• Private Tour
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Ready to act like Indiana Jones and find hidden gems? Join me in Ostia Antica and have fun playing with friends and your family in a beautiful archaeological park! We will find out how we lived in a Roman colony two thousand years ago.

Destination

Rome, Italy

Category

Off The Beaten Track

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Italiano

Included

• Private guide
• Materials for the game
• Safety measures

Excluded

• Transfer to Ostia Antica Excavations

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Lia Beatrice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Ostia Antica - Rome to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Ostia Antica Archaeological excavations

   Get a presentation of the excavations and of the game, then LET'S START TO PLAY

4. Ancient necropolis

   Explore the ancient necropolis, listen to the description of the main tomps and search for the hidden gems. There are nice architectural decorations on one tomb, made of bricks.

5. Baths of Neptune

   Explore one of the main Baths of the ancient city and walk inside the narrow passages, used by slaves to maintain the fireplaces used to keep the baths warm. There are wonderful mosaics that cover the main rooms, where is the figure of Neptune that gave the name to the baths?

6. The Theatre and the Square of the Corporation

   Enter the theater and listen to how the citizens enjoyed themselves, did they prefer comedies or tragedies? Is there an altar somewhere around here with a strange relief? What's carved on? In the square behind the theater, we will explore the different offices that belonged to the guild of workers and traders. There are also lighthouses represented in different mosaics, where are they?

7. The ancient laundries

   In Ostia Antica there is a perfectly preserved laundry close to the Theater area. Listen to the story of how they used pee to wash the clothes. You have the map of the city, you have to recognise and find the laundry, have fun but don’t get lost!!

8. The road of the Mills

   Ostia was the "granary" of Rome. Let's explore the road near the main warehouse where the mills were located, do you have any idea how the millstones were made? Let's go find them!

9. The first Costume and the main Forum

   In the heart of Ostia there is the first fortification dated back the IV century B.C. from where it all began. At its center was the main square with temples and buildings for the administration of this city. In addition to the Curia, the Capitolium and the Basilica, there is a building reminiscent of the circular plan of the Pantheon, you must find it!

10. The Serapis Insula and the Charioteer Insula

    These are perhaps the most famous blocks of flats in Ostia, they also had their own spas! Their name comes from frescoes of Charioteers and a small shrine of Serapis inside them. But who was Serapis? Meanwhile, find his shrine and the frescos with charioteers, then I will tell you their story.

11. Diana’s Thermopoly

    We are almost done, but we still have something to find, Diana's thermopoly, a fantastic tavern still perfectly preserved. You have the map, come on !! It is close the Mill’s Road.

12. Make it yours

    Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

    Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

    Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Mike

26 February 2025

A great tour to learn about the layers of Rome. Lia was very informative. She took us to the less touristy areas and taught us about how Rome really came to be. Lia was a lot of fun. I would recommend this tour to anyone.A fun afernoon with Lia

bzgarcia

15 February 2025

Elias

4 January 2025

Fue muy acelerado la visita, no cumplió nuestras expectativas Acelerada

Corinne🇨🇭 Switzerland

1 January 2025

Lia was a very nice and pleasant guide. She is definitely very knowledgeable about the history and culture in Rome. We can certainly recommend her to other tourists. We spent a very nice morning with her in the Vatican museum and the St. Peter’s church.

Peter🇷🇸 Serbia

1 January 2025

We had an interesting day. We initially planned the Trajan markets but they were closed without notice. Irrespective, Lia Beatrice came up with a new and innovative program where she took me to other historical sites of interest and during the entire time she transferred valuable knowledge about the Roman history. I really enjoyed my tour and access to such a wealth of knowledge Highly knowledgeable

Petr

16 December 2024

Beatrice made our tour just perfect! She is a fountain of knowledge and knows everything about everything, but she is also very kind, nice and fun person to spend your time with. I can 100% recommend this wonderful woman ❤️ Thank you once again Beatrice, you are amazing ⭐️Amazing Beatrice

Michele🇺🇸 United States

3 November 2024

Lia was not only knowledgeable, but so personable and fun. We had the best tour of the Vatican and Saint Peter‘s basilica. She was able to get us into the Sistine Chapel, which was amazing. So worth the money. Such a wonderful experience.Lia is amazing!

