Tivoli Full Day Trip from Rome: Hadrian's Villa and Villa D'Este

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Rome, Italy

Popular pick

Booked 20+ times last week!

6 hours (approx.)
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.5

· GeorgeC_B ·

May 2026

We did three tours with Viator. This was the only one that gave detailed instructions on where to meet with a picture of the location. This tour is a hidden gem. If you have time I highly recommend it. The history of the old villa is amazing. The home and gardens are absolutely stunning! You could spend hours there to explore and enjoy the spectacular views and water falls.

· Victoria_J ·

Jun 2026

The tour was planned and executed wonderfully!! Both places are stunning and the tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. Tivoli is a beautiful town, we didn’t include the lunch and found a beautiful place with a man who was so nice and helpful!! Everything is beautiful, very worth the trip from Rome!

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Overview

Visit the historic vacation homes of the Roman elite on a Rome to Tivoli day trip. The full-day guided excursion includes tours of Tivoli’s two UNESCO-listed sites: Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este. Hear Renaissance and Ancient Roman history and scandal, admire archaeological ruins and explore some of Italy’s most extravagant private gardens.

Learn intriguing Renaissance history on a guided walking tour of two villas east of Rome
Explore the archaeological ruins of Hadrian's Villa, former home to 2nd-century Emperor Hadrian
Admire the stunning gardens of Villa d'Este and see the famous Fountain of Neptune
Transport from Rome to Tivoli by air-conditioned coach

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Free time at lunch lets you skip the fixed meals other tours offer and choose your own menu and budget.

What's Included

Professional guide
Air-conditioned vehicle
Headsets to ear the guide clearly

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Castro Pretorio
00185 Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy
Please meet us at the exit of Castro Pretorio Metro Station (Line B). Our representative will be there holding a Red flag. Please remember to show up 25 minutes before the tour departure time. Return point: Returns to original departure point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.9:30 am

Itinerary

Travel from Rome to Tivoli by air-conditioned coach to start your day trip. As you travel, listen to your guide’s commentary about Tivoli, a historic town in the Monti Tiburtini hills. A prestigious vacation spot in the days of Ancient Rome, the town is now popular for its two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este.

Your first stop in Tivoli is at Hadrian’s Villa for a walking tour. Hear how the villa belonged to Emperor Hadrian who desired an unassuming vacation home as a tribute to his lover. By modern standards, his ‘humble abode’ could be considered a town in its own right.

The ruins of the emperor’s impressive estate consist of more than 30 buildings, and you’ll see the highlights as you explore. Discover the complex ruins of the old imperial palace as well as thermal baths, temples, libraries and subterranean passages that are wide enough for vehicles.

Enjoy lunch at your own expense, and then continue to Villa d'Este: explore the former Benedictine convent, and see why many consider the villa to be one of the finest of the Renaissance era.

As you explore, hear how Villa d’Este was built as an opulent abode for the son of Lucretia Borgia, a 15th-century duchess who attracted drama and gossip wherever she went. Make your way past the Fountain of Neptune, and wander through the gardens to see waterfalls, fountains and centenary trees.

Leave Villa d’Este after your tour, and then relax on your journey back to Rome.

Villa Adriana

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Villa Adriana (Pass By)

Villa d'Este

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Luggage storage NOT available
Please note: Stairs at both villas are quite steep and a moderate amount of walking is involved
Stroller accessible

This tour is not recommended to people with disabilities
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Individuals with Disabilities MUST NOTE it on their booking.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

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Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Virginia_d

We were met by our tour guide Giuseppe & our driver Emilio. They were both very nice! Then we were off to Hadrian’s Villa. Giuseppe was very knowledgeable about all of our tours & gave us so much information! The Villa is huge & beautiful! We were given plenty of time to walk around & take pictures. Then we were off to Tivoli. It’s a picturesque town with lots of shops & restaurants. After lunch Giuseppe guided us through Villa D’Estes. Wow! He gave us so much information & helped us see it in its glory back in the day. The gardens are tremendous! The fountains are gorgeous! Giuseppe & Emilio made the day very fun & special! I highly recommend this tour to you!

