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Circus Maximus

Name: Circus Maximus
Rating: 4.5

4.5 ·

Walk the long grassy valley where Rome's chariots once thundered before 150,000 roaring fans. Trace the ancient track's outline between the Palatine and Aventine hills, and pop into the small onsite VR exhibit to picture the races in action.

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Reasons to go

It was ancient Rome's largest entertainment venue, used for chariot racing for centuries.
The site sits in a valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, whose shape still traces the original track outline.
An onsite VR experience and small exhibition help reconstruct the vanished structure.

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Full description

Little of the original structure survives above ground, but the length and shape of the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills still trace the outline of what was ancient Rome's largest entertainment venue, in continuous use for chariot racing for centuries. A small onsite exhibition and VR experience help fill in what the eye can't see among the grassy earthworks.

Today it doubles as a public park and occasional concert venue, so the atmosphere depends entirely on when you visit — a quiet green space by day, sometimes a packed event site by night. It's best treated as a quick, free add-on to a Palatine Hill or Colosseum visit rather than a standalone destination.

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Address

00186 Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy · Ripa

Website

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Booking

Walk-in

Duration

30 min

Best time

morning, afternoon or early evening

Intensity

Moderate walking

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Good to know

Check ahead if you want to catch a concert or event, which occasionally use the site
opening hours for the small on-site exhibit are inconsistent, so verify before a special trip
combine with a Palatine Hill visit, which overlooks the site from above.

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Reviews

What an interesting place. They offer a VR experience or you can visit the archeological site without doing the VR. Their operating hours aren't clear so make sure you go earlier in the day. The staff were not very nice, but if you move past that it was a cool place to visit.

Heather S.

1/5

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