Guides
Where to go, sorted by what you actually want
The home page sorts by what is open today. These sort by desire — the lakes, the hot water, the wine, the caves, the sea — by how far you are willing to drive, by who is coming with you and by the month you are here. 73 guides, 739 different days inside them, every one of them bookable with the people who run it.
Start here
The whole country around Rome, in one page each.
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The short answer
The best day trips from Rome
Rome is surrounded by country that most visitors never see, and almost all of it is close enough to be back for dinner. These are the days that work.
60 days out · 25 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
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Start here
Seven directions out of Rome
Rome sits in the middle of seven different landscapes, and each one gives you a different day. Pick the direction first — the rest follows.
63 things to book · 31 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
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By how far you want to drive
Thirty minutes, an hour, two hours, a whole weekend.
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Day trips
Half an hour out, an hour, two
Choose by how long you are willing to drive, not by the photograph.
60 days out · 13 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
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Half a day
Half a day out of Rome
You have one free morning and you do not want to give up the evening. This is the page for that.
20 things to book · 7 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
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- Half an hour out Thirty minutes from Rome Half an hour of driving is enough to be out of the city entirely — in vines, on a beach, or on the rim of a volcano. 24 days out · 5 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- An hour out An hour from Rome An hour is the sweet spot. Far enough that the landscape has completely changed, close enough that you are home for dinner without hurrying. 28 days out · 6 places · the nearest is a 36 min drive from Rome
- Two hours out Two hours from Rome Two hours is where Lazio stops being the outskirts of Rome and becomes somewhere else entirely — Tuscany, Umbria, the mountains, the far coast. 28 days out · 10 places · the nearest is a 1 h 16 drive from Rome
- Two days Weekend trips from Rome Some of this country deserves the night as well as the day. These are the directions that repay staying over. 28 days out · 18 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
By what you feel like doing
The water, the wine, the hot springs, the caves, the food.
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Water
The lakes around Rome
Six of the lakes near Rome are dead volcanoes filled with water, and you can be back in the city for dinner.
52 things to book · 16 places · the nearest is a 37 min drive from Rome
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Hot water
Hot water, where it comes out of the ground
The ground north of Rome is still volcanic, and in a dozen places the water comes out of it hot. Some of those places have been in use since the Etruscans.
28 days out · 9 places · the nearest is a 41 min drive from Rome
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- Wine Wine, within an hour of Rome There is a volcano forty minutes south of Rome with vineyards on it, and the white wine made up there is not the one the tourist restaurants in the centre pour. 40 things to book · 17 places · the nearest is a 34 min drive from Rome
- Food The food Lazio actually eats, and where to find it Almost everything Romans eat is made in the countryside around the city, and you can spend a day where it happens. 50 things to book · 30 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- Towns Hill towns you can be in by lunch Most of the towns around Rome are on top of something — a tufo spur, a crater rim, a limestone ridge — because for a thousand years that was the only sensible place to live. 50 things to book · 24 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- Underground Lazio, from underneath The rock around Rome is soft. For three thousand years that has meant one thing: if people wanted a space, they cut it. 30 things to book · 19 places · the nearest is a 42 min drive from Rome
- Etruscans The Etruscans, where they actually are The people who were here before Rome left almost no buildings and an enormous number of graves. Two of those cemeteries are UNESCO sites, and both are an hour from the city. 20 things to book · 6 places · the nearest is a 51 min drive from Rome
- The sea The sea, and how far you have to go for a good one Ostia is under forty minutes from the centre of Rome. The sea worth a whole day is an hour and a half further south, and it is a different sea. 40 things to book · 18 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- On foot Walking country around Rome Within ninety minutes of Rome there are beech forests at fifteen hundred metres, a coastal mountain that goes straight up out of the sea, and volcanic craters you can walk the rim of. 50 things to book · 30 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- Adrenaline The loud end of the day There is white water an hour east of Rome, a canyoning valley behind Subiaco, and enough thermals over the Lepini for one of Italy's better paragliding sites. 40 things to book · 18 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- On the water Get on the water Six volcanic lakes and a hundred and thirty kilometres of coast, and the closest of them is half an hour from the middle of Rome. 32 things to book · 18 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- On horseback On horseback around Rome There is a stretch of coast south-west of Rome where you can ride through umbrella pines and come out on an empty beach, and it is forty minutes from the city. 24 things to book · 17 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- On two wheels Two wheels out of Rome The Appian Way starts inside Rome and turns into a Roman road with nothing on it after a few kilometres. That is the shortest ride, and it is not the best one. 38 things to book · 14 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- Inside things Castles, abbeys and the small museums Every hill town around Rome has a castle, an abbey or a museum, and almost none of them have a queue. Several will open specially if you call. 40 things to book · 34 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- Costs nothing Free days out of Rome Some of the best things within an hour of Rome have no ticket office. Hot sulphur water in the open, abbeys that have been free for a thousand years, and a lot of coastline. 24 days out · 17 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- In the kitchen Learning to cook it, out in the country There are cooking classes in the middle of Rome, and there are cooking classes in a farmhouse with the ingredients growing outside. They are not the same afternoon. 38 things to book · 16 places · the nearest is a 34 min drive from Rome
