They say, “When in Rome – do as the Romans do” – and it is good advice to consider when traveling to Rome or even considering a day trip into the city itself from Civitavecchia.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and certainly cannot be seen in a day, so for cruise passengers you may want to opt for some easier places on this list to visit and save Rome for a proper visit, allowing you to avoid the hour and a half hour drive each way from the port to Rome. Sitting in traffic can make this journey even longer and is not something great for the environment or your patience and there’s plenty of it on the road that brings you from the port. Rushing in and out of the Vatican or Colosseum with hundreds of other passengers, is frankly not an enjoyable experience, especially when there are lots of alternatives. We have an entire video dedicated to this, which you can view on our Youtube channel here.
For all the beauty in Rome, any Roman will tell you is that Romans love getting out of the city whenever they can and there are plenty of towns, villages, gardens, parks and beach resorts a short drive from the capital, but a world away from the hustle and bustle of Rome‘s city center. In fact, there are dozens of unique and truly amazing experiences that surround Rome located in the Italian region of Lazio – that we feel way too many travelers to Rome are missing out on. Do explore this section of our website further to discover more places to visit outside Rome.
This information comes largely from personal experiences to these places which include dining experiences, that are to date some of the most memorable in all of Italy.
All of the information below included on this list have links to each of these destinations with more information below. Often you can experience many of these places on the same day if you structure your time right and depending on the geographic location, we can advise you how to best enjoy many towns and cities in the Lazio region outside of Rome.
- Our top pick, if you have very little time and want to be utterly amazed is the Villa D’Este gardens at Tivoli and the Villa Gregoriana. We recommend taking the day to enjoy these spectacular gardens and include lunch at Ristorante la Sibilla, which dates back to the 1700s. This is considered to be one of the finest dining experiences in Italy in terms of setting and cuisine, but it is quite reasonable in terms of cost, especially for the location. We can also combine a visit to Tivoli with a tour through the Castelli Romani which are next on our list.
- The Castelli Romani / Roman Castles is a district which largely surrounds Lake Albano, home of the Pope’s summer residence at Gandolfo Castle with stunning views over the lake and town. The Castelli are a very popular area with Romans who come out on the weekends and in the summer months hundreds of wedding ceremonies take place in some lavish Roman villas in this wonderful area. Not only this, the local food and wine in this area is a great option for those who want to experience great Roman culinary traditions.
- Fellini’s Beach Escape to Fregene and Maccarese, where Rome’s Luxury Beach Clubs beat to a new pulse with beautiful musical experiences at sunset that are a unique and very romantic experience that is truly relaxing after pounding the pavement all day in Rome.
Wouldn’t it be great to end your day here? This is a beach club just outside of Rome where Federico Fellini lived for most of his career. He lived here for a reason… it is extremely beautiful and today, Romans go here regularly to be close to the water and enjoy a very different rhythm from the city.
4. The Etruscan tombs of Cerveteri and Tarquinia
5. Ceri and Santa Severa with lunch on the beach or in the country
6. Montefiascone and the volcanic crater that is today Lake Bolsano, can also be combined with visiting the Villa Lante gardens and Civita di Bagnoreggio .
7. The lakeside towns of Anguillera and Bracciano on Lake Bracciano with fine dining experience on the lake
7. Villa Lante Gardens and Viterbo
8. The fascinating ‘dying town’ of Civita di Bagnoreggio
9. Ninfa Gardens and the Roman fort at Sermonetta
We are constantly developing the content on our blog and on our website, adding videos on You Tube, adding photos and going to new places to create even more perfect and enriching experiences for you when you visit Italy.
There are also some places out of Rome, we do not advise doing as trips and by getting in touch with us, we can also help you avoid fatal mistakes we know a lot of travelers coming to Italy for the first time are making.
In Rome and outside of Rome, our expert drivers and guides can take you to some of the most incredible destinations in the Lazio region. Many of our day tours include top dining experiences you need reservations to get into, but are very reasonably price.
For more information or to learn more about our private services in Italy for individuals or groups, get in touch with us today to learn more.
We create beautiful, local experiences in Italy.
Email us for a fast reply: team@italyvacationspecialists.com