Overview
Rome's headline sights now almost all run on timed, named tickets that open a set number of days ahead and sell out in busy months. The Pantheon, once free, has charged admission since 2023, and the Trevi Fountain added a ticket for the area by the water in February 2026. None of this is hard if you book in the right order, and all of it goes wrong if you show up hoping to buy at the door in May.
This page covers ancient Rome, the Pantheon and Trevi, the Borghese, the great churches, the catacombs and the passes. The Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's have their own page: the Vatican. For neighborhoods, hotels and transport, see Rome; for eating between sights, Rome food.
What to book, and when
- About 60 days out: the Vatican Museums (see the Vatican).
- About six weeks out: the Borghese Gallery, which releases dates roughly six weeks ahead.
- Exactly 30 days out: the Colosseum, which releases each date 30 days before. Set a reminder; underground and arena tickets go first.
- A few days out, or on the day: the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, which rarely sell out outside peak hours.
The Colosseum
The Flavian Amphitheater opened in AD 80 and held around 50,000 spectators for gladiator fights and animal hunts. Today it is the centerpiece of the Parco archeologico del Colosseo (Colosseum Archaeological Park), which also runs the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill and Nero's Domus Aurea. The park's official ticket shop is ticketing.colosseo.it.
Ticket types
Every ticket includes one entry to the Forum and Palatine area along with the Colosseum, with the exception of the Forum Pass SUPER, which skips the Colosseum. What changes is which part of the Colosseum you see and how long the ticket is valid.
| Ticket | What you see in the Colosseum | Validity | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine (standard) | First and second levels, no arena | 24 hours | €18 (about $20) including the €2 booking fee |
| Only Arena | A 20-minute visit to the arena floor at your booked time | 24 hours | About €18 (about $20) |
| Full Experience Arena | Arena floor plus the standard levels | 2 consecutive days | €24 (about $27) |
| Full Experience Underground and Arena | The hypogeum (underground passages and lifts) and the arena | 2 consecutive days | €24 (about $27) |
| Full Experience Attic | The top tier and the panoramic lift | 2 consecutive days | €24 (about $27) |
| Forum Pass SUPER | No Colosseum; Forum, Palatine, Imperial Fora and the SUPER sites | Single entry | Check the official shop |
Under-18s enter free and EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay a reduced €2, plus the booking fee; both still need a reserved slot. Americans of any age pay full price. The Full Experience tickets include the SUPER sites, a rotating set of smaller monuments in the Forum and on the Palatine (such as the House of Augustus, closed on Mondays). The House of Livia is closed for restoration.
Insider tip
The underground and arena tickets are the most rewarding and the first to go, since groups are small. If they are gone, the Only Arena ticket gets you onto the reconstructed arena floor for a gladiator's-eye view, and the attic ticket gives the best views over the bowl and toward the Forum.
How the booking system works
- Sales open 30 days ahead of each date, on the official site. In spring, summer and around holidays, good morning slots and all underground tickets can sell out within days.
- Tickets are in your name. Each ticket carries the holder's name, and you must show the ticket and a photo ID at the entrance. Bring your passport (a photo on your phone may not be accepted).
- Name changes are limited. For visits from May 9, 2026, a name can be changed only once, by midnight seven days before the visit, and only for typing errors or similar reasons, through a form on the booking site. Type everyone's names exactly as on their passports.
- Your slot is fixed. Arrive at the security line 15 to 30 minutes before. Late arrivals can be turned away.
- Help. The ticket helpdesk is at helpdesk@ticketcolosseo.com, with replies in 48 to 72 hours. For same-day problems at the entrance, call +39 06 21115843.
Watch out
Search results are full of resellers whose sites look official and charge two or three times the price for the same standard ticket, sometimes as an "open" voucher you still have to exchange. The official shop is ticketing.colosseo.it. If it shows sold out, a licensed guided tour from a reputable company is the legitimate way in, and a good guide makes the Forum far more legible.
