Tivoli has been Rome's retreat for the rich and famous ever since thermal waters were discovered in the hills east of the city in the first century BC. Set atop a mountain overlooking the Roman countryside, the picturesque town of Tivoli is a mix of both modern and medieval. Today, two of Tivoli's major sites—the ancient villa of the Emperor Hadrian and the Renaissance garden of Cardinal d'Este—provides the setting for one of Context's most evocative tours. This unique, full-day Tivoli tour takes us beyond the city center on a day trip from Rome to Tivoli to experience the history of the Apennine Mountains.

We begin by taking an hour-long private car ride to Tivoli. As the car winds along the foothills of the Apennine Mountains, our guide, an art historian or archaeologist, will discuss the historical context of this area: the discovery of thermal springs and the construction of therapeutic baths in the first century B.C., as well as the exploitation of the travertine limestone veins that would eventually provide most of the travertine for the city. We will then arrive at Hadrian's Villa, the palace and retreat of the Emperor Hadrian, constructed in the second century AD at the height of ancient Rome's powers.

Please Note: This tour includes a car service that will pick you up at your accommodation. Please tell us your hotel or apartment address in the 'Additional Details' box when adding the tour to your shopping cart.

(Want to see more ancient Roman splendor? Try our Forum tour or Colosseum tour.)

Hadrian's Villa is fundamental to understanding Roman antiquity, architecture, and the watershed reign of Hadrian. One could spend days here, but in the company of our guide we will dissect the site in about two hours, visiting some key parts in order to re-imagine what this 300-acre structure once looked like and—more importantly—how it affected the construction of villas for the next two thousand years.

Our understanding of Hadrian's architectural legacy will give even more meaning to its Renaissance echo: the Villa d'Este.

Our next stop is the 16th century mansion of the exiled Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, where we will be taken by our private car service after exiting Hadrian's Villa. After we have lunch in the center of Tivoli, we will descend into the gardens of Villa d'Este. After much restoration, it serves as one of the best preserved garden complexes of the Renaissance. With its numerous and magnificent fountain features, the Villa d'Este is famous in all of Italy for its lavish presentation of that most prestigious resource: water.

As we make our way through the garden rooms, we will make connections between d'Este and Hadrian's Villa. Some of these will be conceptual—the use of water as an architectural material, for example. Others are quite physical—much of the building material in the garden, for example, was pilfered from the ancient villa. We will conclude our day by taking a stroll through the wonderfully intact medieval core of Tivoli, and return to Rome.

There is a large amount of hilly terrain covered at both sites on this excursion. The entrance of Hadrian’s Villa from the ticket barrier is a steep walk and the site is overall extremely uneven with lots of steps. Villa d’Este is pretty much vertical and a half hour giro is very limited. We do not recomend this tour for people with mobility concerns.

Where does it start? Where does it end? The car service will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel.

How long is the car ride? 1 hour each way.

Is the travel time included in the 7 hour duration? Yes.

Are there entry tickets? Yes, we will arrange tickets for you for Villa D'este and Hadrian's villa.

What are skip-the-line tickets?

For this tour, your tickets are pre-purchased which allows you to skip the ticket office line upon arrival at Tivoli. You may still have to wait in a security line or in a line to have your pre-purchased ticket scanned.   

Is lunch included? There will be time for lunch but it is not included in the tour price 

Is this tour mobility friendly? Neither of the sites are suitable for people with mobility problems. Just to access the entrance of Hadrian’s Villa from the ticket barrier is a steep walk and the site is extremely uneven with lots of steps. Villa d’Este is pretty much vertical and a half-hour giro is very limited.

Is this tour for kids? This walk is not a part of our official family program. That said, we may be able to arrange a visit with a family-friendly expert.