Day Trips from Rome
Choose a day trip from Rome and discover another side to Italy.
‘You may have the universe, if I may have Italy.’
– G. Verdi
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A Perfect Day Trip from Rome, Whatever Your Interests
Rome is the most visited city in Italy, and, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Why is no secret: Rome is world-renowned for her beauty, and has been for centuries. A holiday to Rome will always be rewarding – but it can be nice to get away from the chaos of this very beautiful, very lively, ancient city for a day.
That’s why Roma Experience offer private day trips from Rome to other cities, towns and sites across Italy. Choose one of our private days trips and have your Roman holiday transform into an Italian adventure.
A private driver will collect you from your hotel and take you where you need to go, in a comfortable car with AC. Relax and enjoy the beauty of the Italian countryside as you are whisked away to your destination, where you will meet one of our expert, local tour guides.
Whatever your interests are, Roma Experience offer a side trip from Rome that’s right for you. Any metropolitan will love seeing Italy’s other historic cities’, like Florence, Pisa or Naples. If want some peace and quiet, away from the city’s hubbub, retreat into one of the towns in the Italian countryside, like Civita di Bagnoregio or visit a natural wonder, like Lake Bracciano.
Many amateur historians flock to Rome to experience the ancient world for themselves. If you have a passion for all things ancient, join us on a day-trip from Rome to some of the world’s best-preserved ancient ruins, like Pompeii, Herculaneum and Hadrian’s Villa.
Whatever Rome excursions you’re seeking, at Rome Experience there will be a day trip that’s right for you, your needs and interests.
Visit Italy’s Most Beautiful Cities
Rome occupies a privileged position in Italy, as one of the most well-connected cities in the country. From Rome, it’s a dream to get to Florence, Naples, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Ravenna… None of Italy’s most important, historic cities are inaccessible from Rome.
Roma Experience are proud to offer day trips from Rome to some of Italy’s most beautiful cities. See for yourself the shocking differences – and comforting similarities – between Italian cities. Learn about the separate histories of old Italian city-states, forged separately, but intimately interwoven.
Florence
Florence may not rival the ancient provenance of Rome, but it’s hard to find a grander, or more picturesque, Renaissance city. A day-trip from Rome to Florence is a journey to Italy’s most refined and stately city.
Florence promises elegant orange and yellow townhouses, propped up under rolling, green hills and golden Tuscan sun. Italy’s most elegant city-river, the Arno, flows through the center of Florence. The bridges across the beautiful Arno provide a perfect vantage point to view the city’s orange-toned skyline and the lush, green country beyond. At this sight, even the hardest heart is charmed by Florence’s beauty — and on a Florence tour, you’ll discover it.
Renaissance Florence gave the world some of the greatest artists of all time, including Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Some historians believe that without Florence, and the influence of their powerful ruling family – the Medici banking dynasty – the Renaissance in Italy would not have been so influential. As it is, Florentine art, Florentine politics (courtesy of Machiavelli’s The Prince) and Florentine banking, changed history irrevocably.
A day-trip from Rome to Florence takes you to the heart of this historic city. Learn more about the fascinating history of Florence and all its triumphs and tragedies, which transformed a small city in Tuscany into the beating heart of an ever-changing, modernizing world. See some of the greatest artworks in the world, including Botticelli’s Primavera and Michelangelo’s David.
Pisa
A day trip from Rome to Pisa takes you to one of the most important Mediaeval cities in Italy, a time when Pisa was such an important power it had ambitions to rival Rome. The architecture of Pisa’s Square of Miracles is iconic, in no small part due to the amazing Leaning of Tower of Pisa.
Pisa’s Leaning Tower has delighted and puzzled tourists for centuries, due to its strange leaning affliction. However, its not the only remarkable Mediaeval building in Pisa’s beautiful, green Square of Miracles. The white, gothic Cathedral and Baptistry stand at over 900 years old and are a real site to behold. A tour of Pisa with an expert guide is the best way to see this unique, beautiful city.
Siena
What makes Siena so beloved, by Italians and tourists alike? It’s a Mediaeval, walled Tuscan city, but not even that high epithet fully explains Siena’s charms. Perhaps it’s because it is still a very lively, living and breathing city, even though it sits inside Mediaeval walls. Perhaps its because of the peculiar arrangement of its townhouses, the seem to spread out from the central square in swirling spheres.
Then there’s the main square of Sienna itself. The Piazza del Campo is respected world over for its beauty and the integrity of its Mediaeval structures. On a normal day, the Piazza del Campo appears perfectly serene – but don’t let appearances deceive you; inside this square, great passions hide. Twice a year, 10 horses, representing each of Siena’s contradas (boroughs), rip around this square at astonishing speed, alighting the passion of all Senesi who attend.
Siena is one of the most charming and special places in Italy. Take a day-trip from Rome and experience it for yourself.
Orvieto
Sat atop volcanic tuff, amidst the dramatic and enchanting landscape of Umbria, sits Orvieto. This magnificent Mediaeval city passes many tourists by, but don’t be fooled – Orvieto is well-worth a visit on a day trip from Rome. Orvieto’s cathedral is one of Italy’s most beautiful, in a country positively brimming with beautiful cathedrals. The elegant gold-leaf mosaics atop the Gothic façade are a true pleasure to behold.
