Visit the ruins of Ostia Antica on this tour from Rome. Sometimes known as ‘the better Pompeii’ for the excellent preservation status of its buildings, forums and artwork, Ostia Antica is an archaeological site that was once the port city of Ancient Rome. Travel to and from the site by train, and then take a walking tour of the ruins with a guide. Be wowed by the intact condition of ancient structures such as the amphitheater, Baths of Neptune, taverns and more.

Half-day Ostia Antica tour from Rome
See Ostia's Amphitheatre, Forum of the Corporations, Collegiate Temple and public baths
Small group tour with a professional guide
Train tickets included

What's Included

English speaking tour guide
Train ticket to and from Rome
Semi Private group of 12 people max
Ancient Ostia entrance ticket

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

P.za Ostiense, 11, 00154 Roma RM, Italy
Cafe Piramide, when facing the Piramide metro (Line B – the blue line) stop on your right hand side is the cafè, just in view of the train tracks and the exit from the trains. You can recognize the cafè by the red umbrellas on the tables outside.

Start time

09:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Your tour starts at a meeting location in Rome, where you’ll meet your guide, who provides your round-trip train ticket. Then hop aboard the train for the ride southwest of Rome to Ostia Antica, which lies near the coast.

When you arrive, take a leisurely walking tour through the ancient ruins, noting their highly preserved state for which this archaeological site is so renowned. Dating as far back as the 4th century BC, the ruins include structures like an amphitheater, the Forum of the Corporations, the Collegiate Temple, taverns and public baths. Once home to more than 100,000 people, Ostia was the port city of Ancient Rome.

Walk along the main road, Decumanus Maximus, while your guide tells you stories about life in town. Admire the intact Roman statues that line the walkways; pass by the Baths of Neptune, crowned by a mosaic that depicts the Roman god of the sea behind a 4-hourse chariot; and take a seat in the amphitheater, which dates back to 12 BC and was built to hold 3,500 spectators. Shops and apartments make up some of the smaller buildings.

When your time at the site is up, you’ll return to Rome by train.

Rome

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica

2 hours 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Children under the age of 18 might be requested to show their ID card at the entrance of the site, so please bring it with you on the tour.
While our day trips are typically of a fixed duration, external factors may occasionally extend tour times slightly. We appreciate your understanding and planning as we strive to provide you with the best possible experience.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

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

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Kathleen_V

What a wonderful day! Ostia Antica is amazing and such a beautiful setting. We’ve been to Pompeii and I highly recommend this experience. The ancient site is in amazing condition and the guide was so knowledgeable and really helped us understand what life in Ancient Rome was like.

Reviews

5.0

457 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 457 reviews

Must see !

Neve_D, Apr 2024

This tour was the highlight of our trip to Rome! Do not miss it! Catrina was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and friendly, showed us all the highlights and then left us to potter around the rest of the site on our own. The tour is around 2.5 hrs but you could spend all day at Ostia there is so much to see and a lovely cafe too.

Great experience

Isobel_B, Apr 2024

Guide was lovely and knowledgeable, and it was plenty of time to see the place. You had the option to stay in town after too.

Fascinating and beautiful

Susan_N, Apr 2024

Take a break from crowds and drink in ancient history. Ostia Antica was a wonderful experience. Our guide, Lara, was a great storyteller, blending history with enthusiasm and animation for the entire tour. In my opinion, Ostia Antica needs to be on the "must see" list for Rome. The ruins are extensive and give a very clear concept of ancient Roman life. I can't say enough, how much I enjoyed the excursion and all that I learned. It was such a delight to be able to wander without pressure or feeling crowded.

highly recommended

Lisa_B, Apr 2024

Super interesting and not at all crowded, very easy and cheap to get to from Rome, hot but there were trees and opportunity's to sit in the shade

Wonderful time in Ancient Ostia with Caterina

Michael_M, Apr 2024

Caterina was excellent. She was extremely personable and knowlegable on Ancient Ostia and Ancient Roman life. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed her tour. It was like being transported back in time. Ancient Ostia is not to be missed. Make sure to ask for Caterina when booking.

Angela's expertise really...

Michele_D, Apr 2024

Angela's expertise really brought this beautiful archeological site to life. She really made this tour a five star experience. The flexibility to either return to Rome or continue on to the beach was an added bonus.

Go visit Ostia Antica!

Suzanne_Y, Apr 2024

Our guide, Barbara, was fantastic! We had been to Pompei a few years back which was excellent but Ostia Antica was not crowded & fascinating! Barbara provided so much context & information. The tour was a bit longer than expected but the small group of 7 of us all enjoyed it! Well worth the time & money.

