The Baths of Caracalla, at 52 viale delle Terme di Caracalla, are among the best-preserved imperial buildings of antiquity: built in five years on three terraces in the south of the ancient city, they were never covered by later construction. The site opens Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays; in October 2026 it welcomes visitors from 9am to 6:30pm (last entry 5:30pm), then from 9am to 4:30pm from 25 October. Until 10 January 2027, a ticket costs €10 (reduced €4) because it includes the Frank Horvat photography exhibition set among the ruins; outside the exhibition it is €8 (reduced €2). Entry is free for under-18s and for everyone on the first Sunday of the month.
Highlights
The central block
The heart of the baths lines up on a single axis the calidarium (hot room), the tepidarium (warm room), the frigidarium (cold room) and the natatio, a large open-air pool.
The calidarium and the palaestrae
The tall brick piers of the calidarium still tower over the lawn. On either side of the central block, two symmetrical palaestrae were used for exercise, next to the changing rooms; an upper floor hosted massages and treatments. Fragments of mosaic floors can still be seen on site.
The underground and the mithraeum
About two kilometres of tunnels run beneath the baths. Hundreds of slaves and workers kept the furnaces, boilers, water supply and a mill running there. They also hold one of the largest surviving mithraea in Rome, a place of worship of Mithras, opened during some special visits.
The Domus of Vigna Guidi
This house, older than the baths, got its restored frescoes back in 2022, including a small shrine where the Egyptian gods Anubis and Isis face Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. It can be visited with the standard ticket, but stays closed on very busy days such as the first Sunday of the month.
The enclosure and the libraries
A vast rectangular enclosure surrounds the bath block. To the south, two symmetrical libraries lined a space for walking, reading and study; the cisterns and latrines took up the sides.
Summer opera
For decades, the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma has staged its summer season at the foot of the ruins. In 2026, with the baths under restoration, the season moved to the Circus Maximus from 29 June to 31 July, with Verdi's Aida; a return to Caracalla has not yet been announced.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Buy the named ticket on the Musei Italiani portal or its app; on site, the ticket machines only take bank cards. The site offers no official guided tours or skip-the-line tickets, so be wary of resellers. The free Roma X-PAND app describes the rooms. Prices seen in October 2026: €10 full price and €4 reduced (EU citizens aged 18-25) during the Frank Horvat exhibition, €8 and €2 the rest of the time. On the first Sunday of the month, entry is free but the Domus of Vigna Guidi is closed; more ideas in our guide to [free Rome](/fr/articles/activites-gratuites-rome). The site is large with little shade: bring water and a hat in summer. For a full day of ancient Rome, continue to the [Palatine](/fr/attractions/mont-palatin) and the [Colosseum](/fr/attractions/colisee-rome), or head to the [Via Appia Antica](/fr/attractions/via-appia-antica) on bus 118.
How to get there
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 52, 00153 Rome; step-free access to the underground from via Antonina 5. Metro line B, Circo Massimo station, or metro line C, Porta Metronia station. Buses 75, 628 and 760 and tram 3, Circo Massimo stop.
Opening hours
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