Disclaimer: This post might contain affiliate links, which means we get a small commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you).

Want to literally take a walk back in time through an ancient city?

At Ostia Antica, you can!

Since Rome has a never-ending list of things to see, not many people think about doing a day trip from Rome. The list of things to do in Rome is a never-ending when it comes to historic and ancient sites. If you haven’t had enough of the ancient ruins in Rome, consider visiting some of the less visited historic sites outside of Rome! If you’re looking for an easy, and honestly mind-blowing, day trip from Rome, visit Ostia Antica.

Visiting Ostia Antica: A Day Trip From Rome

What is Ostia Antica?

Ostia Antica was a port city for Rome at the mouth of the River Tiber. Early foundations indicate the city was founded in the 7th century BC as a military base. During the second century BC, Ostia transitioned into a commercial city. Ostia became essential for supplying Rome with goods and protecting Rome with its fleet. The political chaos in Rome during the Severan dynasty caused Ostia to decline. Over time, Ostia lost its place as a port city and became more residential. At the end of antiquity, the ancient marble began to be looted for use in growing cities like Orvieto, Pisa, and Florence. At the beginning of the 20th century, excavations began at Ostia.

Today, Ostia is a city-scale archeological site, where you can literally walk along the ancient street and see intact foundations. Unlike Rome, this city’s foundations are fully exposed, which gives visitors an idea about what the scale and city planning of the ancient cities was like thousands of years ago.

How Can I Visit Ostia Antica?

Ostia Antica is an archeological site located a 30-40 minute metro ride from central Rome. You’ll want to take the Roma Lido train to the Ostia Antica stop. You can buy single-use tickets at any train station! If you’re unsure of how to use the metro, use the Citymapper app available on both Andriod and iOS. It’s very user-friendly and incredibly helpful if you’re unsure of how to use local public transit.

Once you arrive at Ostia Antica, you’ll want to follow the signs to the archeological site. You basically walk straight from the station a few blocks and a make a left.

Cost: 10 Euro, 5 Euro reduced rate, free first Sunday of each month and to European citizens under 18

Metro Access: Roma Lido Train, Ostia Antica stop

Hours:
Friday 8:30AM–6:15PM
Saturday 8:30AM–6:15PM
Sunday 8:30AM–6:15PM
Monday Closed
Tuesday 8:30AM–6:15PM
Wednesday 8:30AM–6:15PM
Thursday 8:30AM–6:15PM

How Should I Prepare for a Visit?

If you’re visiting Ostia Antica, it would beneficial to get a guided tour. The archeological site is MASSIVE and without a guidebook, audioguide, or tour guide, it might be hard to interpret what everything in the city was. If you’re more of the wander and discover type, you’ll be just fine wandering around these ruins! The guidebook we purchased was very nice and had beautiful overlaid reconstructions!

Since Ostia is all ancient ruins, the heat from the sun causes the stone to bake, making it very hot. Bring lots of water and get ready to walk. Even though Ostia is on the coast, you won’t feel much of the ocean breeze during the summer.

If you’re visiting Ostia Antica, you can also visit the Castle of Giulio II, a papal fortress from 1486.

For lunch, there is a cafeteria at the archeological site, although a little overpriced, it was delicious and held us over the for the day. There are also a few restaurants a short walk from the site!

I loved visiting Ostia so much that I’ve visited it twice! If you want something different to do outside of Rome, definitely give Ostia Antica a visit. Ostia Antica makes for a great day trip from Rome! And you’ll learn a lot and feel like you’re back in time!