The storm blew in and we...

kathy_k, Mar 2024

The storm blew in and we were asked to leave and we’re only half through. Is a partial refund available?

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Hi kathy_k, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your recent Ancient Ostia Antica Semi-Private Day Trip from Rome. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour despite the unfortunate weather conditions. We apologize for the disruption caused by the storm and the early conclusion of the tour. Your satisfaction is important to us, and we understand your request for a partial refund due to the shortened duration of the experience. Please provide us with your booking reference at info@citywonders.com, and we will look into the possibility of offering you a refund for the portion of the tour that was affected by the weather. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we assess your request. Warm regards, City Wonders

Don’t Skip Ostia Antica

James_Z, Nov 2023

If you are interested in Ancient Rome, you must put this tour on your list of activities when planning your Rome adventure! It is a marvelous tour. Ostia Antica is a special place. In my opinion it tops Pompeii. It wasn’t crowded, although I made my visit in November. Walking past the tiled mosaics that once informed potential customers about the nature of the business helped bring the lives of ordinary ancient Romans to life. Angela was an excellent tour guide. She is extremely knowledgeable, yet bubbly & fun. I would definitely recommend this tour!

Great tour to a super interesting area

Rossella_F, Nov 2023

Fantastic tour despite the light rain we had during the first little bit. Angela was super knowledgeable and lots of fun. Ostia Antica is just like a better version of Pompeii. Well worth a visit when in Rome!

great venue, knowledgeable guide.

William_L, Nov 2023

the guide was personable and very knowledgeable and the venue was very attractive. packed with history, unique.

Ancient Ostia Anteca - Don’t miss out

Charles_R, Nov 2023

The tour was absolutely awesome. Ostia Antica is a hidden gem around Rome and Angela, our tour guide, gave us a vision of what it would be like living in the past during when Ostia Antica flourished! The City of Rome has so much history to explore, though if you miss out on this look into the past Roman Empire life, I believe it would be a mistake. We originally became interested by watching Rick Steves recommendations and it far exceeded our expectations!

Amazing look into ancient Roman life

Nanette_C, Oct 2023

Our guide, Angela, was outstanding. So knowledgeable and funny. She brought ancient Ostia to life! A very enjoyable experience.

Trip to Ostia Antica.

Linda_W, Oct 2023

We almost missed this tour. The cafe where we were to meet the group was supposed to have red umbrellas. The Cafe Pyramide had white ones instead. It was not stated that this Cafe was actually inside the train station. Very confusing. The trip itinerary should have been outlined so we knew what to expect. We were walking in the hot sun for 3 1/2 hours and a lunch/ potty break was not available till about 2 pm. Way too long! The guide was very knowledgeable, but talked on and on without any breaks. Too much information.

Fantastic off the beaten path tour.

Susan_A, Oct 2023

We booked our tour with City Wonders and could not have been mire pleased. Our guide was very informative and spoke English well, so we were able to clearly and easily understand him. I would highly recommend City Wonders as they have clearly put the effort into making sure their guides are well prepared and highly knowledgeable of their subject matter.

While some sights are...

Mirjana_N, Oct 2023

While some sights are self explanatory, you must have a tour guide for Ostia Antica! And be ready for a long walk which is always easier and more fun in a group.

Very enjoyable

Lawrence_O, Oct 2023

This tour was an excellent choice. Ostia is a fascinating archeological site rivalling Pompeii but without the crowds. Our guide, Rob, (hobbling on a crutch after breaking his leg), was nothing short of superb. He is part archeologist, part storyteller and part actor. My wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed this tour.

Ostia Antica is a unique archaeological treasure

Richard_H, Sep 2023

Angela was a truly knowledgeable and entertaining guide. Ostia Antica is uniquely different from the other well known archaeological sites and amply rewards a visit. The assistance of an expert guide adds greatly.

Terrible start, good ending

muieugenia, Sep 2023

I recommend this tour solely for the tour guide, Barbara. When I showed up to the designated meeting point 15 minutes before the start of the tour, the guide who was supposed to be there was not. There was already a group of people waiting there, and they had been waiting for a while. A couple of people in the group managed to call City Wonders and each were given different information over the phone, but basically they could not locate the tour guide and were giving us the runaround. Eventually, they managed to get Barbara to take over the tour. The tour was supposed to start at 9, and we did not even get assigned a guide until well after 10. Honestly, Barbara is what salvaged this disaster of a tour. She was informative, knowledgeable, and made sure we were taken care of. The late start resulted in the tour ending much later than anticpated, and I felt like we wasted several hours. All that being said, Ostia Antica is worth visiting - just hope your tour guide shows up.

Hidden gem

Bradley_P, Sep 2023

Hidden gem plus close to the beach. Tour guide was well versed in history and was good at answering questions

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