Rome and Vatican City Travel Guide 2026: Colosseum, Vatican Museums Tickets and the New Trevi Fountain Fee
The key to a Rome and Vatican City trip is booking ahead. A standard Colosseum ticket costs €18, is issued in your name and goes on sale 30 days before your visit. Vatican Museums tickets are €20, plus €5 when you book on the official site. The Pantheon rose to €7 in July 2026, and since February 2026 it costs €2 to get close to the Trevi Fountain. St Peter's Basilica is free, but you must clear security and follow the dress code.
Key takeaways
- A standard Colosseum ticket is €18 (including the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, valid 24 hours); tickets are named and go on sale on the official site 30 days ahead.
- Vatican Museums tickets cost €20 (reduced €10), plus €5 each when booked on the official site; open Monday to Saturday 8:00–20:00 (last entry 18:00) and free on the last Sunday of the month.
- Pantheon tickets went up from €5 to €7 on 1 July 2026; it's open daily 9:00–19:00.
- Since 2 February 2026, non-residents pay €2 to enter the area beside the Trevi Fountain basin; viewing it from the piazza is still free.
- Suitcases aren't allowed in the Colosseum, and the Vatican Museums require bags larger than 40 × 35 × 15 cm to go in the cloakroom.
Rome and Vatican City at a glance: tickets and opening hours
These are the five sights most first-time visitors to Rome and Vatican City put on their list. Prices and hours were checked against official sources in October 2026; confirm on each official site before you go.
| Sight | Adult ticket | Opening hours | Nearest metro | Booking needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colosseum | From €18 | Opens 8:30 daily; closing time varies by season | Colosseo (Line B) | Yes, named ticket |
| Pantheon | €7 | Daily 9:00–19:00 (last entry 18:30) | About 15 min walk from Barberini (Line A) | Can buy on site |
| Trevi Fountain | €2 (basin area) | Mon and Fri 11:30–22:00, other days 9:00–22:00 | About 10 min walk from Barberini (Line A) | Card on site or online |
| St Peter's Basilica | Free | 7:00–20:00 from June 2026 | Ottaviano (Line A), about 10 min walk | No booking; security queue |
| Vatican Museums | €20 (+€5 online booking) | Mon–Sat 8:00–20:00 (last entry 18:00) | Ottaviano or Cipro (Line A) | Strongly recommended |
How to buy Colosseum tickets in 2026: ticket types and opening hours
Buy Colosseum tickets on the official site, ticketing.colosseo.it. The standard ticket is €18 and is issued in your name: you show a passport matching the booking at the entrance, and tickets go on sale 30 days before the visit date. Popular time slots often sell out quickly, and third-party bundles usually cost more.
The Colosseum. Photo: Anil Öztas / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0
Colosseum ticket types compared
| Ticket | Price | Validity | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (24h) | €18 | 24 hours | Colosseum levels 1 and 2 + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill |
| Full Experience (arena or underground) | €24 | About 2 days | Standard areas + the arena floor or the underground route |
| Under 18 | Free (€2 online booking fee) | Same as chosen ticket | Booking and ID required |
Opening hours and entry rules
- The Colosseum opens at 8:30 every day; closing time changes with the season. From 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027, last entry is 15:30 and the site closes at 16:30.
- Entry is free on the first Sunday of each month, but tickets are handed out on the day and the arena floor and underground are closed to free visitors.
- Under the official security rules, large backpacks, suitcases and trolleys are not allowed in, and there is no left-luggage service on site.
- Closed on 25 December and 1 January.
Do you need a ticket for the Pantheon? 2026 price and hours
Yes. Since 1 July 2026 an adult ticket costs €7 (up from €5), under an agreement signed in April 2026 between Italy's Ministry of Culture and the Diocese of Rome. Under-18s, visitors on the first Sunday of the month and people attending Mass enter free. It's open daily 9:00–19:00 with last entry at 18:30; see the Ministry of Culture's Pantheon page.
The Pantheon was rebuilt under Emperor Hadrian and completed around AD 125, then became a Christian church in 609. It is one of the best-preserved buildings of ancient Rome. The dome is 43.3 m across, and the oculus at its top, about 8.2 m wide, is the only source of natural light. The painter Raphael and King Victor Emmanuel II are buried here.
The Pantheon and Piazza della Rotonda. Photo: Nicholas Hartmann / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Does the Trevi Fountain cost money? The 2026 fee
Yes. Since 2 February 2026, visitors who don't live in Rome pay €2 to enter the inner area beside the fountain basin. Looking at it from Piazza di Trevi is still free. For tickets and the latest times, see the official Trevi Fountain website.
- Opening hours: Monday and Friday 11:30–22:00; Tuesday to Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 9:00–22:00; last entry 21:00 every day. Times change for maintenance or events.
- Free entry: residents of Rome and the Metropolitan City of Rome, children under 6, people with disabilities plus one companion, licensed tour guides, and Roma MIC card holders.
- How to buy: online on the official ticket site (open-dated, non-refundable), or by card at the entrance (no cash at the entrance).
The Trevi Fountain is about 26 m high and 49 m wide, the largest Baroque fountain in Rome. Legend says that if you toss a coin with your right hand over your left shoulder, with your back to the fountain, you'll return to Rome. About €3,000 in coins is thrown in each day, and the city passes it on to charity. To beat the crowds, go right at opening time.
The Trevi Fountain. Photo: Diliff / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
How much are Vatican Museums tickets and how do you book?
