Ancient Ostia from Rome: Archaeology & History, Semi-Private Tour

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Rome, Italy

5 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Ancient Ostia is one of Italy's most fascinating archaeological sites, but its vast size, lack of signage, and location outside of Rome make visiting a hassle. On this small-group tour, enjoy the convenience of round-trip transfers and a guide for insightful commentary on the complex site. Head directly inside with included admission, and spend three hours exploring highlights from baths, taverns, homes, and marketplaces to the striking amphitheater.

Discover a well-preserved ancient site outside Rome that most tourists miss
Learn about life in the ancient empire with a guided tour of the ruins
Skip the stress of navigating trains and buses with round-trip transportation
Tour size is limited for a more personalized small-group experience

What's Included

Ancient Ostia entrance tickets
3 hours professional local guide
Free transfer offered by Welcome Italy in air conditioning Minivan
Small Group tour no more 12 people per guide and 6-7 people per minivan
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Food and drinks
Tips

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

- Free Pick-up and drop-off to the Hotels, Appartments, Bed&breakfast, accomodations in the city center - The address must to be provided on the reservation. - Please contact customer services one day before the tour to confirm the pickup time. - Please wait in the hotel lobby or outside your accommodation 15 minutes before your scheduled pickup time

Operating hours
.9:00 am

Itinerary

Rome (Pass By)

Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Infant seats available
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Dress code is smart casual
Provide the Correct address of your accommodation , hotel, B&B

Pickup and drop off services only in the city center inside the Aurelian Walls
Provide the correct phone number with international country code
check that you provide all the details to the agency
Without this information we can not guarantee the correct service
Free transfer offered by Welcome Italy in air conditioning Minivan
Emergency number also operational via whatsapp
One day before call to confirm the pick up
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Reviews

4.9

based on 20 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

We had a small group tour...

Noreen_S, May 2025

We had a small group tour we’re picked up at hotel and returned so we had a driver and a guide just to ourselfs best way to do it Lots of walking on old Roman streets which can be difficult but it was worth it because of the old ruins

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! We're so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the comfort and convenience of your small group tour, with personalized attention from both your guide and driver. It’s truly one of the best ways to explore such historically rich sites. We appreciate your note about the walking it’s true that the ancient Roman streets can be a bit challenging, but we’re glad the incredible ruins made it worthwhile. Your feedback means a lot, and we hope to welcome you again soon for another memorable journey with Welcome Italy. Warm regards, The Welcome Italy Team

A perfect day!

Glenn_G, May 2025

Great UNESCO site, our guide was excellent, super knowledgeable & friendly, a perfect day. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re so pleased to hear that you had a perfect day exploring such an incredible UNESCO site, and that your guide’s knowledge and friendliness helped make the experience truly special. Recommendations like yours mean a lot to us and to our team. We look forward to welcoming you again soon for another exceptional journey with Welcome Italy. Warm regards, The Welcome Italy Team

Great half-day getaway from Rome!

Victoria_O, Jun 2024

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this half-day tour. Our guide (Catherine) was prompt, professional and extremely knowledgeable. The moment we began our drive out of the city, she provided a thorough history of Rome. In Osteo Antica, our guide was a wealth of knowledge and she made this former bustling port city archaeological site come to life! If you are looking for a respite from the crowds in Rome, take a morning tour for a walk back into ancient times. You will not be disappointed!

A must see!

JUDYE_K, Oct 2023

Terrific guide. Took the time to explain sights and answered all questions. Extremely pleasant and friendly. Wonderful day and spectacular setting.

Ostia with 9 and 12 year olds

David_S, Jul 2023

A relaxed way to see Roman civilization without the crowds. We had a knowledgeable guide and we all enjoyed it, including our kids.

Perfect spot to understand the background of Rome

Sabrina_K, Jul 2023

The tour of Ostia anica was amazing. Not only was our guide very knowledgeable of the town but it was cool to see a different side of Rome! Would recommend this trip to anyone and everyone!

Very enjoyable trip

munchkinpj, Aug 2019

The was a very informative and enjoyable trip. Our guide was fantastic and kept us very entertained.

Response from Host, Aug 2019

Dear customer , thank you so much for this beautiful review. kind regards Patricia

Ostia is truly a hidden gem!

