Roma pass cost: what you should know about Rome tourist passes ?

Visitors to Rome can choose between four main tourist pass options. Deciding which one is the best for your individual needs is not always that easy. That’s why it’s important to read this article before hitting that “book now” button. Not only will you find out what the different Roma Pass cost but also where to buy the Roma Pass and tips for getting the best value for your money from it.

Article updated in February 2023.

What to expect from the different Rome passes ?

The four main Rome passes are:

• Roma Pass
• Omnia Vatican and Rome Card
• Turbopass (or Rome City Pass)
• Rome Tourist Card

These passes all include fast-track entry to Rome’s main attractions with a few differences here and there and each one has various advantages. But concretely which one is the most interesting?

This is a guide to help you find the best way to use the Roma Pass. It also gives you a detailed list of where to buy the Roma pass.

Roma Pass

Top attractions included in the Roma Pass

Update 2023: The Colosseum entry is now included in addition to the free visits, but with a standard ticket only.

Free entry to one (48 hours) or two (72 hours) of the following top Rome attractions are included in the Roma Pass cost:

• Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
• Castel Sant’Angelo
• Borghese Gallery (included again since February 2023)
• Capitoline Museums
• Museum of Rome
• Carcer Tullianum

And some new offers have been added on February 19, 2023:

• The archaeological site of Circo Massimo
• Forum Pass Super (Fori Imperiali, Foro Romano, Palatino e Ville)
• Circo Massimo Experience and Carcalla 4d

In addition, you will get a discount on the admission fees of more than 30 other museums.

Everything you need to know gathered in a free mobile guide

More benefits of the Roma Pass

Holders of a Roma Pass get unlimited use of the city’s public transport network in the form of a free travel card.

Is fast-track entry included in the Roma Pass cost?

Yes, the Roma Pass includes priority access to the Capitoline Museums and Castel Sant’Angelo. In addition, it allows you to make a free mandatory booking for Palazzo Valentini.

Update 2023: The Roma Pass isn't as interessant as it was before. Entry to the Colosseum is no longer 100% guaranteed. Indeed, the Coliseum has reviewed its policy and since November 2019, has reduced the number of entries for standard tickets.

Even if Roma Pass holders have a special queue, there is no guarantee that they will be able to visit the Colosseum. It is a very popular site and the classic tickets are almost always sold out. In other words, it is likely that by the date you wish to visit the monument will no longer be available. Tickets are sometimes sold out over a period of several months!

Note: The free entry to the Borghese Gallery is again included with the Roma Pass!

Who is the Roma Pass good for?

• First-time visitors who want to see one or two of Rome’s top attractions on a budget.
• Those who like exploring at their own pace.

Roma Pass Cost

Update 2023: the Roma Pass has raised its prices:

The Roma Pass cost is €35 (VS 32€ before) for 48 hours and €55 (VS 52€) for 72 hours. You can buy it online on this website before landing to Rome.

Good to know about Roma Pass

The Roma Pass can conveniently be bought online before your trip. After arriving in the Eternal City, it’s easy to collect at one of the many Rome tourist INFOPOINTS.

The standard ticket delivered by the Roma Pass will not insure you access to Colosseum. 

Omnia Vatican & Rome Card

Top attractions included in the Omnia Card

The Omnia Vatican & Rome Card includes a 72-hour Roma Pass with free admission to two of the following main attractions: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, Capitoline Museums, Borghese Gallery *, National Museum, Castel Sant'Angelo, and Carcer Tullianum.

* Update February 2023: You now CAN book again an entry to the Borghese Gallery.

What makes the Omnia Vatican & Rome Card stand out is that it also includes free entry to the Vatican Museums with Sistine Chapel and you can add an audio guide for St Peter’s Basilica.

More benefits of the Omnia Card

• Omnia 24H & 72H
• A detailed guidebook to help with your planning.
• Discounts to 30 more sights and attractions in Rome.

Do I get fast-track entry with the Omnia Card?

Yes, priority access to the Vatican Museums, St Peter’s Basilica is included in the Omnia Card.

Who is the Omnia Card good for?

• First-time visitors to Rome who like to combine a visit to the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica with two other top Rome attractions while benefiting from free public transport.
• You like the idea of seeing and learning more of Rome from the comfort of a hop-on-hop-off bus instead of using the metro or public buses.

Omnia Card prices

The Omnia Vatican & Rome Card costs €129 and you can buy it online on this website.

Good to know about Omnia Card

To ensure you get entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, you can now pre-book the time slot online after purchasing your Omnia Card. Do this as soon as possible to ensure you get to visit on your preferred date and time.

Rome City Pass from Turbopass

Top attractions included in the Rome City Pass (Turbopass)

The Turbopass aka Rome City Pass includes free entry to the Vatican Museums, Colosseum and Roman Forum if you buy the 2-day pass. The 3-day pass also includes admission to Castel Sant’Angelo and the 6-day pass gets you into the Baths of Caracalla too.

