Off the ship
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 book9 placesthe nearest is in Rome itself
If this is your first time in Italy, go to Rome — of course go to Rome. If it is not, consider the alternative: the coast behind Civitavecchia is one of the richest corners of the ancient Mediterranean, and on a cruise day you will have most of it to yourself while several thousand people queue for the Colosseum.
Within the country immediately around the port there are painted tombs at Tarquinia, the tomb-streets of Cerveteri, a castle standing in the sea at Santa Severa, a volcanic lake kept quiet at Bracciano, and hills full of half-wild horses at Tolfa.
One caution, and it is the reason this page is written the way it is: we do not know your ship's all-aboard time and we will not pretend to. What we can tell you is what is here and how long each thing takes, so you can measure it against the time you actually have. If your day is tight, the ship's own excursion has the advantage that the ship waits for it.
The geography is the part nobody explains at the gangway. Civitavecchia is not near Rome — it is an hour up the coast from it, in the middle of Etruscan country. That is why the ship's Rome excursion takes most of your day in a coach, and it is also why the alternative exists: the things immediately around the port are the ones the coaches drive past.
Whatever you choose, plan it backwards from the all-aboard time rather than forwards from breakfast. Decide when you must be at the gate, subtract the return journey, subtract the same again for the thing going wrong, and book inside what is left. Every card gives the length of the experience so the arithmetic is real rather than hopeful.
The third grid is there because on a tight day the honest answer is often a short, close thing done properly rather than a long one done at a run. A ride, a cellar, a sea trip or a thermal pool inside three hours leaves you standing at the gate early, which is the only version of this day that is genuinely relaxing.
North and south of Civitavecchia along the Etruscan coast: tombs, beaches, sea caves, the castle at Santa Severa and the thermal springs in the hills behind Canale Monterano. Sorted by how close each is, so the top of the grid is what fits a short day.
Best fit for this section first, then whatever you can book today. Closest to Rome breaks a tie. Never by who pays us.
In the hot waterFive hours in a thermal park, and cold weather is the reason to go.
€25 per person
Books on termedistigliano.it
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On two wheelsA guided ride of about 25 km on a semi-loop from Camping Europing in Tarquinia to Montalto di Castro, crossing the seasonal Arrone stream and taking in the old town of Montalto …
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In the hot waterA three-hour late-afternoon slot in the Stigliano thermal park, from 17:00 to 20:00, that combines the pools and thermal lakes with an aperitivo.
See the day
In the hot waterA full day, 10:00 to 20:00, with access to the whole spa and the outdoor thermal park.
See the day
In the hot waterDay access to the outdoor thermal park at Stigliano, in the countryside of Canale Monterano about 50 km from Rome.
See the day
In the hot waterA five-hour morning slot, 10:00 to 15:00, with the sauna, salt room, infrared rooms, cold chamber, sensory showers, the heated indoor pool, the thermal basin and the outdoor the…
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On horsebackA riding school on Via Portuense at Fiumicino, running for over forty years, with an indoor and an outdoor arena.
A sports club — you join them for the day
See the day
On the waterA kitesurf school working several spots on the Roman coast, with a base at Fregene.
See the day
On the waterA kitesurf school working the Fregene, Focene, Maccarese and Passoscuro spots north of Rome.
See the day
On the trailA WWF-run reserve of meadows and Mediterranean woodland near Fregene, in the Fiumicino municipality.
See the day
On the trailA wetland managed by WWF near Maccarese, used as a stopover and wintering ground by many bird species: ducks in winter, herons, kingfisher, marsh harrier, and osprey in autumn.
See the day
With your handsAbout two hours led by the brewer or one of the partners: a walk through the hop rows and the fields, the brewery itself, and a guided tasting of three beers chosen on the day a…
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On the trailGuided walk through the tumulus tombs of the Banditaccia, carved to reproduce the inside of Etruscan houses, and along the Via degli Inferi, the sunken road that led to the buri…
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On the trailGuided visit to the tumulus tombs of the Banditaccia and to the Tomb of the Reliefs, carved in the fourth century BC with stucco copies of household objects, plus the museum hol…
See the dayBracciano and its lake sit behind the coast, and the hills between them are empty. It is the direction almost no ship passenger takes — sailing and kayaking on a lake with no engines on it, riding in the Tolfa hills, and a castle above the water.
Best fit for this section first, then whatever you can book today. Closest to Rome breaks a tie. Never by who pays us.
On the waterA course of four lessons on the lake, board and wing included, with the club that runs them.
€400 per booking
Books on Sporting Club Sabazia
See the day
On the waterNinety minutes on Lake Bracciano with an instructor: board, paddle, dry bag.
€15 per person
Books on Sporting Club Sabazia
See the day
With your handsA ten-hour day out of Rome with a private driver: your choice between Caprarola with the Farnese palace or Sutri with the Roman amphitheatre and Etruscan necropolis, then an oli…
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On horsebackThe centre teaches western riding with CONI federal instructors, working with Quarter Horses.
See the day
On horsebackThe riding centre sits in localita Monte Sughero, inside the Parco di Veio, 15 km north of Rome.