- Oil Olive oil, from the tree to the mill The Sabina hills north-east of Rome have been pressing oil since before the city was anything much. You can taste the difference and, in autumn, help make it. 28 things to book · 11 places · the nearest is a 50 min drive from Rome
- Cheese Cheese, made in front of you Mozzarella an hour old, ricotta still warm, and pecorino from the hills the Romans took it from. Some of these you make yourself. 26 things to book · 19 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- With the dogs Truffle hunting, and the lunch afterwards An hour out of Rome there are woods with truffles under them, dogs who know exactly where, and a lunch waiting at the end of the walk. 18 things to book · 8 places · the nearest is a 34 min drive from Rome
- On the farm A day on a farm outside Rome The agriturismo is one of Italy's better inventions: a working farm, obliged by law to still be a farm, that also feeds you. 40 things to book · 20 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- On a boat Days on a boat out of Rome Rome has a coast, two crater lakes and an island archipelago, and all three are better seen from the water than from the shore. 35 things to book · 16 places · the nearest is a 37 min drive from Rome
- Paddling Kayak and paddleboard, on lakes and rivers The quietest way to be on the water here, and the one you can learn in an afternoon. 34 things to book · 13 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- Under the surface Under the surface, near Rome Roman ruins on the seabed, volcanic walls dropping away in a lake, and the clearest water in this part of the Mediterranean out at Ponza. 36 things to book · 14 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- Off the ground Seeing it from the air The country around Rome makes sense from the air: the craters are obviously craters, and the whole plain runs out to the sea. 22 things to book · 13 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- Off the tarmac Off the tarmac, out of the city Dirt tracks through country you cannot drive a hire car down, an hour from the city, with somebody in front who knows where they go. 26 things to book · 4 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- Cold water Gorges, falls and cold clear water An hour east of Rome the limestone mountains start, and everything they hold comes back out as cold water falling. 38 things to book · 15 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- Up in the trees Rope bridges, ziplines and trees The cheapest way to buy a family a whole afternoon, and the one everybody remembers. 21 things to book · 10 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- Quiet buildings Abbeys, monasteries and the quiet country Western monasticism began in a cave an hour east of Rome, and the buildings that came out of it are still standing, still quiet, and mostly still empty of visitors. 38 things to book · 17 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- Gardens Gardens, villas and the parks around them The country outside Rome is where the popes and the cardinals built their gardens, and the water they diverted to run them is still running. 39 days out · 20 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- Small museums Small museums, and what is in them The best things dug up in this part of Italy did not all go to Rome. A good deal of it stayed in the town it came out of. 28 things to book · 23 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- Ancient Rome, outside Rome Ancient Rome, outside Rome The Forum has a queue. The emperor's own estate at Tivoli, and an entire Roman port at Ostia, mostly do not. 40 days out · 15 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- Wild country Wild country within an hour or two Between the city and the sea there is more protected land than anybody expects, and most of it is empty on a weekday. 44 things to book · 22 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- The volcano Rome is built on a volcano, and here it is Every lake around Rome is a hole left by an eruption, the stone the city is built of came out of the same eruptions, and in places the ground is still warm. 40 days out · 13 places · the nearest is a 37 min drive from Rome
By who you are going with
Children, teenagers, two of you, a group, or nobody.
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With children
Days out that work with children
The test for a day out with children is not whether it is beautiful. It is whether there is something to do with your hands within the first twenty minutes.
30 things to book · 15 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
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The two of you
Days out for two
Rome is a wonderful city to be in love in and a difficult one to be alone in. Half an hour out, that reverses.
38 things to book · 23 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
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- Gentle days Gentle days out of Rome Not every day out needs a hill. These are the ones where the effort is somebody else's. 42 things to book · 14 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- Teenagers Days out that teenagers will actually do By day four, the answer to another basilica is no. These are the days that get a yes. 42 things to book · 14 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- Small children Days out with very small people What a three-year-old needs from a day out is space, animals and lunch. All three are half an hour outside Rome. 40 things to book · 23 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- A group Days out that work for a group Groups are hard to entertain in a city and easy to entertain in a vineyard. 44 things to book · 7 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- On your own Going out of Rome by yourself Some days are better alone, and the small-group way these things are run here means you are never the odd one out for long. 42 things to book · 11 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
By when you are here
August heat, winter, rain, snow, and the last hour of light.
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Bad weather
Rain-proof days out of Rome
Rain is a reason to go underground, get in hot water, or spend the afternoon somewhere with a roof and something to taste. None of those get better in sunshine anyway.
28 things to book · 10 places · the nearest is a 34 min drive from Rome
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September to November
Harvest season around Rome
Autumn is when the country around Rome is busiest and emptiest at the same time — everybody is working and nobody is on holiday.
