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
geocalia
Day itinerary · 42.42° N · 12.11° E
The Tuscia in a day: garden, popes and hot water.
An hour and a half from Rome by car: the fountain garden of Villa Lante, the Palace of the Popes and the medieval quarter, and an afternoon in a thermal-water pool.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Roma fromBarcelona 1 h 45Alicante 2 h 15Bilbao 2 h 15Valencia 2 h 15Zaragoza 2 h 15Madrid 2 h 30Asturias 2 h 45Málaga 2 h 45Sevilla 2 h 45Fuerteventura 4 h 30
Part of Viterbo and Villa Lante
Add to my trip
Total time11 h
By car1 h 30 each way
TicketsVilla Lante €8 · Palace €10 · Baths €18
DifficultyNone
Best dayWednesday to Saturday
Best timeAll year
BringSwimming costume and towel
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Rome 1 h 30 by car
Cassia bis to Vetralla and the Orte–Viterbo dual carriageway
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1
Villa Lante in Bagnaia
Terraces, fountains and the square pond · €8
- 10 min by car6,9 km
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2
Palace of the Popes and the Colle del Duomo museum
Loggia, conclave hall and museum · €10 with audioguide
- 7 min on foot
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3
Walk through the medieval San Pellegrino quarter
Outside staircases and the Fontana Grande
- 9 min by car5,2 km
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4
Aqvamadre, at Terme dei Papi
At the Terme dei Papi · Wednesday to Sunday
Largo Socrate Sensi, 1, 01100 Viterbo · +39 0761 350377
Restaurant €€€Book - 1 min on foot
- 5
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Back home
In Rome around 20:00
Approximate cost
About €55–80 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Villa Lante in Bagnaia
The Tuscia of Viterbo is an hour and a half from Rome along the Cassia and is another world: volcanic hills, holm-oak woods and a medieval city of grey stone. This day joins the best of Viterbo in the order that fits the opening hours: the garden of Villa Lante first thing, the city of the popes mid-morning, lunch at the spa and an afternoon soaking in open-air thermal water.
The day, hour by hour
7:30 · Leave Rome. By the Cassia bis to Vetralla and the Orte–Viterbo expressway. Go straight to Bagnaia, 5 km from Viterbo.
9:00 · Villa Lante. It opens at 8:30. Climb to the highest terrace and come down following the water: the Fountain of the Flood, the water chain, the cardinal's table and the square pool with the two twin pavilions. An hour and a half. €8; no booking.
10:45 · The Palace of the Popes. Park outside the walls of Viterbo and go up to Piazza San Lorenzo. The Gothic loggia, the hall where the cardinals were shut in for almost three years and the museum, with audioguide, for €10. From November to March it is closed on Tuesdays and at midday on weekdays: arrive before one o'clock.
12:00 · San Pellegrino. Walk down through the medieval quarter, with its outside staircases and arches, to the Fontana Grande.
13:30 · Lunch at Aqvamadre. At the Terme dei Papi, on the outskirts, Viterbo Terme exit. Open Wednesday to Sunday. If you prefer something quick, the Bistrot 2.0 at the same spa is open every day at lunchtime.
15:15 · Thermal pool. Water from the Bullicame spring in a large open-air pool, until 19:00. €18 adults, €8 children aged 2 to 11. Buy online before 15:00 or at the ticket office.
18:30 · Return. In Rome around eight.
With children
Swap the Palace of the Popes for the Monsters Park of Bomarzo, 20 km away, with a giant ogre you can walk into and a tilted house: €9 for ages 4 to 13. The thermal pool admits children from age 2.
Time1 h 30
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Il Richiastro
What to order: the salsine with warm bread, the lombrichi alla vitorchianese and the tozzetti with ippocrasso
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Viterbo and Villa Lante
All year: in winter, the hot open-air bath is the best part of the day. Designed for Wednesday to Saturday: Villa Lante is closed on Mondays and on Sundays from November to March opens only in the morning; Aqvamadre is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Put your swimming costume in your bag
And a towel. You cannot bring outside food into the baths.
- 2Check the day
Villa Lante closes on Mondays; Aqvamadre, on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- 3Stay for the night bathing
If you sleep in Viterbo, the pool also opens from 21:00 to 1:00.
If it rains
The thermal pool is just as enjoyable, and the Palace of the Popes is indoors. Villa Lante may close in bad weather.
We'd skip it
A winter Sunday: Villa Lante opens only in the morning and the day is left lopsided.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Rome?
About 85 minutes by car to Bagnaia along the Cassia bis.
How much does the thermal bath cost?
€18 by day, €20 by night; children aged 2 to 11, €8.
Do you have to book Villa Lante?
Not for the general visit.
Can it be done without a car?
With difficulty: a slow train to Viterbo and taxis for Villa Lante and the baths.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/viterbo-villa-lante/itineraries/rome-viterbo-villa-lante-thermal-baths-day-trip
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.