In a nutshell
- The Explorer Pass is one of four Rome city passes. You choose two to seven attractions, with the pass costing between 89 and 219 euros depending on how many you pick.
- You can buy the Rome Explorer Pass online here.
- The pass is really only worth it financially if you load up on expensive options — think guided tours or cooking classes.
- For classic sightseeing in Rome, the Explorer Pass is not the best fit — most of those attractions are cheaper without it.
Is the Rome Explorer Pass Worth It?
The Rome Explorer Pass is one of four city passes for Rome. In our comprehensive Rome city pass comparison, we pit all the passes against each other.
We rated the Rome Explorer Pass 45 out of 100 points, making it the worst-rated of all Rome passes.
The pass is only worth it in rare cases. If you’re mainly interested in taking guided tours in Rome or special experiences like a pizza-making workshop, you can save a fair amount with the Rome Explorer Pass.
If you’re primarily interested in the classic sights in Rome, the pass is not a good choice.
Below, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the Rome Explorer Pass and explain exactly how we arrived at that score.
How Much Does the Rome Explorer Pass Cost?
| Adults | Children (5–15 years) | Price per attraction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 attractions | 89.00 € | 49.00 € | 44.50 € (24.50 € discounted) |
| 3 attractions | 114.00 € | 69.00 € | 38.00 € (23.00 € discounted) |
| 4 attractions | 139.00 € | 84.00 € | 34.75 € (21.00 € discounted) |
| 5 attractions | 159.00 € | 94.00 € | 31.80 € (18.80 € discounted) |
| 6 attractions | 174.00 € | 104.00 € | 29.00 € (17.30 € discounted) |
| 7 attractions | 184.00 € | 114.00 € | 26.30 € (16.30 € discounted) |
With the Rome Explorer Pass, you decide how many attractions you want to visit. The more attractions you select, the lower the price per individual attraction.
What’s Included with the Rome Explorer Pass?
Depending on how many attractions you’ve booked, you can choose from this list:
| Attraction | Regular price |
|---|---|
| Highlights | |
| Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill | 18.00 € |
| Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel | 39.00 to 89.00 €* |
| Galleria Borghese | 16.00 € |
| Castel Sant'Angelo | 16.00 € |
| Pantheon | 5.00 € |
| Museums | |
| Capitoline Museums | 19.50 € |
| Leonardo da Vinci Museum | 12.00 € |
| Archaeological Sites | |
| Stadio di Domiziano | 9.00 € |
| Largo di Torre Argentina | 7.00 € |
| Transportation | |
| Hop-on/Hop-off Bus (24 hours) | 30.60 € |
| City Tours and Guided Tours | |
| Catacombs Tour incl. Transfer | 59.00 € |
| Culinary Tour through Trastevere | 55.00 € |
| Breakfast Tour | 28.00 € |
| Various Bike Tours | 42.00 € |
| Various Museum Tours | 32.00 € |
| River Cruise on the Tiber | 45.00 € |
| St. Peter's Basilica Tour with Audio Guide | 22.00 € |
| Guided Access to the Papal Audience | 35.00 € |
| Special Experiences | |
| 1-Hour Pizza-Making Experience | 58.00 € |
| Pasta Cooking Class | 58.00 € |
| Cheese and Wine Tasting | 40.00 € |
| Pizza Menu in the Prati District | 40.00 € |
| Opera Performance | 35.00 € |
| Leonardo da Vinci Experience | 16.00 € |
| *The official ticket price for the Vatican Museums is 21 EUR or 25 EUR for online tickets. However, online tickets on the official website are almost always sold out, which is why we have listed the price from external ticket platforms here. |
There are plenty of options when it comes to city tours and excursions. We’ve listed a selection of the best ones in the table.
Our Rating for the Rome Explorer Pass
How Do We Rate?