Vatican Museums tickets cost €20 (reduced €10); booking on the official Vatican Museums ticket site adds €5 each and lets you skip the ticket queue. Children under 7 enter free. The museums warn that this is the only official online ticket site and that lookalike sites may charge more.
| Ticket | At the door | Booked on the official site |
|---|---|---|
| Full price | €20 | €20 + €5 |
| Reduced (students and others) | €10 | €10 + €5 |
| Under 7 | Free | Free |
| Last Sunday of the month | Free (9:00–14:00, last entry 12:30) | Free (guided tours bookable) |
Opening hours and closing days
The Vatican Museums are open Monday to Saturday 8:00–20:00, last entry 18:00, and closed on Sundays except the last Sunday of the month. In 2026 they are also closed on 1 and 6 January, 11 February, 19 March, 6 April, 1 May, 29 June, 14 and 15 August, 1 November, and 8, 25 and 26 December; see the official opening-hours page for the full calendar.
Highlights include Michelangelo's ceiling and Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms and the Gallery of Maps; a full visit takes about 3–5 hours. Under the official cloakroom rules, suitcases and bags larger than 40 × 35 × 15 cm, large umbrellas and tripods must be checked in and collected the same day before closing.
St Peter's Basilica: opening hours and dress code
St Peter's Basilica is free and, since 1 June 2026, open daily 7:00–20:00. You enter through the security checkpoint on the right side of St Peter's Square, and the queue can be over an hour in peak season. Inside are Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's bronze baldachin, and the basilica holds about 60,000 people.
Under the basilica's official rules, clothing must suit a place of worship: very short clothes, sleeveless tops and hats are not allowed, so bring something that covers your shoulders and knees. Climbing the dome needs a separate ticket; it's open 7:00–18:00 in summer (until 25 October 2026) and 7:30–17:00 in winter, with prices on the official site.
The façade of St Peter's Basilica. Photo: Alvesgaspar / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
How to get from Rome's airport to the city centre
The fastest way from Fiumicino Airport (FCO) is the non-stop Leonardo Express: about 32 minutes to Termini station for €14 one way, roughly every 15 minutes. Taxis from Fiumicino to the centre inside the Aurelian Walls charge a fixed fare of €55.
| Option | Price | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo Express (FCO → Termini) | €14 | About 32 min | Staying near Termini, travelling light |
| Taxi (FCO → centre inside the walls) | Fixed €55 | About 45–60 min, traffic permitting | Two or more people, lots of luggage |
| FL1 regional train | About €8 | Doesn't stop at Termini | Staying in Trastevere or south-west Rome |
Timetables and fares can change; check the Rome airports official website.
Too much luggage in Rome? Your options
Sightseeing in Rome with a suitcase is hard work. The Colosseum bans suitcases and trolleys and has no left-luggage service, and the Vatican Museums make you check bags over 40 × 35 × 15 cm. The old town is mostly cobblestones, and Termini station and the metro are crowded and a known pickpocket hotspot. On check-out day, or when you move on from Rome to Florence or Milan, your bags become the biggest obstacle.
The usual options are:
- Leave your bags with the hotel front desk and come back for them (you have to return to the hotel).
- Use a left-luggage shop near a station or sight (you still carry the bags there).
- Use a luggage delivery service to send them straight to your next stop.
LuggAgent collects luggage from hotels, apartments and airports in Rome and delivers it to hotels and airports in the city, or to hotels in Florence and Milan: choose a 09:00–11:00 pickup time when booking, leave your bags at the front desk before then and they arrive by 21:00 the same day. Most services need to be booked at least 24–72 hours in advance; the exact cutoff is shown on the booking page. See Rome luggage delivery for details.
Landing at Fiumicino, you can hand us your bags at the airport and head into the city hands-free:
If you fly a low-cost airline into Ciampino, we can take your bags straight to your Rome hotel:
Taking the train from Florence to Rome, you can travel with just a day bag while your luggage goes to your Rome hotel the same day:
FAQ
How far ahead should I book Colosseum tickets?
The official site releases tickets 30 days before the visit date; a standard ticket is €18 and issued in your name. In peak season popular slots sell out soon after release, so book as soon as your dates are fixed, and only on the official site, ticketing.colosseo.it.
Are the Vatican Museums really free on the last Sunday of the month?
Yes, they open free of charge from 9:00 to 14:00 on the last Sunday of each month (last entry 12:30), except when it falls on Easter or a religious feast day. Free days are extremely busy and queues can last hours, so if your time is limited, book a weekday slot on the official site (€20 + €5).
Do I have to pay the €2 Trevi Fountain fee?
Not necessarily. The €2 ticket only covers the inner area beside the basin; you can still see and photograph the fountain from Piazza di Trevi for free. You only need a ticket to get close enough to toss a coin, and the entrance accepts cards only.
What is the dress code for the Vatican?
St Peter's Basilica does not allow very short clothing, sleeveless tops or hats, and the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums is also a place of worship, so cover your shoulders and knees. In summer, carry a light layer or scarf and put it on before you go in.
How many days do you need for Rome and Vatican City?
Plan at least 3 days: one for the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, one for the Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica, and one for the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the old town around the Spanish Steps. Add 1–2 days for the Borghese Gallery or day trips from Rome.
Cover photo: Diliff / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5
This article offers general travel tips for reference only. For actual services and conditions, please rely on the booking page and the latest official announcements.
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