Unlike the Colosseum, this lesser-known archaeological marvel offers a comprehensive view of an entire Roman town as your expert guide brings it to life. You will explore residential areas, public baths, temples, markets, and theaters while you pick your way through two thousand-year-old apartment complexes, visit a bygone restaurant, and learn about bizarre religious cults.

You'll begin your Ostia Antica tour in Rome, with a short train or private car ride toward the coast. Along the way, your expert guide will discuss the regional geography of the area, Ostia's role as Rome's port, and the historic background leading up to the town's rise in the Imperial era. You'll spend your tour hearing narratives come alive before your eyes while combing through the ruins, which include some of the best examples of baths, a fantastic amphitheater, and several Mithraic temples, not to mention a forum with temples.

 As you walk, you'll focus on the daily life of regular, working-class Romans. You'll spend time in the market area with its wonderful mosaics discussing the economy of the empire and the materials and commodities that made their way through there every day. Your expert guide will lead you to the insulae (apartment houses) that characterize Ostia and even visit an ancient bakery and fast-food restaurant.