Ostia Tour
Travel back in time and take a stroll through a marvelous ancient Roman city











Private Transportation
Pick-up & Drop-off at your hotel
If in Rome city center
Skip-the-line tickets
Professional Guides
Duration about 5 hours
Family Friendly price!
Ostia Tour: Discover the Ancient Port of Rome
Our Ostia Tour is the perfect experience for travelers who love history, ruins, and archaeology, but also for those who wish to escape the crowds and enjoy a more relaxed visit in a unique and authentic setting.
Just a short distance from Rome lies Ostia Antica, one of the most fascinating and underrated archaeological sites in Italy.
Often compared to Pompeii, Ostia offers an equally immersive journey into ancient Roman daily life—without the overwhelming crowds and long travel times.
Sights included in your Ostia Tour
Marvelous Roman Buildings
- Baths of Neptune and Baths of the Forum
- Temple of Juppiter, Juno, and Minerva
- Ancient Theater…and more!
Step into daily life in ancient Rome
- Walk on ancient Roman roads
- Explore homes, shops, and taverns of the ancient city
- xperience remarkably preserved streets and ruins
Villa d'Este
- Admire beautifully preserved mosaics
- See ancient marble architecture up close
- Discover vivid frescoes and decorative details
Included in the Price:
- Pick-up & Drop-off at your hotel (if located in the city center)
- Private Transportation
- Skip-the-line tickets
- Professional, Private Guides
1.Why Visit Ostia Instead of Pompeii?
Pompeii is undoubtedly one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, and for good reason. Its exceptional preservation offers a powerful glimpse into Roman life frozen in time. However, Pompeii is over three hours from Rome and attracts enormous crowds year-round.
Ostia Antica, by contrast, is located just 45 minutes from Rome and remains largely untouched by mass tourism.
Yet its historical importance is extraordinary.
Ostia was the ancient port of Rome, a vital commercial hub that connected the capital to the Mediterranean world.
Every good that reached Rome passed through Ostia first: grain from North Africa, wine and olive oil from across the empire, marble statues from Greece, and even obelisks from Egypt. From here, goods traveled upriver along the Tiber or continued by road toward Rome.
As a bustling port city, Ostia was a multicultural center, inhabited by merchants, sailors, artisans, and travelers from all corners of the Roman Empire. Exploring Ostia today offers a vivid and authentic picture of Roman urban life—one that feels remarkably real and surprisingly peaceful.
2. Your Ostia Tour Itinerary
Your Ostia Tour begins with hotel pick-up, where your private driver and expert guide will meet you. After a comfortable drive of about 45 minutes, you will arrive at the archaeological site and begin your exploration.
The visit starts at the necropolis, the ancient cemetery located just outside the city walls, where tombs and funerary monuments introduce you to Roman beliefs about death and remembrance.
You will then enter the city through its main gate and walk along the Decumanus Maximus, Ostia’s principal street, still paved with original Roman stones worn smooth by centuries of footsteps.
Continuing through the city, you will visit the theater, built in the 1st century AD and still used for performances today. Nearby lies the Piazzale delle Corporazioni, once the commercial heart of Ostia, where merchant guilds from across the empire maintained offices decorated with detailed mosaics depicting their trades.
Your tour proceeds to the Forum, the civic center of the city, surrounded by important public buildings. Here you will see the remains of the Capitoline Temple, dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, as well as the Temple of Rome and Augustus, symbols of imperial power and loyalty.
Close to the Forum, you will explore the public baths, where impressive marble decorations and mosaics still survive. Visiting these spaces offers insight into Roman hygiene, social life, and daily routines—including a look at a Roman latrine, often one of the most surprising stops for visitors.
During your Ostia Tour, you will also enter ancient apartment buildings, private houses, taverns, temples, and a thermopolium, the Roman equivalent of a fast-food restaurant, where hot food and drinks were sold to the population.
An Authentic Roman Experience
What makes the Ostia Tour truly special is its atmosphere. Unlike more famous sites, Ostia Antica allows you to explore at a relaxed pace, surrounded by silence, nature, and ruins that feel almost untouched.
Visiting Ostia makes you feel like a traveler rather than a tourist, offering the rare opportunity to step away from the modern world and wander through a Roman city as it once was—alive with trade, culture, and everyday life.
Why Choose Our Ostia Tour
Off-the-Beaten-Path Experience
Explore the ancient city of Ostia Antica, a remarkably preserved Roman town just outside Rome, far from the crowds of the capital.
Expert, Private Guides:
Discover daily life in ancient Rome with a knowledgeable guide who brings Ostia’s streets, houses, and monuments vividly to life.
Authentic Archaeological Setting:
Walk through original Roman streets, apartment buildings, baths, and marketplaces in a quiet, open-air archaeological landscape.
Private Transportation
Travel comfortably between sites with a private vehicle included throughout the tour.
Our Ostia Tour Itinerary
Book Your Ostia Tour Today!
The Ostia Tour is an ideal choice for anyone seeking a deeper, more authentic encounter with ancient Rome, without long travel times or large crowds. With private transportation, an expert guide, and a carefully paced itinerary, this experience reveals a side of Roman history that many visitors never see.
Book your Ostia Tour and discover one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites near Rome—a hidden gem that brings the Roman world vividly back to life.
IMPORTANT INFO!
- You MUST bring an ID, a passport or a driver’s license to enter the sights.
