Cerveteri and Tarquinia are the two most important Etruscan funerary sites in Italy and the only archaeological sites in Lazio to hold UNESCO World Heritage status (inscribed 2004 as "Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia"). They are within 90 km of Rome, accessible as day trips and rarely visited by the majority of international tourists in Rome, which produces the specific paradox of two UNESCO World Heritage sites of genuine magnificence within a short drive of 10 million annual visitors who never go to them. The reasons for this paradox are several: neither site is on the standard Rome tourist circuit, neither has the single famous "must-see" image that functions as tourist marketing, and the Etruscan civilization that produced them is less familiar to international visitors than the Roman civilization that succeeded and absorbed it.
The two sites are complementary: Cerveteri (ancient Caere) presents the architectural form of Etruscan funerary culture, the tumulus tomb mounds arranged in a city of the dead that mirrors the urban layout of the living city above, with accessible underground chambers that reproduce domestic interiors in stone. Tarquinia (ancient Tarxuna or Tarchna) presents the pictorial dimension, the painted chamber tombs that are the most complete surviving evidence of Etruscan painting, a tradition of extraordinary quality that the Romans admired and that was only surpassed in Italian art by the Renaissance frescoes fifteen centuries later.
How do you want to see it?
ItalyCompare the same experience on GetYourGuide and Viator, save what you like to My Trip, share it, and book when you’re sure. Nearest to this page first.
What to See at Each Site
Cerveteri: The Banditaccia Necropolis
The Banditaccia necropolis (accessed from the town of Cerveteri, 7 km northwest of the modern town center) is the most extensive Etruscan tomb city open to visitors, a 400-hectare field of tumuli (earth mounds over underground chambers) dating from the ninth to the second century BC, arranged along road networks that mirror the street plan of a living city. Approximately 50 tombs are open in regular rotation. The most important: the Tomba dei Relievi (Tomb of the Reliefs, fourth century BC), with carved stucco reliefs of domestic objects covering every surface of the underground chamber, kitchen implements, weapons, musical instruments, the possessions of a wealthy Etruscan household translated into permanent stone. The Tomba Regolini-Galassi reproduction (the original objects are in the Vatican Museums) shows the scale of the original grave goods. The specific Cerveteri experience: walking the "streets" between the tumuli at opening time (9am) before the visitor groups arrive, in the silence of the dead city with only the birds and the long grass.
Cerveteri Tarquinia Etruscan: tours & tickets
Compare guided tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips for Cerveteri Tarquinia Etruscan.
See availability & prices →Compare tours on Viator →We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.Tarquinia: The Painted Tombs
The Tarquinia necropolis has approximately 6,000 documented rock-cut tombs, of which approximately 200 have painted decorations and approximately 40 are open in regular rotation for visitor access (typically in groups of 8-10 with a timed entry system). The painted tombs are the primary reason to visit: the Tomba del Triclinio (Tomb of the Triclinium, early fifth century BC) with its banquet scene, musicians, dancers, and reclining guests painted with a lightness and naturalism that is the finest surviving example of the Etruscan painting tradition. The Tomba della Caccia e della Pesca (Hunting and Fishing Tomb, late sixth century BC), with the sea and the landscape and the specific quality of movement that distinguishes Etruscan from contemporary Greek art. The Museo Nazionale Tarquiniese in the Palazzo Vitelleschi holds the sculpted Winged Horses of Tarquinia (fourth century BC terracotta relief), the most famous Etruscan sculptural fragment after the Mars of Todi.
Q&A: Cerveteri and Tarquinia
Which site should I visit if I have time for only one?
If you have never seen an Etruscan painted tomb: Tarquinia, the painting is unique and has no equivalent at any other accessible site. If you want the physical experience of the tomb city and the specific spatial quality of the underground domestic interiors without painting: Cerveteri, and specifically the Tomba dei Relievi for the most complete individual tomb experience. If you have time for both: do Cerveteri in the morning (2 hours) and Tarquinia in the afternoon (museum + necropolis, 3 hours), they are 40 km apart on the Lazio coast road.
How do I get to Cerveteri and Tarquinia from Rome?
Cerveteri: regional train from Roma Termini to Ladispoli-Cerveteri station (45 minutes), then local bus 8 km to the necropolis. By car: 50 km via the A12 autostrada, approximately 1 hour. Tarquinia: regional train from Roma Termini to Tarquinia station (1 hour 20 minutes), then local taxi or bus to the Palazzo Vitelleschi museum and the necropolis (3 km from station). By car: 90 km via the A12 and SS1, approximately 1.5 hours. The car option allows combining both sites in a single day trip.
