Why is it worth the ticket?
Most of ancient Rome survives as ruins you have to imagine back into shape. The Pantheon is the exception: you walk into a Roman interior with its roof still on. It was rebuilt under the emperor Hadrian between 118 and 125 CE, on the site of an earlier temple by Agrippa, and it has been a church since 609, which helped it survive. The dome is 43.30 metres across, exactly as high as it is wide, so the whole room would hold a sphere. If you want to know how the dome stays up, read that before you go: it changes what you look at.
What to see in 20 minutes
The dome and the oculus
Go straight to the centre and look up. The coffers, the sunken squares in the ceiling, get smaller as they rise, which makes the dome look higher than it is and also made it lighter to build. The oculus at the top is the only window, open to the sky. Stand under it for a minute, then walk to the edge of the room and watch the patch of light on the walls: on a sunny day it moves while you stand there. When it rains, the rain falls straight through onto the floor.
Raphael’s tomb, and the kings
Walk around the edge of the room. The painter Raphael was buried here when he died in 1520. Two kings of united Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, also lie in the Pantheon, which is why the building is a national monument as well as a church.
The porch, on the way out
Leave a minute for the porch. Its row of huge columns and triangular pediment belong to the temple front, while behind them the round hall is something else entirely: two building ideas joined together. Look up at the inscription on the front, which still names Agrippa, the builder of the first temple, although the building you have just visited is Hadrian’s.
How does entry work?
The Pantheon is open every day from 9:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:30; the ticket desks close at 18:00. There are no skip-the-line options and no booking for ordinary visits: entry is in order of arrival. You can buy the ticket on the Museiitaliani portal or app, or on site at the desks and ticket machines. Tickets cost €7, €2 for ages 18 to 25, and are free under 18. On the first Sunday of the month entry is free with a paper ticket collected on site.
The Pantheon is also a church, so there is a dress code: shoulders covered, no very short shorts or skirts, no transparent or very low-cut clothes. Food and drink are not allowed inside.
What can you skip?
Skip “fast track” tickets sold by resellers: the official system has no skip-the-line option, and entry is by order of arrival anyway. And do not plan a long visit. Twenty minutes, or half an hour if there is a queue, is enough; the rest of your time is better spent a few minutes away, at the Caravaggio paintings in San Luigi dei Francesi, which are free. The Rome shortlist has them.
The Pantheon in brief
- Ticket
- €7 (€2 ages 18-25)
- Booking
- None for ordinary visits: entry in order of arrival, no skip-the-line; tickets on the Museiitaliani portal or app, or on site
- Hours
- Every day 9:00-19:00, last entry 18:30; ticket desks close at 18:00
- Free
- Under 18; first Sunday of the month (paper ticket on site)
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Note
- Shoulders covered, no very short clothes; no food or drink
- Verified
- October 2026, on the Ministry of Culture site. Prices and hours change: check before you go.
Questions
Is the Pantheon free?
No. Since 1 July 2026 the ticket costs €7. It is free under 18 and on the first Sunday of the month.
Do you need to book the Pantheon?
No. Ordinary visits are in order of arrival, and there is no skip-the-line ticket.
What happens at the Pantheon when it rains?
The oculus has no glass, so the rain falls straight onto the floor of the rotunda.
Is Raphael buried in the Pantheon?
Yes. Raphael was buried here in 1520, and his tomb is inside the rotunda.
Sources
- Ministero della Cultura, “Pantheon e Basilica di Santa Maria ad Martyres” (October 2026).
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Pantheon” (as checked for the History guide).
