Making the Most of Your Time

Ostia Antica is in many ways an ideal day trip from Rome: it's a fascinating sight, not far from the city, reachable by public transit, and takes about half a day to "do." Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana in Tivoli also make for a manageable, though fuller, day trip. You can use up a flash card just on these two sights alone but leave room to photograph Tivoli's picturesque gorge strikingly crowned by an ancient Roman temple to Vesta (now part of the famed Sibilla restaurant). Other destinations in Lazio can be visited in a day, but you'll get more out of them if you stay the night. A classic five-day itinerary would have you first visiting Ostia Antica, the excavated port town of ancient Rome. Then head north to explore Viterbo's medieval streets on Day 2. On Day 3, take in the hot springs or the gardens of Bomarzo, Bagnaia, and Caprarola. For Day 4, head to Tivoli's delights. Then on Day 5 take a relaxing trip to the Castelli Romani, where Frascati wine is produced. Admire the monumental gardens of the aristocrats of yore and explore the narrow streets of these small hill towns. Grand villas, ancient ruins, pretty villages—what more could any vacationer want?