Laurie🇺🇸 United States

2 November 2024

Our afternoon tour with Lia was the best part of our stay in Rome! She was fun, knowledgeable, informative, and gracious. She personalized our tour to focus on our interests and left us with a far better understanding of the city and its history. Brava e’ grazi a Lia!Best 3 hours in Rome - tour with Lia!

Nancy

29 October 2024

We are so glad we booked this tour with Lia. Her knowledge of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill is amazing. We had a wonderful time soaking in all this knowledge. It was nice to follow her lead and not have to think about where to go next. We have a greater understanding of the Roman Empire and its significance in world history. Highly recommend touring with Lia

jay🇺🇸 United States

27 October 2024

It was a pleasure being taken through the coliseum and Forum with Lia. She knows her history and told us more than we ever knew. She had a sharp and funny sense of humor. Good tour guide.Great history lesson

Sarah🇺🇸 United States

27 October 2024

Martha🇺🇸 United States

12 October 2024

Lia was very knowledgeable about the Vatican. We enjoyed her sense of humor and enthusiasmKnowledge Guide

hariolf🇩🇪 Germany

3 September 2024

perfect time with lia she is very sympathic and she has enormous knowledge about rome . thank you lialovely lia

Caro🇧🇪 Belgium

25 May 2024

We still give 4/10 because Beatrice is a lovely lady who know a lot about the history and culture of Rome! But for the tour we expected something completely different; we thought we would see 'breathtaking views, arts and crafts from locals in pretty streets and information about how the locals live'. We got a completely different tour in alleys where you don't want to come with explanation about architecture of the 'normal' buildings...Lovely lady, not the tour we asked for

Anne

3 May 2024

I want to thank Lia so very much for her tour, which was amazing. She pointed out details and had so much information about what we were seeing that we would otherwise not have been aware of. More importantly, however, she was an absolute delight to spend a few hours with. She was accommodating to my mother, who is unwell and needs to move slowly. She had us laughing constantly. And at the end of our tour, she was uncommonly helpful with helping us navigate the complex transportation to our next destination. I wish I could hang out with her more often ☺️ And thank you again Lia, for giving me a memory with my mother that I can keep after she leaves. ♥️♥️♥️Lia was spectacular!

kelli🇺🇸 United States

21 April 2024

Lia was personable, knowledgeable and just fun. We thoroughly enjoyed our underground tour of churches, stores and homes from the 1st century to the the 12th century. Loved it!Excellent tour?

Mark🇺🇸 United States

3 April 2024

We did an Appian way walk and had a good morning out in the country seeing Rome from a unique vantage. An excellent guide to history

hugo🇺🇸 United States

29 February 2024

We spent three wonderful days with Lia (Jan 25, 26 and 28). We had a wonderful time with her!! First, we pre-planned what we wanted to do and see and Lia helped us and offered suggestions on how best to optimize our time. We arrived in Rome and we met her on the first day at the Caracalla Baths. We spent the afternoon walking amongst the ruins and listened intently as she explained the history of Rome and the baths. She was thorough and answered any question we had and allowed us time to take photos because the light in the afternoon was perfect. We walked along the Circus Maximum and then through old Rome. As we walked, she explained the history of Rome, the Emperors and how they viewed the games, she pointed out old Churches built aside ancient temples. What was apparent through her story telling is that Rome is a city that is eternal, centuries of buildings built next to one another, buildings repurposed, etc. We walked through Rome, stopped at the Pantheon, on to Trevi Fountain and finished our evening at the Spanish Steps. Every step of the way was filled with facts, stories, folklore, tidbits about Italian culture, restaurant recommendations – we were captivated with Lia. On our second day we met her in the afternoon at the Vatican. Again, a day filled with wonderful stories about wars, Popes and art as she guided us through the Vatican. She thoughtfully got all of our tickets ahead of time and we bypassed every line for all 3 days. Our treasured moments came when we entered the Sisteen Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. She took us thoughtfully through each and allowed us time to enjoy and savor the spaces. On our third day together, we toured the Colosseum. Lia arranged a rare opportunity for us to go down beneath the Colosseum – a glimpse at the underground as Lia told us stories of the gladiators. We finished our day having lunch and then walked to the Basilica of San Celemente. It was a treasure trove of Roman ruins beneath it. We went here on Lia’s suggestion - and it was well worth it. Lia is amazing and we would highly recommend her. She is relatable, funny, witty, and knowledgeable. She allowed us time to really enjoy all the places we visited. She was thoughtful and gave us opportunities to break when we needed. We found her to be incredibly flexible and she was able to accommodate us with last minute changes. After our time with her I knew I had a better understanding of Rome’s history and felt like I learned something. Plus, I really enjoyed Lia’s personality and charm. We will be back to Rome in the Fall and will gladly book more time with Lia. Thank you, Lia, for an incredible experience!!!Magical. Lia is amazing!