More benefits of the Rome City Pass (Turbopass)

Free public transport.

• Reduced entry to additional attractions and exhibitions.
• Hop-on-hop-off Rome bus tour.
• Rome map and travel guide.

Do I get fast-track entry with the Rome City Pass (Turbopass)?

Yes, it includes fast-track admission to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill as well as skip-the-line tickets to the Vatican Museums and priority access to St Peter’s Basilica.

Who is the Rome Turbopass good for?

• Those with a bigger budget who are planning a longer trip to Rome and want to visit all the included attractions anyway.
• People who like the convenience of buying one product which includes all tickets and travel cards.

Rome Turbopass prices

Good to know about Rome City Turbopass

When buying the Rome City Pass online you can indicate the date and time you want to visit the Vatican Museums, taking the hassle out of scheduling your visit.

Rome Tourist Card – the one we recommend

Top attractions included in the Rome Tourist Card

Holders of a Rome Tourist Card on their mobile phones get free fast-track entry to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Those who opt to pay a little extra, also get skip-the-line tickets for the Vatican Museums with Sistine Chapel.

In addition, they get 10% discount on the entry tickets to other top attractions such as the Borghese Gallery and Castel Sant’Angelo.

More benefits of the Rome Tourist Card

The Rome Tourist Card has a clear advantage over the Roma Pass (buy it here).

The Card offers 2 types of tickets to visit the Colosseum. You have either the choice between an audio guide ticket or a guided tour. With one of those tickets you are sure to have availability on the date you wish to visit the Coliseum.

The Rome Tourist Card is the only pass to offer this big advantage.

It also comes with free downloadable audio guides for the Colosseum (if choosen), Pantheon, and St Peter’s Basilica, with fast-track entry to the latter. You’ll also get a ticket and free skip-the-line entrance to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel

Also provided an audio guide app with 130+ points of interests in the city (with offline, interactive digital maps and navigation). And those who have time to visit more attractions after the Colosseum and Vatican City, get 10% off tickets to most other Rome attractions.

Do I get fast-track entry with the Rome Tourist Card

Yes, skip-the-line tickets to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill are included, as well as priority access to St Peter’s Basilica. If you pay extra to include the Vatican Museums in your Rome Tourist Card it also comes with fast-track entry.

Who is the Rome Tourist Card good for ?

• Travellers who don’t like to waste time picking up a physical card after arriving in Rome will benefit greatly from the Rome Tourist Card. Once downloaded on your mobile, it can be scanned by all participating attractions and other partners.
• Because there is no time limit attached to the Rome Tourist Card, it’s also good for those who like a flexible itinerary.
• For those who absolutely want to visit the Coliseum and be guaranteed access to it

How it works to book the Rome Tourist Card?

1. Book your Rome Tourist Card online,
2. Select your arrival date,
3. When you order your Rome Tourist Card, you can choose the type of ticket you want for the Colosseum (audio-guide or guided tour),
4. After making your reservation, you will receive your tickets and a voucher code with which you will get discounts for other museums, attractions, visits and excursions.

Pretty easy, don't you think?

Rome Pass cost overview

Tips to make the Roma Pass cost worth it

The best way to use the Roma Pass

1.     Book your Roma Pass online to save time after arriving in Rome.

2.     Plan ahead and save more time by identifying a collection point closest to your accommodation.

3.     Rome passes cost money. Use your free admission benefits to see the most expensive attractions on the list. These include the Roman Forum, Borghese Gallery & Capitoline Museums.

4.     Only activate your Roma Pass when you are ready to start using it. In fact, all the Rome city passes are hour-based passes. This means you can start using it on the afternoon of your arrival without wasting a calendar day.

5.     Rome gets very busy in the peak season. Prioritize your sightseeing by starting with the one you want to see most.

6.     Make sure you benefit from all the free admissions included in the Roma Pass by starting your day early. There’s nothing worse than paying for something and not being able to benefit from it because you ran out of time.

7.     See more of Rome by travelling on the buses included in your tourist pass instead of taking the metro.

8.     If you’re planning to visit the Castel Sant’Angelo, remember they are closed on Mondays.

9.     Avoid the first Sunday of the month when entry to the Colosseum and Vatican Museums are free for everyone.

10.  If you’re not buying your tourist pass online in advance, make sure you know where to buy the Roma Pass before you arrive.

Which Roma Pass should I buy?

Deciding which Roma Pass to buy depends on how much time you are spending in Rome. If you’re in the city for less than 3 days, the 48-hour Roma Pass makes sense. With more time, the 72-hour pass with its free entry to 2 top attractions is a better deal.

If you want to add the Vatican Museums to your itinerary, the OMNIA Vatican & Rome Card is worth considering if you have 3 days for sightseeing in the Eternal City.

The digital Rome Tourist Card (check here) offers flexibility in that there is no time limit attached. It means you can make use of your free tickets whenever you want during your visit. Of course, the other big benefit is that you don’t have the hassle of picking up a physical card after arrival.

