Ostia Antica
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Port
Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$129.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 5 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Founded by King Anco Marzio around the 4th century BC, Ostia Antica was Rome's main commercial port and military base, with a population at its peak of nearly 100,000 inhabitants. Barbarian invasions and malaria led to the decline of city and eventually all the inhabitants abandoned it. Buried for centuries by sand, the city is remarkably well preserved and, although less spectacular than Pompeii or Herculaneum, it gives a more complete picture of the life in the Roman Empire.
Your visit starts at Via delle Tombe, which leads to the Porta Romana -- one of the city's three gates. This is the beginning of Decumanus Maximus -- the main road through the town.
From the Neptune and Amphitride Baths, walk to the theatre built by Agrippa and to the Forum, which formed the center of the city. Discover the main public buildings -- the Capitolium and the Temple of Rome and Augustus. There are no fewer than 18 temples dedicated to the Persian god Mithras as well as a Jewish Synagogue dating from the 1st century BC and a Christian Basilica. See the House of Diana and the Termopolium, an ancient Roman bar with a marble counter and a fresco representing the fruits and foodstuffs that were sold there.
Notes:
Wear comfortable shoes; bring a hat, sunscreen, and water. Use of an audio headset (included) will enhance your tour experience. Each guest is responsible for returning his/her headset after the tour. Missing headsets incur a €50 fee. Tour requires walking over uneven surfaces. Tour does not operate on Mondays.