# Italy's sites with an entry cap, tightest first

> Seven Italian sites publish a hard cap on visitors, from 25 per slot on Modena's Ghirlandina to 20,000 a day at Pompeii. Ranked by how many get in at once.

URL: https://myitalia.it/best/capped-access-sites
Last updated: 2026-09-11

Seven Italian sites in our verified sources publish a numeric cap on entries, and ranked by how many people get in at once they run from 25 every 45 minutes on Modena's Ghirlandina tower to 20,000 a day at Pompeii.

## The criterion: a number the site itself publishes

A site makes this list only if its manager publishes a maximum number of visitors, and seven sites in our sources do: per slot, per hour or per day. "Busy", "limited places" and "booking recommended" don't count, and neither does a cap reported by the press but absent from the site's own rules.

The ranking goes by how many people are let in per entry window, smallest first, because that's what decides your chances at the door. A daily cap of 20,000 and a slot of 25 are both caps; only one of them is hard to get into.

## Ranked by how many get in at once

| Rank | Site | Cap | Window |
|---|---|---:|---|
| 1 | Ghirlandina tower, Modena | 25 | every 45 minutes |
| 2 | The Last Supper, Milan | 40 | every 15 minutes |
| 3 | Castel del Monte, Andria | 120 | per time slot |
| 4 | Cala Goloritzé, Baunei | 250 | at any one time |
| 5 | Vesuvius, Gran Cono path | 360 | per hour |
| 6 | Via dell'Amore, Cinque Terre | 400 | per hour |
| 7 | Pompeii | 20,000 | per day |

Read the fourth column with the third. Castel del Monte's 120 and the Via dell'Amore's 400 look close, but one is per slot and the other per hour in groups of 100 every quarter of an hour.

## The two smallest groups are indoors

The Ghirlandina, Modena's 89.32 m bell tower, admits 25 people per slot, with slots every 45 minutes, booking only, at 6 euro full price and 4 reduced in 2026. It's been part of a UNESCO site with the cathedral and Piazza Grande since 1997.

The Last Supper admits 40 people per slot of 15 minutes. If you're not there 30 minutes before your booked time, you lose your place. Those 15 minutes are the whole visit, so the cap is also a stopwatch. The ticket release calendar that decides whether you get a slot at all is on [the Last Supper page](/attractions/cenacolo-vinciano).

## Castel del Monte caps the slot and times the visit

Castel del Monte admits 120 people per time slot and limits each visit to 45 minutes. In 2026 it opens 9:00 am to 5:45 pm from October 1 to March 31 and 10:00 am to 6:45 pm from April 1 to September 30, and closes on December 25 and January 1.

A cap per slot plus a limit on time inside is the most complete system on this list: the castle knows how many people are inside at any moment. In high season, buy online; there's more on [Castel del Monte](/attractions/castel-del-monte).

## Vesuvius sells most of its places a month ahead

The Gran Cono path on Vesuvius takes 360 walkers an hour, 60 every 10 minutes in three groups of 20. Of each 60, 50 tickets go on sale 30 days ahead and 10 are released half an hour before the slot.

Daily ceilings range from 2,160 walkers in winter to 3,240 in July and August. Tickets are sold only online, on vesuviopark.vivaticket.it, at a base fare of 10.00 euro full and 8.00 reduced, which becomes 11.68 and 9.55 euro once the platform adds its charges. The rules come from a protocol attached to the park president's deliberation no. 24 of June 29, 2026. More on [Vesuvius](/nature/vesuvio).

## The Via dell'Amore is capped by the hour

The Via dell'Amore between Riomaggiore and Manarola admits at most 400 people an hour, in groups of 100 every quarter of an hour, on booking and for a 10 euro supplement on top of any Cinque Terre Card. In high season it's one way, from Riomaggiore towards Manarola.

It opens 8:00 am to 7:00 pm from April 1 to October 31 and 9:30 am to 5:00 pm from November 1 to March 31, 2026. For the card itself, see [the Cinque Terre Card](/plan/cinque-terre-card).

