N9 Trip – Page 3 – The Wknd Travel

N9 in Europe: FLORENCE – The Cradle of Renaissance | 4 Wonderful Days Around the Historic Italian City

After spending almost 2 weeks around Paris and Rome, my friend and I moved to a new Italian city where the Renaissance period started – Florence (Italian: Firenze). We explored the Tuscan capital and the nearby cities (and towns) for 4 full days and 4 nights.

Allow me to share with you what we did on these 4 full days and know why this beautiful city became our favorite of all the cities we visited in this trip.

Before exploring Florence, we’ve been to other European cities such as Paris and Rome. Check out our itineraries in these 2 beautiful cities – Paris Part 1, Paris Part 2, Versailles, Rome Part 1, Rome Part 2 & Rome Part 3!

Florence

Florence (Italian: Firenze) is a city located in the center of Italy. It is the capital of the Tuscan Region and is known for its architecture, culture and iconic monuments and buildings. The city is known as the Cradle of Renaissance. The Florentines had a strong influence in the world’s transition from the Middle Ages to the period of rebirth or renaissance. Influential people such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello and Dante Alighieri all came from Florence.

Accommodation

Florence is a popular Italian destination to millions of people from all over the world. This popularity led to high accommodation costs – even higher than Rome’s. My friend and I were travelling on a budget and decided to book with a high-rated but affordable shared accommodation.

We booked our 4-night stay with a recently-opened, lively and social hostel named YellowSquare Florence. We got a bed each in a 4-bed mixed dormitory room and were able to rest well after long walks during the day.

I wrote about our YellowSquare Florence hostel experience and posted it in the recent Hostel of the Day Feature. I hope you can check that out.

Going Around Florence

Going around Florence is easy. Most of the spots to visit are all within the city center. The best way to explore the city center is by foot. There are no trains or trams within the center; the nearest tram stop to the city center is Unità on the Tram Line 2 Vespucci.

The city’s main train station, Florence Santa Maria Novella Station (Italian: Firenze Santa Maria Novella or Stazione di Santa Maria Novella), is 1 stop away from Unità. It is 10 minutes away by foot (850 meters) from the Duomo, 13 minutes away by foot (1.1 kilometers) from the Accademia Gallery and 15 minutes away by foot (1.3 kilometers) from the Uffizi Gallery.

La Bussola Free Walking Tours

To get to know the city and its history more, my friend and I joined 2 free (tip-based) walking tours with a local company called La Bussola. We joined the morning Medici Free Tour with Katerina; we learned about the Medici Family, how they came into power and how Florence developed under their rule. We also joined the afternoon Genius Free Tour with Giachomo; we learned about the Florence icons named Dante, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Da Vinci and Galileo and how they influenced the people and the society during their time.

We had fun in these 2 tours. We knew a lot about the city and its influences and we even got local food recommendations. We encourage you to join these free tours during your visit to Florence. Please check out their website and book your tour slots with them.

Tuscany Experience Classic Day Tour

During our stay in Florence, my friend and I went on a day tour to check out a few places in the Tuscan Region. We joined Sightseeing Experience’ Tuscany Experience Classic Day Tour; we visited Pisa, the Pietraserena Wine Estate, San Gimignano and Siena. We paid €71.10 each for this 11.5-hour tour.

I wrote about this day trip in one of my recent posts. Check out the Tuscany Experience Classic Tour post here.

Places Visited in Florence

There are a lot of museums and places to visit in Florence. We spent 3 full days (not including the Tuscany Experience Day Tour) around the city and we still have not been to all. We chose the places we wanted to visit and took our time in each place.

Gallery of the Academy of Florence (Italian: Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze) – The Accademia Gallery is famous for Michelangelo’s masterpiece – the statue of David. Aside from this, the gallery also has paintings and sculptures of other great Italian artists such as Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Del Sarto. Another section that stood out to me is Lorenzo Bartolini’s Plaster Cast Gallery.

Entry tickets cost €16 (including online convenience fee) per person during our visit. These have been increased to €17 as per my recent check. Tip: Book your tickets in advance and get the earliest timeslot to have the statue of David to yourself.

Lorenzo Bartolini’s Plaster Cast Gallery

The Church of Orsanmichele – This church is one of the oldest in Florence. It was built by the guilds in the kitchen garden of Saint Michele Monastery.

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Italian: Duomo di Firenze) – This cathedral is the city’s cathedral built in the 1200s to the 1400s and is one of the largest in the world. Designed by di Cambio, this Catholic church is known for its striking green, pink and white marble panels. A part of the cathedral is open to the public and is free to visit.

