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Easter in Rome is one of the most popular and moving times of year to visit. For pilgrims and tourists alike, it is far more than a religious feast – the pleasant spring climate, the art, the nature and the food all make it a wonderful time to be in the city. Rome is very busy at Easter: advance booking for museum tickets, tours and restaurants is essential.
Museums at Easter
Book early for the Colosseum, the Borghese Gallery and the Vatican Museums – all three sell out well in advance at Easter.
The Rome Tourist Pass is a practical option: with a single booking you can combine the most important museums such as the Colosseum, Pantheon, Vatican Museums, Castel Sant’Angelo and Borghese Gallery. The pass includes either a guided tour of St. Peter’s Basilica or entry to the Pantheon – not both.
Easter Sunday 2026 falls on the first Sunday of the month, which means admission to all state national museums and municipal museums is free of charge on that day. This sounds appealing, but comes with a caveat: at most museums you will need to queue – sometimes for a very long time. The Borghese Gallery is the exception, where a reservation is compulsory even on free admission days. We strongly advise against visiting the Colosseum on Easter Sunday – queues can be exceptionally long. If you want to visit the Colosseum, choose a different day and book your ticket in advance.
The Colosseum at Easter
The Colosseum at Easter
The Colosseum, the Imperial Forums and the Palatine Hill are open on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Please note: The Colosseum is closed on Good Friday afternoon, as the Pope celebrates the Via Crucis there in the evening. The Colosseo metro station is also closed that afternoon.
As an alternative to the Colosseum archaeological park, we recommend the ruins of Ostia Antica, which combine beautifully with a trip to the seaside at Lido di Ostia.
National Museums and Municipal Museums
The museums are open on Easter Sunday as on any Sunday. Some smaller museums are closed on Easter Monday as on any Monday. Details can be found on our Museums in Rome page.
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are closed on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. During Easter week, normal opening hours apply. Book tickets in advance at GetYourGuide.
St. Peter’s Basilica and Dome
Entry to St. Peter’s Basilica is free of charge, but at Easter very long queues at the security checks are the norm. You can book a time slot in advance to skip the queues – as the number of these tickets is limited, early booking is recommended: St. Peter’s Basilica time slot at GetYourGuide. Without a reservation, shorter waiting times are usually only possible early in the morning right after opening at 7:00 am or shortly before closing in the evening. St. Peter’s Basilica, the dome and the grottoes are closed during papal masses and audiences – see the Vatican calendar below for details.
Guided tours
Many guided tours sell out early at Easter. To make the most of your visit, booking a tour in advance is strongly recommended – whether for the Vatican, the Colosseum or a general city tour. A wide selection of tours is available with our partner GetYourGuide.
Vatican Calendar Easter 2026
All events with the Holy Father are broadcast on the Internet by Vatican Media. You can also follow the broadcasts on our General Audiences page. On the page you can also make free reservations for the audiences. For the Papal Masses you can request tickets from the Papal Prefecture.
March 29 – Palm Sunday 10:00 Papal Mass on St. Peter’s Square, no reservation required – with the blessing of palm branches (traditionally olive branches). St. Peter’s Basilica is closed until the end of the Mass. 12:00 Angelus prayer by the Pope on St. Peter’s Square.
Wednesday, 10:00 General audience of the Pope
April 2 – Holy Thursday 9:30 Chrism Mass with the Holy Father. 17:30 Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
April 3 – Good Friday 17:00 Liturgical celebration with the Pope at St. Peter’s Basilica. 21:15 Way of the Cross – Via Crucis at the Colosseum. The Colosseum and the metro station are therefore closed on Good Friday afternoon.
April 4 – Holy Saturday 21:00 Papal Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica – Easter Vigil.
April 5 – Easter Sunday 10:15 Papal Mass on St. Peter’s Square, no reservation required. St. Peter’s Square has a limited capacity – once it is full, access is closed off. Arrive very early to be sure of getting in. 12:00 Urbi et Orbi blessing on St. Peter’s Square.
April 6 – Easter Monday 12:00 Regina Caeli – the Pope prays from the window of the Apostolic Palace. Participation on St. Peter’s Square, no reservation required.
Via Crucis at the Colosseum
The Way of the Cross with the Pope takes place on Good Friday evening at the Colosseum: 9:15 pm to approximately 10:45 pm. The Colosseum and the metro station are therefore closed on Good Friday afternoon. Expect large crowds – you will generally only be able to see the Pope with binoculars. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is extraordinarily moving.
Shopping at Easter
Good Friday is a normal working day in Rome – all shops are open.
Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are major public holidays. Easter Sunday (Pasqua) is a family day; on Easter Monday (Pasquetta) Romans visit friends and go out for meals together. Shopping centres, most shops in the city centre and all shops on the outskirts are closed. Open are the shops at Termini railway station, a few small fruit and grocery stores in the centre, and the upmarket Eataly food hall behind the Piramide/Ostiense station.
The Porta Portese flea market is also open on Easter Sunday – from junk to antiques, you will find everything here. Be vigilant against pickpockets. Tram 3 and 8, open 8 am–1 pm.
Food at Easter
Sweet Easter bread, chocolate eggs, hard-boiled eggs and Easter pizza are all part of the Roman Easter breakfast tradition. Many Romans combine a late breakfast with lunch into a leisurely multi-hour brunch. Artichokes are still in season until the end of April and are prepared in numerous ways – as Carciofi alla Romana, deep-fried as Carciofi alla Giudia, in a Frittata or with offal as Coratella con Carciofi. The feast continues with antipasti, cheeses and cured meats, soup, pasta and gnocchi, and the obligatory lamb (Agnello or Abbacchio). The meal ends with the classic Colomba – a dove-shaped leavened cake with candied fruit and almonds – alongside Neapolitan sweet specialities and all manner of desserts.