Reviews

4.5

based on 1,804 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Villas Adriana and d'Este at Tivoli

Megan_L, Jul 2026

Some stairs involved. Very worthwhile to see the gardens. The guide was knowledgeable and fun. Perfect day trip.

Giuseppe was our guide. ...

Thomas_B, Jul 2026

Giuseppe was our guide. Very knowledgeable and recommended a great lunch spot to us in Tivoli. I had never been ans enjoyed the quiet atmosphere of this tour off the beaten path of the usual Rome tours.

A day in Tivoli!

Elizabeth_G, Jul 2026

We had an amazing time on this trip! The ruins of Hadrian’s villa contrasted with the renaissance villa was a great way to see history unfold. The guide was knowledgeable and very kind. The only thing I would say was that the lunch was just meh. We had fun speaking to the other group members, but the food was only okay. There were plenty of other options. The pick up point was easy to find.

Do NOT take this tour or the Tour company.

Louai_R, Jul 2026

Do NOT take this trip. Overrated and not worth the time and money. Also, the tour company is very bad and has no idea what a good customer experience is. They are only focused on collecting their money. One of the worst tours ever. Trust me do not take it.

Tivoli

Sonia_V, Jun 2026

The tour guide was excellent, a wealth of information. Lunch was ordinary. I would recommend getting your own lunch. Placed visited were very interesting. The air con on return trip wasn’t working.

Our guide Guiseppi was...

Sarah_P, Jun 2026

Our guide Guiseppi was very knowledgeable and engaging. We thoroughly enjoyed touring both villas. The fountains and organ at Villa dEste were particularly spectacular!

Underrated ruins

Kate_C, Jun 2026

Hadrian’s Villa was one of the most, if not the most, amazing things we saw in Italy. Our guide was excellent and the pacing of the day was very good. Highly recommend.

Hot day in tivoli

Judy_P, Jun 2026

Guide was great but a few transit travellers latched on to the guided group which wasn’t fair as we paid more for a guided tour.

The experience itself was...

alix_m, Jun 2026

The experience itself was excellent due to an amazing guide, Joseph. He managed to wrangle all of us in a gentle way. He had so much knowledge to share. My one complaint is how the meeting area is handled. It is a bit difficult for "foreigners" as the Metro B are is in 2 spots and depending on the direction you arrive from you may end up crossing a 6 lane road----The individual who was in charge had a small sign on a stick which was difficult to see. She never said her name nor gave out much information or a smile. We were provided with radios and put on a bus (no intro to bus driver-- ) and told after a 40 minute drive we would get to a place and our guide would be waiting in his car. It was an unsettling start and could be so easily fixed with some shared conversation. Luckily our guide was great and I enjoyed the tour.

Gorgeous fountains in Tivoli

Dan_S, Jun 2026

Really enjoyed this trip, beautiful scenery, local guide who was from Tivoli. The fountains in Tivoli were magnificent. Also after squeezing through hot corridors at the Coloseum and Vatican, it was nice to have a tour that wasn't crowded. Nice bunch of people, bus ride is about 30-40 minutes. First stop we see Hadrian's summer palace. Great history. There is a bit of up and down climbing so you will sweat on a hot day but you can cool off from the water in the fountains. It is drinkable too. Fun day.

A lesser tread experience, but probably our favorite of the trip

Megan_A, Jun 2026

This experience was lovely because it feels like a secret to travelers. I love UNESCO heritage sites so this was on the top of my list and it felt like a grand opportunity to see a city outside of Rome during our stay (Tivoli). Our guide was very excited, informative, and helpful throughout - she's a Tivoli local and you can tell she knew the area quite well. Despite it being very hot, we had a tremendous time through Hadrian's Villa, Tivoli, and Villa d'Este (maybe my favorite place of our entire trip to Italy!). It was important to know that the meeting spot was NOT convenient for us. I don't know if that means it wasn't convenient for others but our Uber got lost getting there and we had to walk 20 minutes to get back over. Most other tours met within 10-15 minutes of our hotel, so we were sort of shocked to see that this one was around a 40 minute walk away. We stayed near the Trevi, Pantheon, and Spanish Steps area. The original person to meet our tour group was late and disorganized, but the guide herself was amazing. The group was mostly English speakers but we did have some people who were "transfers" that just road the bus with us -- it was a little odd because some didn't speak English OR Italian, making communication to them an interesting adventure. One, a native Spanish speaker, struggled to understand when to rejoin the group often, making him late several times.

