Visiting the Pantheon at Christmas, Easter & Holidays

The Pantheon stays open on most Italian public holidays, and is normally closed on 25 December and 1 January. Holiday hours are set by the administration year by year and are sometimes changed at short notice for special openings or liturgical events, so every date below needs a final check against the official site in the week before you travel.

Here is what to expect around the main holidays, and which claims you should not trust from any travel article — including this one — without confirming them.

Days it is normally closed

  • 25 December (Christmas Day) — normally closed to visits
  • 1 January (New Year's Day) — normally closed to visits
  • 1 May (Labour Day) — arrangements vary year to year; check before travelling

Treat these as the usual pattern rather than immutable rules. The administration has announced special openings on normally closed dates in the past, and it can equally close for an unscheduled liturgical event.

Book Pantheon Tickets, Tours & Hotels

Avoid buying your ticket on site by booking ahead — compare the official Musei Italiani ticket and the three best-known third-party providers, plus hotels next to Piazza della Rotonda.

Official Pantheon Tickets — Musei Italiani

Sold by Italy's Ministry of Culture. €7 admission from July 2026. Any online transaction fee is shown at checkout.

Musei Italiani is the official Pantheon ticket seller. Third-party products may be tours, hosted-entry products or bundled services — check the exact inclusions before booking.

Tiqets

Compare advance Pantheon tickets, audio guides & combo bundles

Klook

Pantheon tickets & guided tours — cancellation varies by product

Trip.com

Reward credits & frequent traveller deals

Hotels near the Pantheon

Stay 2 minutes from Piazza della Rotonda — compare boutique stays on Trip.com.

Compare all three providers to find the best price for your dates.

Reduced-hours days

Standard hours are normally 09:00–19:00, with last admission at 18:30. Hours are reduced on some holidays and the building closes to tourist visits during Mass and other liturgical celebrations.

  • 24 December and 31 December: shortened afternoon closing is usual, but the exact closing time is announced each year — we do not publish a fixed hour because it has changed between years
  • Good Friday: reduced access around the afternoon liturgy
  • Any Sunday or public holiday: closed to ticketed visits during Mass

Mass times and access

  • Saturday and the eve of public holidays: 17:00
  • Sunday and public holidays: 10:30

These are the only regularly scheduled Masses. Extra services on feast days are announced by the basilica and are not fixed year to year — always re-check the official liturgical schedule shortly before you visit.

Anyone genuinely attending the service may enter for worship free of charge; the building closes to ticketed tourist visits during Mass. There is no regular midday Mass. Photography is not permitted during services. Full detail: attending Mass at the Pantheon.

Christmas period

Late December through Epiphany is one of the busier stretches of the year in the historic centre, and the Pantheon is one of its most visited interiors. Slots for popular times do go early in this period; we have no published sell-out data, so book as soon as your dates are fixed rather than relying on a rule of thumb.

  • 24 December: open with an earlier closing time, announced each year
  • 25 December: normally closed
  • 26 December (Santo Stefano): normally open, busy
  • 27–30 December: normal hours, heavy demand
  • 31 December: earlier closing, time announced each year
  • 1 January: normally closed
  • 6 January (Epiphany): normally open

Easter week

Holy Week is one of Rome's busiest weeks. The Pantheon normally stays open every day of it, with the basilica's liturgical schedule taking priority over ticketed visits:

  • Maundy Thursday: evening liturgy; visits close around it
  • Good Friday: reduced afternoon access for the celebration of the Passion
  • Holy Saturday: evening Easter Vigil
  • Easter Sunday: open, with the 10:30 holiday Mass; there is no regular noon Mass
  • Easter Monday (Pasquetta): normally open

Holy Week timings shift with the liturgy each year — take the exact hours from the basilica's published schedule for your dates.

Pentecost rose petals

On Pentecost Sunday — 24 May 2026 — thousands of red rose petals are dropped through the oculus by Rome's fire brigade at the close of the celebration, symbolising the tongues of fire of the Holy Spirit. It is the single most photographed moment of the Pantheon's year.

  • Free to attend as a participant in the celebration; the queue forms long before it starts
  • The start time follows the officially announced 2026 liturgy — the basilica publishes it in the weeks beforehand, and it is not the same as the ordinary Sunday schedule
  • The petals fall at the end of the celebration, not partway through it
  • Dress code applies: shoulders and knees covered
  • No photography during the Mass itself — visitors photograph the petals on the floor once the celebration has ended

15 August (Ferragosto)

Italy's main summer public holiday. Plenty of independent businesses in Rome close for the week around it, though the central tourist areas stay busy and most major sites operate. The Pantheon normally keeps holiday hours with the 10:30 Mass; demand is high because it is one of the reliably open interiors that day.

Free entry days

The first Sunday of every month is free at state museums and monuments, including the Pantheon. Other national free-entry initiatives — European Heritage Days in September and the Ministry's museum week — are announced annually and do not automatically include every site, so confirm the Pantheon is listed before planning around them. Full detail: free admission at the Pantheon.

Sources and further reading

Facts on this page last checked: August 2026. Prices, opening hours and transport routes in Rome change — always confirm with the official source before your visit.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Pantheon open on Christmas Day?

It is normally closed on 25 December. Special openings are occasionally announced, so check the official site rather than assuming either way.

Is the Pantheon open on Easter Sunday?

Yes, normally. Easter Sunday follows the holiday liturgical schedule: the regular Sunday and public-holiday Mass is at 10:30, and the building closes to ticketed visits during services.

What is the Pentecost rose-petal ceremony?

On Pentecost Sunday, red rose petals are dropped through the oculus at the end of the celebration to symbolise the Holy Spirit. The 2026 date is 24 May; the exact time follows the officially announced liturgy for that day, which the basilica publishes shortly beforehand.

Can I take photos during the Pentecost Mass?

No. Photography is not permitted during Mass at the Pantheon. Wait until the celebration has finished and the building reopens to visitors.

Is the Pantheon open on 1 January?

It is normally closed on 1 January and reopens on 2 January. As with Christmas Day, confirm on the official site.