What is inside the Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus is a 600-metre-long valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, the site of Rome’s chariot-racing stadium. Nothing stands above ground except the grassy banks where the seating was, the raised strip down the middle marking the spina, and, at the curved south-east end, the excavated remains of the stands and shops and the medieval Torre della Moletta. Everything else is a park: joggers, dog walkers, and in summer the stage for concerts.
Three facts for context. The stadium held around 150,000 spectators, more than twice the Colosseum. Races ran here for over a thousand years, from the kings of Rome to 549 AD. The two obelisks that stood on the spina are now in Piazza del Popolo and outside St John Lateran.
What the paid area adds
The archaeological area at the south-east end, opened in 2016, is fenced and ticketed. Inside are the arcaded substructures of the cavea with shops and latrines, the paved street that ran round the outside, the foundations of the Arch of Titus that closed the curved end, and the tower. From the top of the medieval tower you get the only elevated view along the whole track. Admission is about €5 and the site is run by the Sovrintendenza Capitolina; check its site for current opening times.
The Circo Maximo Experience
Included in the €12 ticket (checked our last check on the official site) is a 40-minute walk through the archaeological area wearing an augmented-reality visor. At eight stops the ruins around you are overlaid with the stadium at full height: the imperial box on the Palatine side, the twelve starting gates, the crowd, and a four-horse race down the track. Content is available in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin and Japanese. The experience is outdoors and does not run in rain. Family tickets cost €22 for two adults plus children under 18; booking is by phone or at the desk for the family rate, online through Vivaticket for standard tickets.
The Baths of Caracalla
Ten minutes’ walk south, the Terme di Caracalla are the best-preserved imperial baths in Rome: walls 30 metres high, mosaic floors and the outline of the frigidarium and caldarium in a garden. The official ticket is about €8; Tiqets sells entry with an audio guide from €17.50 and a guided tour that covers the baths and the Circus together from €65 (rated 4.6 from about 145 reviews). If you buy one paid ticket in this corner of the city, make it Caracalla.
Timing is everything
The park has no hours. The paid area and the VR experience are closed on Mondays, 1 May and 25 December, and follow a seasonal timetable: about 10:00–16:00 from October to May; late afternoon into the evening in summer (for example 17:00–21:00 in June and July, 17:30–20:30 in August, 16:00–19:00 in September), at our last check. Last entry is 15 minutes before closing.
Best time in the park: early morning for a run or a quiet walk, and the last hour before sunset, when the light falls on the Palatine palaces from the west and the Aventine side is in shadow. The best photo of the Palatine ruins is from the Aventine bank near Via dei Cerchi at about 18:00 in summer.
Best time for the VR: the summer evening slots, when the heat is off and the reconstruction is sharper in lower light. In winter, the midday slots are warmer. Weekend slots fill in spring and autumn; book online.
Events. The Circus hosts big concerts and the Rome marathon start; on event days the paid area and part of the park are closed. The Roseto Comunale, the rose garden on the Aventine slope, opens free from late April to mid-June and is the best add-on in the calendar.
Rain: the VR experience is cancelled; the park is empty and the ruins do not mind.
How to save
- The park is free, so the saving is in choosing what to pay for. The archaeological area at about €5 is worth it for the tower view; the €12 VR is worth it if reconstructions appeal to you.
- Under 26: reduced €10 VR ticket. Under six: free.
- Roma Pass and MIC card holders: reduced €10 on the VR experience; the Baths of Caracalla are included in the Roma Pass as a free or reduced entry. See the city passes guide.
- Family ticket: €22 for two adults and children under 18 on the VR; ask at the desk or the 060608 info line.
- Caracalla free days: the baths are a state site and free on the first Sunday of the month.
- Guided combos: €65 for the baths plus the Circus is roughly the price of two audio-guide tickets plus a guide; sensible for two people who want one focused 90 minutes rather than a full day of Ancient Rome.
For a free itinerary through this part of town, see the free Rome guide: the Circus, the Aventine keyhole, the Orange Garden and the Mouth of Truth queue cost nothing between them.
How to get there
- Metro line B to Circo Massimo: the exit is at the south-east corner, beside the archaeological area and the VR desk at Viale Aventino.
- From the Colosseum: 12 minutes on foot along Via di San Gregorio, with the Palatine on your right.
- From the Forum: exit at Via di San Teodoro or Via dei Cerchi and you are on the north-west end of the track.
- Bus 81, 160, 628 along Via del Circo Massimo; bus 118 to the Appian Way catacombs from the Circo Massimo stop; tram 3 and bus 75 to Piazza di Porta Capena for Caracalla.
- From Trastevere: 15 minutes across Ponte Palatino, past the Mouth of Truth.
ATAC tickets and the metro map are in the transport guide. The Circus is flat and step-free; the archaeological area has gravel paths and the tower has stairs.
What is nearby
- Roman Forum and Palatine (adjacent): the Palatine’s south side, with the imperial box overlooking the Circus, is part of the Forum ticket. See the Roman Forum and Palatine guide.
- Aventine Hill (5 minutes uphill): the keyhole view of St Peter’s dome and the Orange Garden; timing in the Aventine keyhole guide.
- Mouth of Truth and Santa Maria in Cosmedin (5 minutes): free, with a queue for the photo.
- Catacombs and the Appian Way (bus 118 from the Circus): plan with the catacombs guide and the Appian Way guide.
- Colosseum (12 minutes): timed entry, book ahead; the Colosseum guide covers the options.
Booking checklist
- Decide what you are paying for: nothing (park), about €5 (archaeological area and tower) or €12 (VR walk with the area included).
- Check the day: the paid area and the VR are closed on Mondays.
- Check the weather: the VR does not run in rain and the summer slots are in the evening.
- Book VR slots online via the official site for weekends; take the family rate by phone or at the desk.
- Bring ID for the under-26 fare and the Roma Pass or MIC card for the reduced rate.
- Wear walking shoes; the archaeological area is gravel and the tower is stairs.
- If adding Caracalla, book its ticket with a time slot and walk the ten minutes between the two.
- Water and sun protection in summer: the park has no shade and the café is at the metro end.
Circus Maximus Rome tickets are the cheapest decision you will make in Rome: walk it free, pay €12 if you want to see the races, and put the real money on the Baths of Caracalla next door.