Hours and the visit
From October 25, 2026 to February 28, 2027, the Colosseum opens at 8:30 am and the Forum and Palatine at 9 am, with everything closing at 4:30 pm (last entry 3:30 pm). Hours stretch later through spring and summer, closing around 7:15 pm at the height of summer; check the official site for the season you travel. The park closes on December 25 and January 1.
Allow about 1 to 1.5 hours inside the Colosseum and 2 to 3 hours for the Forum and Palatine, which are large, hilly, unshaded and have rough paths. The free MyColosseum app has audio guides in English. Metro Line B stops at Colosseo, right outside.
Domus Aurea
Nero's Golden House, a buried palace with frescoed vaults under the Oppian Hill, opens for timed visits Friday through Sunday, every 15 minutes from 9 am, with a separate ticket. It is closed on the first Sunday of the month. Book through the same official shop. The galleries are cool year-round, about 50°F (10°C), so bring a layer.
The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
The Forum was the civic heart of ancient Rome: temples, law courts, the Senate House and triumphal arches lining the Via Sacra. The Palatine above it is where the emperors built their palaces, and where Rome's founding legend places Romulus. Together they are a single walled site with entrances at Largo della Salara Vecchia (off Via dei Fori Imperiali), Via di San Gregorio (for the Palatine) and by the Arch of Titus.
What surprises first-time visitors is how much is ruins in a meadow. Read up before you go or hire a guide. From the Palatine's Farnese Gardens you get the classic view down the length of the Forum, and the Capitoline Hill (outside the site, free) gives a good evening view from the other end.
Insider tip
Do the Colosseum first thing, when it is coolest and lines are shortest, then the Forum. Your standard ticket gives you 24 hours, so in summer you can come back to the Forum the next morning instead of crossing it at 2 pm in 95°F (35°C) heat. Bring water; there are drinking fountains inside.
The Pantheon
Rebuilt by Hadrian around AD 125, the Pantheon is the best-preserved building of ancient Rome and still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, about 142 feet (43 m) across, with a 27-foot (8.2 m) open oculus at the top. It has been a church since 609, and holds the tombs of Raphael and two kings of Italy.
Since July 2023 visitors pay to enter. Since July 1, 2026 the full price is €7 (about $8), with a reduction for EU citizens aged 18 to 25 and free entry for under-18s. It is open daily from 9 am to 7 pm, with last entry at 6:30 pm and the ticket office closing at 6 pm. Hours change for religious services, and admission is free on the first Sunday of the month.
- Booking. You can book a timed ticket online through the official site (pantheonroma.com) or the Italian state museums portal, or buy at the entrance. Booking ahead is wise from late morning on in peak months.
- Mass. Mass is said on Saturdays and the eve of holidays at 5 pm and on Sundays and holidays at 10:30 am. Attending is free, but it is a service, so arrive early, stay for the whole thing and do not sightsee.
- Beyond the Pantheon. Since November 2025 a new route, Oltre il Pantheon, opens the Basilica of Neptune behind it to visitors, with a direct entrance into the rotunda. Check the official site for tickets.
- When to go. Right at 9 am, or in the last hour. If it rains, go: the water falling through the oculus and draining through the ancient floor is a sight in itself.
The Trevi Fountain
Nicola Salvi's 18th-century Baroque fountain fills a small square and draws tens of thousands of people a day. Since February 2, 2026, visitors who are not residents of Rome pay €2 (about $2.25) to enter the inner perimeter, the steps down by the basin where you toss your coin. The piazza around it, where you can see the fountain from a few yards back, stays free.
| Detail | Rule |
|---|---|
| Ticketed hours | Daily, generally 9 am to 10 pm, starting at 11:30 am on Mondays and Fridays; last entry 9 pm. Hours can change on some dates. |
| Outside those hours | Free to view |
| Entrance and exit | Enter and buy on Via della Stamperia; exit on Via dei Crociferi |
| How to buy | Online at fontanaditrevi.roma.it; at Rome's civic museums and tourist info points; at the entrance by card only |
| Free | Rome residents with ID, children under 6, visitors with disabilities and one companion, licensed guides |
| Ticket rules | Prepaid tickets are open-dated, non-refundable and non-transferable |
Inside, no eating, drinking or smoking, no sitting on the basin rim, and no wading or filling bottles. The coin toss is still allowed (right hand, over your left shoulder, back to the fountain). Fines for breaking the rules run from €40 to €240 (about $45–270), and at least €450 (about $500) for stepping into the water. There are no restrooms or bag storage, so travel light.