Cathedral Plaza (Italian: Piazza del Duomo) – The is a vibrant retail area outside the cathedral. Shops, restaurants and cafes mainly comprise this plaza.

The Bargello – Also known as Palazzo del Popolo, this old building was once the office of the city’s captain. It also served as barracks and a prison. The building has been converted to an art museum. Museum tickets cost €11 per person.

Basilica of the Holy Cross in Florence (Italian: Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze) – Dubbed as the Pantheon of Florence, this gothic minor cathedral has 16 chapels, tombs and funerary monuments of famous people such as Niccolò Machiavelli, Galileo Galilei, Michelangelo, Bartolini and Vasari. Entry tickets cost €8 per person.

Piazza Santa Croce – This plaza is in front of the Basilica of the Holy Cross. During our visit last November 2022, this plaza hosted Florence’ Christmas Market.

Republic Square (Italian: Piazza della Repubblica) – Piazza della Repubblica is one of the city squares in Florence. It is believed to be the site of the city’s forum back in the days.

Palazzo Vecchio – Also known as Palazzo della Signoria, this building was and is still Florence’ town hall. A part of this medieval building was converted into a museum.

Signoria Square (Italian: Piazza della Signoria) – This square, located in front of Palazzo Vecchio, is the city’s main political square since the 14^th century. The square has notable sculptures and figures that are believed to be contradictory to what has happened in the area. These include the following: a replica of Michelangelo’s David, Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus, Ammanati’s Fountain of Neptune and Giambologna’s Statue of Cosimo I.

Loggia dei Lanzi – Found on the corner of Piazza della Signoria and beside Palazzo Vecchiio, this building is a public art gallery that houses statues such as Perseus and Medusa and The Rape of the Sabine Women.

Via del Neri – Via del Neri is a famous small street near Uffizi Gallery and Palazzo Vecchio that is full of cafes, shops, galeterias and restaurants.

Uffizi Gallery (Italian: Galleria degli Uffizi) – The Uffizi Gallery is a gallery and museum that houses artworks from the Renaissance period. It has masterpieces of artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Rafaello, Botticelli, Giotto and a lot more.

Some notable artworks include ‘The Birth of Venus’ by Sandro Botticelli, ‘Annunciation’ and ‘Adoration of the Magi‘ by Leonardo da Vinci, ‘Medusa’ by Caravaggio, ‘Doni Tondo’ by Michelangelo, ‘Laocoön’ by Baccio Bandinelli and ‘The Venus of Urbino’ by Titian.

We bought our tickets on site and paid €12 each. Tickets are also available for purchase online.

Arno River – The Arno River divides Florence into 2 parts. The river originates from the Apennine Mountains and flows to the Tyrrhenian Sea. In the old times, the river became an important instrument for trade. It also became the transit or passageway for wood and all other materials needed during the Renaissance period.

Ponte Vecchio – This is a medieval stone bridge built over the Arno River during the 1300s. This bridge was used to be occupied by shops of farmers, butchers and businessmen. In the present time, the bridge is still occupied by shops selling artworks, jewelry and souvenirs.

Pitti Palace (Italian: Palazzo Pitti) – Previously owned by Florentine banker Lucca Pitti, the palace was bought by the Medici Family in 1549 and became the official residence of the family. This palace is located at the southern banks of the Arno River.

My friend and I only visited the palace from the outside. We did not have time to go in and explore the museum. Entry tickets cost €17 per person if purchased online.

Basilica of the Holy Spirit (Italian: Basilica di Santo Spirito) – This basilica is a Catholic church found in the Oltarno Quarter, south of the Arno River.

We missed one spot which we did not have time to visit – Michelangelo Square (Italian: Piazzale Michelangelo). It is a square that offers a beautiful and stunning panoramic view of Florence. I hope we can go back to visit this place in the future.

Have you been to Florence in Italy? If yes, which one is your favorite place to visit and why? If you have not been, which are you most looking forward to seeing in person? Feel free to share your experiences or plans in the comments section below. Do you have questions about anything mentioned above? You may also send them to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Florence easily became our favorite. The city is so beautiful and is something that should not be missed. We stayed for 4 full days and we still have not been to all places. We hope that people visit and stay in the city longer than most people usually do.

Thanks for joining me in sharing our Florence experience with you. In case you missed, we have been to Paris, Versailles and Rome before we visited Florence. You can find all itineraries and posts about these cities and this trip under the N9 in Europe category. Please look forward to the next one because I am taking you to Milan!