40 things to book · 18 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
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- When Rome is too hot Escaping the heat, for a day Romans have always left the city in August. There are four ways to do it in a day, and all of them are cooler than the centre by a serious margin. 56 things to book · 21 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- The cold months The country around Rome in winter Winter is the season this country is best at, and almost nobody comes for it. 50 things to book · 24 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- March to June The country around Rome in spring For about ten weeks this country is green, warm, in flower and empty. It is the best it gets. 44 things to book · 14 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- September to November The country around Rome in autumn The heat goes, the crowds go with it, and the countryside spends three months making things. Autumn is the answer to when to come. 42 things to book · 23 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- Snow Snow, an hour and a bit from Rome Most people in Rome have no idea there is snow within an hour and a half of the city. There is, and there are guides who take you into it. 24 things to book · 6 places · the nearest is a 1 h 08 drive from Rome
- Late in the day The last hours of the day, outside Rome The best two hours here are the last two, and almost nobody is out in them. 38 days out · 23 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
By where you are going
Tivoli, the Castelli, the lakes, the coast, Tuscany, Umbria.
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Tivoli
A day at Tivoli
Two of the great gardens of Europe, an emperor's private town, and a river falling through the middle of it all — forty minutes from Rome.
34 days out · 7 places · the nearest is a 43 min drive from Rome
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Castelli Romani
The Castelli Romani, half an hour out
The nearest countryside to Rome, and the one Romans actually use. Volcano, two lakes, and a white wine you have heard of.
60 things to book · 9 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
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- Viterbo Viterbo and the country made of tufo An hour and a half north of Rome there is a city of black stone with free hot springs outside the walls, and around it a country of tufo, carved tombs and roads sunk into the rock. 55 days out · 17 places · the nearest is a 47 min drive from Rome
- Lake Bracciano Lake Bracciano and the two villages on it A volcanic lake with a ban on engines, which is why it is clean and quiet and why everybody who sails near Rome sails here. 46 days out · 8 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
- Subiaco Subiaco and the valley behind Tivoli An hour east of Rome the mountains start, and the river that comes out of them is cold enough to make you laugh in July. 47 days out · 12 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- The islands Ponza, Ventotene and the sea caves Volcanic cliffs, water you can see the bottom through, and caves the Romans cut into the rock — reached by boat, not by road. 38 days out · 5 places · the nearest is a 1 h 11 drive from Rome
- The southern coast The coast south of Rome Two hours south of Rome the coast turns from sand into limestone: cliffs, caves at water level, and coves you reach only from a boat. 59 days out · 11 places · the nearest is a 1 h 12 drive from Rome
- The Lepini The Lepini, and the garden at the bottom of them A wall of limestone rising out of a flat plain, with medieval towns along the top of it and a garden growing through a ruined city at the bottom. 60 days out · 16 places · the nearest is a 53 min drive from Rome
- Ciociaria The Ciociaria, and the papal towns The corner of Lazio that gave the church a run of medieval popes, grows Cesanese, and has cyclopean walls older than anybody can properly date. 53 days out · 16 places · the nearest is a 1 h 01 drive from Rome
- Sabina The Sabina, and the valley behind it The quietest direction out of Rome: olive terraces, a mediaeval abbey with its own territory, and a valley the Romans called the navel of Italy. 49 days out · 13 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- Over the border Tuscany from Rome, without the coach tour Everybody drives three hours to Florence. The Tuscany that starts two hours from Rome is emptier, wilder and considerably stranger. 38 days out · 10 places · the nearest is a 1 h 24 drive from Rome
- Over the border Umbria from Rome The nearest bit of Umbria is closer to Rome than half of Lazio, and it has a cathedral, an underground city and a waterfall the Romans cut by hand, still switched on and off for a hydroelectric plant. 57 days out · 22 places · the nearest is a 1 h 13 drive from Rome
- Frascati Frascati, and the wine on the hill The closest vineyards to Rome are half an hour from the ring road, on a volcano, facing the city. 42 things to book · 6 places · the nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
Before you book
The car, the driver, the cruise day, and how to choose.
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The car question
Renting a car for a day out of Rome
You do not need a car to leave Rome. You need one to have the day you imagined when you decided to leave Rome.
36 days out · 15 places · the nearest is a 34 min drive from Rome
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No car
Leaving Rome without a car
Not driving is a perfectly good decision. It just means choosing the day differently, and this page is how.
47 days out · 24 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
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- Off the ship A day off the ship at Civitavecchia Everybody on the ship goes to Rome. The coast the ship is tied up to has painted Etruscan tombs, a volcanic lake and a castle on the beach. 40 things to book · 9 places · the nearest is in Rome itself
- In English Days out of Rome, run in English The single most useful filter for somebody in Rome for three days, and almost nobody publishes it. Here is what we have. 40 things to book · 17 places · the nearest is in Rome itself