The Castelli Romani in a day: which ones to pick and how to get there

Updated 11 September 2026

The Castelli Romani are a cluster of hill towns southeast of Rome, grown up around two volcanic lakes. They are the Romans' traditional day out: you go to eat, to drink the local white wine and to escape the heat of the city.

For a visitor they are the best alternative to the usual destinations once you have seen the centre and have a day or half a day left. They really are close: the furthest town is a little over half an hour away.

Which towns, and why

They are not interchangeable, and doing the full circuit in one day makes no sense. Picking two, at most three, and leaving time to sit down is the formula that works.

Frascati is the most convenient and the best equipped: baroque villas, wine cellars in the centre, and a train from Termini that arrives in about thirty minutes. With half a day and no car, this is the one.

Castel Gandolfo is the most scenic: it sits above Lake Albano and holds the palace that was the popes' summer residence for centuries, now open to visitors with its gardens. The village takes an hour to walk, the view is worth the trip.

Nemi is the smallest and prettiest, looking down on its own lake, known for its wild strawberries. You go for the view and to eat, not for museums.

Ariccia is the food stop: the monumental bridge, Palazzo Chigi and the fraschette, the taverns where porchetta is served. Go at lunchtime or for dinner, otherwise you miss the point of it.

Getting there

By train you can comfortably reach two towns: Frascati, on the direct line from Termini, and Castel Gandolfo, on the Albano line. These are proper connections and they work well, but they serve one town at a time: there is no train between one Castello and the next, and the local buses are slow and infrequent.

A car opens up the rest. From Rome it is about forty minutes to Frascati, a little more to Castel Gandolfo or Nemi. The towns are only a few kilometres apart, so a loop with two or three stops is realistic in half a day.

The argument for a car with a driver here is not time, it is the wine. People go to the Castelli to drink, and the roads through the hills are narrow, steep and winding. Whoever drives home cannot take part, and that is often exactly why you went.

When to go, and when to stay away

On Sundays the Castelli fill up with Romans, which is both their charm and their limit: the taverns are alive, but getting a table without booking becomes a lottery and traffic on the hill roads slows to a crawl.

The best day for a visitor is a weekday, ideally not Monday, when several taverns close. Spring and autumn repay the trip more: in summer the heat is noticeable up there too, though less than in the city.

Worth knowing: on major religious occasions Castel Gandolfo can have access restrictions. If that is the stop you care about most, check before you go.

How much time you actually need

Half a day is enough for one town at an unhurried pace: arrive, walk, lunch or an aperitivo, back. It is the sensible format if you already have plans in the city.

A full day allows two towns and the lake, which is the best combination: Castel Gandolfo for the view and Ariccia for lunch, or Nemi and Frascati. Three towns can be done, but it turns into a day of driving.