Excellent tour experience

Sheila_S, Jun 2026

Our day trip to excursion to Hadrian’s villa Tivoli gardens was an enriching addition to our stay in Rome. Our guide had a thorough knowledge of the history of both places and and told it well

Villa d'Este

Joshua_L, Jun 2026

Hadrian's villa was really engaging and we enjoyed the explanation of what we were seeing. Tivoli was a great little town. I can't say enough good things about the gardens at Villa d'Este.

The trip was okay, I...

Hannah_T, Jun 2026

The trip was okay, I didn’t feel like it was spectacular or anything, but my 18 year old daughter really enjoyed it. The meet up spot was clear and the ride there was good. They gave way too much time for a lunch break, at times it felt like we were waiting for the next thing for a little too long. It was okay, but probably wouldn’t do it again.

Both sites were...

Thor_K, Jun 2026

Both sites were absolutely amazing. Definitely recommend. Make sure to take a water bottle, lots of walking and you'll need it. Numerous places to refill along the way.

The tour was planned and...

Victoria_J, Jun 2026

Good day to be had away from Rome

NEIL_S, Jun 2026

If you into history and enjoy admiring beautiful gardens, this is a must. We chose the non lunch and we found there were plenty alternatives.

Excellent sites to visit....

Richard_C, Jun 2026

Excellent sites to visit. Guide spoke to fast and audio for hearing was poor. Hard to hear unless in very close proximity to guide.

Excellent experience, would like more details about the places

Brian_R, Jun 2026

Both Villas are excellent and worth the visit. The guide was very nice and a local in Tivoli. I only give it a 4 because the tours of the Villas needed another layer of information to make the most of the visit. The story telling was just an overview. I had to still read the signs to help complete my understanding of things. However, our guide was great otherwise and we had a delicious lunch in Tivoli.

Beautiful scenery and time to explore on our own

Lori_K, May 2026

Wonderful experience. The grounds and water features were spectacular and the guide gave us plenty of time to explore on our own. Loved it@

Great tour guide. Amazing...

Peter_R, May 2026

Great tour guide. Amazing sites. Fantastic lunch. Overall wonderful time. The sites were so historically incredible.

Wonderful sites outside of Rome.

Hanh_P, May 2026

The villas were beautiful - well worth the short trip outside the city. We opted to walk around Villa Adriana ourselves vs going with our tour group as it was moving a bit slow for our taste and it would’ve been nice to have a bit more time at the villa d’este but otherwise a wonderful day.

And We're Walking into History

EverettM_M, May 2026

Our guide Bianca was super. Very knowledgeable. She managed the group well......The city was comparable to the expanse of pompeii.

Amazingly beautiful...

Michele_F, May 2026

Amazingly beautiful sights made even more beautiful by the history presented by our guide. It was clear she had a great love for the places we visited! Bellisimo!

Amazing day trip!

Lisa_H, May 2026

This is the second time we took this tour. We really enjoy the history of Villa Adrianna and the lushness of Ville D’Este. We were thrilled to have Guiseppe as our guide again! He really took care of our group and was so knowledgeable, tying together the relationship between the two UNESCO sites, as well as Rome’s Pantheon. It’s a great day trip!

Nice day

Sander_R, May 2026

Nice full day out and impressive sites. Guide was very nice, good English easy to understand. The audio was great.

Hadrian's palace and D Este Experience

Europe, May 2026

The tour was good but seemed rushed and a little unorganized. Personally I think they had too many different groups lumped together that caused confusion. Overall a good experience but not A plus. . .the tour guide was phenomenal. . .the overall tour management was a little disappointing.