As some restaurants may be closed on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, a reservation is strongly recommended. For more ideas, see our article Brunch in Rome. Many Romans head to the seaside, so finding a table in Ostia without a reservation is virtually impossible.
Good Roman cuisine can be found in the Jewish Ghetto and on the Tiber Island at Sora Lella. The Ghetto has many excellent options – particularly noteworthy are Ba’ghetto and Su’ghetto, which also offer Jewish specialities. Trastevere also has a wide variety of trattorias and restaurants.
A few specific recommendations: In the heart of Trastevere (Via Natale del Grande 52), Eggs serves a classic Roman Easter breakfast on Easter Sunday and Monday. In the Pigneto neighbourhood, Necci (Via Fanfulla da Lodi 68, bus 81, Metro C) offers a set lunch menu, as does the rustic Rosti with its garden (Via Bartolomeo d’Alviano 65, Metro C, Pigneto station). Near the Cipro metro station, Bistrot Secondo Tradizione (Via Rialto 39) serves Roman cuisine. Between the Parliament and the Pantheon on Piazza Capranica, the wine bar Collegio offers traditional cuisine alongside wines from the family’s estate. Vivi Bistrot, with its organic produce, has several locations: in Villa Pamphili, in Palazzo Braschi on Piazza Navona, at Via della Mercede 50 in the centre, and in the La Rinascente department store on Via del Tritone.
For a trip into the countryside, we recommend the Via Appia Antica with its catacombs. Take bus 118 from Piazza Venezia to the Calixtus Catacombs or the Catacombs of St. Sebastian, or bus 218 from San Giovanni. Along the Appian Way you will also find several excellent restaurants: L’Archeologia opposite St. Sebastian, the simple garden restaurant Il Giardino di Giulia e Fratelli opposite the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella, and the acclaimed Hostaria Antica Roma right next door.
Churches in Rome with English services
Christianity is a worldwide religion and nowhere can you feel that more than in Rome. You can pray and celebrate mass in Rome in any language.
We have compiled here a small list of churches where masses are celebrated in English. We have prepared Google Maps links to help you find your way.
Roman Catholic Churches:
Sant’Anna in Vaticano, Via Sant’Anna, Vatican City
The church is freely accessible through Porta Sant’Anna and there is a Mass celebration in English on Sunday afternoon. Schedule · Google maps
Pontifical Irish College, Via dei SS. Quattro 1 Link · Google maps
St Isidore’s College, Via degli Artisti 41 Link · Google maps
Oratory of San Francesco Saverio del Caravita (Roman Catholic), Via della Caravita 7, http://caravita.org/ Google maps
St Patrick’s American Church, Via Buoncompagni 31 Link · Google maps
S. Silvestro in Capite, Piazza S. Silvestro 1 Link · Google maps
Venerable English College, Via di Monserrato 45 Link · Google maps
Other christian churches:
All Saints’ Anglican Church, Via del Babuino 153, Link · Google Maps
St Paul’s Within-the-Walls (Episcopal), Via Nazionale 16a, nearby Metro Repubblica Link · Google Maps
Ponte S. Angelo Methodist Church, Piazza Ponte S. Angelo 68, Link · Google Maps
Rome Baptist Church, Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina 35, Link · Google Maps
St Andrews Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Via XX Settembre 7, Link · Google Maps
Map of the Churches with English Services
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More InformationBook Tickets & Tours
At Easter, Rome’s most popular sights sell out very early – book as far in advance as possible. For a full overview of all important tickets and tours, visit our Rome Tickets page.
Book directly with our trusted partners:
FAQ
When is Easter 2026 in Rome?
Easter Sunday is on April 5, 2026, Easter Monday on April 6, 2026. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on March 29, 2026.
Are the Vatican Museums open at Easter?
The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are closed on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. During Easter week, normal opening hours apply. Book tickets in advance at GetYourGuide.
Does the Via Crucis with the Pope take place at the Colosseum?
Yes, the Way of the Cross takes place on Good Friday evening at the Colosseum at 9:15 pm, lasting until approximately 10:45 pm. The Colosseum and the metro station are therefore closed on Good Friday afternoon.
Do I need a reservation for the Papal Mass on Easter Sunday?
No, the Papal Mass on Easter Sunday on St. Peter’s Square (10:15 am) and the subsequent Urbi et Orbi blessing (12:00 noon) are accessible without reservation. However, once St. Peter’s Square is full, access is closed off – arrive very early. Binoculars are recommended.
Are restaurants open at Easter?
Many restaurants are open but get booked up quickly, especially on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. A reservation is strongly recommended. Some restaurants may be closed.
Is Good Friday a public holiday in Rome?
No, Good Friday is a normal working day in Rome. All shops are open. Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, however, are major public holidays.
Hello,
I really appreciate all of your practical tips for visiting Rome at Easter. Are all of the tours self-booking, or can you make specific recommendations for me somehow? I could use the help figuring out the best way to spend our time, making tour bookings, and an Easter meal reservation.
Thanks!
Jen
Hi Jen,
the tours are self booking but if you tell me about your preferences (eg. visiting churches, ceremonies, ancient Rome, etc) and the length of your stay, I can give some recommendations. Here I have put together recommendations for the Easter menu and information about the dates.
Enjoy your preparation and your stay in Rome.
Bernhard