The Pantheon, Rome: Tickets, Hours & What to Know

What is the Pantheon?

Built around 125 AD under the emperor Hadrian, the Pantheon was a temple to all the gods of Rome — pan (all) theon (gods). It survived the fall of the empire because it was converted into a church in the 7th century, and it serves as one still today. That continuous use is why it's so astonishingly well preserved.

Its dome remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, an engineering achievement that wasn't surpassed for over a thousand years. At its centre is the oculus, a nine-metre opening to the open sky — the building's only source of light, and a genuinely awe-inspiring sight as the shaft of sunlight moves across the interior through the day. Inside, you'll also find the tombs of the artist Raphael and two kings of Italy.

Pantheon tickets and admission

For most of its modern history the Pantheon was free to enter. That changed recently: there is now a standard admission fee (a few euros), with reduced rates for young visitors and free entry for children under a certain age and for religious services. So if you've read older guides saying the Pantheon is free, that's now out of date for general daytime visits.

A few things worth knowing:

• Buy ahead to skip the line. You can book a timed-entry ticket online in advance, which lets you bypass the often-long queue at the door — well worth it in peak season.
• Audio guides and guided tours are available and add a lot, given how much history is packed into the building.
• Mass is free to attend, but it's a service of worship, not a sightseeing slot — visit respectfully and outside tourist hours.

Because fees and booking arrangements have changed recently and can change again, check the official ticketing details close to your trip.

Opening hours

The Pantheon is generally open daily, with long hours through the day, though it can close to tourists during religious services and may have reduced hours on holidays. As with the ticket details, confirm current opening times before you go, since they're adjusted periodically.

Tips for visiting

• Go early or late. The Pantheon is one of Rome's busiest sights. The first hour after opening or later in the day brings smaller crowds and better light.
• Look up — then look down. The dome and oculus get all the attention, but the marble floor (subtly sloped, with drains for rain that falls through the oculus) and the tombs are worth your time too.
• Dress respectfully. It's an active church; shoulders and knees covered is the norm.
• See it at night, too. Even when closed, the floodlit exterior and the lively piazza in front make for a wonderful evening stop — see our guide to Rome after dark.
• Combine it with what's nearby. The Pantheon sits in the heart of the centro storico, minutes from other great sights.

What's nearby

One of the best things about the Pantheon is its location — it's surrounded by must-see sights, all within easy reach:

• Piazza Navona — about 5 minutes away, with Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers.
• Trevi Fountain — roughly 8 minutes' walk east, and worth timing carefully; see our Trevi Fountain guide.
• Spanish Steps — around 13 minutes north.
• Piazza della Rotonda — the Pantheon's own square, ringed with cafés perfect for a coffee with a view of the portico.

This tight cluster is what makes the historic centre so rewarding — and so easy to see in one go. For the full picture of how the city's landmarks sit relative to each other, see our guide to Rome's landmark distances and getting around.

The easy way to see the Pantheon and the centre

The Pantheon sits in a knot of Rome's greatest sights, which is wonderful — until you realise the historic centre is a maze of narrow, cobblestoned, often pedestrianised lanes, and that linking it with the Colosseum, the Vatican or the Spanish Steps adds up to a lot of walking over the course of a day.

A golf cart is ideal for exactly this kind of terrain. Small enough to navigate the tight centro storico streets that buses and taxis can't enter, it drops you close to the Pantheon's door, then whisks you on to the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona or further afield in minutes rather than long walks. A driver-guide handles the navigation and brings the history to life, so you spend your energy marvelling at the oculus rather than map-reading your way between sights. It's the comfortable way to weave the Pantheon into a full day of Rome.

Quick answers to common questions

Is the Pantheon still free to enter?

No — there's now a small admission fee of a few euros for general daytime visits, with reduced rates for young visitors and free entry for children under a certain age. Attending Mass is still free, but it's a service of worship rather than a sightseeing slot.

Do I need to book tickets in advance?

Not strictly, but a timed-entry ticket booked online lets you walk past the queue at the door — well worth it in peak season. Audio guides and guided tours are available too.

What are the opening hours?

Open daily with long hours, but closed to tourists during religious services and sometimes reduced on holidays. Confirm current times close to your trip.

When's the best time of day to go?

The first hour after opening, or later in the day — smaller crowds and better light through the oculus. Come back after dark for the floodlit portico and the cafés on Piazza della Rotonda.

Is a golf cart a good way to see the Pantheon?

Ideal — carts are licensed for the ZTL and slip through the pedestrianised lanes around Piazza della Rotonda that buses and taxis can't reach, dropping you at the door and carrying you on to the Trevi Fountain or Piazza Navona in minutes.

A wonder worth the visit

Two thousand years on, the Pantheon still does what it was built to do: make everyone who walks in look up in wonder. Book ahead to skip the queue, time your visit for the quieter hours, and fold it into the cluster of sights around it — and let something other than your feet carry you between them.