Michael🇬🇧 United Kingdom

9 February 2024

Lia was very knowledgeable and amusing. She guided us through parts of Rome that are less well known as well as the more famous places. She was also happy to talk about current politics - something you can only get from a local and we always find interesting. She was flexible when we had suggestions of something we wanted to see but also happy to suggest places. We enjoyed the tour enormously.A really enjoyable and informative tour!

David🇦🇺 Australia

14 January 2024

We had a great time with Lia, and she was able to find things that were interesting and engaging for our 6 year-old and also our 75 year-old. We are very glad we booked the private tour of the Forum and Palatine Hill since otherwise we would be staring at rocks and wondering what they meant. I particularly liked her metaphor that “Rome is a lasagne” in that it has layers. Awesome: informative, flexible, engaging.

Nicole🇺🇸 United States

1 January 2024

Lia brought the ruins of the Colosseum to life with every step we took. Through her eyes we saw how the structures reveal the history of Rome, as each transfer of power saw architectural changes. Layer upon layer, we learned the story of the City through the millennia. Lia was the perfect guide for me and my 18 and 23 year old children. She knew exactly how to talk to young adults and clearly understood their mindsets, always stopping at the perfect spot for selfies or group photos. When we ended the tour in driving rain, Lia became a second mom as the two of us tried to talk my kids into going back to the apartment to change clothes. lol. We all loved her. Kind and Deeply Knowledgeable

Patrick

5 December 2023

Lia was the perfect guide for this tour, she was very informative and funny. The tour itself I would highly recommend and Lia was Fantastic. Awesome

Matilda🇺🇸 United States

27 October 2023

This was my first time using WithLocals and I was incredibly impressed. My husband and I bought a tour of the Vatican with Lia. She is a wealth of knowledge - about the history of Rome, the art and sculptures and tons of little details that might be overlooked with a different tour. Lia was funny and engaging and really helped us get the best experience possible. I highly recommend Lia and cannot thank her enough !!Lia is an exceptional tour guide !!

Susan🇺🇸 United States

4 October 2023

My husband and I visited the Vatican at a very busy time. Lia Beatrice was able to secure tickets and provided a great tour. She was able to guide us around the crowds (we would never have been able to navigate the crowds without her guidance) and explain everything in great detail. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a great tour of the Vatican or other areas of Rome.Vatican Tour

Cyndy🇺🇸 United States

31 August 2023

Olivier

25 August 2023

We met Lia right beside the Vatican city. She took grand care of reserving our tickets to get in. Once in, she made it effective for us to go straight in and avoid any wait. She took the time to explain in full detail the history of the Vatican (since we told her we knew not so much about it) She went into full and interesting details, making it easy to understand. She showed us and explained every key points, as we walked through every part of the museum / Sistine chapel/ St-Peter’s Basilica. We really enjoyed our experience and if you are a first timer at the Vatican, make sure to book with someone like Lia who will go back to the beginning through the end. Chapel Sistine - Vatican - museum

Donald🇺🇸 United States

25 August 2023

Wow! This was a fantastic experience. Lia is amazingly knowledgeable and gave me one of the best tours I have ever had in my life. I have been to Rome over 10 times and yet she took the time to show me amazing things that I had never seen before. Her love of Rome and the subject was very obvious and I enjoyed every moment with her. It was a 10 star review in every single way. Thank you so much Lia for an absolutely wonderful and memorable day! I feel lucky to have had this day with you learning about the amazing sites of Rome. Thank YOU!!!!! Amazing tour with an amazing tour guide.

morgankeller🇺🇸 United States

23 August 2023

We were in Rome for my mother in laws bday and reached out to Lia to see if she could take us through the Vatican. Wow! What a great choice! She has a wealth of knowledge that we were so lucky she shared with us. She’s knowledgeable, fun, kind and funny! She navigated the crowds with ease and stopped us at all the most interesting places to make sure we didn’t miss anything. I cannot recommend her enough! What an incredible experience! Can’t wait to come back!! Don’t hesitate!! Book now!

