Hotel Niccolò V, at Terme dei Papi
Why we like it: Superior four-star hotel inside the Terme dei Papi spa complex, with the thermal pool and spa a few steps away.
Duration1 night
From Rome1 h 30 by car
Getting thereCar along the Cassia bis
Best timeAll year; gardens in spring
BringSwimsuit
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to leave Rome on a Saturday morning in a hire car and return on Sunday afternoon. Villa Lante is closed on Mondays and, from November to March, on Sunday it is only open in the morning: that is why it goes on Saturday.
Saturday
- 109:00Villa Lante, in Bagnaia
The terraced garden down which the water flows to the square pond, with the two twin villas. An hour and a half; €8. Opens at 8:30, Tuesday to Saturday until 16:30 in winter.
- 211:00Palace of the Popes and the Colle del Duomo museum
The Gothic loggia and the story of the conclave locked behind closed doors. €10 with audioguide; free for under-12s.
- 312:15San Pellegrino and the Fontana Grande
The medieval quarter of outside staircases, on foot from the palace.
- 413:30Lunch at Aqvamadre
The restaurant of the Terme dei Papi, Wednesday to Sunday. If you want something quick, Bistrot 2.0 is open daily at midday.
- 515:30Check-in and rest
Leave your things at the hotel. If you are sleeping in the centre, walk the city wall at the end of the day.
- 621:00Night bath in the thermal pool
The monumental pool is open from 21:00 to 1:00 with an evening ticket, €20. Hot water in the open air with the cold outside.
Sunday
- 109:30Bomarzo Monster Park
About 20 km away: the Orc, the elephant, the leaning house. Open every day from 9:00; €15 and €9 for ages 4 to 13. An hour and a half.
- 212:30Lunch and back to Rome
Eat in Viterbo or at the baths and head back: in Rome by mid-afternoon.
After three or four days in Rome, a night in the Tuscia is the perfect change: an hour and a half along the Cassia, volcanic hills, a medieval city that was the seat of the popes, one of the great gardens of the Renaissance and thermal water that comes out of the ground hot and fills open-air pools all year round. This plan uses the night for the best bit: a thermal bath under the stars.
How do you get there from Rome?
By car, along the Cassia bis to Vetralla and the Orte–Viterbo dual carriageway: about 85 minutes from the centre. If you have flown into Fiumicino, pick up the car there the day you leave Rome; you do not need it in the city. There is a train from Roma Ostiense to Viterbo Porta Fiorentina, but it is slow and Villa Lante, Bomarzo and the baths are outside the city.
Where to stay?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Niccolò V | Inside the Terme dei Papi | Those who come for the water: the pool and spa a few steps away |
| Mini Palace Hotel | 200 m from the historic centre | Those who want to dine in Viterbo and stroll at night; with parking |
What if I have one more day?
Carry on north: Civita di Bagnoregio, the village you enter by a footbridge, is about half an hour from Viterbo, and Orvieto, with its cathedral and underground city, a little further on. From Orvieto you return to Rome on the A1 motorway.
With children
This is a very child-friendly getaway: Bomarzo, with its giants and its crooked house, and the thermal pool, which admits children from the age of 2 for €8. Villa Lante is liked for its fountains, although you cannot eat or play ball there. At the Palace of the Popes under-12s do not pay.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Viterbo and Villa Lante, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Viterbo and Villa Lante
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
By car: villas, monsters and hot water
With a car you can see the best of the Viterbo Tuscia in a day or two: Villa Lante in Bagnaia, the Monster Park of Bomarzo and a dip in the baths to finish. From Rome, take the Cassia bis to Vetralla and the Orte–Viterbo expressway: about an hour and a half.
80–200 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayMini Palace Hotel, next to…
- Getting aroundViterbo – Bagnaia, 5 km
- Where to eatAqvamadre, at the baths, Wednesday…
- ServicesTerme dei Papi thermal pool…
Where to stay
- Mini Palace Hotel, next to the centre, with indoor parking
- Hotel Niccolò V, at the Terme dei Papi, at the Viterbo Terme exit
Getting around
- Viterbo – Bagnaia, 5 km
- Bagnaia – Bomarzo, about 15 km
- Do not drive into the walled centre of Viterbo
Where to eat
- Aqvamadre, at the baths, Wednesday to Sunday
- Il Richiastro, medieval cooking in the centre
Services
- Terme dei Papi thermal pool, by day or by night
Fly to Rome and drive to the Tuscia
You reach Viterbo by flying to Rome: Fiumicino has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and many other Spanish cities. From the airport it is a little over 90 km. Viterbo has a train from Rome, but the best of the area, Villa Lante, Bomarzo and the baths, is outside the city: here a car is worth it.
- Getting thereRome Fiumicino (FCO), with a…
- Getting aroundHire car at the airport…
- Where to stayMini Palace Hotel, next to…
- ServicesTrain Roma Ostiense – Viterbo…
Getting there
- Rome Fiumicino (FCO), with a hire car, via the ring road and the Cassia bis
- Rome Ciampino (CIA), further from the Cassia
- Without a car, the train from Roma Ostiense to Viterbo Porta Fiorentina
Getting around
- Hire car at the airport: Villa Lante 5 km away, Bomarzo 20 km, the baths on the outskirts
- On foot through the centre of Viterbo and San Pellegrino
Where to stay
- Mini Palace Hotel, next to the centre, with parking
- Hotel Niccolò V, inside the Terme dei Papi
Services
- Train Roma Ostiense – Viterbo Porta Fiorentina
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingif you're flying
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Mini Palace Hotel
Why we like it: Four-star hotel with 40 rooms about 200 m from the historic centre of Viterbo, with its own car park and breakfast included.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Viterbo and Villa Lante
Aqvamadre, at Terme dei Papi
What to order: the seasonal menu with local produce; if you are going to the pool, the Bistrot 2.0 is the quick option
Il Richiastro
What to order: the salsine with warm bread, the lombrichi alla vitorchianese and the tozzetti with ippocrasso
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Buy your pool ticket from the baths' online shop before 15:00; after that, you buy it at the ticket office.
We'd skip it
Leaving Rome on a winter Sunday to do Villa Lante in the afternoon: on public holidays from November to March it is only open in the morning.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Rome to Viterbo?
About 85 minutes by car along the Cassia bis.
Can you swim at night?
Yes, in the monumental pool of the Terme dei Papi, from 21:00 to 1:00, for €20.
Where should you stay?
Inside the baths, at Hotel Niccolò V, or next to the centre, at Mini Palace Hotel, with parking.
Is Bomarzo worth it?
Yes, especially with children: a sixteenth-century forest with giant sculptures carved into the rock. An hour and a half.
Can you do it without a car?
Viterbo and the baths, yes, with a train and a taxi. Villa Lante and Bomarzo are better by car.