Ancient Ostia Half-Day Trip from Rome
Rome, Italy
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Head out of Rome to Ostia, an incredible area of ancient ruins where the Eternal City meets the sea, on this half-day morning tour. Just 30 minutes from the center of Rome, Ostia offers well-preserved ruins and tranquility away from the Italian capital. The ruins are convenient, compact and shady, and provide a tantalizing glimpse into daily life in ancient Rome.
- Half-day morning tour to Ostia from Rome
- Explore the well-maintained ruins of Rome's former port city
- Offers an uncrowded experience of ancient Rome in miniature
- Pickup from centrally located Rome hotels
What's Included
- Local guide
- Transport by air-conditioned coach (maximum 50 people)
- earphones
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Hotel drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Via Giovanni Amendola, 32, 00185 Roma RM, Italy
Departure Point: Meeting point Via Giovanni Amendola 32, please arrive 10 mminutes before departure. Dates: Seasonal April 01 to October 31 Return point: Returns to original departure point.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.8:00 am
Itinerary
Head out of Rome toward the sea on this educational and entertaining half-day morning tour of Ostia, the ancient Roman ruins that lay just outside of the city. Ostia was once a flourishing port and business center until it was eventually abandoned after the barbarian invasions. Stroll around these well-preserved ruins with your guide learning about what daily life was like here 1,400 years ago.
Begin at the Via della Tombe heading toward one of the three gates to Ostia Antica (ancient Ostia), Porta Romana. Stroll down Decumanus Maximus, the central thoroughfare that goes across Ostia. From there arrive at Terme di Nettuno, where you'll see intricate mosaics representing Neptune and Amphitrite. The oldest archeological remains that have been discovered are from the third or fourth century B.C.. Learn about the history of the place from your knowledgeable guide and seek out some of the oldest ruins there.
See the ruins of theaters and public baths, forums and former residences. Near the Forum square you will also find the House of Diana and the Thermopolium, an ancient Roman bar with a marble counter and a fresco depicting the fruit and foodstuffs that were sold there.At the end of Via dei Dipinti, a museum displays some of the ancient sculptures unearthed at Ostia.
After a while, head back to the Eternal City having seen a historic swath of ruins that are hard to come by in Rome.
Begin at the Via della Tombe heading toward one of the three gates to Ostia Antica (ancient Ostia), Porta Romana. Stroll down Decumanus Maximus, the central thoroughfare that goes across Ostia. From there arrive at Terme di Nettuno, where you'll see intricate mosaics representing Neptune and Amphitrite. The oldest archeological remains that have been discovered are from the third or fourth century B.C.. Learn about the history of the place from your knowledgeable guide and seek out some of the oldest ruins there.
See the ruins of theaters and public baths, forums and former residences. Near the Forum square you will also find the House of Diana and the Thermopolium, an ancient Roman bar with a marble counter and a fresco depicting the fruit and foodstuffs that were sold there.At the end of Via dei Dipinti, a museum displays some of the ancient sculptures unearthed at Ostia.
After a while, head back to the Eternal City having seen a historic swath of ruins that are hard to come by in Rome.
1
Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica
4 hours • Admission Ticket Included
2
Green Line Tours - Day Tours
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Please note: This is a Multilingual Tour
- departures are guaranteed with a minim.group of 6 partecipants
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.2
based on 138 reviews
lawtk, Nov 2017
Well worth half a day. The excavations are very interesting and we were there almost by ourselves the guide spoke perfect English and was more than friendly and helpful. The excavations could fill an entire day but this seem to balance the time available to what you could comfortably see.