Paul🇺🇸 United States

18 August 2023

We booked on short notice during a busy time. Lia Beatrice got everything organized and moved us along so we could see all the top sites before they closed. Very informative on Papal history and the artifacts. Vatican tour

Uta🇩🇪 Germany

31 July 2023

Lea Beatrice was a very experienced and passionate tour guide. Deeply knowledgeable. She answered every question and gave us a wonderful time. She customized the tour perfectly for us. Brings history to life! We are taking away many great memories! Grazie mille!Top notch and very impressive!

Dirk🇺🇸 United States

30 May 2023

Lia was very nice and informative. Withlocals needs to update your info on the voucher to remove tha meeting point for a restaurant in the square that no longer is there to the statue in the Center of the square where we met I was confused trying ti find the restaurant that did not exist and track down Lia to get the info on the new location by the statue. Dirk

Paul🇺🇸 United States

27 May 2023

Our guide was Lia who is the most incredible and knowledgable host one could ever hope for. HIGHLY recommend her tour...she will make you feel like family!Beyond Expectations!

Catherine🇺🇸 United States

14 April 2023

Lia Beatrice was great! I forgot to book tickets to the Borghese and she was able to secure for us. She was so flexible and kind. Her tour was so informative and she was great with our kids. We were so pleased with our experience!Great guide and so helpful!

Yuliya🇫🇷 France

11 April 2023

We had a tall order: a two-hour tour of the Roman Forum two days before Easter (read, all historical sites were a zoo) for a three generational family of vary different knowledge of Roman history ranging from a 10 and 70- year old first timers to frequent travellers to the Eternal City. Lia did a fantastic job for all of us. She managed to fit the essentials in, but also delighted with special sites never seen on our previous tours of the Forum. She is a very knowledgeable and dynamic guide who truly shines when you go more in depth with her. I am sure she can be fantastic even if you know nothing about Roman history, but really, if you do a bit of homework ahead of time, her wealth of knowledge will make her tour unforgettable and truly unique for you. Also, three hours is better than two. We were time constrained, but otherwise, I would not recommend shortening a proposed 3 hour tours.Passionate and energetic archeologist

Nathaniel🇺🇸 United States

27 March 2023

Lia assembled a custom experience, guiding our family of four (two boys) through the Colosseum and Roman Forum. She then booked a pasta lunch. And we ended the day with an e-bike ride along Rome’s ancient Appian Way. She brought expert knowledge of historic Rome and a local’s experience of the city. She was great teaching our two boys in the morning and then cycling along the streets in the afternoon. We planned an ambitious and BIG day, and Lia nailed it! 10/10 Amazing custom tour: history + adventure

Meghann🇺🇸 United States

9 March 2023

Lia was amazing. She knew a considerable amount of knowledge when in came to the construction and uses of Ancient Roman structures. She was also able to answer any question we through at her during and before our tour. Additionally, Lia was a pleasure to be around, she was interested in getting to know us, was concerned with how our experience was going throughout the day, and was extremely personable.Extremely Knowledgeable and a Pleasure

Kristin🇮🇹 Italy

29 December 2022

Lia Beatrice was lovely - personable and knowledgeable. The tour was quite interesting and I learned a great deal. I would not necessarily recommend this tour for children. Although Lia Beatrice tried very hard to engage ours, it was a lot of information for our 9 and 6-year-olds and they were antsy. She managed to interest our 11-year-old which was no small feat! And she was very kind about our younger two needing to move around. All in all, would highly recommend. Wish I could go again sans children :)Great experience

Pierrot.leclercq🇫🇷 France

30 October 2022

My wife and I spent 2.5 hours with Lia visiting the Vatican. It’s the best thing we could have done. In terms of personality, Lia is extroverted, easy to be with and fun. She knows her subject perfectly, and will give you explanations you cannot find it in books. All this with lots of passion! Thanks Lia!Fantastic time with Lia!