Before you go, I hope you can visit, like and follow my social media pages – Facebook page and Instagram. These 2 accounts are the best way to stay up-to-date with the new posts in this site. Thank you; I hope to see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

N9 in Europe: TUSCANY EXPERIENCE CLASSIC TOUR Photoblog – A Day Trip to Pisa, San Gimignano & Siena

In the middle of our visit to Florence, my friend and I took a day tour to visit some famous medieval Tuscan cities and towns. Tuscany is a famous Italian region characterized by stunning landscapes, peaked mountains and rolling hills. The region is also known for producing quality Italian products such as olive oil, wine (in Chianti District) and wheat.

My friend and I did not have the time to go around many cities and towns within the region. Instead, we decided to join Sightseeing Experience, the official operator of City Sightseeing Italy, in their 11.5-hour Tuscany Experience Classic Tour. The whole day tour took us to Pisa, San Gimignano and Siena. Allow me to share with you the details of and photos from this memorable day tour.

Tour Cost & Inclusions

My friend and I booked our tour directly with Sightseeing Experience. We chose our tour date and paid €71.10 each for the classic tour. Please note that there is a low-cost option which is around €55-€65 depending on the available promotion. Our bank charged us ₱4,235.29 each including the foreign currency conversion charges.

The 11.5-hour tour cost included a comfortable air-conditioned bus ride from start to finish, an English-speaking guide (Barbara), a guided walking tour in Siena and a typical light lunch plus wine tasting in a Tuscan winery. This day tour is a bit expensive but it is worth the rate considering the itinerary, its inclusions and the comfort included in it.

Check-in & Departure

The tour started by checking-in at the Sightseeing Experience Visitor Center inside the Santa Maria Novella Train Station. The visitor center is located inside the ticket hall and beside a convenience store. Check-in started at 7:30am which is also the meeting time indicated in the day tour voucher.

After check-in, our guide, Barbara, introduced herself, asked where everybody is from and then walked us to the bus parking area at the other end of the train station. We left Florence a few minutes after 8:00am and headed to Pisa.

Pisa

We arrived at Pisa after an hour and a half bus trip.. We immediately went to the Miracle Square and appreciated the beautiful buildings such as the Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Pisa), the Baptistry (Italian: Battistero di San Giovanni) and of course, the Leaning Tower (Italian: Torre di Pisa).

My friend and I took photos with the leaning tower and got a snack in one of the cafes nearby. We also walked around the Miracle Square and enjoyed our time in the city. We, the tour group, were given 45 minutes to explore the city center on our own.

Pietraserena Estate Lunch

After Pisa, we headed to Chianti District for lunch and wine-tasting experience. We had this at Pietraserena Estate owned by the Arrigioni Family.

They served us extra virgin olive oil bruschetta, fresh tomato bruschetta, olives, Pecorino cheese, prosciutto and salami. While having lunch, the staff introduced one wine at a time. They started with the rosé wine (Rosato di Canaiolo), followed by the white wine (Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG) and finished the wine-tasting experience with Chianti red wine (Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG Selezione “Poggio al Vento”). All these wines and the olive oil were produced in the estate and were available for purchase in the estate gift shop.

After lunch, we enjoyed our time at the terrace overlooking the beautiful Tuscan hills.

San Gimignano

From Pietraserena Estate, we took a 20-minute bus ride to the beautiful San Gimignano town center. Known as “The Medieval Manhattan”, San Gimignano is a walled town characterized by cobblestone streets, local artisan shops, a small town square and beautifully-preserved medieval buildings and towers. We were given an hour to explore the town center.

My friend and I took this free time to try a Gelato World Champion – Gelateria Dondoli. We also walked around the town center and explored the different local artisan shops. We ended up buying truffle cream for our loved ones in the Philippines.

Siena

After San Gimignano, we headed to another beautiful medieval city – Siena, Italy. The tour group was split into 2 groups – those who availed the low-cost package got an hour free time to roam around while those who got the classic tour (including my friend and I) were endorsed to Ms. Sonia, a local guide, for the guided walking tour.

Ms. Sonia took us around the city center, she showed us the Siena Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Siena), other small churches and chapels, the old hospital and the main public square – Piazza del Campo. She told us that Siena is famous for the Palio horse race – a traditional horse race between different Sienese ‘contradas’ or neighborhoods that happens twice a year at Piazza del Campo.

After the guided tour, we walked to our meeting point and headed back to the bus.

Drop-Off

From Siena, we took a 1.5-hour ride back to Florence and were dropped off at the same place where we embarked the bus in the morning.

Have you been to these 3 cities and towns? How was your trip? Which one is your favorite and why? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about the day tour? Feel free to post them below. Alternatively, you may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com and you will surely get a reply from me.

