Visiting Rome? Don't Want to Miss Out?

See every museum, landmark, and attraction that needs to be booked ahead.

Visiting Rome? Don't Want to Miss Out?

See every museum, landmark, and attraction that needs to be booked ahead.

Is the Pantheon Still Free for Anyone?

Yes, a few groups can still get in for free, and the exemptions are broader than most tourists expect.

Under 18s enter free. Residents of the Municipality of Rome enter free. Licensed tour guides enter free. And on the first Sunday of every month, entry is free for everyone.

If you're planning on visiting on a Sunday, give it some consideration. Free entry is popular, and it is also the one day you cannot reserve ahead. On free days there are no online bookings at all: tickets are non-nominal and handed out at the entrance, and so there is still a line in front. If your time in Rome is short, paying the €7 on a quieter weekday will lead to the better experience.

Do You Need to Book, or Can You Just Turn Up?

You can show up at the Pantheon without a ticket. Tickets are sold on site at the ticket offices and at automatic vending machines, as well as online through the Musei Italiani website and app.

That said, booking ahead is usually the better move most of the time. The queue at the door is the thing you are paying to avoid, and it builds through the middle of the day. A slot booked in advance lets you walk to the entrance at a set time instead of standing in the piazza. If you're visiting during the hot summer season, you will be especially thankful you booked ahead.

If you are visiting on a weekday outside the summer peak, turning up is fine. If you are visiting on a weekend, a holiday, or between June and September, book a couple of days ahead.

Opening Hours

The Pantheon is open 9:00 to 19:00, Monday to Sunday. The ticket office closes at 18:00 and last entry for individual visitors is 18:30. It is closed on 25 December and 1 January.

Note that there is a gap between the ticket office closure and the last entry. If you are buying at the door, 18:00 is your real deadline, not 18:30.

One Thing Worth Knowing

The Pantheon is still an active church, and Mass is celebrated here. During services the building is closed to sightseeing, which catches a lot of tourists off guard on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings in particular. If you are planning a tight schedule around it, check the day before.

For the best time of day to visit, how long to allow, what to look for inside and how to combine it with everything nearby, see our full Pantheon guide.