Day Trips from Rome: Where to Go, How to Get There and How Long It Takes

Orvieto is 1 hour 30 minutes from Rome by bus from Tiburtina station, and the Castelli Romani hill towns, Tivoli with its two UNESCO villas and the ruins of Ostia Antica fill the other days.

At a glance

• Orvieto by bus: 1 hour 30 minutes from Tiburtina station
• Orvieto funicular: every 15 minutes, about 2 minutes up to Piazza Cahen
• Castelli Romani without a car: trains from Roma Termini and Roma Tiburtina, or Cotral buses from Anagnina
• Ostia Antica full ticket: €18.00
• Tivoli: Villa Adriana and Villa d’Este, both on the UNESCO list

Which day trip from Rome should you choose?

For a first day trip, pick Orvieto. For ancient sites, Ostia Antica is a Roman city with a Park that covers the excavations, a castle, a museum of ships and a necropolis. For gardens and a villa, choose Tivoli. Start Orvieto early: the town draws about two million visitors a year and has only 20 thousand inhabitants.

• Orvieto: 1 hour by train, 1 hour 30 minutes by bus · for a cliff-top town with a cathedral
• Castelli Romani: several train lines, or Cotral bus from Anagnina · for hill towns such as Frascati, Marino and Castel Gandolfo
• Tivoli: Villa Adriana and Villa d’Este, open from 8:30 a.m. · for two UNESCO sites in one trip
• Ostia Antica: €18.00 full ticket, open Tuesday to Sunday · for ruins you can walk through

What are the best day trips from Rome?

Orvieto

The old town sits on a tuff platform known as La Rupe, and the cathedral stands on Piazza del Duomo. The original Bracci funicular opened on October 7, 1888, and the current one reopened in 1990. The cathedral is closed on January 1, 2027.

The train from Rome takes 1 hour, the bus from Tiburtina station 1 hour 30 minutes. By car, take the A1 motorway to the Orvieto exit. The station is in Orvieto Scalo, and the funicular to Piazza Cahen runs every 15 minutes. From the lifts and escalators of the Campo della Fiera car park, Piazza del Duomo is about 2,625 feet (800 meters) away. It fits easily in a day.

Castelli Romani

This is a group of hill towns, with Frascati, Marino, Castel Gandolfo, Albano Laziale, Lanuvio and Velletri named among the stops. They work well as a loose day of choosing one or two towns and walking.

Trains leave Roma Termini and Roma Tiburtina on the Roma-Albano Laziale line for Marino, Castel Gandolfo and Albano Laziale. Another line goes to Frascati, and the Roma-Velletri line serves Lanuvio and Velletri. Cotral buses run from the Anagnina terminus of Metro line A to all the municipalities of the Castelli Romani park. By car, leave the GRA at exit 21-22 (Anagnina-Tuscolana) for Grottaferrata or Frascati, or at exit 23 (Appia) for Marino.

Tivoli: Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa

Villa Adriana and Villa d’Este are both on the UNESCO list. At Villa d’Este, the hydraulic organ of the Organ Fountain plays daily from 10:30 a.m., every two hours. The Sanctuary of Hercules Victor takes about an hour to visit.

Hadrian’s Villa is open every day, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., with last entry at 6:00 p.m. Villa d’Este has the same hours with last entry at 6:30 p.m., but it opens at 2:00 p.m. on Mondays. On a Monday, see Hadrian’s Villa in the morning and Villa d’Este after lunch.

Ostia Antica

Ostia Antica is one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. In Roman times the Tiber ran along its northern side, and the coastline is now about 2.5 miles (4 km) away. The Park also includes the Castello di Giulio II, the Museo delle Navi and the Necropoli di Porto all’Isola Sacra.

The site is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and the ticket office closes at 6:00 p.m. The full ticket is €18.00 and the reduced ticket €2.00. Admission is free on the first Sunday of the month, with no booking required. The Ostiense Museum is not open to the public, and the belvedere on the Lago di Traiano is temporarily closed.

Can you do day trips from Rome without a car?

Orvieto and the Castelli Romani are easy without a car. Orvieto is on the Rome-Milan train line, and its funicular and local buses cover the climb from the station. Castelli Romani trains run from Roma Termini and Roma Tiburtina, and Cotral buses leave from Anagnina.

For Orvieto, arrive early, because the old town gets about two million visitors a year.

The Roman Forum and Palatine park closes at 4:30 p.m. through February 28, 2027.