In our city pass ratings, each pass can earn 100 points, broken down as follows:
- Attractions: 30 points
- Transportation: 20 points
- Ease of use: 20 points
- Value for money: 30 points
Our Rating: Included Attractions
- Admission to the Vatican Museums is included in the Explorer Pass.
- Many genuinely unique and high-priced experiences are covered.
- For most classic Rome attractions, the pass isn’t worth it — these are typically cheaper without the pass.
Our Rating: 15 out of 30 points
Our Rating: Included Transportation
- You can use the Big Bus hop-on hop-off as one of your attractions for 24 hours — and it’s also our top pick for the best hop-on hop-off bus in Rome.
- Financially, though, it’s not worth it — the bus is cheaper when booked separately.
- Other transport options and public transit are not included in the pass.
Our Rating: 2 out of 20 points
Our Rating: Ease of Use
- The pass is completely digital. You can install the GoCity app and store the pass there, or simply show the QR code from your confirmation email at each attraction.
- For most attractions, you’ll need to reserve in advance. The booking process can be a bit fiddly in some cases.
Our Rating: 15 out of 20 points
Our Rating: Value for Money
- If you want to do guided tours and special experiences in Rome — like a pizza-making class — you can genuinely save money with the Explorer Pass.
- If you’re mainly here to see the classic highlights, the pass isn’t worth it.
- A surprising number of attractions are actually cheaper without the pass.
Our Rating: 10 out of 30 points
Our Verdict
The Rome Explorer Pass doesn’t fare well in our review, scoring 42 out of 100 points. If the higher-priced experiences included in the pass appeal to you, it can still be a solid choice. If not, we’d recommend skipping the Rome Explorer Pass.
Sample Calculation: Does the Math Work Out?
With the Rome Explorer Pass, it’s actually pretty easy to figure out whether the pass makes financial sense for you. In the price table above, we’ve broken down the cost of the pass into a price per attraction.
If you buy the Rome Explorer Pass with five attractions, for example, you pay 33.80 euros per attraction.
If you then pick the five most expensive attractions, you can save quite a bit with the Rome Explorer Pass:
| without Rome Explorer Pass | with Rome Explorer Pass | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Rome Explorer Pass (5 attractions) | - | 169.00 € |
| Vatican Museums | 39.00 to 89.00 € | free |
| 1-hour pizza-making experience | 58.00 € | free |
| Culinary tour through Trastevere | 55.00 € | free |
| Catacombs tour incl. transfer | 59.00 € | free |
| St. Peter's Basilica tour with audio guide | 22.00 € | free |
| Total | 253.00 € | 169.00 € |
For the Vatican ticket, we used 59 euros in our example, resulting in savings of around 80 euros.
The catch: This example doesn’t really reflect what most visitors to Rome actually do. It packs in a lot of experiences — a pizza-making class and a gelato-espresso-tiramisu tour are genuinely fun, but they’re not the classic Rome experience most people are after.
That said, if you’re looking to do something a little different and mix in some hands-on activities, the pass could be a great fit for you.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Rome Explorer Pass
Can I visit the same attraction more than once?
No, each attraction can only be visited once with the pass.
How long is the Rome Explorer Pass valid?
Your Explorer Pass is activated on first use. After that, you have 60 days to visit your remaining attractions — so there’s no need to rush.
Is the Rome Explorer Pass cheaper if you buy it on-site?
No — the Explorer Pass from Go City is always cheapest online. There are occasionally online promotions where you can get it at a slight discount, so it’s worth checking before you buy.
Does the Rome Explorer Pass include public transportation?
No, unfortunately not. Public transit is not included in the Explorer Pass. If you’re looking for a city pass that covers local transport, we’d recommend the Roma Pass instead.
Do I need to download the Go City app?
The GoCity app is seriously handy. You can pull up your pass directly in the app and check key info like opening hours on the go. We’d recommend installing it — it’s simply the most convenient option.
Alternatively, you can show your pass as a PDF on your phone or print it out if you prefer.