Tuscany has so many places to explore, how I wish I can visit all these beautiful small towns and cities – perhaps in the future. This is only 1 of a few days we spent in Tuscany. Watch out for the next post about the charming city of Florence.

In case you missed it, before we explored the Tuscan region, my friend and I spent a few days around Paris and Versailles in France and Rome. You can find all Europe-related content under the N9 in Europe category.

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Hostel of the Day: YELLOWSQUARE FLORENCE – Lively & Social Hostel Outside (But Near) Florence City Center

After spending 5 nights in Rome, my friend and I left the city and took a 3-hour bus ride to the beautiful and historic city of Florence in the famous Tuscany Region. We spent 4 nights in the city and stayed with YellowSquare Florence. This lively and social hostel will be today’s hostel of the day feature. Read on below to know more details about the property and check out if you would consider staying in for your next Florence trip.

YellowSquare Florence

YellowSquare Florence is 1 of 3 YellowSquare Hostels in Italy. According to the hostel’s website, the YellowSquare brand started out in 1999 when the founders decided to buy a small apartment and rent out a few beds. 20 years later, they now have 3 branches in Italy – Rome, Florence and Milan.

YellowSquare Florence has 2 buildings – a 6-storey main building which houses reception, common areas, bar, swimming pool and dormitory rooms and a single storey building at rear where the private rooms are mostly located. The hostel has over 200 beds in both dormitory and private rooms. This hostel branch opened its doors to guests last year.

Location & Access

YellowSquare Florence is located at Viale Francesco Redi, 19, 50144 Firenze FI, Italy. It is 1.5 to 2 kilometers away from Florence city center. It is near Redi tram stop on the Tram Line 2 – Vespucci (4^th tram stop from Unità, 3^rd tram stop from Alamanni-Stazione (Santa Maria Novella Train Station) and 8^th stop from Aeroporto di Firenze-Peretola (Florence Airport)). The hostel is 3 to 5 minutes away by foot (220 meters) from the Redi tram stop. Alternatively, the city center is 20 to 30 minutes away by foot from the hostel.

The hostel is in a relatively quiet neighborhood. There are supermarkets, shops and restaurants nearby but are at the rear part, not along the main road. The nearest airport, Aeroporto di Firenze-Peretola (Florence Airport), is a tram ride away from Redi tram stop. Flixbus’ pick-up and drop off station in Villa Constanza is 30 minutes away by tram with a change to Tram Line 1 – Leonardo at Alamanni-Stazione tram stop.

Room Options

YellowSquare Florence has rooms for all types of travelers. The property has both dormitory rooms and private rooms with different types of configurations.

The hostel’s dormitory room configurations are as follows: 8-bed mixed dormitory room, 8-bed female dormitory room, 6-bed mixed dormitory room, 6-bed female dormitory room, 4-bed mixed dormitory room and 4-bed female dormitory room. All these dormitory rooms feature in-room shower and ensuite, air conditioning and heating systems, a table and chair (per room), lockers, daily housekeeping and free Wi-Fi connection. All dormitory beds have a pillow, blanket, individual lights and personal security locker. Towels are not included and are available for rent from reception.

The private rooms have the following configurations: double or twin private room, triple private room (1 full bed and 1 bunk bed), quadruple private room (2 bunk beds) and sextuple private room with 3 bunk beds. These private rooms have the same features as that of the dormitory rooms except for towels which are already included in these rooms.

My friend and I booked our stay directly with YellowSquare Florence and paid €83.60 for 4 nights in a 4-bed mixed dormitory room. On top of this, hostel visitors were asked to pay €3 city tax per person per night. This city tax has been increased to €3.50 per person per night as of 1 April 2023. Including the city tax, we paid €95.60 each. We were charged by our bank ₱5,791.09 including foreign currency transaction conversion fee – roughly ₱1,447.77 per night. It is still not bad!

We were assigned an upper and lower bunk beds at Room 304 facing the main road. The room had just the right amount of space for 4 people. The toilet and shower were clean throughout our stay.

Guest Facilities & Amenities

Like any other hostel, YellowSquare Florence also has a long list of facilities and amenities to enjoy.

Free Wi-Fi Access – All guests have access to a free and fast Wi-Fi connection available throughout the property.

In-House Bar & Restaurant – YellowSquare has an in-house bar and restaurant in the ground floor called Barmezzo. It serves breakfast from 7:30am to 11:30am, lunch from 12:30pm to 2:30pm and aperitivo and dinner from 6:30pm to 11:30pm. They have a long list of food and drinks to choose from.