But what he does make us recommend it 100%, is his Colosseum ticket options. By choosing an audio guide ticket or a guided tour, you are sure to find a slot available for the Coliseum tour. Which is not the case with the other passes…

With the luxury of more than 3 days to spend in Rome, why not look at the benefits of the 6-day Turbopass again.

How to use your 48-hour Roma Pass

Decide which top attraction you like to visit and make your way there soon after activating your pass, preferably early in the morning or 2 to 3 hours before closing time.

Use your free travel card to visit some of Rome’s free attractions for the rest of the day. These include the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps.

Depending on how much time you have on day two, you could use your card to get discounted tickets to one of the other attractions on the Roma Pass list.

How to use your 72-hour Roma Pass

Choose which two of the Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill, Capitoline Museums, Castel Sant’Angelo or Museum of Rome you want to see for free. Then start 2 of your 3 days with the 72-hour Roma Pass visiting these attractions.

If you have the Roma Pass with the OMNIA Vatican & Rome Card, you can start one of the days with your free Vatican visit. With this card, you can take many trips on the hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus to explore the rest of Rome in between visits. Let it take you to the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon or just sit and listen to the audio guides while taking in the splendour of the Eternal City.

Where to buy Roma Pass ?

In contrast to the OMNIA Vatican & Rome Card and the Turbopass, there are many ways to buy the Roma Pass. Here is an overview:

1.     Online – The most convenient way to buy the Roma Pass. You can pick up your pass at any of the collection points in Rome within 24 hours after the time of purchase.

Take note: Only 4 Roma Passes may be bought with the same credit card from the same device within 24 hours.

2.     By calling the customer service centre on 0039 060608. Keep your Visa and Mastercard, which are accepted as the payment method, close to the phone.

3.     All participating museums and sights. However, keep in mind you are bound to specific opening hours. This can also turn out to be very time consuming on busy tourist days.

4.     Rome tourist INFOPOINTS. If you’re unsure where to buy the Roma Pass when already in the city, these kiosks are all over the city and also serve as collection point for the Roma Pass when purchased online. Find the one closest to you with this useful list:

Where are the Rome tourist infopoints ?

•       TERMINI Tourist INFOPOINT

Termini Station

Via Giovanni Giolitti, 34, Inside Building F – Platform 24

Every day from 8:00 to 18:45.

•       MINGHETTI Tourist INFOPOINT

Via Marco Minghetti (Via del Corso)

Every day from 9:30 to 19:00.

•       CASTEL SANT’ANGELO Tourist INFOPOINT

Piazza Pia

Every day from April to October from 9:30 to 19:00.

Every day from November to March from 8:30 to 18:00.

•       SONNINO Tourist INFOPOINT

Piazza Sidney Sonnino (Trastevere)

Every day from 10:30 to 20:00.

•       FORI IMPERIALI Tourist INFOPOINT

Via dei Fori Imperiali.

Every day from 9:30 to 19:00.

•       NAVONA Tourist INFOPOINT

Piazza delle Cinque Lune (Piazza Navona)

Every day from 9:30 to 19:00.

•      SAN PIETRO Tourist INFOPOINT

Info Point ORP (Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi)

Largo del Colonnato 1 (Piazza San Pietro)

Every day from 9:00 to 18:00.

•       CIAMPINO APT Tourist INFOPOINT

International Arrivals.

Every day from 8:30 to 18:00.

•       FIUMICINO APT Tourist INFOPOINT

Leonardo Da Vinci Airport- International Arrivals – Terminal T3.

Every day from 8:00 to 20:45

NOTE: Only debit cards or credit cards are accepted as method of payment for the Roma Pass when bought at one of the INFOPOINTS.

5.     The ATAC subway ticket offices. You’ll find them at:

·       Metro A – Anagnina, Battistini, Lepanto, Ottaviano, Spagna

·       Metro B – Laurentina, Eur Fermi, Ponte Mammolo, Termini

·       Metro B1 – Conca d’Oro

·       Ferrovia Roma-Viterbo – Piazzale Flaminio

·       Roma-Lido – Porta San Paolo

The opening times are Monday to Saturday from 7:00 to 20:00 and Sundays and public holidays from 8:00 to 20:00.

6.    Trenitalia ticket offices and FrecciaClub.

Conclusion on Roma Pass Cost

The Roma Pass is not longer beneficial for its holders. Prices have increased a lot and honestly, we don't really understand why.

Ok, it is great way to save on transport costs while sightseeing in Rome. But as it do not secure your Colosseum access, we wouldn't recommend it anymore.

The Rome Tourist Card is for us the best option, and a solution to the shortage of standard ticket entries to the Coliseum. Moreover, an audio guide or a guided tour allows you to learn much more about the monument than a simple visit.

But opting for a pass to Rome will depend on the type of stay you wish to have.

Roma pass cost anything from €35 for 48 hours and €129 for 3 days. That’s not always cheap.

Therefore, you should do your research and choose the best way to use the Roma Pass based on how much time and money you can spend in the Eternal City.