After successfully securing my Colosseum Underground tickets on the COOP site (thanks Kathy, Donna and all the other wonderful members who virtually talked me through the process!), I started peeking around at other experiences on their site. It seems the forum favorites of Domus Aurea and Baths of Caracalla still have plenty of tickets available. Also the Baths of Diocletian now offer a VR experience. My questions is, if we have ample time in Rome and love history, is it worth visiting all three? Also, the Baths of Caracalla offer various ticket options: ticketed entrance, IVD/VR (does not include entrance ticket), and night tours. Is it necessary to reserve entrance tickets AND VR ahead of time? Has anyone been on one of the night tours? Thanks so much for any advice you can share!
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11658 posts
I can only comment on the Domus Aurea but it is well worth your time. It is cold down there, though, no matter what time of year, so wear or bring a sweater or jacket.
Posted by
New York
521 posts
I loved all 3!!
Posted by
123 posts
Congrats on your upcoming trip to Rome, Kate! Great questions, and I look forward to hearing the recommendations from fellow forum members.
I took the Domus Aurea tour in March 2017. LOVED it! A wonderful tour to learn more about Rome and this part of the ancient city under the reign of Nero. There is 1 room where you have a VR experience. It’s incredibly well-done, and I admit to some Stendhal Syndrome with that VR. Plus, you can pop around to visit St Peter in Chains after that tour, then mosey around the Monti neighborhood.
Baths of Caracalla... If you decide to do the VR experience there, you must book those tickets in advance. PLUS, you are required to hand over a form of ID or a credit card to use the VR headset. That requirement is spelled out on the ticket. Regarding day or night visit at BoC... I have visited these baths twice in the daytime, and the park is lovely. That said, given the opportunity to visit at night, I’d be all over that. Beautiful and evocative!
Baths of Diocletian... On my list to see. If you visit BoD, consider the multi-site ticket. BoD is part of the same museum group as Palazzo Massimo (right by BoD), Crypta Balbi, and Palazzo Altemps. I’ve visited those other 3 museums, and WOW. All are well worth visiting. The multi-site ticket allows you to visit all of those museums over 3 days with 1 ticket. A great value!
As for seeing Domus Aurea, BoC, and BoD in 1 visit... Consider 1 of these places, and plan to return to Rome to visit the others. Gives you sites to look forward to seeing next time. Plus, things start running together across sites like that if you visit them back-to-back.
Let me know if you have additional questions, and I’d be happy to help. Happy planning!
Posted by
OP
213 posts
Thanks so much, Joanna! I'm so glad you mentioned reserving the VR ahead of time is compulsory. Now to decide on the daytime or nighttime tour. With your advice in mind, I'll just toss a coin in the Trevi fountain and save one of them for next time:)
Posted by
Chicago
2051 posts
Baths of Diocletian... On my list to see. If you visit BoD, consider
the multi-site ticket. BoD is part of the same museum group as Palazzo
Massimo (right by BoD), Crypta Balbi, and Palazzo Altemps. I’ve
visited those other 3 museums, and WOW. All are well worth visiting.
The multi-site ticket allows you to visit all of those museums over 3
days with 1 ticket. A great value!
Joanna speaks the truth. We were with some friends who winter in Rome and told us that even though Baths of Diocletian and Palazzo Massimo are a mere stone's throw from Termini station, it's actually an overlooked attraction. It's fantastic and dirt-cheap like 8 Euro for admittance--we spent a couple hours just imagining what it was like in the Baths, where Romans of all classes would convene. And then there's a museum right near there--can't remember the name, where we viewed artifacts from the Bronze Age, 1500 B.C. We loved it.