Insider tip
Go before 9 am or after 10 pm. The fountain is free, lit at night, and you will share it with a fraction of the daytime crowd. Early morning gives the best photos. Keep a hand on your bag in the crush at the barriers; this is one of the city's pickpocket hot spots.
The Borghese Gallery
Cardinal Scipione Borghese's 17th-century villa holds the finest private collection in Rome: Bernini's marble sculptures (Apollo and Daphne, The Rape of Proserpina, David), six Caravaggios, Canova's reclining Pauline Bonaparte, and Raphael and Titian upstairs. It is small enough to see in two hours and, for many people, the highlight of Rome.
Booking
- Reservation is mandatory for everyone, including under-18s and holders of free tickets. Book on the official site, galleriaborghese.cultura.gov.it, or by phone at +39 06 32810 (Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 6 pm).
- Price. A full ticket is about €18 (about $20), including the €2 reservation fee, and a little more through the online shop's service fee. EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay a reduced rate; under-18s pay only the reservation fee. Prices can change with special exhibitions.
- When. Dates open about six weeks ahead. Spring and fall weekends go quickly; book as soon as your dates are firm.
- Slots. Entry is by two-hour shift starting every hour from 9 am, with a cap on visitors per shift, and you must leave at the end. The last shift, at 5:45 pm, is shorter and cheaper.
- Days. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am to 7 pm. Closed Mondays, December 25 and January 1.
Watch out
Collect your ticket and check your bag at least 30 minutes before your slot. Bags bigger than a small purse go to the mandatory cloakroom, and latecomers can lose their slot. There is no re-entry. The gallery sits in the Villa Borghese park, about a 15-minute walk from Metro Line A at Spagna or Flaminio, and the park is bigger than it looks on a map.
The ground floor with the Berninis is the main event. Many people see it first, then head upstairs to the paintings when the crowd shifts. Leave time afterward for the park: the Pincio terrace above Piazza del Popolo is a 15-minute walk.
Churches
Rome has more than 900 churches, and many hold masterpieces you can see for free. All require covered shoulders and knees, most close for a few hours at midday, and you should not sightsee during Mass. Keep coins handy: lights on paintings are often coin-operated.
San Luigi dei Francesi
The French national church holds Caravaggio's three paintings of St. Matthew in the left chapel near the altar. A short walk away, Sant'Agostino has his Madonna of Loreto.
Santa Maria del Popolo
Two more Caravaggios (the Conversion of St. Paul and the Crucifixion of St. Peter), plus Raphael's Chigi Chapel with Bernini sculptures.
Santa Maria sopra Minerva
Rome's only Gothic church, with a starry blue ceiling, Michelangelo's Risen Christ and Bernini's elephant obelisk outside.
San Clemente
A 12th-century church built on a 4th-century church, built on a Roman house and a temple of Mithras. You descend through the layers and hear an underground stream. A small fee applies to the excavations.
San Giovanni in Laterano
The cathedral of Rome, ranking above St. Peter's, with giant apostle statues and a cloister. Across the street, the Scala Santa, the stairs pilgrims climb on their knees.
Santa Maria Maggiore
One of the four major basilicas, with 5th-century mosaics and a coffered ceiling said to be gilded with gold from the Americas. Pope Francis, who died in 2025, is buried here.
Santa Maria in Trastevere
Gold 12th-century mosaics in the apse and on the facade, lit beautifully in the evening, on Trastevere's main square.
