Rome Omnia Card
Here's a guide to everything you can do in Rome if you buy the Omnia Card
St. Peter's Colonnade and Dome | © Xavier Coiffic
Strolling through Rome is a journey back in time. They call it the Eternal City and for me, it is literal, because you never finish visiting its corners, monuments and museums. To make sure that its long list of attractions doesn't take its toll, there's the Omnia Card.
What is the Omnia Card and how much does it cost?
I'll start by telling you that the Omnia Card is nothing more or less than a pass to visit the city with free admission or discounts at most of its points of interest.
In addition to free admission and discounts at the main points of interest in the city, it also provides free transportation around the city (tourist bus included) and economic advantages in hiring guided tours, bike rentals, tickets to shows or visits to archaeological areas. Regarding the price, it will depend on the modality you want to buy.
24-hour Omnia Card
It is the specialized Vatican card and will serve you to visit all the points of interest of the Vatican City (Vatican Museums, Vatican Gardens, St. Peter's Basilica and access to the Dome).
72-hour Omnia Card
This is my favorite version, not only because you have much more time to taste the main tourist attractions of the city, but also because the 72-hour mode also includes the much more complete Roma Pass tourist card, which I tell you about in this other article I have written on Rome Pass and other passes.
Is it worth buying the Omnia Card?
This is perhaps the first brake to ask yourself whether or not it is worth investing in it. The answer to this question is easy: it is worth it if you are going to take advantage of it and you will take advantage of it if your goal is to make the most of all the culture offered by the city of Rome and the Vatican.
Before giving you more details, let me give you an example: the visit to the Vatican Museums, the Rome sightseeing bus and the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica with audio guide already cover almost the entire 24-hour pass of the Omnia Card. Now the question is: what do you want to see?
If you are one of those who, like me, when you visit a city you do not want to leave anything unseen and you are a lover of museums and monuments, I can tell you without hesitation that the Omnia Card compensates you financially (and do not underestimate the option of avoiding the queues at the Colosseum or the Vatican that can last between an hour and a half and three hours).
When is it NOT worth it?
I have also prepared a list of cases in which I consider that it would not be worth buying the Omnia Card.
- When you are going to visit only one or two museums during your trip,
- When you have additional discounts for age or profession in the tourist attractions (these are not cumulative with those offered by the Omnia Card and the Roma Pass),
- When you are going to spend weeks in Rome and you are going to dose your visit to the museums interspersing them with walks around the city,
- When you have already seen the main tourist attractions in Rome (Vatican, Colosseum, Capitoline Museums, Borghese Gallery...) on previous trips and you do not want to visit again.) on previous trips and you don't want to visit them again and
- When waiting time is not a problem for you.
In any of these cases, the most recommended option for you is to buy tickets for the Colosseum or the Vatican (a must-see in Rome) separately. I tell you how to do it in: Vatican Museum Tickets: how to buy, prices and discounts.
How does the Omnia Card work?
Below, I tell you step by step how you can book to start using this tourist pass. You will see that it is very simple:
Buy it
When you buy the Omnia Card tourist card online, the first thing you'll have to do is choose whether you want the 24-hour or 72-hour option. Again, I recommend the second one because, in addition to the fact that the Roma Pass is included, it is in three days when you are going to amortize it to the maximum.
I repeat: Rome has a lot of things to see, they are all worth seeing and it is not worth it to see them in a hurry, balancing the hours between visits.
Receive it
After this, you will be sent a code by e-mail that you will have to present at one of the Omnia Card collection points distributed throughout Rome (these are the metro stations, museum ticket offices and places of interest included in the Omnia Card).
At these collection points you will fill in the card with your details and you will receive the Omnia Card, the Roma Pass (if you purchase the 72-hour pass) and a map-guide of the city to help you plan your visit.
Activate it
The 72-hour Omnia Card also includes the Roma Pass: two cards in one. With the first you can see the sites of Vatican City and with the second you can see the sites of the city of Rome. Both cards are activated with the first use and from then on the time starts to run.
Even if you buy them together, you can activate them independently; that is, instead of using them both on the same day, first use the Omnia Card to see the Vatican City and the next day activate the Rome Pass to see Rome.
What does the Omnia Card include?
- Free skip-the-line entrance to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
- Free skip-the-line audio-guided entrance to St. Peter's Basilica
- Free entrance to St. John Lateran Basilica and St. Peter's Prison located in Vatican City
- Free entrance to a choice of two tourist attractions in Rome: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, the Capitoline Museums, the Borghese Gallery, the Capital Museums and Castel Sant Angelo, among others
- Discounts of around 20% (in some places more) for more than 30 sights and museums in Rome. Tourist attractions not eligible for free admission will be included in these discounts
- Free public transportation
- Three-day use of the Rome sightseeing bus
- Discounts on excursions, shows, visits to archaeological areas, organized tours and tourist services such as bicycle rental.
Attractions included in the Omnia Card
Now we come to the interesting part and before you continue reading I warn you: I am not responsible if after reading this section you have an uncontrollable urge to get on a plane to Rome. Why do I tell you this? Because the Omnia Card and Roma Pass package includes practically everything there is to see in Rome and there is a lot to see. He who warns is not a traitor.
