Rome Forum: Vatican and the Catacombs?

You can't "breeze through": it's at least a 30-minute hike from the entrance to the Sistine Chapel; if it's crowded, it will take even longer. Ask Rome in Limo when they think you'll get there and either book a timed-entry ticket yourself or ask them to do it for you. As for the other things, again, ask Rome in Limo what they think you can manage. If you want to enter the Colosseum, you can buy a ticket online that lets you skip the line.

the Sistine chapel is worth it but takes time -- have you already seen St. Peters because this is also a 'must' IMHO

The Spanish Steps is near the top of my list of 'huh, this is it?' -- my then 80 year old mother felt the same way. Definitely one to skip in order to have time for the Colosseum and the Pantheon. The Pantheon is my favorite building in the world -- a definite must for Rome and the area is wonderful.

I agree with Janet and Jerry about the spanish steps, not much to see other than a very large staircase. Not worth it if you only have a day to see Rome. I would certainly get to the Pantheon as it's one of the most spectacular buildings in Rome.

Donna

You do not have time to go out onto the Appian Way. It is far from Central Rome on the Bus and would take 30 min to get to the St Callistus Catacombs fron the Colosseum.

If you're being driven by a guide, there's a chance you could see a catacomb. If you finish with the Vatican Museums and Basilica by around noon, you could stop at the Pantheon. I would grab a quick bite to eat in the vicinity, and then go on to the Colosseum. To save time, I would suggest not even going inside. Instead, walk round it on the outside, and then walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali to see the other remains of ancient Rome on both sides of the street. This might take an hour and a half, and I would guess it would be around 3 PM. If you head straight for one of the catacombs, you should have time for a visit. I would suggest the Domatilla catacomb, which is on the same side of the city, and isn't too large. However, you'll have to see which days of the week it's open.

It can all be done, but it would be very rushed. I myself, if I wanted to see as much as possible, and if a catacomb were high on my list, would also skip the Vatican Museums and instead visit just the Basilica. Then I would walk around the historic center (Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and maybe a church). Then I would just walk around the ancient Roman area and head to the catacomb. To do this, you wouldn't need any tickets at all, and you could relax a little and keep your time flexible.