Orvieto is an ancient Etruscan city; its existence even predates Rome. Since the Middle Ages, Orvieto has been respected as a bastion of culture and refined civilization; Pope Urban IV chose to stay here, and Saint Thomas Acquinas lectured in the town. Today, Orvieto’s Saint Patrick’s Well delights visitors with its dizzying ascension down to the depths of the earth, in a double-helix formation that inspired the great Roman architect Bramante.
Naples
‘Naples is a crazy town’ – a fact delivered as gospel by Italians everywhere. Maybe Naples does have a couple of screws loose, but if it does, it’s in the best possible way. How sane can a city be, when its influences – and architecture – are from civilizations as diverse as the Ancient Greek, Mediaeval French Gothic, Spanish Baroque and modern Italian?
Take a day-trip from Rome to Naples to experience an exhilarating, modern Italian city, steeped in ancient history. Perhaps no other city in Italy has had a history as tumultuous as Naples. Learn about how Naples’ astonishing lineage of Kings and Queen, from Spain, France and Sicily, molded the passion and artistic patronage of this most unusual Italian city. Waltz passed castles and churches, brimming with esoteric mysteries.
Enjoy Neaopolitan cuisine – many say Naples has the best pizza in Italy. Naples lies in the shadow of Vesuvius and is curled inside the beautiful blue Bay of Naples. The sweeping azure waters and the tottering hillsides surrounding the city, mean Naples possesses unparalleled natural beauty. Make your day trip from Rome to Pompeii and Naples, to experience the best of ancient and modern Italy in one day.
Escape to the Country
Italy is a country which inspires devotion among travelers; there are the faithful who return time and time again, rejecting other destinations over and over, to visit bella Italia again. No one denies the appeal of the beautiful, historic Italian cities, those orange, yellow and golden wonders, stacked on hillsides, iridescent in marble, crammed to the brim with churches and ancient ruins and cafés and galleries.
However, a big part of Italy’s appeal lies beyond its cities, in a landscape that’s can be tamed and elegant, but is mostly rolling, craggy, wild and green – but never threatening. From the Tuscan hills, dotted with jolly cypress trees, to the rocky mountains and thick forest of Umbria, to the crystal-clear lakes scattered across the land – taking a day trip from Rome to the Italian countryside may be the wisest decision you make.
Castelli Romani
In the world-famous Frascati region, the heart of Lazio’s wine country, lies picture-perfect towns, dotted across the Alban Hills. These are known as the Castelli Romani, or ‘The Roman Castles’. Since the time of the Ancient Roman Emperors, Rome’s elite has flocked to this area – resplendent in natural beauty – to enjoy the nature and lakes. A day trip from Rome to Castelli Romani makes the perfect get away from the heat of the summer city.
One town, Castel Gandolofo, boasts the summer residence of the Pope. Pope Urban VIII decided to build his summer residence here, on the same site of the summer home of Roman Emperor Diocletian.
One look at the turquoise waters of Lake Albano below and you’ll understand the appeal. Nemi is another Castelli Romani town, atop a lake, beloved by Italy’s elite for 1000s of years. On a summer’s day in AD 40, you’d find Caligula lounging on Lake Nemi, on one his spectacular pleasure barges.
A side trip from Rome to Castelli Romani is a wonderful way to experience the greatly underrated beauty of the Italian countryside, and gives you a chance to connect with Italian culture, outside the major cities.
Civita di Bagnoregio
A town that’s over 2,500 years old, stacked with narrow Mediaeval houses, tottering atop a solitary hillside plateau, surrounded by a breathtaking landscape of mountains and forest, totally car-free and only accessible by crossing a narrow bridge? What’s not to love!
Civita di Bagnoregio was saved from the destruction of two world wars and the reforming impulses of modernity, because of its isolated position, atop a hillside, in what’s essentially the middle of nowhere.
Now, it stands – precariously – as one of the most beautiful towns in Italy; a country that’s full of them. In winter, the population of Civita di Bagnoregio is 7; in summer, it can ascend to a whopping 100.
This tiny Mediaeval town, precariously position on a hillside, is like nowhere else in the world!
A day trip from Rome to Civita di Bagnoregio takes you to one of the most picturesque towns in all of Italy. Join our expert guide and work your way across the narrow bridge, to one of Italy’s most enchanting towns, with stunning views and the best place to take postcard-perfect pictures.
Lake Bracciano
Tucked away in the Lazio hillside is the cleanest lake in Italy, perfect for a side trip from Rome to escape from the summers heat, and a favored getaway of Romans, for hundreds of years. The lake is a volcanic crater, created by an eruption over 50,000 years ago – but today, the perfectly still waters make no hint of any violence.
Lake Bracciano is a rare jewel of an Italian lake, as motorboats are strictly prohibited. That makes this lake perfectly clean and clear, ripe and ready for swimming. Celebrities are known to favor this beautiful lake and the region surrounding it – Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ (ill-fated) wedding took place in the Castle Bracciano, overlooking the still, azure waters.
