Ancient Ostia Half-Day Trip from Rome

Follow the sea road to Imperial Rome’s historic port at Ostia on a half-day morning tour. It takes only 30 minutes to reach Ostia Antica, at the mouth of the Tiber river, and you’ll have plenty of time to explore the wonderfully preserved ruins. The ruins are convenient, compact and shady, and provide a tantalizing glimpse into daily life in ancient Rome.

Ostia was Rome’s flourishing trade and business center, until the port was abandoned following the Barbarian invasions. The archaeological excavations undertaken at the beginning of the 14th century have brought the ancient city back to life. During your walk through the ruins your guide will provide enlightening insights into the cultural and social life of this historic settlement.

Your visit to Ostia Antica (ancient Ostia) starts at Via delle Tombe, which leads you to the Porta Romana, one of the city’s three gates. This is the beginning of the Decumanus Maximus, the main thoroughfare that crosses the city from north-east to south-west.

You will then arrive at the Terme di Nettuno, where you can admire the beautiful black and white mosaics representing Neptune and Amphitrite, the theatre built by Agrippa, and the Forum which formed the center of the city. Here you will discover the main public buildings, Il Capitolium, the temple of Rome and Augustus, the Basilica and the large thermal baths.

Near the Forum square you will also find the House of Diana and the Thermopolium, an ancient Roman bar with a marble counter and a fresco depicting the fruit and foodstuffs that were sold there. At the end of Via dei Dipinti, a museum displays some of the ancient sculptures unearthed at Ostia.