Erin_C, Jul 2019

Discovering Ostia as a potential tour was a coincidence as I researched our trip to Rome online. I am SO GLAD we decided to book this tour, it was easily one of my favorite parts of our trip. Having always wanted to go see Pompeii, we visited it the day before. In my personal opinion, Ostia was more amazing than Pompeii (which is saying a lot!). Ostia is about a 45 minute drive outside of Rome. Our driver came and picked up my husband and myself in an air-conditioned van and drove us to our destination. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by our fantastic tour guide, Donald. We were surprised to find that we were the only two people on our tour and that we had all the time we wanted with Donald in Ostia. He was genuinely interested in giving us the best experience possible and was completely knowledgeable and passionate about the site. All of the well preserved wonders of Ostia came to life as he described where water came from for the public baths, which rooms in the houses were for which purposes, what people did on a daily basis, etc. We were truly blown away by this personal experience with what life was like in Ancient Rome. The best part- Ostia is far, far less crowded than Pompeii. You can walk over mosaics, get pictures without tons of people in them, and appreciate what it would have been like to have lived there. I cannot recommend this tour enough!

Response from Host, Jul 2019

your beautiful words pay us. for us it is very important to give the best to our customer a fantastic experience to remember and who knows one day we come to visit again regards Patricia

Spectacular

Helmut_B, May 2019

Our guide Donald was fantastic. Ancient Ostia is amazing. It shows a well preserved town which was over 2000 years old. The Condon of many of the ruins is quite amazing. There is a small museum on the site with restored statues and relics which was also great. There was only the two of us on the tour and mother was a problem for our guide. Definitely a must if you are an ancient history buff and like to get away from the large crowds of Rome and Pompeii

Response from Host, Jul 2019

Dear customer , many thanks for share with us your experience . regards Patricia

Our guide was well versed in the...

r.siener83, Jul 2017

Our guide was well versed in the history of the city and being in a small group was great. The drive was pleasant and gave you a chance to see the area outside of Rome proper. Fascinating to see how well the Romans laid out the city and to see the extensive tile works in one of the baths was marvelous. Nice break from the hustle and bustle of Rome.

Perfect way to see Ostia, there were...

nsackett, Jun 2017

Perfect way to see Ostia, there were four on the tour, very smooth in to see the city after a short ride in a van. We were met at the gate by our guide, who took us to see the city at our own pace. We never felt rushed, and were able to see the most important parts of the city. I recommend this trip to anybody, we almost overlooked this tour, and I am so happy we found it

Our guide was amazing and very...

Chandria_D, Mar 2017

Our guide was amazing and very knowledgeable. The small size enabled the guide to answer all our questions and the pace was set by us. I would recommend this tour to anyone.

Amazing tour, our guide Emiliano...

Frank_D, Jan 2017

Amazing tour, our guide Emiliano Grasso was excellent. He provided a great commentary on all the buildings and sites we visited. The city was not crowded and is a short ride from Rome. We really enjoyed hearing the history and seeing the buildings, the baths and the mosaics. If you like getting up close and personal to history then this tour is for you. There is a place to buy gifts as well as a food cafe and a museum.

A absolutely fantastic experience...

Gerard_B, Jan 2017

A absolutely fantastic experience. So much to see and take in our guide, Emiliano was personable and knowledgeable. He also gave us time on our own whenever we wanted or needed it. Very customer focused. Dropped us of at Saint Clements at our request instead of back at our hotel, this saved us time and effort. Much appreciated. Well done Emiliano, thanks from Gerard and Sylvia.

Very interesting well worth the trip...

Linda_C, Dec 2016

Very interesting well worth the trip out there from Rome. Donald was most accomadating to all of us even our handicap 3. He took his time answered questions. Was a good time.

Our tour guide, Emilio, was very...

Donald V, Oct 2016

Our tour guide, Emilio, was very well-versed and passionate about the history of Ostia Antica. His friendly demeanor and fluent English made this in-depth tour very enjoyable, grazie Emilio!

Ended up being a private trip for...

Jill S, Jul 2016

Ended up being a private trip for our group of 6 in a comfortable, air-conditioned minivan. Emilio, our tour guide, took cues from the group as to our pace and interests. He was pleasant and professional as he shared the history of ancient Ostia and took time to answer individual questions. Took a break at the cafeteria and gave us time for snacks with no pressure to be at the bus by X time. Relaxed and friendly. By far, one of the best tours I've ever taken.

Very nice tour with a comprehensive...

Marla P, Nov 2015

Very nice tour with a comprehensive look at an ancient city, different than Rome because nothing has been built over the top of it. Our guide back to ancient Ostia was Donald, who did a terrific job infusing us with his passion for the cite. We have been quite satisfied with all the tours we booked with Viator as well as their service: website, communications, changes, confirmations, etc. everything went smoothly making our trip that much more enjoyable.