Villa Romana del Casale: UNESCO mosaics with audio guide

Villa Romana del Casale: thermal baths, hunt corridor mosaics, and the private quarters of Roman aristocracy

Explore the Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sicily, with an audio guide covering the 4th-century Roman residence and its famous mosaics. The tour starts in the ancient thermal baths and moves through corridors decorated with scenes of hunting, fishing and daily life, including the spectacular Corridor of the Great Hunt. Choose the audio guide alone or add the VIP package, which includes free museum entry and an oil tasting in the nearby town of Piazza Armerina.

The experience

The Villa Romana del Casale sits outside Piazza Armerina and holds some of the most intact Roman mosaics in existence. The audio guide takes you through the thermal baths first (the calidarium and frigidarium where the villa's owners bathed), then into the corridors and rooms where mosaics depict hunting expeditions, fishing scenes, banquets and the routines of 4th-century aristocratic life. The Corridor of the Great Hunt is the centerpiece: a long mosaic showing exotic animals being transported for imperial shows, a window into the scale and reach of Roman power.

The route continues through the owners' private staterooms and apartments, where the luxury of one of Rome's most important residences becomes tangible. You move at your own pace with the audio guide, which is available in English, Spanish, Italian, French and one additional language. A map of the villa is included. The whole visit takes around two hours and suits all fitness levels.

If you choose the VIP package, the experience extends into Piazza Armerina's historic center after the villa. You get free admission to a museum (you can select between the Pinacoteca and the Permanent Exhibition of the Ancient Book), and participate in a local oil tasting. This option requires you to arrange your own transport to reach the meeting point for the tasting in town.

What’s included

• Entrance ticket to the villa.
• audio guide in your choice of language.
• map of the Roman Villa.
• and if you select the VIP package, free admission to a museum in Piazza Armerina and a local oil tasting.

Options for this experience

2 options

Audio guide onlyGuide in 5 languages · 7 departure times: the first at 10:00, the last at 16:00Lasts 2 hours, with an audio guide included and nothing else

VIP packageGuide in 5 languages · 09:30Runs 3 hours and covers the ticket, the museum visit and a tasting

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day8 departure times: the first at 09:30, the last at 16:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (under 18)

GroupUp to 25

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Empeeria

Is this one for you?Choose the audio guide alone if you want to move through the mosaics and thermal baths at your own pace without extra stops. The VIP package works better if you have time for Piazza Armerina's town center and want to taste local oil after the villa. Just plan your own transport to the tasting meeting point.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (under 18).

What are the mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale actually showing?

The mosaics depict scenes from 4th-century Roman life: hunting expeditions, fishing, banquets and daily activities of the aristocracy. The Corridor of the Great Hunt is the most famous, showing exotic animals being transported for imperial shows across the empire.

Does the audio guide cover the whole villa or just certain sections?

The audio guide covers the entire villa, starting with the thermal baths and moving through all the corridors and rooms decorated with mosaics, including the private apartments of the villa's owners.

What happens if I book the VIP package? Do I stay at the villa the whole time?

The VIP package adds a museum visit and oil tasting in Piazza Armerina after you finish exploring the villa. You'll need to arrange your own transport to reach the meeting point in town for the tasting.

Which museum should I choose in Piazza Armerina if I pick the VIP option?

You can choose between the Pinacoteca and the Permanent Exhibition of the Ancient Book when you book the VIP package. Both are included with free admission.

How long does the whole experience take with the VIP package?

The villa itself takes around two hours. The VIP package adds time for the museum visit and oil tasting in Piazza Armerina, though the exact duration depends on how long you spend at each stop.