Prices and rates
Tickets, reductions, free admission, City Pass, family and student discounts.
See prices →At a glance
| Full price | from €8 (+ €2 advance booking online) |
| Typical hours | 09:00 – sunset (ticket office closes one hour earlier) |
| Address | Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 52 — 00153 Rome |
| Advance booking | Recommended, especially April–October |
| Visit duration | 1.5 – 2.5 hours |
| Nearest metro | Circus Maximus (Line B) – 8 minutes' walk |
Rates and opening data sourced from the official site turismoroma.it. Always verify before your visit.
What are the Baths of Caracalla?
The Baths of Caracalla — originally named Thermae Antoninianae — are one of the most imposing bath complexes of antiquity. Emperor Caracalla inaugurated them in 216 AD, following construction started by his father Septimius Severus around 212. For over three centuries, they were the heart of Roman social life: 1,600 people could bathe simultaneously in an area exceeding 11 hectares.
Today the site is one of the capital's most evocative archaeological parks. Brick walls still rise over 30 metres high. Floors preserve mosaics, and the colossal halls — frigidarium, tepidarium, caldarium — attest to the scale of imperial luxury. Walking among the ruins, you understand why Shelley, in 1819, composed much of Prometheus Unbound here.
Why it's worth visiting
- Exceptional preservation: few Roman baths still show intact walls and in-situ mosaics.
- Immersive experience: since 2020, a virtual reality reconstruction shows the spaces as they appeared in the 3rd century.
- Manageable crowds: compared to the Colosseum or Forum, it's peaceful. Even in summer, waiting times remain manageable.
- Summer Opera Season: from June to early August, Rome's Opera Theatre transforms the ruins into a natural stage.
Tickets for the Baths of Caracalla
The full ticket costs €8 according to official Ministry of Culture rates. Buying online adds a €2 advance booking fee, but you skip the ticket queue — a significant advantage on weekends and in peak season.
| Ticket type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full | €8 | Baths of Caracalla only |
| EU students 18–25 | €2 | ID required |
| Under 18 | Free | EU and non-EU |
| Combination ticket | €10–14 | Includes Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella and Villa dei Quintili |
| Audio guide | €5–8 | Available separately |
| Guided tour | from €25 | With licensed guide + ticket |
The dedicated prices page summarises all reductions, free admission and free-entry days (first Sunday of the month, per Ministry calendar).
Editor's tip. If you're travelling as a couple or family, the combination ticket with Cecilia Metella and Villa dei Quintili offers great value: costs just a few euros more, is valid for seven days, and includes two spectacular sites on the Appian Way often overlooked by mass tourism.
Practical information
Opening hours
The Baths open at 09:00. Closing follows sunset and changes month by month: 16:30 in deep winter, up to 19:15 from April to September. Last admission is one hour before closing. Mondays have reduced hours (09:00–14:00). For the full schedule consult the opening hours page.
How to get there
Metro: Line B, Circus Maximus station, then 600 metres on foot along Viale Aventino and Viale delle Terme di Caracalla. Bus: lines 118, 160, 628 stop outside the entrance. Car: not recommended due to the ZTL and limited parking — the parking guide explains your limited options.
Accessibility
The main route is wheelchair-accessible. Ramps are available and a tactile map is at the entrance. The underground section (Mithraeum) requires the ability to descend steep stairs and is not accessible.
Services
- Gift shop with guides and postcards
- Accessible public toilets
- Water dispensers near the entrance
- Wi-Fi not available on site
- Pets allowed only if small, on a lead
Explore the site
Pages are organised to answer visitors' most common questions. Choose the section you need.
Updated opening hours
Month-by-month opening times, last admission, special closures.
View hours →Location
Address, map, metro, bus, directions on foot from the centre.
How to get there →Parking
The truly useful options in the area, hourly rates and recommended alternatives.
Parking guide →Audio guide
Official app, rental audio guides and free downloadable versions.
Discover the audio guide →Circus Maximus + Caracalla
Combined walking itinerary: two monuments, half a day.
Combined itinerary →Site map
Floor plan of the halls, suggested route, best photo spots.
View the map →When to visit: the golden hour
From a practical standpoint, the Baths of Caracalla have three ideal time windows and one to avoid. Here's the breakdown for maximum enjoyment during a Roman morning.
- 09:00 – 10:30: just opened, tour groups still at the Colosseum. Low light grazes the brick walls, ideal for photographers.
- 15:30 – 17:00 (summer): heat eases, long shadows, few organised groups.
- Summer evenings: during the Summer Opera Season, the baths open as a live spectacle. A different, unforgettable experience.
- To avoid: Easter weekend and mid-August between 11:00–13:00. Scorching heat, school groups, queues at the ticket office.
First-hand experience. Last May I visited the site on a Tuesday at 10:00 with an online reservation. Ten minutes from the metro, no queue at entry, two peaceful hours among the frigidarium and mosaics. My advice: bring water, a hat and closed shoes — the ground alternates between smooth stone, gravel and ancient steps.
A brief history of the Baths
The project originated under the Severan dynasty. Septimius Severus began work in 212 AD; his son Caracalla — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus — formally inaugurated them four years later. Elagabalus and Alexander Severus completed the porticoes and hydraulic systems until 235.
The central building measures 214 × 110 metres. It contained: frigidarium with four cold basins, tepidarium as a transitional space, caldarium — a circular rotunda 35 metres in diameter, two symmetrical gymnasiums, libraries, reading rooms, a grand open-air natatio (swimming pool). Beneath the floors ran a system of galleries up to 6 metres high, traversed by hundreds of slaves tending the furnaces.
The baths remained in use until 537 AD, when the Goths under Vitigis cut the aqueducts during the siege of Rome. From then the area fell into long abandonment. In the Renaissance it became a marble quarry: the Farnese Bull, the Farnese Hercules and other monumental sculptures now in Naples were discovered here between 1545 and 1546, at Cardinal Alessandro Farnese's behest.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I buy tickets at the booth on the day?
- Yes, unless they sell out. In low season it's not a problem. From Easter to late October, online booking is worthwhile: €2 extra, zero wait.
- Are the Baths of Caracalla included in the Roma Pass?
- Yes. The 48-hour Roma Pass includes one of the first two sites visited free; the 72-hour includes two. The Baths are among the participating attractions.
- Can I bring a pushchair?
- Yes, the main route is accessible. Some sub-routes (Mithraeum) have steep stairs. A baby carrier backpack is a practical alternative.
- How large is the site?
- The archaeological area exceeds 11 hectares. The central bath building alone occupies 2.3 hectares. Allow at least 90 minutes for your visit.
- Can you bathe in the pools?
- No, there's been no water in the Baths since the 6th century. The basins are part of the archaeological site and are not usable.
- What to see nearby?
- Circus Maximus (8 minutes), Aventine with the Orange Garden (15 minutes), Appian Way (15 minutes by bus), Tomb of Cecilia Metella (included in combination ticket).
Plan your visit today
Check availability and opening hours for your date of interest. The digital ticket arrives via email within minutes of purchase and you present it at entry directly from your smartphone.