Tivoli Full Day Trip from Rome: Hadrian's Villa and Villa D'Este
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Rome, Italy
- 6 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Visit the historic vacation homes of Rome's elite on a Rome-to-Tivoli day trip—no need to navigate buses or trains. Tours Tivoli’s two UNESCO World Heritage-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 Pretorio00185 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.Start time.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.
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.
1
Villa Adriana
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Villa Adriana (Pass By)
2
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
Featured review
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 1,838 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Beautiful walk through ruins at Hadrian’s villa, and then a gorgeous visit to Villa d’Este! Lunch was excellent!
Joseph did a great job
Very knowledgeable which made the tour that much better
His insights were interesting and his recommendations were extremely helpful
It’s more wonderful than you can imagine. I would highly recommend this tour. A great way to get away from the crowds of Rome for a day.
Incredible photo opportunities during each stop with plenty of time to rest and eat during the break between the two stops in the town of Tivoli
Hadrians Villa and Villa de Este are breathtaking! It’s a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Rome. Our guide, Joseph, was kind and knowledgeable!
Tour guides were knowledgeable and the bus driver was very good. Great to get out of the city and see such amazing architecture, engineering and beauty from antiquity.
Nice trip to Tivoli on air conditioned bus. Joseph our tour guide was very informative and answered all of our questions. Both of the sites were great.
Make sure you talk to the tour operator before the tour as their ability to speak English is limited.
Very interesting tour. Involves a bit of walking and star climbing but very informative and impressive. Our guide Alicia, we give five stars.!
Fascinating sites.
Our guide was one of the most knowledgable, interesting, and motivated we have ever had. All-around excellent.
Lots of walking uphill and climbing stairs … so not for the impaired. Otherwise the experience is definitely worth the while… amazing what was achieved 2000 years ago!
On a hot day in Rome, this can be a bit tiring, but very much worth it. Our guide, Joseph, was excellent, keeping an appropriate pace, and stopping in shaded areas to explain what we were looking at.
A great day out - just a short trip from Rome and amazing architecture and gardens at the two villas. Giuseppe our guide was great and very good English and easy to understand with lots of insights.
I appreciated many parts about his tour, but other parts need improvement. Villa d'Este was a crowd pleaser, and we appreciated that both locations were relatively free of crowds the day we went. I personally liked visiting Hadrian's villa, it was different but more history. Our guide Joseph made sure to stop in the shade for us (it was a very hot day!) and give us a balance of free time to explore and get us back together quickly.
The bus was in need of updates; seats were broken and very tight, and AC didn't work for every seat. It wasn't terrible since it's only a 30 minute bus ride, but a more updated bus would have been a nice touch.
Josef, our tour guide was amazing. He was very knowledgeable and continued a running commentary the whole trip.
Fantastic insight into Roman society 2000 years ago at Hadrian’s Villa (palace) and 1800’s at Villa d'Este, which has been on my bucket list since I learned about Italian landscape design at university. Totally worth the visit despite the punishing heat in August. The hydrological engineering & use of what starts as a tiny water source into multiple fountains & sculptures without use of pumps or electricity is awe-inspiring & spectacular. Definitely a highlight of my trip.
Places were very cool. Tour guide was very good but it was a little rushed for the money. Felt like we were rushing through the places I wish we spent at least one more hour at the two locations especially with it only being 30 minutes from Rome. A little too expensive for the experience.
Giuseppe was a phenomenal guide! Even in the heat wave, he helped make the tour not feel overwhelming and made sure we took many water breaks – it was very well-paced, but still informative. There’s loads of water fountains at both sites along the tour path. We did not go with the lunch option to eat with the group, but he showed us his favorite restaurants in Tivoli before we split off from everyone. He gave us freedom to walk around and enjoy the sites, can’t same enough good things about him!
Wonderful tour and the host was fantastic she was brilliant very funny and made the day go extremely smooth the knowledge that she as is amazing could not ask for a better tour or tour guide
This was an amazing tour! Our tour guide was local and very knowledgeable. Both the first and second parts of the tour was very interesting and beautiful. The fountains, frescos and history made this tour worth taking.
We had a wonderful day with Joesph. He was very knowledgeable and gave us plenty of time to explore.
Quite a bit of walking involving steps. Be sure to bring a water bottle. The guide provided excellent information about Vila Adriana. I would have liked a bit more information about the Italian style of gardens, the guide was informative about the links between Hadrian’s villa and Villa D’Este and the way the fountains worked.
We had Marcia as a guide and she was extremely welcoming, knowledgeable and patient. She did a great job managing logistics and we had a great time.
The tour guide was great. I really liked her, but the bus driver refused to air condition the bus. It was 96 degrees and everyone was complaining. Unless you want a hot ride with twenty of your best, overheated friends, this is not for you.
Some stairs involved. Very worthwhile to see the gardens.
The guide was knowledgeable and fun.
Perfect day trip.
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.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your kind feedback.
We are happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and appreciated Giuseppe’s knowledge and recommendations! Tivoli is a wonderful destination away from the usual routes, and we are glad you had the chance to discover its beauty and peaceful atmosphere!
We hope to welcome you again in the future.
-NICOM TOURS Customer Service
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 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.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We are sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations.
We always strive to provide our guests with a high-quality service and a memorable experience, and we regret that this was not the case for you. We truly value all feedback, as it helps us identify areas where we can continue to improve.
Thank you for sharing your opinion.
NICOM TOURS Customer Service
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.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback.
We are happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and appreciated our guide’s knowledge. We are sorry about the issue with the air conditioning during the return trip and apologize for the inconvenience caused.
We appreciate your comments and are glad you enjoyed the sites visited!
-NICOM TOURS Customer Service
Our guide Guiseppi was very knowledgeable and engaging. We thoroughly enjoyed touring both villas. The fountains and organ at Villa dEste were particularly spectacular!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your kind feedback.
We are happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour, the sites, and Giuseppe’s knowledge and engaging style! Villa d’Este and its incredible fountains are truly special, and we are glad you had a great experience.
We hope to welcome you again in the future!
-NICOM TOURS Customer Service
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