Visit the historic vacation homes of the Roman elite on a Rome to Tivoli day trip. The full-day guided excursion includes tours of Tivoli’s two UNESCO-listed sites: Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este. Hear Renaissance and Ancient Roman history and scandal, admire archaeological ruins and explore some of Italy’s most extravagant private gardens.

Learn intriguing Renaissance history on a guided walking tour of two villas east of Rome
Explore the archaeological ruins of Hadrian's Villa, former home to 2nd-century Emperor Hadrian
Admire the stunning gardens of Villa d'Este and see the famous Fountain of Neptune
Transport from Rome to Tivoli by air-conditioned coach

What's Included

Professional guide
Air-conditioned vehicle
Headsets to ear the guide clearly

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Via Cavour, 224
Via Cavour, 224, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
The meeting point is at the bus stop at Via Cavour 224. The nearest metro station: “Cavour” (Line B). Please remember to show up 20 minutes before the tour departure time. Return point: Returns to original departure point

Start time

09:30 am

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Travel from Rome to Tivoli by air-conditioned coach to start your day trip. As you travel, listen to your guide’s commentary about Tivoli, a historic town in the Monti Tiburtini hills. A prestigious vacation spot in the days of Ancient Rome, the town is now popular for its two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este.

Your first stop in Tivoli is at Hadrian’s Villa for a walking tour. Hear how the villa belonged to Emperor Hadrian who desired an unassuming vacation home as a tribute to his lover. By modern standards, his ‘humble abode’ could be considered a town in its own right.

The ruins of the emperor’s impressive estate consist of more than 30 buildings, and you’ll see the highlights as you explore. Discover the complex ruins of the old imperial palace as well as thermal baths, temples, libraries and subterranean passages that are wide enough for vehicles.

Enjoy lunch at your own expense, and then continue to Villa d'Este: explore the former Benedictine convent, and see why many consider the villa to be one of the finest of the Renaissance era.

As you explore, hear how Villa d’Este was built as an opulent abode for the son of Lucretia Borgia, a 15th-century duchess who attracted drama and gossip wherever she went. Make your way past the Fountain of Neptune, and wander through the gardens to see waterfalls, fountains and centenary trees.

Leave Villa d’Este after your tour, and then relax on your journey back to Rome.

Villa Adriana

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Villa Adriana (Pass By)

Villa d'Este

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Luggage storage NOT available
Please note: Stairs at both villas are quite steep and a moderate amount of walking is involved
This tour is not recommended to people with disabilities

Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Most travellers can participate
Individuals with Disabilities MUST NOTE it on their booking.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 32 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Featured review

Barbara_S

The tour guide was wonderful, interesting, knowledgeable and very personable. We had plenty of time to explore on our own, but could always get to him with any questions. This was a beautiful tour and we highly recommend it.

Reviews

4.5

1,357 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 1,357 reviews

Boring

wanda_o, June 2023

The tour is a little bit boring . Not much information. To much walking. A lot of free time. This tour need to be active in order to the persons stay interested in the information.

A great day trip to two...

Lynne_F, June 2023

A great day trip to two places that I would never have got to on my own. The guide was very knowledgeable and kept the group moving.

Excellent but rushed

Esther_B, June 2023

Knowledgeable guide. Astoundingly beautiful villas and especially the fountain gardens. Very interesting to view. However too rushed. No time to savour any atmosphere or wander through Tivoli. Guide very anxious to miss the rush hour traffic. Who cares? We’re on holiday on an air conditioned coach.😉👌🙏

Highly recommend

Damita_S, June 2023

We had a wonderful day, our guide Joseph (Guissepi) was helpful and kind. So full of information and truly made the day an amazing experience.

Too short, good guide

Suzanne_M, June 2023

Left late, back early with v little time to see the gardens at Villa d'Este. Unfortunately there was a storm which cut short the time but none the less, there was still insufficient time at the site. It was meant to be a highlight of our trip but was barely a 'light'. Less time spent at lunch would've been better and longer tour time. Our guide, Giuseppe, was very good though and he had to deal some issues of a tour participant who was not physically suited to this tour. He managed the issues well.

