Looking for the perfect escape from the bustling city? These day trips from Rome offer a refreshing change of scenery, from historic towns to stunning countryside views, all within a short journey!
Are you aware of the familiar proverb? “When you are in Rome, be a Roman”.
I liked it when I first read it 50 years ago. Now, as a travel writer, I see this proverb’s high relevancy. It applies to every other passionate traveler,
So, how do you become a Roman when you are in Rome?
- Eating Italian cuisine
- Drinking locally brewed alcoholic drinks
- Wearing Roman dresses and hats
- Speaking at least a few words in Italian
- Visiting more and more places near Rome by joining organized day trip tours from Rome
If you read this again, you will not find anything that is difficult to do.
In this blog post, I will point out to a few beautiful destinations near Rome that you can plan Day Trips from Rome.
It means you can go to such extraordinary Italian vacation spots from Rome, and come back on the same day,
I am leaving out all the highly popular places near Rome. I am going to show you a few off the beaten path that will make you wonder “why I have not known this before?”
So, don’t expect Florence, Naples, Amalfi Coast, or Pompeii.
Day Trips from Rome: 12 New Day Trip Ideas from Rome
Shall we begin?
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Tivoli
Tivoli is a stunning city near Rome that is known for breathtaking early Roman architecture.
As a matter of fact, Tivoli is older than Rome. I mean, Tivoli was once, more popular than Rome.
Tivoli is located just 30 minutes drive away from Rome, the Eternal City. The short distance is right for a day drip from Rome.
A natural beauty in Tivoli is its waterfall that is terrific to see from Villa Gregoriana.
The waterfall is fed by the River Aniene that begins its 100 km journey from Sabine Hills.
From the Sabine Hills, you can view the panoramic Roman Campagna.
There is a castle here known as Rocca Pia. It’s built in a sprawling area and pretty imposing.
The city is also famous for a few beautiful villas built on elevated grounds, giving you a spectacular view of Tivoli.
One such villa is called Villa d’Este that was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Other notable tourist landmarks in Tivoli are:
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An amphitheatre
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Theatre_of_Hercules_Victor.jpg/500px-Theatre_of_Hercules_Victor.jpg
- Temple of Tosse
- Temple of Hercules Victor
- Hadrian’s Villa
- Tivoli Cathedral
There are many more buildings of repute to see in Tivoli. You will only be able to return to Rome only by 9 pm after seeing all the attractions in Tivoli.
If you are a history buff, especially the Roman history, their Christian churches, may force you to stay overnight in Tivoli or make you plan for one more day trip from Rome.
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Ostia Antica
Astia Antica is another ancient city near Rome, located at a day trip distance away from Rome.
It is one of the important ports of Italy and is located near the estuary of Tiber and Tyrrhenian Sea, on Italy’s west coast.
The other seas of Italy are:
- Gulf of Venice
- Adriatic Sea
- Ionian Sea
- Mediterranean Sea
- Ligurian Sea
The distance between Ostia Antica and Rime is 26 km southwest of the Italy’s capital.
Due to constant wave action, the ancient city is now floating away from the mainland Italy. It has drifted away as far as 3 km! A land bridge connects the two cities. Search for ‘Ponte dello Stagno’ and you will see an image of the bridge.
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Castel Gandolfo
Castel Gandolfo town is perched on Lake Albano and that is what you see in the photo above.
Its elevation of 1400 feet is its crowd-pulling trait. It facilitates great views, and also slightly subdues the hot temperature.
If you walk down the slopes of the hill, after some distance, the beautiful Tyrrhenian Sea comes in to your view, and that is jaw dropping.
If you find the name of the town too long, just say, “Castello”. This place also is located close to Rome. Only 25 km south east of the Italian capital city makes it an excellent road day trip from Rome.
Being home to several ancient Romanic tourist landmarks, organized day trip tours are aplenty from Rome. I think you can asked to be picked from your hotel to the starting point of the local tour to Castello.
The foremost sight is the Apostle Palace of Caster Gandolfo that used to host the Pope whenever he needs peace from his ecclesiastical duties.
Around the lake are resort-like places to stay. Waterfront retreats are always in high demand, anywhere in the world.
As an ancient Roman site, you are sure to be taken to all of the Christian temples. When you are touring Italy, churches, cathedrals, basilicas, and piazzas are the biggest taking points by the guide who accompanies you.
Barberini Gardens is a relief from trudging to churches and archaeological sites.
For adventure loving tourists who also yearn for a break from visiting religious sites, there are facilities for rowing canoes, and kayaks in Lake Albano.
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Orvieto
It is a typical façade of a cathedral in Italy. This is Orvieto cathedral, located at about 125 km north of Rome. This distance is a bit afar but still at a day trip distance from Rome.
Orvieto’s geography is unique. The city sits on a butte made of volcanic ash, a rocky surface called tuff.
I think this is a major reason for tourism to this Italian city.
Once again, history buffs love to visit Orvieto frequently because it was once the seat of Etruscan Civilization created by Etruscan people.
Inside this old city, there is a museum that throws more light on Etruscan era.
One of the stunning buildings in Orvieto is the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo.
It’s really magnificent!