San Paolo fuori le Mura
The vast basilica over St. Paul's tomb, with portrait medallions of every pope. Metro Line B to Basilica San Paolo.
Capuchin Crypt
Chapels decorated with the bones of some 3,700 friars, entered through a small museum. Memorable and macabre; maybe not for young children.
More museums and ruins
Capitoline Museums
The world's oldest public museum, on Michelangelo's piazza: the bronze she-wolf, the original equestrian Marcus Aurelius and a terrace over the Forum through the Tabularium.
Palazzo Massimo alle Terme
Part of the National Roman Museum and rarely crowded, with ancient bronzes like the Boxer at Rest and the painted garden room from the Villa of Livia.
Castel Sant'Angelo
Hadrian's tomb turned papal fortress, with a spiral ramp up to papal apartments and a rooftop view of St. Peter's.
Galleria Doria Pamphilj
A family palace still privately owned, with Velázquez's portrait of Pope Innocent X and Caravaggios hung salon-style.
Baths of Caracalla
Towering 3rd-century bath halls, hosting summer opera and ballet by night.
Ara Pacis
Augustus's altar of peace, carved in 9 BC, in a modern glass pavilion.
Hours and prices at these change by season and with exhibitions, so check each official site. Most state and city museums close one day a week, often Monday.
The Appian Way and catacombs
The Via Appia Antica, Rome's ancient road south, runs past tombs, umbrella pines and the catacombs where early Christians buried their dead. Sunday, when much of the road is closed to cars, is the best day to rent a bike near the Porta San Sebastiano and ride the cobbles. Bus 118 from the Circo Massimo area serves the road.
Three catacombs are open for guided visits of about 30 to 40 minutes, in English, with a fee:
- San Callisto, the largest and most visited, with the crypt of the popes.
- San Sebastiano, under a basilica, with Roman tombs and graffiti.
- Domitilla, the oldest, with an underground basilica and early frescoes.
Each closes one day a week (the days differ) and for a period each winter. Check the catacomb's site before you go. Underground it stays around 60°F (15°C) all year. The Park of the Aqueducts, a little east, is a free open field of ancient arches popular with Romans for Sunday walks.
Passes and free days
Roma Pass
The Roma Pass costs €38 (about $43) for 48 hours or €62.90 (about $70) for 72 hours. It covers city transit plus free entry to your first site (48-hour) or first two sites (72-hour), with reductions after. If you use the free entries on the Colosseum and the Borghese and ride transit a lot, it can save money. Otherwise, single tickets are cheaper. You still need to reserve time slots, and the Vatican is not covered. See Rome for transit passes.
Free first Sundays
Under Italy's Domenica al museo program, state museums and sites are free on the first Sunday of each month, and the Colosseum park and Borghese are also free on April 25, June 2 and November 4. It sounds like a deal, and it is a mob: lines are long, quotas apply, the Borghese still needs a reservation (released only days ahead) and the Domus Aurea is closed. If you are on a short trip, pay and skip the crush. See art and churches for free days nationwide.
Save money
Many of Rome's best sights cost nothing: the churches above, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, the Aventine keyhole, the Gianicolo view, the Capitoline piazza, the Park of the Aqueducts, and the Trevi Fountain before 9 am or after 10 pm.
Rules, dress and scams
- Dress. Covered shoulders and knees in every church. A scarf or light cardigan handles it in summer.
- Spanish Steps. Sitting on the steps is banned, and city police fine people who do. Walk up and down, take photos, then sit in the piazza.
- Fountains. No wading, sitting on the rims or eating at the city's monumental fountains.
- Bags and security. Expect airport-style screening at the Colosseum and most major sites. Large bags and backpacks may be refused.
- Scams. Costumed centurions outside the Colosseum who pose for a photo, then demand €20 or more. Unofficial "skip the line" sellers on the sidewalk. People who hand you a rose or bracelet, then ask for money. Say no and keep walking.
- Heat. The Forum and Palatine have little shade. In summer go at opening, wear a hat, and drink often.
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