radtechy2003, Jun 2017
This tour is different as it allows you to get out of Rome and see what life was like outside the city. If your not into walking or cannot do extended walking on non flat surface as this is ancient and paths are dirt at times stone. Bring good walking shoes and don't bring shoes your not afraid to get dirty as the dust from the dirt paths was on shoes and pants. Our guide had a degree in architecture and teaching so information was detailed and interesting. At times the information was hard to retain as you are in ruins which had many layers of cultures living on the site. This dates back to before christ AD. Bring a daypack which has your essentials water bottle, wet-ones, towel or cloth for sweat. Weather in June is hot and this day no exception we did sweat so clothing should be light and absorbent and quick dry. Overall would recommend to anyone this tour who doesn't mind architecture and walking as I clocked 4.5 miles with my Nano.
radtechy2003, Jun 2017
This tour was interesting as it was outside of Rome and gave you a sense of life outside the city in ancient times. This tour is not for someone who has challenges with non flat surfaces as it is ancient and is made up of cobblestone or stones placed to make a path. Shoes should be good walking and not shoes your worried to dirty as it is dusty and at times a dirt path. Our tour guide had a degree in architecture and teaching and was very learnard in Greek and Roman history amongst others. Very informative but a lot of information and at one point overwhelming but if you enjoy architecture and can vision this as a working city then you will enjoy immensely. I would recommend this tour for those who don't mind a half day of walking as I clocked on my Nano 4.5 miles of walking. June was hot and if your smart you will bring a day pack with water and other provision such as wet ones or a towel to wipe the sweat as you will. Overall Viator does great thought out tours and this was what they pride themselves on. I would recommend but know it is walking and can be messy as dust was everywhere on my clothes but for me not a problem.
Lynette V, Sep 2016
Fantastic tour, great organisation, saw lots, and the guides were very informative, and enthusiastic,
Amanda W, Sep 2016
Great to get out of Rome for a few hours.The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the site and really made you feel as you were living that era. the site is larger than you think and you could easily spend most of the day there.
Well worth a visit
Stefanie H, Aug 2016
An amazing guide from greenlines georgio old professorlike man with amazing stories bringing back the life of ostia
Donna_T, Jul 2016
Although the tour guide was knowledgeable, we were constantly rushed through the tour. Many of us wanted to linger and take photos as it wasn't a tour we would likely go on again. The Neptune mosaic was stunning and well worth the trip to see it.
Charles K, May 2016
Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and had a lovely light manner. Unfortunately I didn't register her name when she introduced herself, but she was great.
Elizabeth_B, May 2016
Fantastic - what a brilliant site and guide had so much knowledge.
Ann Ongerth O, Jan 2016
Wonderful, interesting tour. Excellent guide who knew the history of the area well. Great time of day --- early in the morning on a Sunday, before the hordes of other tourists arrived. Added to my knowledge of Italy and Rome. Would have liked more time there, will need to return. Enjoyed ride to the site. Return a little longer than anticipated as folks dropped off at their hotels rather than the morning central meeting place.
Margaret J, Nov 2015
We loved this tour. Our guide provided both fact and humor. It was all very interesting and just the right amount of time.
Aubrey W, Nov 2015
Better ruins than Pompeii and only a tenth of the number of tourists. Some of the best mosaic's I have seen.
Lance H, Oct 2015
Beautiful day. Our guide was a historian who made the information and discoveries come alive.
David, Oct 2015
Being frequent visitors to Rome, we decided this time to visit the ancient port city of Ostia using this tour. Similar to what you see at Pompeii, but of course with a less dramatic history. Our guide, Giorgio, was an excellent and witty guide, who not only pointed out several aspects of the ruins military, commercial and residential, but wove into his presentation the operational and daily life of the Roman citizens who lived and worked there. The ampitheatre was a highlight. A most enjoyable experience.
Michael L, Oct 2015
Excellent tour to a most interesting site. The guide was particularly knowledgeable on all aspects of the site.
Rob/Bob, Oct 2015
Great tour and picked us up and left us off at our hotel so that is a plus. It was well worth the money as reasonably priced. Informative and not crowded so well worth the effort for those wanting a different experience outside the city for half a day in a.m..
Michele K, Oct 2015
These are some of the best ruins in Italy. I enjoyed it far more than Pompeii. The tour guide was anot archeologist and his knowledge was beyond what anyone could ask for.