Stephen🇺🇸 United States

30 October 2022

We had a private tour with Lia for five people. She was a wonderful guide - easy to understand, very personable and extremely knowledgeable about this subject. As a trained archeologist, she was able to give insights on the multiple layers that is Rome! Great experience!Underground with Lia

Christine🇺🇸 United States

26 September 2022

DAVID🇺🇸 United States

18 September 2022

Lia's passion and knowledge for the Colosseum and Palitine Hill/Forum was infective. She keeps things moving without rushing reading our minds on how much detail to provide. A private guide for 4 was so worth the price. Energetic

victoria🇮🇹 Italy

5 September 2022

Lia Beatrice is hilarious and fun. She really knows her subject and despite my husband and I being somewhat late, hot, and having done far too much wine tasting the night before, really did a great tour. Would highly recommend. Excellent time

Marnie🇦🇺 Australia

5 September 2022

Lia has the best personality and so knowledgeable and really took the time to make it a personal experience for us. She was so happy to answer all of our questions and more. She is also a lot of fun to be with and we had so many laughs. We would definitely say it was a life changing experience and of all the tours we took over Italy this was hands down the best!!! Her English is fantastic as well. Thanks Lia, we hope to meet with you again xxExperience of a lifetime!!

Oneida🇺🇸 United States

3 September 2022

Lia provided an excellent tour! Her knowledge of the art and architecture added so much to seeing the historical underground sites. And, she is quite fun also!Excellent, in-depth tour

Jody🇺🇸 United States

28 August 2022

As two mobility impaired people my husband and I were nervous about this tour. Those nerves were unfounded. Lia was not only accommodating, she was able to switch up what she was showing us as she learned our interests. Her love and passion were evident and made our experience much richer. Lia is an incredible guide and we couldn't ask for more. Highly recommended!!Jewish Ghetto and other wonders

Spencer🇺🇸 United States

27 August 2022

Lia is an extremely personable woman. In addition to being very responsive she is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge regarding Italian and European history, art, architecture and archeology. She brought the art and architecture alive, integrating form and function while teaching with enthusiasm. As we told her, she is a benchmark for all our future guides as we travel in Italy Outstanding

Roz

27 August 2022

Lia Beatrice is a warm and engaging woman who represents and presents Rome at a very high standard. Her vast knowledge of Rome’s history, art, archeology, interesting facts and stories staggers the mind. She is fantastic and will remain a wonderful memory for a long time to come. More than we could have ever expected.

Maria🇨🇦 Canada

14 August 2022

We had a great time with Lia! Wealth of knowledge, very accommodating and pearsonnable, answered all the questions we had. We had a short tour booked as I had 5yo with me, I woudl definitely recommend a longer tour to make sure you are not rushed. Great experience!

Serena🇦🇺 Australia

28 July 2022

Lia is an absolutely amazing guide; she is warm, passionate, knowledgeable and funny! We had an incredible day cycling the Appian Way with her, going back in time and finding a side of Rome that most tourists do not see. She had some wonderful stories which helped us picture life in ancient times, and the ways in which Rome shaped our modern Western society. We had a lot of laughs together, and she really looked after us as it was our first time on e-bikes and the gear changes and electric "boost" can be a bit odd and unexpected if you've never ridden one before. However, once you get used to what the bikes can do, going uphill was an absolute breeze and made cycling on a hot day less of a challenge than we expected. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat (or wear the bike helmet) - you will need them, but you will have a wonderful time on one of the oldest roads in the world! Highly recommended!So much fun in ancient Rome!

Daniel🇺🇸 United States

22 July 2022

Lia was entertaining by by offering great explanations and perspectives of the Bourghese museum content. We received a history lesson that was priceless. Thank you, Lia for welcoming us into your knowledge and giving us the best tour imaginable!Lia Beateice captures Rome in the most educational and inspirational way. Her perspective is balanced and informative, yay makes us deeply understand the meaning of art and the feeling of the artist. We learned a lot from Lia amd want to steal her to the