I've been a tour guide in Italy for 16 years. My top recommendation is an incredible ancient port city that's way less crowded than Rome.

Sarah May GrunwaldFeb 8, 2024, 03:12 IST

Ostia Antica is an archaeological park located about 30 minutes from central Rome. Sarah May Grunwald

I moved from California to Italy and have been working as a tour guide in Rome for eight years.
The crowds in Rome seem to get bigger every year, so I recommend checking out Ostia Antica instead.

I'm a native Californian, but I've been working as a tour guide in Rome since 2008.

I've seen how increased tourism is affecting popular sites like the Colosseum and the Vatican. People spend hours waiting in lines, making it difficult to truly enjoy the experience, and it seems to get more crowded every year.

But just a 30-minute train ride away, Ostia Antica is a vast, uncrowded archaeological park that provides a glimpse into the daily life of ancient Romans.

In its heyday (around the seventh century BC), it was a major port and commercial hub of the Roman Empire. The ruins of upper-class Pompeii are more well-known, but Ostia Antica lets you see how everyday working-class Romans lived.

Here are my favorite things to see at the underrated archeological site.

The necropolis is located right near the entrance.

Tombs and other burial markers can be found along the road through the necropolis. Sarah May Grunwald

At the center of the ancient city, you'll find the forum.

There are remains of temples and central buildings in the forum. DEA / M. BORCHI / Contributor/Getty Images

The thermopolium was almost like an ancient fast-food chain.

You can still see faint images of the menu on the walls. Sarah May Grunwald

Wealthy residents used to live in the House of Diana.

There's a mosaic of the goddess Diana on the building.Sarah May Grunwald

Public baths were commonplace in ancient Rome.

There were typically public and private bathhouses in a Roman city. Sarah May Grunwald

One of the most social spots in town was the public latrines.

The public toilets served as a gathering space. Massimo Salesi/Shutterstock

You can still catch a show at the ancient theater.

The stone structure has been in use for thousands of years. Sarah May Grunwald

If you want to dive deeper into the culture, check out the Ostia Antica Museum.

Copy of a statue at Ostia Antica — the original is in the museum.Sarah May Grunwald

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