Ed P, Sep 2015
This tour to Ostia Antica was great - nice early start, short 40 min ride to the site. The guide was great, very informative and funny - he was in fact an archeologist and teaches at a University in Rome. Price was right too - bus dropped us off very close to our hotel- all in all an excellent tour
Paulette M, Sep 2015
Our tour guide Sara Napilantano (sp) was terrific. Her detailed knowledge of the Vatican and museum is incredible. Thank you Sara!
June L, Sep 2015
Excellent trip, with knowledgeable and helpful Georgio. While day trip with picnic could be even better, in summer heat the half day leaving at 8 am was a great compromise to see the main sights of Ostia but still have a reason to go back.
bose.natasha, Aug 2015
Saw some nice ruins. Guide was very knowledgeable. Tour bus dropped us off close to our hotel.
Maria B, Aug 2015
An excellent tour with a very knowledgable guide, it is a truly fascinating place. The only thing I would raise is that the tour itself was only 2 hours we saw the ruins but weren't given free time to see the museum or have a break.
CAROLYN S, Jul 2015
Excellent tour - with very small group and incredibly knowledgeable guide. Despite the heat we were enthralled with Ostia and all the stories that we were told.
Heather H, Jul 2015
The ruins are fantastic and the drive out of Rome was not very long at all. I gave this tour 2 stars simply based on the wonderful ruins. The organization of the tour was not very good. We signed up for the English speaking tour but I think my friend and I and two other ladies were just added to an Italian speakers tour because although in the beginning our guide was speaking in Italian then translating to English which made it difficult to keep up a good pace on the tour a quarter of the way into the tour he just started speaking in Italian the rest of the time. The two ladies we were with are from Miami and spoke Spanish and Italian so they took it upon themselves to translate for us. Occasionally as they were translating for us the guide would notice and remember to explain in English. It was unfortunate this happened because we were very interested in learning more about the history and past of one of Italy's historic ports. I can only imagine how fascinating the experience would have been had we been able to understand what was being said because Ostia Antica is such a beautiful place.
toddbrowning, Jul 2015
Ostia is a fascinating place, and not far at all from Rome. Our guide was a little unenthusiastic, though, so the tour could have been a lot better than it was. We got the impression that we were the final tour in a long, long week for our guide, and he was just going through the motions. While we all enjoyed seeing and learning about this great place with its well-preserved sites, the guide could really have brought more to the tour than he did.
Stacey E, Jun 2015
The first thing that strikes you on arrival in Ostia is the cool sea breeze and the peace. The site is beautiful plenty of greenery and vast. It wasn't at all crowded and there were only 7 in our tour group so it was a pleasant break from the heat and crowds of Rome. Our guide was a retired archaeologist/history professor whose stories really brought the ruins to life. No time for loitering though as it is a very big site and there is a lot to see. It's quite a long walk at a brisk pace so a bit challenging if you walk with a cane or have trouble walking on uneven surfaces. Don't listen to the marketing blurbs that say it's better than Pompeii - it isn't. However, it does have a cemetery, baths, shops, private houses, public latrines, a full military camp, temples, a theatre and the most in tact restaurant I've seen, so it's well worth the trip out there.
Laurie B, Jun 2015
We had an excellent tour of Ostia Antica. I am sorry I do not remember the name of our guide but he is a professor of archaeology. I was really overwhelmed with his knowledge and enjoyed the morning very much.
nrd45, Jun 2015
Ostia was fascinating, however our guide was not interested in interacting with the group. When asked questions he just ignored them.
Linda, May 2015
This tour is fantastic. The ruins are equal to Pompeii. Our guide was an archaeologist who made the site come alive with his knowledge of the site and of the history of the area. It's a short drive from Rome and not to be missed.
Gitte M, May 2015
Thr trip it selfe was very nice and the guide was very good, but contacting the headoffice I go a feeling that they really did want to be bothered.
From $196.53
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