Included in the Price:
- Pick-up & Drop-off at your hotel (if located in the city center)
- Private Transportation
- Skip-the-line tickets
- Professional, Private Guides
Ostia Tour Price
Ostia Tour
-
Private Transportation
-
Pick-up & Drop-off at your hotel
-
Skip-the-line tickets
-
Professional Guides
49€
for additional adult
24€
for additional kid
Watch a short video about Ostia Antica
Contact Us!
If you want more info or to design a tailored tour!
Send us a message using the form below, contact us via WhatsApp or call us at +39 376 165 1457
EXCELLENT Based on 123 reviews Posted on Scamper13Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. As an individual living with a hearing disability, private tours are my preferred choice when visiting major historical sites. Italian ArtVentures did not disappoint with the Underground Colosseum Tour with Arena. Giovanni was highly knowledgeable and his passion for Roman history was evident when providing details of various points throughout the tour. He also went at a very comfortable pace so I could capture as much information as I could. I walked away with more golden nuggets of information than when I started. The Italian ArtVentures team strives to provide their customers an excellent experience from the moment one books with them.Posted on Kyle MerkerTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had an amazing day touring Rome with Giovanni Vergineo from Italian ArtVentures Private Tours. Giovanni was kind, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable — he’s an archaeologist, and it really shows. His stories and insights brought every site to life. From the Vatican to the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and Pantheon, he took wonderful care of us and made sure the day moved at a comfortable, relaxed pace. It was the perfect way to experience the city — informative, seamless, and memorable. Highly recommend Giovanni and Italian ArtVentures to anyone visiting Rome! 🇮🇹Posted on A M FLANNERYTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Knowledgeable guide with great insight into the Vatican museum combined with an engaging personality and presentation. I highly reccomend GiovanniPosted on Patrick ScrogginTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We booked a tour of Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Forum with Giovanni to help us use our time in Rome most efficiently. Giovanni’s explanations in perfect English helped us to understand the history behind the grand monuments and fascinating architecture. We covered a lot of ground and a few steps up and down too. His background as an archaeologist was so interesting to get a feeling of how the sites looked originally and what it took to restore them. Highly recommend getting a tour with him!Posted on Mark v.V.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Highly recommend you to consider Italian ArtVentures for a fantastic guided experience. Giovanni is incredibly knowledgeable and nice to listen to. I think he just knows how to find the right balance between humor and seriousness, between intens passionate storytelling and relaxed admiring of the beauty that Rome has to offer. Sights that seem uninteresting, or sometimes not (clearly) visible anymore nowadays, he brings to life with his extensive knowledge of archeology and the history of Rome. Be clear in your wishes and preferences, ask him any kind of question, he really seemed like a capable guide able to provide something extra, something special and definitely more depth. The Colloseum was great and impressive, but thanks to you I will mainly remember how you showed me around the Palantino Hill and Forum and turned ruins and rubble into an astonishing educational origin story of such a beautiful city. Thanks Gio! Greetz Mark (& Debby)Posted on Debby Van KlijnenbreugelTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Een onvergetelijke privé tour door het hart van Rome! Wat een fantastische ervaring! Onze gids nam ons mee op een privé tour langs het Colosseum en het Palatijnse Forum, en het was werkelijk magisch. Vanaf het eerste moment voelde het alsof we terug in de tijd stapten — onze gids wist zóveel interessante verhalen en verborgen details te vertellen, dat de ruïnes echt tot leven kwamen.😁 Geen eindeloze rijen, geen drukte — alleen wij, de geschiedenis en een gepassioneerde gids die precies wist hoe hij alles boeiend en persoonlijk moest maken. We hebben zoveel geleerd én gelachen. De combinatie van kennis, humor en enthousiasme maakte deze tour echt onvergetelijk. Als je Rome bezoekt, boek deze tour! Het is absoluut de beste manier om de geschiedenis van het Colosseum en het Palatijn te ontdekken. Wij zouden het zó weer doen! 🇮🇹✨ Thanks Giovanni !Posted on John OwensTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My spouse and I enjoyed a fantastic tour with Giovanni V. His deep knowledge of the Colosseum and its surroundings brought the history to life in an engaging and enjoyable way. We wholeheartedly recommend Giovanni as your tour guide.Posted on Paula Mèndez AzuelaTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our tours where amazing. We booked a day for Pompeii and This tour was amazing. I highly recommend doing both Pompeii and Ercolano, and another day for Paestum. Being with an archeological expert is a game changer for the experience. Italian Artventures was incredible providing guidance in what to book according to interests and time available, and where attentive during our whole trip. Our guides where amazing and experienced. We would absolutely repeat a tour with the company and the guides.Posted on Jim JaramilloTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Emiliano was an amazing guide. So much knowledge of history. To bypass the lines was completely worth every pennyPosted on Shane GasbarraTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We were extraordinarily fortunate to have Giovanni (the founder of Italian ArtVentures) as our private tour guide, not once, but twice: for a visit to the Etruscan Museum at the Villa Giulia and for a day trip to Hadrian's Villa and the Villa d'Este. Giovanni is both a true expert and an engaging storyteller, in addition to being a personable and easygoing guy. All details were handled seamlessly, including a professional driver for pickup from, and return to, our hotel in Rome, even though one of our tours was scheduled at the very last minute. Best of all, he has an innate "sixth sense" of how to adapt his tours to suit the interests and pace of his clients, whether they be art history lovers (like us) or casual tourists. Highly, highly recommended!Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more