The Roma Pass is the city's official tourist card. It comes in two versions, and the key is to count what you'll actually use.
What's included
- Free entry to your first museum or archaeological site with the 48-hour pass, or your first two with the 72-hour pass. Choose the most expensive ones first, such as the Colosseum (Forum and Palatine included) or the Borghese Gallery.
- Reduced tickets at every other participating site after that.
- Unlimited public transport on Rome's metro, buses and trams for the whole period.
Prices change each year, so check the official site for the current price of each version.
What's not included
- The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's. The Vatican is a separate state and isn't part of the scheme.
- The Leonardo Express airport train and other trains to Fiumicino or Ciampino.
- Skipping reservations: sites that need a timed booking, like the Colosseum and Borghese Gallery, still need one, even with the pass.
Is it worth it?
Probably yes if you'll use public transport every day and your free entries go to expensive sites like the Colosseum and the Borghese Gallery.
Probably not if you'll mostly walk (from our house, the Colosseum, Monti and Santa Maria Maggiore are all on foot), if your main plan is the Vatican, or if you'd only visit free churches and piazzas.
Quick test: add up the full price of the two sites you'd pick, plus the cost of the transport tickets you'd buy anyway over those days. If that total is more than the pass, it pays off.
How to use it
- Buy it online or in Rome, and activate it on first use. The clock starts then.
- For the Colosseum or the Borghese Gallery, reserve your slot using the Roma Pass option before you go.
- Tap the card at metro gates and on buses.
Quick answers
Does the Roma Pass include the Vatican?
No. The Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's are not included.
Do I still need to book the Colosseum with a Roma Pass?
Yes. The Colosseum and the Borghese Gallery require a timed reservation even for Roma Pass holders.