Tourism
Beyond Rome: Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este in Tivoli, Etruscan necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia, Via Appia (UNESCO). Tuscia, Castelli Romani, lakes, Circeo National Park, the coast of Sabaudia, Sperlonga and Gaeta, the islands of Ponza and Ventotene. Summer beach season, art towns all year. Municipal tourist tax.
Sections: Attractions · Museums · Nature · Itineraries · Excursions · Accessible visits
Sites and towns
Lazio has five UNESCO sites besides the historic centre of Rome: Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este in Tivoli, the Etruscan necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia, the Via Appia (inscribed in 2024 as a route) and the ancient beech forests of Monte Cimino and Monte Raschio in Tuscia. Around Viterbo visitors go to Civita di Bagnoregio (entrance fee set by the municipality), the Parco dei Mostri at Bomarzo, Tuscania, Caprarola and Lake Bolsena; in the Castelli Romani Castel Gandolfo, Frascati and Nemi; to the south the abbey of Montecassino, Anagni and the Garden of Ninfa (limited openings by booking).
Coast, islands, mountains
The Lazio coast runs from Montalto di Castro to Minturno: the busiest beaches are Santa Marinella, Ostia, Anzio and Nettuno for Romans, Sabaudia and the Circeo (National Park), Sperlonga and Gaeta for longer stays. Ponza and Ventotene are reached from Formia, Anzio and Terracina: in August they are very crowded and accommodation must be booked months ahead, while from October to May many places close. Inland there are Terminillo and the Monti Simbruini for skiing and hiking, the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park in the Comino valley and the volcanic lakes for short-range tourism.
Rules and seasonality
The tourist tax is applied by Rome (per-night amounts by category, among the highest in Italy) and by many tourist municipalities (Tivoli, Viterbo, Sperlonga, Gaeta, Ponza, Sabaudia); others do not charge it. In Rome the major sites (Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Galleria Borghese) require online booking; in the rest of the region access is normally free or with tickets on site. High season in the art towns is April–June and September–October; on the coast July–August.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-31
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