Alicia was great. She is...

MADELEINE_H, June 2023

Alicia was great. She is very knowledgeable and explains everything. We enjoyed the tour. It rained but we made the best of it.

Stunning Historical Venues

Donna_S, June 2023

All logistics were well done and we had the most beautiful weather. The venues were stunning. The gardens at Villa d’Este are breathtaking.

Worse excursion ever experienced

Tanya_S, May 2023

Day started with bus being 45 minutes late, and being told ‘it’s Rome’s rush hour’, but surely, this should have been avoided by the bus leaving 45 minutes before it did, then maybe, we would have left on time at 09:30 instead of 10:15! Doesn’t Rome have rush hour every weekday? We arrived at Hadrians Villa and were rushed and herded around like cattle, given 10 minutes to use the toilets and get photos. The Canopus, one of the famous areas, was closed off to visitors and the water was drained. We were not taken to the theatre or maritime theatre and were rushed around the baths. Then rushed back to the bus. The guide, Joseph, was blunt, rude and was angry that my husband wanted to stop to buy a fridge magnet, when leaving the site. We sadly were there for a maximum of 45 minutes. All the guide kept saying was how urgent it was to leave to return to Rome to avoid rush hour, this was stated over and over from the minute we set off for the trip. The bus was old and dated with the advertised ‘air conditioning’ non existent. When this was raised to Joseph, he shrugged his shoulders, he couldn’t care less. We arrived at Tivoli, praying the day would get better, no real information given by guide, quiet confusing instructions on what we were doing. We pre paid for a meal which lasted over 90min, which seemed to be the guides main part of the tour, this was not what I was paying for and would have valued more time in Hadrians Villa. It began to rain as we queued to go into Villa D’ Este, Joseph announced the fountains were not going to be on! He showed no empathy or apology for this. Many on our tour were from the USA and travelled miles to see the fountains, we are from UK, bad enough we never saw, but closer to maybe see some day. It was heartbreaking. The fountains are the reason you go to Villa D’ Este! The staff at the Villa said the fountains had NOT been in operation for a few days, due to weather, so why were we NOT contacted by Viator giving us the option of a refund, based on the hi light of the day not taking place? Myself and my family feel financially cheated, a completely wasted day of our holiday. We were herded back onto the bus back to Rome, as approaching the drop of, Joseph came to all parties to reclaim the head sets, telling us to hurry up and throw them in his bag, my son had his in his bag and got angry saying’ if you lost it you’re paying €50! On leaving the bus, he stood waiting for tips, we always tip well and have always had fantastic tour guides, friendlier, knowledgeable and attentive, sadly this guide needs to find a new vocation. A tip was not given by us as his service was so poor. We saw nothing of Tivoli either, which was also something stated would be seen on this very expensive tour. To summarise, these ply are amazing but would be best seen independently and not in a rushed and unprofessional environment. Viator need to inform their customers 24hrs in advance if the main attraction is going to be unavailable on entry. This would allow customers to use the 24hr cancellation policy which Viator claim exists. In short my family feels ripped off and upset that over €300 could have been far better spent on other attractions in Rome. It is disgusting that a part refund has not even been offered. Just to add we visit Italy regularly and love it here, sadly this trip has been the worst we have ever experienced.

Good transport but not professional guide!

JennyCarolina_V, May 2023

The tour over all was good. The transport was punctual. The bus was confortable with a/c. If you want to visit Tivoli in one day is a perfect "transport". But the the guide was terrible. The group were more than 20 people and she did not use any visible tutor sign to follow he, just her hand up. Few couples got lost during the tour. Very brief information and unprofessional. Both sites are beautiful !!!

We really enjoyed this...

Katie_K, May 2023

We really enjoyed this tour! We only booked it the day before so we couldn’t get the option with the meal but honestly that was no issue at all! We ended up loving the fact that we could walk around Tovoli town and find our own place to eat! Our tour guide was so lovely and she made sure that everyone was okay and that we all stayed together. A woman on our tour was struggling a bit with the walking but our tour guide made sure that we all stayed together, without delaying the rest of us. Please keep in mind that there is A LOT OF WALKING. And when it is hot weather, it makes it more exhausting: I recommend bringing an extra empty water bottle that you can fill up at one of the many fountains. The water at these fountains is nice and cold so I do recommended bringing the extra bottle. Both tours were amazing and the guide gave us a few minutes spare at each place to go around ourselves if we wanted. It was 100% worth it. Definitely recommended this !