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On two wheelsA guided 7 km ride on the Ciclovia dei Laghi, inside the Bracciano-Martignano regional park, with panoramic points over the two lakes, the Monti Sabatini, the Monti della Tolfa …
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On two wheelsMountain bike rental in the old town of Anguillara Sabazia, on Lake Bracciano, run by the In Itinere cooperative.
See the day
On the waterA guided canoe outing along the shores of Lake Martignano, run inside the regional park programme of naturalistic events.
See the day
On the waterA water sports centre on the Bracciano lakefront, affiliated to the Italian Sailing Federation.
See the day
On the waterA sailing centre on the Bracciano lakefront with courses for children aged 6 to 16 in camp or daily format, an adult sailing school, and canoe and kayak courses.
See the day
On the waterScheduled navigation on Lake Bracciano linking the three lakeside towns of Bracciano, Anguillara Sabazia and Trevignano Romano.
See the day
Off roadA guided quad ride from a base at Bracciano.
See the day
Off roadThe long version of the guided quad excursion from the Bracciano base, sold as a whole-day ride.
See the day
On horsebackThe farm's riding centre, affiliated to Fitetrec-Ante, runs accompanied rides for both experienced riders and beginners.
See the dayThree hours or less, from a single booking. Add your own travel time each way and see whether it fits. If the margin is thin this is the grid to book from, because a short thing done well beats a long thing watched from a window with an eye on the clock.
Closest to Rome first. Never by who pays us.
In the airAn hour-long trial flight from Rome Urbe in a light aeroplane, with the passenger given a turn at the controls under the direct supervision of a flight instructor.
See the day
On horsebackA one-hour riding lesson at the Cavalieri Appia Antica school, inside the Appia Antica Regional Park.
A sports club — you join them for the day
See the day
On the waterA sailing base on the Lake Bracciano shore at Polline, inside the regional park, with its own beach.
See the day
On two wheelsThree hours on an e-bike, out through the aqueducts and along the Appia Antica.
€8 per person
Books on Ecobike Roma
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In the airA one-hour sightseeing flight in a twin-engine VIP helicopter, taking off and landing at Rome Urbe.
See the day
Off roadAn outdoor rental karting track on the western edge of Rome, open in the evenings.
See the day
Down the riverA circular route inside the Valle dell'Aniene nature reserve in Rome: a guided walk along the reserve paths, then a raft descent of the river past old bridges and small rapids, …
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Down the riverA raft descent of the urban stretch of the Tiber.
See the day
On horsebackThe riding school runs rides in the countryside on the edge of Rome, with the length set by the level of the riders.
See the day
On the waterA CONI-accredited water sports school on the Ostia seafront, at the VLounge beach club.
See the day
Down the riverPaddle under Castel Sant'Angelo and past Tiber Island, down the middle of Rome.
A sports club — you join them for the day
See the day
On the waterNinety minutes on a wakeboard on the Tiber, without leaving Rome.
A sports club — you join them for the day
See the dayDriving time from the middle of Rome, on the road network and without traffic. It tells you whether the day stands up; it is not a timetable.
Getting there
The day stays yours: you leave when you want, stop where you want, and come back when the light goes.
Affiliate link — you pay their price, never more, and they pay us. You book with Localrent, and anything about that booking goes through them.
See prices on LocalrentYou come out of the water warm and slow, which is a bad state to drive back in.
Affiliate link — you pay their price, never more, and they pay us. You book with Welcome Pickups, and anything about that booking goes through them.
See prices on Welcome PickupsIf you have already seen Rome, yes. The Etruscan sites on this coast are among the best in the world and are half empty, and Lake Bracciano is twenty minutes further on. If you have never seen Rome, Rome wins.
Most people take a car with a driver for the day, which is also the version where somebody is responsible for having you back at the right time. Hire cars are available in the town. We do not publish transfer timings we have not checked.
That is your call and we will not guess it for you — every card gives the length of the experience so you can add your own travel time and decide with real numbers. If the margin is thin, the ship's own excursion is the one that guarantees the ship waits.
The painted tombs at Tarquinia, if you can reach them: there is nothing else like them, and they are underground, so weather does not matter. Santa Severa's castle on the beach is the shorter, easier version.
Around an hour each way by road, which is the fact that shapes the whole day: a Rome excursion from here spends a substantial part of your time ashore travelling. That is the trade to weigh, not whether Rome is worth seeing.
Painted Etruscan tombs at Tarquinia, the tomb-streets of Cerveteri, a castle standing on the beach at Santa Severa, Lake Bracciano, kept quiet, sulphur springs in the hills at Canale Monterano, and riding in the Tolfa. All are inside an hour of the port.
For anything with an instructor, a boat or a guide, yes — these are small operators and cruise days are busy ones. Where an operator confirms online the card says so; the rest carry a phone number, and calling from the ship the day before works.
It is your risk rather than the ship's, and that is the whole difference: the ship waits for its own excursions and not for you. The way to manage it is time rather than hope — book something short, arrange the driving with somebody responsible for the return, and give yourself a margin you would be embarrassed to admit to.
A thermal pool in the hills behind the coast, a sea trip, a ride, a cellar visit, or the castle at Santa Severa. The third grid on this page is exactly that list, with each operator's own duration on the card so you can add your travel time to it.
Links marked affiliate pay us a commission — you pay the operator's own price and we never take your money. How we rank