome was still asleep.

Later that morning we headed toward the Appian Way by golf cart. We walked on ancient paving stones, toured the Catacombs of San Sebastiano, visited the basilica, and explored the Villa of Maxentius. At the basilica, our guide pointed out an ammonite fossil embedded in the stone floor, which we’d never have noticed on our own.

We ended with a lunch recommendation from our guide at Quel Che C’è, then grabbed gelato and boarded the train to Venice. That was the end of our two-night Rome visit, but only the beginning of the larger trip.

Ruins of the Villa of Maxentius on Rome's ancient Appian Way — The Appian Way was the biggest new addition to our return visit.

Exact tours and transportation we booked

We booked these experiences ourselves on this trip. The linked article has the full story, including which reservation we would give more time next time.

Affiliate disclosure: these are the experiences we booked. Atlas Road Travel may earn a commission if you book through these links.

What I would repeat and what I’d change

I’d absolutely repeat the Colosseum Underground, Pantheon, and an early-morning run. I’d also spend more time along the Appian Way. The one clear scheduling mistake was booking the Vatican and Colosseum too close together when the dome climb was supposed to be included.

Continue from here

3 Days in Rome: The Full StoryThe detailed article with all 36 photos and our firsthand impressions.
Rome Location GuideWhat we’ve learned from visiting Rome more than once.
2025 Europe + Mediterranean CruiseSee where Rome fit before Venice and the cruise.
Venice | Oct 7–8, 2025The next visit after our train arrived in Venice.