## Pompeii caps the day, and the morning harder

Since November 15, 2024 Pompeii admits at most 20,000 visitors a day, on a named ticket that requires an ID. From April 1 to October 31 entries are split into two bands: up to 15,000 from 9:00 am to noon and 5,000 from noon to 5:30 pm.

The cap followed days with more than 36,000 people inside. With 20,000 places a day, Pompeii is the easiest site on this list to get into; the afternoon band, a quarter of the total, is the one that fills. See [Pompeii](/attractions/pompei).

## Lago di Braies rations cars, not people

Lago di Braies doesn't qualify, because from July 1 to September 15, 2026 what it rations is cars. Between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm you can drive in only with a booked parking space, 44 euro, or 49 euro for vehicles over 2.2 m.

No cap on people is published. On foot or by bike there's no restriction at all, and entry to the lake is free. What's limited is the car park, not the lake. For the Sardinian beaches with daily caps, including Cala Goloritzé, see [Sardinian beaches with a daily cap](/best/sardinian-beaches-with-a-daily-cap), and for crowd management in general, [crowds and caps](/plan/crowds-and-caps).

## FAQ

### Which Italian sites limit the number of visitors?

Seven in our verified sources publish a number: the Ghirlandina tower in Modena, 25 per slot; the Last Supper in Milan, 40 per slot; Castel del Monte, 120 per slot; Cala Goloritzé, 250 at a time; the Vesuvius crater path, 360 an hour; the Via dell'Amore, 400 an hour; Pompeii, 20,000 a day.

### Is there a daily limit at Pompeii?

Yes. Since November 15, 2024 Pompeii admits at most 20,000 visitors a day on a named ticket that requires an ID document. From April 1 to October 31 entries are split: up to 15,000 from 9:00 am to noon and 5,000 from noon to 5:30 pm.

### How many people can see the Last Supper at once?

At most 40 per slot, and each slot lasts 15 minutes. You must be there 30 minutes before your booked time or you lose the right to enter. It is the second-tightest cap of the seven sites in our sources, after Modena's Ghirlandina at 25.

### Do you need to book to walk up to the Vesuvius crater?

Yes, online only, on vesuviopark.vivaticket.it. The path takes 360 walkers an hour: 50 tickets per 10-minute slot go on sale 30 days ahead, 10 more half an hour before. The base fare is 10.00 euro, 8.00 reduced; you actually pay 11.68 and 9.55 on the platform.