Beautiful villas!

Pader_X, May 2023

The trip was great! I personally enjoyed it a lot because the trip ended around 4:30 so it wasn’t an exhausting day. The tour overall is quite leisurely with free time in the villas to take photos. I purchased the tour with lunch which I liked because we had ample time to eat instead of rushing to find food.

Day in Tivoli

Sabrina_H, May 2023

I have wanted to see the estates at Tivoli on previous trips. Highly recommended. Seeing the before and after in a way. Our guide Joseph was wonderful and made sure we were there for the pipe organ at 230. The ruins of Hadrian’s villa was so interesting and the Villa de Este was so beautiful especially with the fountains.

Response from Host, May 2023

Dear Customer, thank you for your wonderful feedback and recommendation! We are thrilled to hear that you had a fantastic experience visiting the estates at Tivoli and that it fulfilled your long-standing desire. We're glad that our guide, Joseph ensured you were able to witness the pipe organ performance at 2:30, adding an extra special touch to your visit. We sincerely appreciate your kind words and are grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of your journey to witness the "before and after" of these remarkable estates. If there's anything else we can assist you with or if you have any further recommendations, please feel free to reach out to us. We value your feedback and always strive to deliver exceptional service.

Visit Villa d’Este but not Hadrien’s Villa

Barbara_M, May 2023

Visiting Hadrian’s Villa was to visit ruins that needed to be visualized. We enjoyed seeing Villa d’Este and would like to have spent the entire time there. Our tour guide was knowledgeable. The lunch was what one would expect for a bus load of tourists-okay. Glad we were able to see the magnificent gardens in Villa d’Este. My advice would be to skip Hadrien’s, if possible.

Response from Host, May 2023

Dear Client, thank you for taking your precious time to share your feedback with us. We appreciate your honest review of you tour experience, and we're glad to hear that you enjoyed visiting Villa d'Este and found our tour guide knowledgeable. We understand that the visit to Hadrian's Villa may not have lived up to your expectations. We appreciate your advice to skip Hadrian's Villa if possible, as it helps us understand our customers' preferences and make necessary improvements to our tour offerings. We are pleased to hear that you thoroughly enjoyed the magnificent gardens of Villa d'Este. These lush surroundings truly are a sight to behold, and we're glad that you had the opportunity to explore and appreciate them. Once again, we appreciate your feedback, as it helps us improve and tailor our tours to better meet the expectations of our customers. Thank you!

Beautiful way to spend the day!

Donas_C, May 2023

Our guide was passionate! Our driver was excellent. The information the guide provided was thorough. We used some of his details for our trip to the Sistine Chapel. Lunch was homestyle goodness. The villa was unimaginable. I want to come back.

Response from Host, May 2023

Dear Client, thank you so much for your marvelous feedback! We are absolutely overjoyed to hear that you had a memorable experience during your tour. The passion of our guide and the excellence of our driver are the cornerstones of our commitment to providing exceptional service. Moreover, we understand your sentiment about the unimaginable beauty of the villa. These historical treasures often leave a lasting impression, and we would be thrilled to welcome and host you back in the future to explore even more!

Beautiful Area

Cheryl_K, May 2023

We had a terrific guide in Alanna. Very knowledgeable but did not dwell and kept the tour moving. Hadrians villa was in a state of ruin but you can easily see the beauty of what it once was. Villa d’este is magnificent with beautiful gardens. The only drawback are the hundreds of steps you have to use. Not for anyone with mobility issues.

Response from Host, May 2023

Dear Client, thank you for your wonderful feedback and for recognizing the efforts of our guide, Alanna. We are delighted to hear that she provided a terrific experience for you during the tour. Her balance of knowledge and keeping the tour moving is commendable, and we appreciate your recognition of her expertise. Thank you once again for your feedback and for sharing your experience. If there is anything else we can do to enhance your future visits or if you have any further suggestions, please feel free to let us know. We value your feedback and always strive to provide exceptional service.