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with fast-track access
The largest art collection in Europe is in the Vatican Museums, where the jewel in the crown is also located: the Sistine Chapel with more than 25,000 tourists daily. Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek, Roman and early Christian art is what you will see in this impressive museum including works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian and Leonardo, among others. A must-see for all art lovers passing through Rome.
St. Peter's Basilica with audio guide and fast-track access
Admission to St. Peter's Basilica is free, but the audio guide is not. This Basilica is the most famous in Rome, its dome is the highest in the world (stunning views of St. Peter's Square) and in it was buried St. Peter, considered the first Pope of the Catholic Church.
Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
The star visit. The stories of gladiators and emperors lurk in this visit composed of Rome's amphitheater, the forum where the social life of the city took place and the Palatine Hill, the most central of the seven hills of the city with archaeological remains from the first century. In this practical guide to Rome Colosseum Tickets: how to buy, prices and schedules you can read what you need to know to plan your visit. You can also consult this other one: Rome Colosseum Tours.
Capitoline Museums
The Campidoglio museums are among the oldest in the world and house collections that were donations from the popes to the people of Rome. Its impressive structure and luxurious rooms are worthwhile in themselves beyond the countless works of art gathered in its picture gallery with paintings by Titian, Caravaggio and Rubens.
Castel Sant Angelo
The fortress of Rome, which was also a papal palace and prison, is a visit that should not go unnoticed among the wonders of Rome. Located near the Vatican, this castle houses secrets inside such as breathtaking views of the city, its subway mausoleum or its labyrinth of corridors. It is one of the favorite visits for those traveling to Rome with children.
Borghese Gallery
Located in the gardens of Villa Borghese, this gallery houses works of great masters of painting, a sublime collection of sculptures from Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome and also early works by Bernini. A delight for art lovers that can be visited with the tranquility absent in other major museums in the city. In this article you have all the details to organize your visit to the Gallery: Borghese Gardens and Gallery Tours & Tickets.
Other places of interest
- The Treasure Museum of the Basilica of St. John Lateran
- The cloister of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
- The Basilica of St. John Lateran.
- St. Peter's Prison
- All the sights of the Rome Pass in the Omnia Card 72 hours version.
The Rome Sightseeing Bus and the Omnia Card
Although I always say that Rome is a city to be enjoyed on foot, it is also true that this can be tiring after several days of sightseeing. If you ever get tired of walking from one place to another, remember that the Omnia Card includes the city sightseeing bus on board of which you will visit the main sights in a panoramic tour while a guide explains them to you.
Tourist Bus Itinerary
- Vatican City - Castel Sant'Angelo
- San Giovanni dei Fiorentini
- Piazza Navona - Santa Agnese in Agone - Piazza Navona
- Area Sacra Torre Argentina
- Santa Maria in Aracoeli
- Santi Apostoli
- Santa Maria degli Angeli
- Termini Station
- Santa Maria Maggiore
- San Giovanni in Laterano
- Colosseum - San Gregorio al Celio
- Circo Massimo - Santa Sabina all'Aventino
- Teatro Marcello - Santa Maria in Campitelli
- Santa Maria in Aracoeli
- Largo Argentina - Santa Maria ad Martyres
- Vatican - Castel Sant Angelo
Organize your trip with the Omnia Card
If you have decided to buy the Omnia Card to visit Rome, here are some tips to make the most of it:
- Organize your visit taking into account opening hours and days of the museums (most museums are closed on Mondays) to avoid wasting activation time. Doing a little tetris beforehand will allow you to see a greater number of museums and make the most of the advantages of this city pass.
- Keep booking tickets in advance at busy sites such as the Colosseum or the Vatican Museums at a time that suits you best. I recommend that, in both places, you choose early morning slots, when there are usually fewer tourists.
- Combine the two cards wisely: you don't have to activate both the Omnia Card and the Roma Pass on the same day. Doing so will save you time.
- Check the routes from one place to another before planning what you are going to see each day. Try to group visits to nearby places in the same day. As for public transportation, even if you have it included, remember that in Rome it does not work as well as it could, so if you can walk from one place to another, I recommend this option.
Ana's Traveller Tip
Activate the Omnia Pass and Roma Card separately and you will enjoy more time off during your visit.
What other tourist passes are there to visit Rome?
If you are not visiting the Vatican City or if you have already visited it on previous occasions, you can choose the Roma Pass to save money and time on visits to Rome's most important tourist attractions.
Although the Roma Pass is included with the purchase of the 72-hour Omnia Card, it is also sold separately and will give you access to all non-Vatican City historic sites and public transport in Rome. More information on the Roma Pass is available in this article on Rome Pass and other passes.
If you are interested in buying the Omnia Card you will also be interested in
If you have purchased the Omnia Card, it is because you want to get the most out of Rome's culture and sites. Once you have "burned" this card it's time to see the Rome that is in plain sight and for which you don't have to pay admission. If you also want to enjoy this part of your visit in all its splendor I recommend you to check this article on Top 11 tours of Rome.
If you are also thinking about discovering other places near Rome such as Pompeii, I leave you this guide about Pompeii Day Trips from Rome or this one about The 9 best excursions from Rome.