Basement Bar & Club – The hostel has an in-house bar and club named Bargiù Club. Weekend parties and (sometimes) events are held in this place.

Rooftop Swimming Pool – YellowSquare Florence has a rooftop swimming pool which guests can enjoy during late spring and summer.

Rooftop Deck – It also has a small lounge area in the rooftop beside the swimming pool. This deck offers a beautiful view of Florence city center.

Rooftop Bar – The hostel operates a rooftop beside the swimming pool. This bar, named Barsù, is usually open during summer and warm seasons.

In-Room Shower & Toilet – All private and dormitory rooms have showers and toilets.

Lounge Areas – The property has a communal lounge area by the reception. The tables and chairs are comfortable to sit in.

Kitchen & Dining Area – Guests who want to cook their own food can do so in the communal kitchen and dining area at Floor 0.

Orthus Garden & Terraza Zen – YellowSquare has a relaxing garden and terrace where guests can chill during their stay.

Boardgames – The hostel has boardgames which guests can borrow and play with in the lounge area.

Meeting Room – Guests who need to conduct private meetings can use the meeting room in Floor 0. Reach out to reception to know how use this room.

Music Studio – The hostel also has a music studio for those who need to use it.

Daily Hostel Activities – YellowSquare Florence hosts daily activities which guests can join and enjoy. They have walking tours, cooking classes, art activities, movie, karaoke and comedy nights. Check out the more updated schedule near reception or in the noticeboards inside the elevators.

Common Toilets & Changing Rooms – The property has common toilets and changing rooms which guests can use during their stay.

Luggage Storage – Guests who arrive before the check-in hours and guests who need to leave their bags after check-out can have their stuff stored at the luggage room at no extra cost. Please approach reception if you want to use the luggage room before check-in or after check-out.

24-Hour Reception – YellowSquare’s reception is open 24 hours every day. There will always be someone who will entertain your questions or address your concerns. Check-in starts at 3:00pm and check-out is allowed until 10:00am only.

Multi-Lingual & Friendly Staff – The hostel staff speak many languages – Italian, English and a few more. Guests who do not speak Italian or English can still communicate with and can ask questions to the staff at any time.

Secured Room Access – Rooms can only be opened by the access card assigned to each guest. This access card only works on the guest’s assigned room.

Lift Access – Guests travelling with large suitcases need not to worry about bringing their luggage up to the rooms and down. The hostel has a lift open to all guests.

Secured Hostel Premises – The hostel is a safe place to stay. It is equipped with security surveillance systems that work every day of the week. It has security cameras almost everywhere.

Hostel Experience

I had a nice stay with YellowSquare Florence. My friend and I were mostly there to just rest and sleep but we still had a great time.

We liked the following during our stay. First, YellowSquare had the best and most affordable rates per night when we booked directly with them. The direct booking included a flexible cancellation term where guests can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the intended stay. Second, YellowSquare Florence’ colors and layout are aesthetic and very pleasing to the eyes. The walls, the rooms and even the common areas all had vibrant colors and interiors.

Third, the hostel’s rooftop terrace is nice and relaxing. It has a beautiful view of the Florence city center especially at night. Lastly, the hostel’s vibe is superb; the atmosphere is lively and social. All the staff and even guests are friendly and hospitable. It is easy to gain new friends once you stay in the hostel’s common areas.

Our experience was not perfect. The check-in staff forgot to give us the yellow armband which was later asked from us when we checked-in at the Milan property. Second, the shower area in Room 304 was a bit small but it was still alright. We believe it was mostly due to the building’s layout.

This sums up our stay with YellowSquare Florence. Will I go back and stay with them again in the future? I say yes! I look forward to going back and joining all the hostel’s activities and events.

Do you have questions about YellowSquare Florence? If yes, you may reach out to them on the following platforms:

YellowSquare Florence
Address: Viale Francesco Redi, 19, 50144 Firenze FI, Italy
Phone Number: +39 055 031 7718
E-mail address: questions@yellowsquare.it
Website: www.yellowsquare.it
Facebook: www.facebook.com/yellowsquareflorence
Instagram: www.instagram.com/yellowsquarehostel

Have you stayed with YellowSquare Florence in the past? Care to share your hostel experience in the comments section below? Do you have any questions about the hostel or my experience? Feel free comment down below. You may also send these questions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thanks for joining me in today’s Hostel of the Day feature. Please also take time to check out my previous HOTD features by clicking this. You’ll find my other hostel reviews about Le Village Montmartre in Paris, The Bed KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, The RomeHello in Rome & Z Hostel here in the Philippines. Before you go, can you visit my social media pages –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

N9 Friends in Europe: ROME – 6 Days Around the Italian Eternal City – Vatican City, Necropolis Tour & Papal Audience [Part 2 of 3]

A visit to Rome is not complete without a visit to Vatican City. Out of our 6 days in Rome, my friend and I decided to spend at least 1.5 days in Vatican. Let me share with you what we did during our time in Vatican – Days 3 Part 2 and Day 4 in Rome.