### Is access to Lago di Braies limited?

Only for cars. From July 1 to September 15, 2026, between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, you can drive in only with a booked parking space costing 44 euro, or 49 euro for vehicles over 2.2 m. On foot or by bike there's no limit, and no cap on people is published.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Torre Ghirlandina di Modena, alta 89,32 metri, fa parte dal 1997 del sito UNESCO che comprende anche il Duomo e Piazza Grande; si visita solo su prenotazione, con turni di ingresso ogni 45 minuti e un massimo di 25 persone per turno, al costo di 6 euro intero e 4 euro ridotto (2026). | [VisitModena - Comune di Modena](https://www.visitmodena.it/it/scopri-modena/arte-e-cultura/il-sito-unesco/torre-ghirlandina) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| La visita all'Ultima Cena di Leonardo dura 15 minuti a turno, con un massimo di 40 persone per turno; chi non si presenta 30 minuti prima dell'orario prenotato perde il diritto d'ingresso (2026). | [Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano](https://cenacolovinciano.org/info/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Castel del Monte apre 9:00-17:45 dal 1° ottobre al 31 marzo e 10:00-18:45 dal 1° aprile al 30 settembre (2026), con ingressi contingentati a 120 persone per fascia oraria e visita limitata a 45 minuti; chiuso il 25 dicembre e il 1° gennaio. | [Castel del Monte - Ministero della cultura](https://casteldelmonte.cultura.gov.it/orari-di-apertura/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| L'accesso a Cala Goloritze', nel comune di Baunei, e' limitato a 250 persone in contemporanea con prenotazione obbligatoria sulla piattaforma Heart of Sardinia, che apre tre giorni prima a mezzanotte; il ticket costa 7 euro ed e' gratuito per i minori di 5 anni e per i residenti di Baunei. Si arriva solo a piedi: il sentiero e' lungo 3,6 chilometri con circa 500 metri di dislivello, un'ora e mezza in discesa e due ore in salita, e lo sbarco in spiaggia dalle imbarcazioni e' vietato. | [Heart of Sardinia (gestore del sistema di prenotazione per il Comune di Baunei)](https://heartofsardinia.com/spiagge-prenotabili/cala-goloritze); [Comune di Baunei](https://www.comunedibaunei.it/it/novita/page/ufficio-turistico-recapiti-utili-2) | high | 2027-05-31 |
| L'accesso al Sentiero 5 'Il Gran Cono' del Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio avviene solo con biglietto comprato online in anticipo su vesuviopark.vivaticket.it, unico venditore autorizzato: tariffa base 10,00 euro intero e 8,00 ridotto, 11,68 e 9,55 euro il prezzo effettivamente pagato sulla piattaforma. Il protocollo allegato alla Delibera del Presidente n. 24 del 29 giugno 2026 fissa 360 escursionisti l'ora, cioe' 60 persone ogni 10 minuti in tre gruppi da 20, di cui 50 biglietti in vendita 30 giorni prima e 10 rilasciati last minute mezz'ora prima della fascia. I tetti giornalieri vanno da 2.160 visitatori in inverno a 3.240 a luglio e agosto. | [Ente Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio](https://www.parconazionaledelvesuvio.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Protocollo-Fruizione-Sentiero-5-ALLEGATO-DELIBERA-PRESIDENZIALE-N.-24-del-29062026.pdf); [doc 2](https://www.parconazionaledelvesuvio.it/visita-il-parco/i-sentieri-del-vesuvio/il-gran-cono) | medium | 2027-03-31 |
| La Via dell'Amore tra Riomaggiore e Manarola si percorre solo su prenotazione e a pagamento: costa 10 euro come supplemento a qualsiasi Cinque Terre Card, ammette al massimo 400 persone all'ora in gruppi da 100 ogni quarto d'ora e in alta stagione si percorre a senso unico da Riomaggiore verso Manarola; l'orario e' 8.00-19.00 dal 1 aprile al 31 ottobre e 9.30-17.00 dal 1 novembre al 31 marzo (2026). | [Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre](https://www.parconazionale5terre.it/dettaglio.php?id=79593) | medium | 2027-03-31 |
| Dal 15 novembre 2024 il Parco archeologico di Pompei applica il biglietto nominativo con documento d'identita' e un tetto di 20.000 ingressi al giorno; dal 1 aprile al 31 ottobre gli ingressi sono divisi in due fasce, un massimo di 15.000 visitatori dalle 9:00 alle 12:00 e 5.000 dalle 12:00 alle 17:30. La misura e' stata presa dopo picchi superiori a 36.000 persone in un solo giorno. | [Parco archeologico di Pompei](https://pompeiisites.org/comunicati/dal-15-novembre-pompei-introduce-il-biglietto-nominativo-e-il-limite-giornaliero-dei-20-mila-visitatori-2/); [doc 2](https://pompeiisites.org/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Dal 1 luglio al 15 settembre 2026, fra le 9 e le 16, al Lago di Braies si arriva in auto solo con prenotazione online del parcheggio (44 euro, 49 per veicoli oltre 2,2 m di altezza) o con permesso di transito; fuori da quella fascia oraria e da quel periodo l'accesso in auto e' libero, mentre a piedi e in bici non c'e' alcuna limitazione | [Braies/Prags - portale ufficiale della regolamentazione](https://www.prags.bz/it); [Provincia autonoma di Bolzano](https://news.provincia.bz.it/it/news/piano-braies-accesso-al-lago-con-prenotazione-dal-10-luglio) | high | 2027-06-30 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/poi.pompei.v2.1600.jpg
Author: Dgiacomello. License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foro_verso_il_Vesuvio.jpg

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