Rome Visiting Hours - Open Hours and Days for Major Attractions/Sights

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Visiting Hours of
Important Sights and Attractions
in Rome

Ranking the Top Attractions | Suggested Itineraries
Touring on Your Own | Beyond the Basics
Lesser-known Sites | Visiting Hours
Retreats from Big-city Hustle and Bustle
Excursions Beyond the City's Walls

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ome Sights, Walks, Excursions and Retreats is the starting point for our complete rundown on Rome's attractions. If you've not visited this page, consider doing so.

isiting hours in Rome can be whimsical at best, confusing at least, and often reported incorrectly ... including here. Fortunately there has been much recent improvement, especially in preparation for Jubilee 2000. Even then, you may come away a bit frustrated from trying to plan your days.

A warning: the hours shown below are almost certainly wrong as we write them! At least one or more of them. Rome has a long history ... of changing visiting hours without notice, often, and without apparent rhyme or reason. This has improved of late so things may be a bit more stable.

The first thing a visitor to Rome should do is pick up a copy of This Week in Rome or a similar publication that lists 'recent' (not necessarily current) hours. If your hotel doesn't supply one you'll find something similar and useful at the nearest newsstand.

If you're planning on sightseeing on Monday or Sunday you'll want to plan your schedule around those open then. Sights open on Sunday are marked with an . Those open on Monday are marked with an .

Saint Peter's Basilica (Basilica San Pietro)
Basically 0700-1900 in summer, until 1800 Oct.-Mar., but closed during Papal Audiences in the square, and for major services and events, including preparation time. Climb to the dome from 0800-1800, 1700 winter. Masses: the high altar is used only for papal masses. Frequent masses are held daily, every day, in the various 'minor' chapels.

Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani)
Admission 0845-1530 Monday to Friday, summer and Eastertime last admission at 1530 and closes at 1645. In winter (November through March, normally) last admission 1230, closes at 1345. Admission Saturdays and the last Sunday of the month from 0845 to 1245, closing promptly at 1345.

Closed Sunday except the last Sunday of the month when admission is free. Expect many visitors on Sundays, of which many families and children.

Closed many holidays, including New Year's Day, Epiphany, Easter Sunday and Monday, Ascension, Corpus Christi, Assumption, All Saints Day, Christmas Day and the following day (St. Stephen's or Boxing Day.) There are others! The museums tend to be more crowded on Saturdays and the last Sunday, and to some degree also more crowded on most Mondays. Preferable to schedule for Tuesday-Friday.

Hadrian's Tomb (Castel Sant' Angelo)
Tuesday to Sunday 0900-1900. Admission ends one hour before closing.

Roman Forum (Foro Romano)
Monday to Sunday 0900-1900.

Palatine (Palatino)
Monday to Saturday 0900-1600, admission ends one hour before.

Imperial Fora (I Fori Imperiali)
Monday to Sunday 0900-1830

Colosseum (Colosseo)
Monday to Saturday 0900-Sunset; until 1600 October to March.

Capitoline (Campidoglio) Museums
Tuesday to Sunday, 1000-2100; closed Monday.

Pantheon
Monday to Saturday 0830-1630, Sunday 0830-1300.

St. Peter's in Chains (San Pietro in Vincoli)
(Moses, by Michaelangelo)
Daily 0900 - 1200 and 1500-1800.

Nero's Golden House (Palace) (Domus Aurea)
Daily 0900-1945. Reservations required.

Borghese Gallery (Galleria e Museo Borghese)
Tuesday to Sunday 0900-1900; closed Monday. Reservations required.

Galleria Doria Pamphilj (Palazzo Doria Pamphilj)
Friday to Wednesday, 1000-1700; Thursday closed.

National Gallery of Art
(Galleria Nazionale D'Arte Antica)
(Palazzo Barberini)
Tuesday to Saturday 0900-1900, Sunday 0900-2000; closed Monday.

Etruscan Museum
(Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia)
Tuesday to Saturday 0900-1900, Sunday and holidays 0900-1400; closed Monday.

National Museum of the Baths
(Museo Nazionale alle Terme)
Tuesday to Saturday 0900-1900, Sunday 0900-1400; closed Monday.

Museum of Roman Civilization
(Museo della Civilita Romana)
Tuesday to Saturday 0900-1845, Sunday and holidays 0900-1300; closed Monday.

Altar to Peace ( Ara Pacis Augustae)
Daily 0900-1900; closed Monday.

Catacombs
There are many; see note above under St. Peter's.

Ostia Antica
Closed Monday; open 0900-one hour before sunset.

Sunrise, Sunset and Twilight
Compute these facts for your visit.

Our principal source for much of this information is ScalaReale which normally maintains a more extensive list.

You'll find Romeguide a helpful resource.

Roma2000 Museums and Monuments Synopsis of contents, map location, buses, hours and prices for many of the city's attractions. May suffer, in 2001, from neglect and creeping obsolescence.

The city's cultural site, Le Pagine di Roma, in Italian, but quite helpful.

Five Basic Rome Itineraries
	The Vatican: St. Peter's, the Museums and Castel Sant' Angelo (Hadrian's Tomb)
	Ancient Rome: Piazza Venezia, Vittoriano, Campidoglio, Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Forum and Palatine View, Colosseum
	Christian Rome Bus Tour: Catacombs, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Pietro in Vincoli, San Giovanni in Laterano and San Paolo
	Art And A Stroll: Palazzo Barberini, Santa Maria della Concezione (Capuchin Crypt), Pincio, Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna
	Renaissance Rome: Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Pantheon

Ranking the Top Attractions | Suggested Itineraries
Touring on Your Own | Beyond the Basics | Lesser-known Sites
Retreats from Big-city Hustle and Bustle
Excursions Beyond the City's Walls

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Visiting Hours of Important Sights and Attractions in Rome

Visiting Hours of
Important Sights and Attractions
in Rome