In case you missed it, I already shared our Rome Days 1 to 3 Part 1 in a previous blog post. You can check it out here.

Vatican City

Vatican City is a small and independent city-state that is located inside the beautiful city of Rome. It is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church; it is where the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, resides. The city-state is known for famous places such as the Saint Peter’s Square, Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums.

To & From Vatican City

Vatican City is accessible to public transportation. People can take the bus and get off in the stops near the border gates. They can also take the Metro Line A, get off at Ottaviano Station and walk for about 1 kilometer to Saint Peter’s Square. The most convenient option to and from Vatican City is to take an Uber or FreeNow from your hotel or hostel.

Necropolis Tour & Saint Peter’s Basilica

My friend and I had one of the most unique experiences in Vatican during the Necropolis Tour. The tour took us down to the Tomb of Saint Peter under the Vatican Basilica. It also took us to the beautiful Clementine Chapel – a chapel dedicated to sepulcher of Saint Peter. The Excavations Office gave us the Tuesday 3:30pm tour schedule – perfect timing after our Trastevere Food Tour.

The necropolis tour is only available by request to the Fabric of Saint Peter (Italian: Fabbrica di San Pietro) – the institution in-charge of the conservation and maintenance of the Saint Peter’s Basilica. Visits to the necropolis and the necropolis tour schedule are set by the Excavations Office (Italian: Ufficio Scavi).

The Necropolis Tour costs €13 per person and takes around 1.5 to 2 hours. Tours are only limited to small groups – up to 12 per schedule and up to 250 people per day as per the website. Also, photos and videos are not allowed during the whole tour.

The tour ends inside the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano). Saint Peter’s Basilica is a Renaissance-style church built in the middle of Vatican City. The church is said to be one of the holiest shrines around the world and is built right above the Tomb of Saint Peter – the Catholic Church’ first pope.

Necropolis tour requests can be sent via e-mail to uff.scavi@fabricsp.va or scavi@fsp.va. Please check the Excavations Office website for the required details for these tour requests.

Papal Audience

The Papal Audience is held on Wednesdays when the Pope is in Rome. Pilgrims and visitors from all over the world get the chance to see and receive blessings from the Pope himself. The audience starts at 9:00am and takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Papal audience tickets are free of charge and can be requested from the Prefecture of the Papal Household as early as possible. These tickets, when granted, must be redeemed at the Bronze Door of the Apostolic Palace from 3:00pm to 7:00pm the day before the Papal audience schedule or from 7:00am during the day of the event.

My friends and I joined a scheduled Papal audience during our visit to Rome. We saw Pope Francis up-close & got blessed by His Holiness during the Papal audience.

About 1.5 months before our visit, I sent an e-mail to the Prefecture of the Papal Household and requested for tickets. I received the ticket confirmation 2 weeks after I sent the e-mail and claimed these tickets before our Necropolis Tour.

Papal Audience tickets can be requested via e-mail to ordinanze@pontificalisdomus.va. Please do not forget to mention where you are from, how many people are in the party, when is your preferred schedule and how you can be contacted.

Saint Peter’s Square

Saint Peter’s Square (Italian: Piazza San Pietro) is a large plaza found in front of Saint Peter’s Basilica. It is the place where several events, like the Papal Audience, are held. The square has the Obelisk of the Saint Peter’s Square found in the center. It is also surrounded by hundreds of columns and pilasters. Above these columns are statues of saints and popes created back in the 1600s.

Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums (Italian: Musei Vaticani) are museums that house collections of the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout centuries. These collections include tens and thousands of sculptures, artifacts, artworks, and paintings made by notable people from the Renaissance period to the contemporary times. It also includes items (up to popemobiles) that were used by the previous popes.

The Disputation of the Sacrament by Raphael

Some of the notable artworks found in these series of museums are the Sistine Chapel (Italian: Cappella Sistina) – which has The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgement by Michelangelo (where photos and videos were not allowed), the Raphael Rooms (Italian: Le Stanze di Raffaello) – which has The Disputation of the Holy Sacrament and The School of Athens, and the Pieta by Vincent Van Gogh.

