Montefiascone and the Dying City (Excursion from Civitavecchia Port)

About 1.5 hours from Rome's Civitavecchia port, travelers like to book excursions to the towns of Montefiascone and the "Dying City", Civita di Bagnoregio. Cruise ship passengers will have a relaxing and well spent day journeying through rolling hills, wine lands, and spotting castles along the way.

I took this trip several years ago during the height of post-COVID cruising, where at the time Italy did not allow cruise passengers to stray on their own. Everyone had to book a tour and stay on the tour, without exception.

Now, I'm sharing with you the tremendously lovely day I had, including where we went, what we ate, and how you can do the same tour on your own terms (without being held back!).

Let's dive in.

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The "Dying City"

Start the day by traveling about an hour and a half to the famed "Dying City". The "Dying City", Civita di Bagnoregio, is a deserted Italian town high up on a hill where Lazio and Umbria meet.

The town has been built up on a stone mountain, much like what you might encounter if you've been to Meteora in Greece, and day by day the town dies a little more, as the foundational structure deteriorates.

Hence the name, the "Dying City".

Buses and visitors park outside the tiny hamlet and have to hike in from the modern village of Bagnoregio below.

Then, walk the exhausting uphill trek to the adorable town, which my family joked later "this is why the town is dying, no one can make the walk up!". It is definitely a hike for every fitness level, and we did it with a stroller!

(Psst: if you are traveling to Italy with kids, check out my Kid's Travel Journal, "Scavenger Hunt Italy" on Amazon!).

Once you make it up, find nothing but quiet in the main square. The town is home to only a dozen inhabitants (and a bunch of wandering cats), with shopkeepers coming in daily to cater to tourists.

Sample local cured meats in their town shop and take home some for later (I recommend the wild boar sausage and truffle salami), and be sure to savor some of the local nocciola, which is a hazelnut cream liqueur similar to a Bailey's.

On the right chilly day, step into a fire lit stone restaurant for local specialties, or try a homemade pizza from the oven you can smell from the town square.

This tour from the port will take you to the Dying City and back.

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Est!! Est!! Est!!

After working up an appetite, we paired our visit to the Dying City with wine and lunch at a Montefiascone vineyard called Antica Cantina Leonardi.

Here, we discovered the local wine of the region, which is not soon to be forgotten due to it's absolutely bonkers name - EST!! EST!! EST!!

Seriously, this is the varietal name. Like a Chardonnay, or a Pinot Grigio. You look on the shelf for an EST!! EST!! EST!!

So what the heck is it?

Well, est means, "it is" in Italian. And non est means, it isn't.

Tastings.com describes the story best: "Est! Est! Est! got its name from the story of a German Bishop who sent his servant ahead to taste the wines along his route of travel, leaving messages on the walls of inns and taverns to tell his master whether he should drink the wine or avoid it. "Est" (it is) meant the wine was good, while "Non est" (it isn't) told the Bishop to move on. It is clear that the servant saw considerable virtue in the wines of Montefiascone, as indicated by his "Est! Est! Est!!! scrawled on the wall."

Discover this unique white wine and its vibrant character at Antica Cantina Leonardi, and if you are lucky maybe they'll feed you their wine course with some delicious Italian lunch.

Do something truly unique and visit this vineyard by eBike!

If you are like me and enjoy bringing home wine, it is good to note that we were allowed to bring all you see in the photo below on board our ship, and none of the wine was confiscated.

To further protect your wine, I highly recommend purchasing a wine suitcase from VinGardeValise. Their suite of products is amazing, and I bring my 12-bottle suitcase on as many adventures as possible! Learn more here.

Montefiascone

Later, avoid a post wine slump by wandering the walled city streets and famous Chiesa di San Flaviano in Montefiascone. There, you will find captivating murals within the church, like this one.

The town streets and alleyways are charming enough for a stroll, and surely had we been able to visit, we'd have popped into some shops or a cafe for an afternoon coffee.

Be sure to take a moment and look over the gorgeous lake views of Lago di Bolsena before wrapping up your relaxing day trip from Civitavecchia port.

How to Visit

Tours can be arranged through the cruise ships, or you can arrange your own with a local tour company. Because Civitavecchia port is mostly an inlet for visitors to Rome, we opted to do this tour as something different. This trip is especially good for travelers who have seen Rome one too many times!

Browse tours to Montefiascone

Browse tours to Civita di Bagnoregio, the "Dying City"

To recap:

For an ideal day to Montefiascone and the countryside, enjoy a morning of hiking to the hilltop town of Civita di Bagnoregio, learning of its history, and then celebrate your feat with lunch and wine tasting at Antica Cantina Leonardi. Followed by a stroll around quiet Montefiascone, this is a full day from your cruise ship.

For other ideas from Citivavecchia, or for a few days before your trip - spend time in Rome off the beaten path.

Additional port day trip ideas can also be found on my site for Pisa, Florence, Monza, Emilia-Romagna and more!