What are the 5 best Rome day trips? When planning a holiday in Rome it’s always a good idea to plan a Rome day trip out in the countryside or just around the City. This way, you will discover more about the beauty of Italy and its hidden gems. Planning a Rome Day trip doesn’t mean travelling far. Some of the 5 best Rome day trips are actually just outside the city centre. So, have a rest from the hustle and bustle of Rome for a day and have a look at our 5 best Rome day trips, according to our native Rome contributor, Guido. Some of our favourite Rome day trips are in the Sabine Hills, just north of Rome. This area is ideal for Rome day trips as it is perfectly located just 40 minutes outside the City and connected by an excellent train service. It’s like Tuscany but with more natural beauty and your Rome day trip will be an easy visit which will give you an idea of real authentic Italy. The other reason why we’ve included the Sabine Hills in our 5 best Rome day trips is that you can take part into a range of activities here, such as cooking classes, olive oil tours and wine tours all based on organic produce from this stunning countryside area. Some true hidden gems have also been included in our list of 5 best Rome day trips, such as 1500 year old churches and monasteries, plus ancient Roman villas. Some of our recommended Rome day trips are actually within Rome but totally off the beaten track. So, what are the 5 best Rome Trips?
1. Cooking classes - Leave the hustle and bustle of Rome behind for a Rome Day trip and discover the enchanted villages of Castelnuovo and Farfa nestled in the Sabine hills, where your Italian cooking classes and lessons are held. Fill your eyes with stunning views of green rolling hills covered with olive groves while you prepare a delicious Italian 2 or 3-course meal during your hands-on cooking class. During your Rome day trip, you will admire ancient warm-coloured stoned palaces, picturesque winding streets, secret gardens and piazzas. It's like a 500 year old movie set, but it's real. This is the real Italy, authentic dolce vita! www.conviviorome.com
2. Olive Tours - This tour is all about olive oil, its flavour and the art of olive oil making. During your Rome Day trip dedicated to olive oil, you will be driven through beautiful rolling hills covered with olive groves, fruit orchards and vineyard, on our way to visit a family run olive grove, where extra virgin olive oil is still produced traditionally. During your Rome day trip and olive oil tour, you will learn to recognise good olive oil by its freshness and flavour, discover the ancient art of olive oil making and find out what makes good olive oil so special. Part of your Rome Day trip will also be visiting the largest olive tree in Europe, which is over 2000 years old! www.conviviorome.com/olive-tour.html
3. Wine Tours - A different Rome day trip into authentic Italian wine country, this wine tour will take you to an award-winning winery in the Roman Countryside. You will be able to see how wine is actually made, visit the cellars, look at the stunning natural surroundings, talk to the winemakers and of course sample a variety of excellent wines. This is for those looking for a perfect Rome day trip as one of the great things to do, while staying in Rome. The second part of your Rome day trip is a great chance to learn more about Italian wines and authentic Italy, in an Italian family setting while sampling more wines and local food. www.winetoursrome.com
4. Mausoleum of Santa Costanza - This is a stunning, very ancient church just outside the city walls, on Via Nomentana, 349. It was built by Emperor Constantine’s daughter Costantina as her own mausoleum in 340 AD. It has been a church since 1254. The interior is perfectly preserve and has a stunning architectural style, it’s circular in shape and reminiscent of other more famous ancient Roman buildings such as the Pantheon. Its setting, although next to a main road in Rome, is incredibly peaceful and almost idilic.
5. Villa Adriana, Tivoli - This villa was built by Emperor Hadrian as his own retreat. It includes a vast area with thermal baths, theatres, fountains and of course the imperial residence. It eventually became the Emperor’s stable residence and during this time the Roman Empire was actually expelled from here. The villa was decorated with many Roman copies of famous Greek statues and today is Unesco World Heritage Site.
