Has anyone purchased ticket to Domus Aurea without the VR and educational tour? I found the official ticketing page. I know tickets go on sale 30 days prior. I can see how to buy tickets with the educational tour which are 26 euros per person, but we want to buy tickets for the 5pm "no tour." The official website says, "Only ticket, no educational tour and no virtual reality at 12 p.m. and 5 p.m." but I can't see where to purchase that tour.
We don't want to use a ticket reseller.
Thanks!
What date are you looking for? I did a dummy booking on June 28th and there were tickets at 12:00 without the tour and VR. They did not show tours in any language at 5:00 p.m.
I don't know that I am going to help with the answer but I did this Domus Aurea tour on April 11, 2026. I found it a very cumbersome, unsuccessful process of getting tickets.
It is a guided tour and the whole point of the visit is the VR. That is THE TOUR and it is most impressive. So a bit perplexed how there are tickets with no VR. I had a very tight schedule and the tickets were not available until almost right before I left for Italy so purchased through a 3rd party. I needed English and a specific range of times.
I paid the price as I have been to Rome numerous times since the DA opened but it was always temporarily closed when I was there so has been a longtime goal to visit.
Patty, were you finding this on the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo site? I'm still not seeing it. Duh
I ran my trial booking a little further on the official site and it wouldn’t give me the option without the tour when I actually went to purchase. Frankly, I was surprised at the “no tour” option because I believe it’s still an active archeological site and could be dangerous to let people wander about. We were there in 2019 and it was required to have a guide then and we wore hard hats. The guides were part of the archeological team and 3rd party vendors dropped you off at the entrance for them to take you through. In scrolling the internet I’m not finding a definitive answer as to if it’s possible to visit on your own. I’m wondering if this is something that is not translating well.
Hopefully someone else will have better advice.
Thanks for checking, Patty. I decided to go with the full VR tour. It seems easier! Of course, the ticketing could change between now and October when we are going.
The unguided entry times at 1pm or 5pm (their website is extremely inconsistent on timings!) mean that a member of security staff, rather than a guide, accompanies you. I could be wrong, but I believe this is only currently an option by buying a ticket in person (either as a regular ticket or with Parco membership). It looks like it just can't be done online. The provider still seems to be working out some inconsistencies since they took over from Coopculture...
I've heard the VR tour is exceptionally good. I'll be there the week before you so I hope you have a great time!
I’m glad you found a solution. I booked through a third party vendor unintentionally. The guide was actually a wonderful story teller and I still remember some of the introductory stories he told about Roman history. I booked the tour with Through Eternity tours. Sadly, the guide left us at the entrance to the Domus Aurea and turned us over to one of the archeological staff. She wasn’t as engaging but the tour and VR were fabulous. Also, because this is an ongoing “dig”, you’ll be seeing more than we did. Enjoy