Villa D’Este
On the outskirts of the small town of Tivoli, overlooking the cragged mountains and green valleys of Lazio, stands the Villa D’Este. The Villa D’Este boasts the most famous Italian garden in the world, and taking it in on a day trip from Rome is an experience both surreal and delightful.
Cardinal D’Este was declined the papacy four times – and poured all his frustration into this strange and wonderful garden. Inside the gardens of the Villa D’Este are hundreds of fountains, including a wall of gargoyles, artificial lakes and tiers upon tiers of artificial waterfalls. Most magnificently, all this was created using gravity pipes. In addition to all the water-oddity, there’s also a huge recreation of Rome at the bottom of the garden, in case Cardinal D’Este’s hunger for the top job wasn’t clear enough. Choose a day trip from Rome to Tivoli for a private tour of Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa.
San Gimignano
An unforgettable skyline, atop a Tuscan hillside, surrounded by delicate green plains dotted with cypress trees and bright violet thistles. A visit to San Gimignano is one you won’t forget lightly. This town is delicately enfolded in the beautiful nature of the Tuscan countryside. What makes San Gimignano so unique is its 14 Mediaeval towers, and its tall golden walls.
San Gimignano was once a destination for pilgrims, passing through it on the route to Rome. The mediaeval road which connects San Gemignano with Rome begins in Canterbury England, and runs through France, before it reaches the Eternal City. San Gimignano has enjoyed a magnificent cultural influence that vastly exceeds it size. A side trip from Rome to San Gimignano is a perfect way to experience the wealth of culture and nature, under the fine Tuscan sun.
Discover Ancient Rome
Legions of visitors, for hundreds of years, have been delighted by the abundance of ancient Roman ruins in Rome. For some people, a visit to the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum, only whets their appetite for more wonders of the ancient world.
Luckily, there are many other locations in Italy that boast impressive Roman ruins – and Roma Experience will take you to them, on a day-trip to these magnificent historic sites!
Pompeii
For an experience of the ancient Roman world like no other, nothing beats a day trip from Rome to Pompeii. Pompeii is commonly regarded as the site of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the world and with just one visit, you’ll see why. Nowhere else does the whole life of an Ancient Roman town come to life, quite like Pompeii.
In this once-bustling metropolis, you’ll see ancient life as it was, frozen in time – before that fateful day in October AD79, when the town of Pompeii was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in a blaze of ash and pumice. Have our expert, local guide paint a complete picture of Ancient Roman life. From the marks of the chariot’s wheels on the pavements, to the refined cultural life evident in the theaters.
Herculaneum and Oplontis; Campania’s Other Roman Ruins
For those who want to experience even more of Ancient Rome, Campania boasts other spectacular ancient Roman sites, buried by the destructive Mount Vesuvius. Herculaneum, a wealthy Roman resort town, destroyed in the eruption.
Unlike Pompeii, Herculaneum wasn’t a bustling commercial center, but rather a getaway for Rome’s wealthy, seeking an escape from the city for the charms of the seaside in summer heat. Herculaneum boasts strong evidence of affluence, from the elegant arches of the boathouses to the intricate mosaics of the bathhouse.
Oplontis, the villa of Emperor Nero’s wife, was another site that fell victim to Vesuvius. Now, you can visit a remarkably well-preserved Roman villa, to gain an insight into the life of Rome’s elite, at the apex of Imperial power. Oplontis makes the astonishing wealth of the Imperial family obvious. An Olympic-sized swimming pool, a network of internal gardens, a private bathhouse and extraordinarily detailed frescoes – the wealthy of Rome clearly enjoyed the good life at this summer retreat.
Hadrian’s Villa
Just outside Rome, in Tivoli, lies one of the remarkable Roman ruins in Italy – the breathtaking Hadrian’s Villa. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, two Great Masters of the Renaissance, would visit Hadrian’s Villa for inspiration, for their breathtakingly beautiful art and architecture.
Now, on a day trip from Rome, you can experience the majesty of Hadrian’s Villa, the summer-residence and favored palace of Rome’s most cultured Emperor. High-culture is evident everywhere here, from lush internal gardens lined with statues, fountains and artificial ponds, to a theater stage that would have rotated on water.
Hadrian’s Villa is a spectacular escape from the noise of the city and a favored destination of great men for centuries. Walk in their footsteps and visit this architectural masterpiece. Book our Day trip from Rome to Tivoli, for an amazing private tour of Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa.
Why Take Day Trips from Rome?
Rome may be one of the most beautiful cities in the universe, but what is the universe, when faced with Italy? Italy boasts more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than anywhere else in the world, and in this country, there are many cities, sites and smalls towns atop hillsides that happily vie for Rome’s position – and do come close.
To experience the magnificence of Italy, in all its glory and preposterous beauty, take a day trip from Rome. Whether you prefer smaller countryside destinations or bigger Italian cities, a side trip from Rome, to another Italian destination of your choosing, won’t disappoint. You could enjoy yourself so much, that you may later find yourself, credit card in hand, booking another ticket to bella Italia for the next year!
