Following a restoration and enhancement project funded by PNRR funds, the Pyramid of Cestius is once again open to Romans and visitors alike with a rich program of special open houses. The Special Superintendency of Rome has organized eight daytime open houses, five evening open houses with guided tours, and two special events for European Heritage Days on Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27, 2026. All visits are free, but reservations are required on Eventbrite while spaces last.
The work has secured the access staircase, reorganized the botanical garden through a survey of existing plant species, installed a new artistic lighting system, and created educational signage designed to improve the site’s accessibility. The new lighting highlights the pyramid’s exterior forms and the frescoes in the burial chamber without altering their historical appearance.
Built in just 330 days in accordance with the testator’s wishes, the Pyramid of Cestius is the only Egyptian-inspired funerary monument—a trend that spread throughout Rome after the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C.—to have survived intact to the present day. Although it is one of the most recognizable features of Rome’s urban landscape, little was known for a long time about its history or its interior.
Dates of the guided tours
Evening Openings with Guided Tours — Dates: September 4, 11, 18, and 25. Times: 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m. Maximum of 30 participants per session; duration: 45 minutes.
European Heritage Days — September 26 and 27, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (sessions every hour). Self-guided tours, maximum 50 participants per session.
Daytime Openings — Dates: September 5, 12, 19, and October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31. Times: 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. Self-guided tours, maximum 50 people per session.
Unfortunately, just a few days after reservations opened, everything is already sold out.
