Circus Maximus
Rome, Italy
Baths of Caracalla, Rome
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Photo: Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Ticket
- ≈ €8; ≈ €10 from 11 September 2026 to 10 January 2027 during an exhibition
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Opening hours
- Tue–Sun from 9:00 to one hour before sunset
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 1 h 15 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Closed
- Mondays
- Free
- First Sunday of the month; under-18s always
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Location
- Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 52; Metro B Circo Massimo, 10 minutes
Key facts
AD 212–216built under Emperor Caracalla
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English Wikipedia≈ 1,600bathers at a time
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English Wikipedia≈ 35 mdome span of the caldarium, the hot room
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English Wikipedia≈ 25 hathe whole complex with gardens and libraries
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English WikipediaMithraeumRome's largest underground temple of Mithras lies beneath
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English WikipediaFarnese Bullfound here in the 16th century, now in Naples
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English WikipediaBaths of Caracalla tickets and hours
A standard ticket costs about €8; from 11 September 2026 to 10 January 2027 a photography exhibition by Frank Horvat raises it to about €10. Under-18s go free, and everyone gets in free on the first Sunday of the month. Buy online or at the gate — queues are rare.
The baths open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 and close an hour before sunset — around 16:30 in winter and 19:15 in summer. They're closed on Mondays. The underground tunnels and the Mithraeum open on separate schedules and special evenings.
A short history
The baths were built under Emperor Caracalla in AD 212–216 and finished by his successors. More leisure city than bathhouse, the 25-hectare complex held hot, warm and cold halls, an open-air pool, exercise yards, gardens and even Greek and Latin libraries, serving about 1,600 bathers at once.
They ran for over three centuries until the aqueducts failed in the 6th century. Renaissance digs uncovered famous statues here, including the Farnese Bull and Farnese Hercules, now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
How the baths worked
Bathers moved in a loop: changing rooms, the palaestra exercise yards, then the caldarium — a hot circular hall under a dome about 35 metres across — followed by the warm tepidarium, the vast cold frigidarium and finally the natatio, an open-air swimming pool.
Furnaces in the tunnels heated water and sent hot air under the floors and through the walls. Panels show reconstructions, and for a small extra fee you can borrow a VR headset that rebuilds the marble halls, statues and mosaics around you.
What to see
- Caldarium and frigidarium walls — over 30 metres high, the best sense of scale.
- Mosaic floors — black-and-white and coloured mosaics of athletes and sea creatures.
- Palaestrae — two exercise courtyards either side of the central block.
- Natatio — the outline of the huge open-air pool.
- Service tunnels — partly open, with furnace rooms.
- Mithraeum — Rome's largest temple of Mithras, on a separate schedule.
How to get to the Baths of Caracalla
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Circus Maximus is about 16 min away on foot.
- Palatine Hill is about 21 min away on foot.
- Pyramid of Cestius is about 22 min away on foot.
More tips
- Metro line B to Circo Massimo, then 10 minutes along Viale delle Terme di Caracalla.
- Buses 118, 160 and 628 stop at Terme di Caracalla.
- From the Circus Maximus, about a 10-minute walk.
- From here, Porta San Sebastiano and the Appian Way are about 20 minutes on foot.
Best time to visit
The baths are rarely crowded — one of Rome's calmest big sites. Come in the morning or late afternoon, when low sun warms the brick. There's little shade, so bring water and a hat in summer.
Are the Baths of Caracalla worth it?
Yes — especially if the Colosseum felt too crowded. You get the same ancient scale with a fraction of the visitors and a cheap ticket. The soaring walls and mosaics impress on their own, and the VR headset shows exactly what you're looking at. Pair it with the Circus Maximus and the Appian Way.