We got our tickets directly from the Vatican Museums for €17 per person; we also availed of the audio guide for additional €7 and paid a pre-sales fee of €4 per person. The pre-booked ticket and audio guide cost us €28 each in total. We stayed inside the Vatican Museums for 4 hours and we still have not seen all of it. We recommend allotting one whole day only for the Vatican Museums.

Where We Ate During Our Vatican Visit

After the papal audience, we walked to Trecaffè–Prati near the Vatican Museums entrance for late breakfast. We again had pistachio croissant and maritozzo paired with cappuccino. After this, we walked around Ottaviano area while we waited for our Vatican Museum entry schedule.

Before going into the museum, we decided to have lunch at Jollibee Roma – a taste of home! I ordered burger steak rice meal with drink for around €7. It was a bit expensive compared to Philippine prices. Taste-wise, I still prefer the ones we have here.

This ends our visit to the beautiful Vatican City.

Have you been to the Vatican City? Which was your favorite part of the city-state? Did you get the pope? Feel free to share your experiences about & previous travels to Vatican in the comments section below. Do you have questions about anything mentioned above? Do not hesitate to post them in the comments below. Alternatively, you may also send them to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thanks for joining me relieve the memories we had during our visit to Vatican City. In case you missed it, I also wrote about our flight from Paris to Rome with Air France, the hostel we stayed with during our time in Rome and our visit to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum and Trastevere. Watch out for the third & final installment of this 6-day trip around Rome.

Before you go, can you visit my social media pages –Facebook and Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you and see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

N9 Friends in Europe: ROME – 6 Days Around the Italian Eternal City – Arrival, Colosseum Tour & Trastevere Food Tour [Part 1 of 3]

My friends and I have always wanted to go to Italy. Last November 2022, we finally got the chance to visit this beautiful country. We spent 2 weeks around the key Italian cities of Rome, Florence and Milan. After exploring Paris for 5 days, my friend and I took an Air France flight to our first Italian destination – Rome, Italy. We explored this historic city for 6 days and 5 nights.

Allow me to share with you what happened, which places we visited and what tours we took on our first few days around the wonderful city of Rome, Italy.

Accommodation

Rome is one of the few key cities in Europe that is budget traveler-friendly. The city has affordable and reasonable accommodation rates far from the expensive per night rates in Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. There are hostels available for less than €20 per night. These hostels even offer better and more-valued experiences than those from the other expensive cities.

My friend and I stayed at The RomeHello for 5 nights. We had a pleasant and memorable hostel experience with this high-rated and affordable hostel. We believe the hostel ticked all the boxes – cheap and reasonable rates, a central location, clean rooms and communal areas, friendly and hospitable staff, fun activities, tours and experiences and a traveler-friendly vibe. I wrote about our RomeHello experience in the latest Hostel of the Day feature; I hope you can check it out here.

Going Around Rome

Going around Rome is easy. If you do not mind walking all day, you can practically visit all popular sights by foot. Another way to visit these spots is by taking the Metro Line A. This underground metro has stations dedicated to and near the popular Roman attractions.

Unlike in Paris where we used the Navigo card, my friend and I only bought single journey train tickets during our Rome visit. The one-way BIT Metro Ticket costs €1,50 valid for 100 minutes after the first stamp. This ticket is valid for 1 metro or train ride only. Take note that there are other available metro tickets such as the Metro Card, the Rome Travel Card and the 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour passes. We planned our itinerary well so we do not have to purchase these passes.

Day 1 – Arrival

My friend and I arrived Rome–Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) at 4:40pm onboard Air France flight AF 1304 from Paris, France. We got our luggage after disembarkation and took the Leonardo Express from the airport to Roma Termini. This 30-ish minute train ride cost €14 per person. From Roma Termini, we walked to The RomeHello, checked-in and took a rest.

We went out for dinner and caught up with our college friends in a famous local restaurant near Roma Termini – La Famiglia. I got a whole pizza for myself and paired with a classic Aperol spritz. After dinner, we walked towards Gelateria La Romana and got authentic gelato for dessert. After dessert, we walked back to the hostel and called it a night.

Day 2 – Palatine Hill, Roman Forum & Colosseum Tour + Piazza Navona

We started our 2^nd day in Rome with a quick train ride from Repubblica Station to Vittorio Emanuele Station on Metro Line A. We then walked to a local place called Caffè Antica Roma for breakfast. We ordered maritozzo (a traditional sweet pastry filled with whipped cream), pistachio croissant and cappuccino.

