Ostia Antica Rome. In this article you can read about the excavation site Ostia Antica near Rome, including its opening hours, admission fees and how to get there. Ostia Antica is a popular day trip destination and that is not only because you can experience history up close, but also because it is the perfect possibility to cool down on hot summer days. You will find out why by reading further.
Ostia Antica Rome: Practical information for your day trip
Everyone knows that Rome is the city of antiquity. But there is also lots to discover outside the Aurelian Walls. Did you know that the largest archaeologic site in the world is located just a few kilometers outside Rome? Yes, I am talking about Ostia Antica. Although only a few tourists have heard about this site near Rome, the open-air museum Ostia Antica is worth a visit, not just for history lovers. If you want to escape the tourist crowds in the center of Rome for a few hours without giving up culture, a day trip to Ostia Antica not far from Rome is just the thing for you!
Ostia Antica: Welcome to the everyday life of ancient times
While in Rome – the center of power of the entire Roman Empire – the remnants of important government buildings line up, Ostia Antica brings the ancient everyday life back alive. Anyone who thinks only of petty piles of stones is mistaken! The entire infrastructure of the ancient port city has been preserved, providing exciting insights into the life and development of society from over 2000 years ago.
Once the streets in Ostia Antica near Rome were filled with shops and stalls: rich Romans, merchants, artisans, sailors and slaves not only lived here but also undertook their daily business. In Ostia Antica near Rome you can see where and how people used to live and work.
On the site, which covers 150 hectares, there are many more things to discover besides houses and shops. For example, 2000 year-old inns, spas, a bakery, a cemetery, a theatre and a harbour are among the treasures that are hidden in Ostia Antica.
Practical information
How to get there
Ostia Antica is well connected to Rome’s transport network and can easily be reached from the city center by public transport. So you need neither a time machine nor a rental car for this journey into ancient times!
Transports
You can easily get to Ostia Antica via the metro line (Ferrovia Urbana) Roma-Lido. Departure is at the Stazione Ostiense at the Porta San Paolo (station Piramide, metro line B). Here you take the train to Lido di Ostia. It takes less than half an hour to Ostia Antica. From there it is only a short walk. The trains leave approximately every 30 minutes.
Tickets
ATAC tickets are also valid for the Roma-Lido route. So if you bought a day or week ticket, you do not need to buy an extra ticket. Otherwise, the price for a BIT ticket is € 1.50. This is, as everywhere in Rome, valid for 100 minutes.
Ostia Antica: Opening hours and admission fees
Since the excavations at Ostia Antica are an open-air museum, their opening times vary according to the time of the year and follow the sunset. Last entry is always one hour before closing.
Opening hours Ostia Antica in winter:
- From the last Sunday in October to 15 February: from 8:30am to 4:30pm
- 16 February to 15 March: from 8:30am to 5pm
- From 16 March to the last Saturday in March: from 8:30am to 5:30pm
Opening hours Ostia Antica in summer:
- From the last Sunday in March to 31 August: from 8:30am to 7:15pm
- 1 to 30 September: from 8:30am to 7pm
- 1 October to the last Saturday in October: from 8:30am to 6:30pm
The entrance fee is 10 Euro for adults, reduced 5 Euro. For children up to 18 years, the entrance is free, as well as every first Sunday of the month.
Ostia Antica: My tips
1. Eat & drink
Ostia Antica is not something to visit in a rush. It is a huge area and there is so much to see. You should plan for at least half a day, if not longer. Don’t forget sunscreen and make sure you bring a little snack for in between. History makes you hungry and a picnic amidst the remains of an ancient city is definitely an experience that you do not get to do every day.
2. A visit to the sea
You do not only want to plunge into the history of the ancient world, but also into the Mediterranean sea? No problem!
The trip to Ostia Antica can easily be combined with a visit to the sea. But you have to take the train Roma-Lido to the last stop Cristoforo Colombo. From there, take the number 7 or 61 bus.
But even without a dip into the Mediterranean, the detour to the sea is worthwhile. Might it just be for an aperitivo at one of the numerous beach bars, a dinner or a walk along the beach promenade of Ostia. Make sure to catch one of the last trains as they leave for Rome at 11pm at Cristoforo Colombo Station. You could say that a day trip to Ostia is something like a vacation during vacation.