Before you go
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Ancient Rome: compare and choose
Ancient sites in Rome rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| Pantheon | 82 | 30 min | ≈ €5 | 42 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colosseum | 73 | 2 h | ≈ €18 | 19 min walk |
| Roman Forum | 63 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €18 with Colosseum | 25 min walk |
| Circus Maximus | 63 | 30 min | Free | 15 min walk |
| Trajan's Column | 60 | 15 min | Free | 32 min walk |
| Capitoline Hill | 58 | 30 min | Free | 29 min walk |
| Castel Sant'Angelo | 57 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €15–20 | 3.3 km |
| Arch of Constantine | 57 | 15 min | Free | 19 min walk |
| Palatine Hill | 54 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €18 with Colosseum | 18 min walk |
| Mausoleum of Augustus | 53 | 45 min | ≈ €5, booking | 3.2 km |
| Largo di Torre Argentina | 53 | 30 min | Free from street; walkways ≈ €5 | 37 min walk |
| Pyramid of Cestius | 52 | 20 min | Free | 19 min walk |
| Appian Way | 49 | 3 h | Free | 5.4 km |
| Domus Aurea | 49 | 1 h 15 min | ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26 | 22 min walk |
| Mouth of Truth | 49 | 20 min | Donation ≈ €2 | 22 min walk |
| Baths of Caracallayou are here | 48 | 1 h 15 min | ≈ €8 | — |
| Catacombs of Rome | 48 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €10–12 with guide | 28 min walk |
| Ara Pacis | 47 | 1 h | ≈ €13–15 | 3.2 km |
| Theatre of Marcellus | 47 | 20 min | Free | 29 min walk |
| Vatican Museums | 44 | 3 h | ≈ €25 | 4.3 km |
| Capitoline Museums | 43 | 2 h 30 min | ≈ €15–19.50 | 29 min walk |
| Baths of Diocletian | 42 | 1 h | Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12 | 44 min walk |
| Basilica of San Clemente | 39 | 1 h | Upper free; excavations ≈ €10–12 | 19 min walk |
| Imperial Fora | 38 | 1 h | Free from the street; museum ≈ €13–15 | 29 min walk |
| Testaccio | 38 | 2 h | Free | 27 min walk |
| Palazzo Massimo | 34 | 2 h | ≈ €10–12 combined ticket | 42 min walk |
| Ostia Antica | 31 | 3 h | ≈ €12–18 | 22.0 km |
| Hadrian's Villa | 29 | 3 h | ≈ €12–15 | 24.4 km |
Southern Rome in a day
The Baths of Caracalla in the morning, then along the Appian Way to the catacombs and the Tomb of Caecilia Metella.
- Baths of Caracallayou are here1 h 15 min · ≈ €8
- 94 min walk from the previous stopAppian Way3 h · Free
- 113 min walk from the previous stopCatacombs of Rome1 h 30 min · ≈ €10–12 with guide
3 places · about 9 h 12 min with walks · 207 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
How to do it right
- Queues are rare.
- The VR headset brings the ruins to life.
- Closed on Mondays.
- Summer opera fills the caldarium.
Questions
How much are Baths of Caracalla tickets?
About €8; about €10 from 11 September 2026 to 10 January 2027. Free for under-18s and on the first Sunday of the month.
What are the opening hours?
Tuesday–Sunday from 9:00 until an hour before sunset; closed Monday.
Are the Baths of Caracalla worth visiting?
Yes — huge ancient ruins, mosaics and few crowds; the VR tour shows how it looked.
When were the Baths of Caracalla built?
In AD 212–216 under Emperor Caracalla.
How many people used the baths?
About 1,600 at a time.
How do I get to the Baths of Caracalla?
Metro line B to Circo Massimo, then a 10-minute walk.
How long do you need?
1–1.5 hours.
Is there opera at the Baths of Caracalla?
Yes, the Rome Opera's open-air summer season, usually June to August.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- Special Superintendency of Rome: Baths of Caracalla
- English Wikipedia, Baths of Caracalla
- artvisitguide.com, 2026 ticket guide
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