After breakfast, we walked to our tour meet-up place. We got an English guided tour around Palatine Hill, Roman Forum and Colosseum (including Gladiator Gate and Colosseum Arena) with Enjoy Rome Tours for only €42 (at that time) per person. We visited the following places during the guided tour:

Arch of Constantine (Italian: Arco di Costantino) – This arch was built to commemorate Constantine’s victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge that led to his takeover of the Western Roman Empire.

Palatine Hill (Italian: Monte Palatino) – Palatine Hill is believed to be the birthplace of Rome. Known as the centermost and most famous of the seven hills, this hill used to be Ancient Rome’s most sought-after neighborhood. High-profile businessmen, politicians and elites used to live in this hill.

Roman Forum (Italian: Foro Romano) – Situated between the Palatine Hill and Capitoline Hill, the Roman Forum was the place for trade, ceremonies and public engagements.

Colosseum (Italian: Colosseo) – The Colosseum is a world-famous amphitheater that used to host gladiator wars and public events. This elliptical structure is located east of the Roman Forum near the Palatine Hill.

Our 3-hour guided tour included a pass through a Gladiator Gate and a brief visit to the Colosseum Arena where the gladiator matches take place. It also included a visit to the higher areas of the Colosseum. The tour ended inside the Colosseum.

After the tour, we took an Uber to a local Roman restaurant named Osteria da Fortunata to have lunch. We ordered their house-special carbonara (with handmade noodles) and paired it with limoncello.

After lunch, we walked towards Piazza Navona – a large public square in the heart of Rome. We saw several fountain masterpieces such as the Fountain of the Four Rivers (Italian: Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi), the Fountain of the Moor (Italian: Fontana del Moro) and the Fountain of Neptune (Italian: Fontana del Nettuno). We also saw the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone in the public square.

We dropped by Cremi Gelateria Artigianale and got gelato for dessert. After spending a few minutes in Piazza Navona, we passed by Piazza Venezia and saw the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument (Italian: Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II). We continued our walk back to The RomeHello and joined the evening carbonara cooking class.

Day 3 Part 1 – Trastevere Food Tour

Our 3^rd day in Rome was as hectic as our 2^nd day. We started our day with The RomeHello’s €7 buffet breakfast. After this, we took a FreeNow ride to Tiber Island (Italian: Isola Tiberina) for our tour’s meeting place.

We joined Free Rome Food Tour’s tip-based Trastevere Food Tour. Trastevere is an old but beautiful neighborhood found on the opposite bank of the river Tiber. Centuries ago, this area, characterized by narrow streets, cobblestone pavements and ancient houses, used to be the place where the working classes lived. At present, it is now a neighborhood famous for its cafes, wine bars, restaurants and craft shops.

We met our guide and tour group in front of The Basilica of St. Bartholomew (Italian: Basilica di San Bartolomeo all’Isola) and started the walking food tour at 11:00 am. We were told to prepare at least €10 each for all the food and snacks we will have during the tour.

Allow me to share the places we visited and the local delicacies we tried.

Biscottificio Artigiano Innocenti – This is a family-run patisserie that sells sweet bread, cookies, tarts and pastries. Signora Stefania and her family bakes these treats daily in their large oven. We bought some cookies and tried them during the tour.

Supplì Roma – Supplì Roma is a fast-food shop that cooks traditional Italian dishes daily. They are famous for their pastas, pizzas and more importantly their supplì. Supplì is an Italian fried snack ball made of a rice and tomato sauce wrapped in egg and breadcrumbs. We tried the classic and cheese-flavored supplì.

Antica Caciara Trasteverina – It is a family-run cheese shop that sells locally-produced cheese and deli. They are also famous for selling locally-produced pecorino cheese. We tried their pecorino cheese and ended up buying at 100 grams of it.

Giselda Forno – We had our tour lunch break at Giselda Forno. We had pizza and pasta (I only had pasta) in this local café / bakery.

La Norcineria di Lacozzilli – After lunch, we headed to another cheese and deli shop named La Norcineria di Lacozzilli. We tried their porchetta – an Italian savory pork roast.

Bar San Calisto – Our food tour finished at this local bar. Bar San Calisto serves a must-try when in Trastevere – red wine gelato.

After the food tour, my friend and I went to Vatican City for something I will share in the next Rome blog post. This sums up our first few days around Rome. We have not been to a lot of places yet but we made sure that we enjoyed every single moment we have in every place.

This sums up our first 3.5 days around the beautiful city of Rome. Have you been to the city? If yes, which one is your favorite landmark and why? Share your answers and experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about Rome or anything mentioned above? You may also send them to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s first blog post about Rome. Please stay tuned for parts 2 and 3. In case you missed it, I already shared details about our visit to Paris and Versailles in France; I hope you can also check them out.

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PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.