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Alban Hills
With a high altitude of 3100 feet, it is seen as a sort of mini summer resort for the permanent residents of Rome. When they are not swarmed by their guests, they escape to the Alban Hills, and stay in the hotels surrounding the Alban Lake.
In addition, its proximity to Rome (just 20 km east) makes it one of an unforgettable Day Trips from Rome, the sprawling Eternal City.
It’s a volcanic mountain but became dormant long ago.
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Bagnoregio
Bagnoregio is a city near Rome. You can contemplate a road trip from Rome to Bagnoregio. It is 128 km north of Rome.
As you can see, it is perched on a butte made of volcanic ash. The city faces frequent natural calamities and every time it happens, some portion of the commune collapses.
Therefore, it is called a ‘dying city’. Only, eleven people live here.
The precarious geography in spite of its nature pulls curious tourists from Rome.
I am sure the majority of the tourists might decline to join an organized tour. Nonetheless, if I were touring Rome, I would certainly set my feet in Bagnoregio.
Apart from the barren volcanic mountain, the city has two outstanding natural beauties to see.
One is the Bolsena Lake.
It was created due to volcanic activity in this part of Italy. The other attraction to see near Bagnoregio is the Tiber Valley.
Some more nearby attractions are:
- Lake Montedoglio
- Alviano Lake
- Nazzano Lake
- Corbara Lake
It seems a trip to the Dying City is worth.
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Mount Vesuvius
Yes, the distance of 240 kn from Rome is definitely far to be considered for a road trip from Rome.
Nevertheless, since Vesuvius is one of the top most attractions in Italy, you wouldn’t want to miss seeing it, having come to Rome.
It is part of the Campania Region of Italy, a short distance away from Naples city.
This ancient and active volcano lures ardent mountain hikers. Its crater, sitting at an altitude of a little over 4000 feet is hiked daily by hundreds of tourists.
Look at its gaping crater!
When Vesuvius erupts, it is considered as the most dangerous of the all the volcanoes in the world.
OMG! The fumes, the ash, make a dense cloud that looked ominous.
Trekkers can come into contact a Green Gecko, a snake species called Western Whip Snake, numerous wild hares and fox species.
When the hikers climbed the summit, they will have a jaw-dropping view of the Gulf of Naples, an arm of the Tyrrhenian Sea which itself is an internal extension of the Mediterranean Sea.
Vesuvius eruption during the first century of the 2nd millennium was solely responsible for the destruction of Pompeii city, and Herculaneum, both were ancient glories of the Roman Empire.
When you visit Mount Vesuvius, you can also go to see a nearby volcano called Campi Flegri.
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Mount Amiata
The distance from Rome is just 210 km. I think you can call it a day trip distance from Rome.Mount Aviata is part of southern Tuscany.
This is another volcano that is lying in the volcanic arc in Italy that also comprises several submarine volcanoes, and extinct volcanoes.
Mount Etna is another notorious volcano in Italy. It is located on the island of Sicily.
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Cerveteri
It is one of the sites of Etruscans civilization and hence got the status of a World Heritage Site from UNESCO>
Cerveteri is a small municipal town, 42 km from Rome.
Strangely, the main reason for its World Heritage status is a large cemetery called Banditaccia Necropolis.
Numerous tombs can be seen inside this necropolis that are said to contain the remains of the deceased Etruscans.
Just a short distance away from Cerveteri, lies the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is also the site of three busy ports indicating the commercial importance of this sleepy town that once commanded respects from foreign traders across the Mediterranean.
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Calcata
It’s an old town perched on an elevated plateau.
It is known for typical Italian culture, and a slow-paced serene life. The small diners are popular for serving authentic Italian food and wine.
Calcata is located only 47 km north of Rome.
Some hippies are said to live here and they are the authors of a totally different Italian culture.
This earned Calcata as one of the weird places in Italy.
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Santa Marinella
Can you believe this building is a beach resort, right on the shores of Tyrrhenian Sea.?
It was once a castle called Severa Castle.
Santa Marinella is a municipal town, located 60 km from Rome, in the northwest direction.
From the times of Ertuscans, the city is known for several historic monuments, some of which still attracts Italians.
Tourists guides take you to the sites that contain the remnants of a few beachfront villas, and some bridges that don’t appeal to me except they are considered as monuments.
Here is an image of the ruins of a villa facing the sea.
If you are a little familiar with Roman history, you are sure to like many ruins of ancient building in Santa Marinella.
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Ponza Island
Ponza is an island that is located only 115 km from Rome. The island is part of the Pontine archipelago.
It is a very beautiful island and is only an hour and a half ferry ride away from any ports near Rome.
Civitavecchia is the most convenient port and it also handles the bulk of the cruise ship arrivals, and departure.
This is the harbour of Ponza. Interestingly, the island is named after the legendary Pontius Pilate
Several beaches with mountainous backdrops are the main attractions of Ponza Island.
In addition, you will be dumbstruck when your boat tours in the Tyrrhenian Sea come across striking Blue Grottos.
You can easily make a day drip from Rome to Ponza.
You may like to know that Ponza is volcanic in nature.
Anzio is another port gateway to Ponza Island.
So many options are there to see around on the outskirts of Rome. You can select at least 3 of these destinations that lie on a straight line so that, you can allocate just a day out of your weeklong holiday in Rome.