Great day

Chris_H, May 2023

We had a good time during our trip. We went to Hadrains villa first, our guide Joseph was exceptional. He shared information on how the villa was used back in the early days, he showed us pictures of what it looked like in the past compared to now. We had plenty of free time to rome around. Then went for lunch in Tivoli. After lunch off to villa d'este. Place was amazing. Lots off fountains and lush trees. Great day all around. Would recommend for sure.

Response from Host, May 2023

Dear Valued Client, Thank you for taking the time to share your positive review with us! We are thrilled to hear that you had a great time during your trip, starting with the visit to Hadrian's Villa. The comparison between past and present through the use of pictures must have added depth to your experience. We are glad you had ample free time to explore and roam around. Additionally, we are delighted that you enjoyed your lunch in Tivoli and found the visit to Villa d'Este amazing. Thank you for recommending our services. Your positive feedback serves as a great source of encouragement for us to continue delivering exceptional experiences to our guests!

Great trip

Robert_W, May 2023

The history snd exspansive grounds of Hadrians villa was extremely interesting and the villa garden fountains were spectacular.

Response from Host, May 2023

Dear Customer, thank you so much for sharing your feedback with us! We are more than thrilled to hear that you found the history and expansive grounds of Hadrian's Villa to be extremely interesting. It's truly a remarkable place with a rich historical background! We're also delighted to hear that you were captivated by the spectacular villa garden fountains. Your positive feedback is greatly appreciated, and we're glad to have provided you with an enjoyable experience. We look forward hosting you again in the future! Thank you!

Worthwhile visiting

Caroline_G, May 2023

The scale of Hadrians Villa but there wasn’t enough time there to really appreciate it before having to move on. It felt rushed and we would have liked more free time (only had 15 minutes including going to the restroom).

Response from Host, May 2023

Dear Customer, thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent tour experience. We apologize for any disappointment caused. We understand your desire to have more time to fully appreciate Hadrian's Villa. Please know that our itineraries are carefully planned to provide a comprehensive and enjoyable experience, considering various factors such as traffic and other time constraints. While we strive to strike a balance between visiting multiple locations and allowing for free time, we acknowledge that each individual's preferences may differ. Your comments have been duly noted, and we will review our scheduling to ensure that our customers have sufficient time at each stop, including Hadrian's Villa. We appreciate your valuable input as it helps us improve and tailor our tours to better meet our customers' expectations. Thank you for choosing our services, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future, providing an even more fulfilling experience!

this is a great tour if...

Christian_S, May 2023

this is a great tour if you are in Rome longer than 2 days. The tour is close, well organized ad the time in each location is allotted perfectly. The guides were excellent.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you had a great tour in Rome. It's fantastic to know that the tour was well-suited for those staying longer than two days and that it was organized efficiently. We take pride in ensuring that each location is allocated the perfect amount of time, allowing our customers to make the most of their visit. We're also thrilled to hear that the guides provided an excellent experience for you. Our team is dedicated to delivering knowledgeable and enjoyable tours, and your positive feedback is truly appreciated. Thank you for choosing our services, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future!

Beautiful Villa's, but the tour was not as advertised

David_P, May 2023

The Tivoli Full Day Trip from Rome: Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este tour with your organisation, the Villas were beautiful, but we ran through both Villas following a high speed guide, we did not get the time at the Villas you advertised, we only had 1 hour at each instead of 1.5 hours in each, we had 2 hours for lunch, we were back in Rome at 4.00 pm instead of 4.30pm. If we were back at 4:30 pm and lunch was only 1 hour, we would have had more time in both Villas.

Response from Host, May 2023

Dear Customer, we appreciate your feedback and the insights you've shared in our reviews. Your valuable words continue to drive our company's improvement, ensuring better experiences for our future customers. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused, and we assure you that we will thoroughly investigate this upsetting situation. Our aim is to serve you diligently and devise enhanced solutions to meet your requirements. Thank you once again for your valuable input!

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