Visit Rome’s impressive Colosseum, once home to gladiators and chariots; book admission online early due to high demand
13 options • from $34.07
+ 1 other top thing to do
Combine Colosseum with other Rome favorites. Some things are better together.
You now need timed-entry Colosseum tickets for every official visit. That means you choose a specific entry time, and it's recommended to book Colosseum tickets in advance, especially during peak season. If you show up without a time slot, you can be turned away even if you are standing at the gates.
Most standard tickets function as Colosseum timed entry tickets because you do not have to stand in the old ticket-buying line onsite, which is now limited and often not necessary. You will still need to queue for the security check, which can take some time, especially during busier hours.
Another key point to help you plan: every Colosseum entry also covers the wider archaeological area. Your ticket also includes standard entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
What it is: This is the base-level ticket. You get timed entry to the Colosseum with general access to the 1st and 2nd tiers. You also get standard entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill archaeological park.
Best for: Perfect for organized, independent travelers who want a self-guided visit and are ready to buy colosseum tickets ahead of time.
What it is: This is the most recommended way to visit if you want a clear context while you walk. You join a Colosseum tour led by a licensed guide who explains what you are looking at, how the building worked, and why the nearby ruins matter.
You can also opt for guided tours that provide access to areas not included in standard entry.
With Arena Floor access: These Colosseum Arena tickets include a guided route that takes you onto the reconstructed Arena Floor, so you can stand at ground level and look up at the seating.
With Underground access: This is the most limited option. You go into the Hypogeum, the underground service area with corridors and holding spaces used for events.
Best for: A strong choice for first-time visitors, history fans, and anyone who wants more than the standard viewpoints.
What it is: The standard ticket already includes three sites, but some packages add extras that help you plan. You can book Colosseum tickets with a multimedia video to watch before entry, bundle entry with a hop-on hop-off bus ticket, or choose a combined day plan that adds another major attraction, such as the Vatican Museums.
Best for: Ideal if you want a fuller schedule without juggling several separate purchases when you book Colosseum tickets online.
What it is: A Rome tourist card is a multi-day Colosseum pass-style product that can include entry to top sites and public transport. The Colosseum is one of the main attractions covered.
Even with the pass, you still must go online and make a free timed reservation on the official Colosseum site for your entry time. Without that reservation, you cannot enter.
Best for: A practical pick if you are in Rome for several days and want one pass that covers sites and transport, while still reserving your Colosseum time slot through Colosseum tickets online.
You are looking at the largest amphitheater ever built. It held huge crowds and staged brutal gladiator fights, executions, and mass public shows. Today, you still read the Roman Empire’s power in its stone, its strict crowd control, and its advanced design.
With standard admission, you enter the main interior and take in the classic view from the lower levels. You look down toward the arena and into the exposed structure of the Hypogeum, the nderground area that once supported the shows.
As you move along the seating bowl, you see how the cavea was organized by rank. The best seats were closest to the action, and the higher sections were for lower social classes, a clear map of Roman society set in stone.
On the Arena Floor, you stand near the center of the amphitheater and feel how steep the stands are around you.
From this spot, you can instantly understand the scale. You also sense how exposed a fighter would have been, watched from every angle by thousands of people.
Ticket access: Access to the Arena Floor is not included with a standard ticket. You must book a specific Colosseum Arena ticket or a guided tour that explicitly includes this feature.
The Underground is the most restricted part of the site and the one that shows how the building actually worked. You walk through a two-level web of tunnels and chambers where fighters, prisoners, and wild animals waited before events. You see where lifts once raised people and cages up to the arena, turning the shows into a tightly run production.
Ticket access: Entry to the Underground is highly restricted and only available through a pre-booked guided tour. This is the most sought-after ticket and sells out months in advance.
Your admission ticket gives you more than the amphitheater. Every entry also includes standard access to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, so you can cover ancient Rome’s core sites in the same visit.
You walk through a wide field of ruins that once ran Rome’s daily life. This was the hub for politics, law, trade, and religion. Picture crowded stone streets, public speeches, court cases, and ceremonies moving between temples and government buildings.
You can still spot major landmarks as you go, including the Arch of Titus, the Temple of Julius Caesar, rows of surviving temple columns, and the Curia (the Senate House), where key decisions shaped the empire.
You climb up to the most famous of Rome’s seven hills, linked to the city’s founding story and Romulus. Later, this became Rome’s most exclusive address, built up with imperial residences.
You can explore the large palace ruins, including Domus Flavia and Domus Augustana, and trace courtyards, halls, and terrace layouts. From the hilltop, you get wide views over the Roman Forum on one side and the Circus Maximus on the other, which helps you understand how these sites fit together.
You can enter daily during these seasonal hours, and the last admission is one hour before closing.
Hint: It’s always best to verify the exact times on the official website before you go, as special events or works can cause changes.
You must select a mandatory time slot for your Colosseum entry. If you arrive outside your assigned time, you may be refused entry.
Up to 3,000 visitors can be inside at one time. If you want a calmer visit and shorter waits at security, aim for off-peak times such as early morning, late afternoon, or weekdays outside school holidays.
You usually see new time slots released in advance on the official ticketing channel and authorized resellers. Release timing can vary by admission type, so you get the best choice by checking early and often.
You can buy through the official Colosseum ticketing site or through authorized ticket sellers, such as Tiqets.
When you buy Colosseum tickets online, you can pick your entry time and keep your ticket on your phone.
You choose a date, then select a timed entry slot for the Colosseum, then complete payment and save your confirmation. Double-check the entry time, because that slot is mandatory.
Sometimes, but it is not a safe plan. Same-day availability can be limited, and the time slots that remain may not match your schedule.
You can look for Colosseum tour tickets, since guided groups may have separate inventory. You can also check for cancellations, switch to a different day, or choose a package that includes the Colosseum alongside other sites.
You get them when you book timed entry online through official channels or authorized sellers. These tickets skip the old ticket-buying queue, but you still wait for the security check.
Yes. Your Colosseum entry also includes standard access to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, so you can plan both areas into the same outing.
You must select a product that specifically lists Arena Floor access at checkout. If you do not see Arena access clearly stated, assume it is not included.
You can only enter the Underground with a pre-booked guided tour that includes it. These are limited and often disappear far ahead, so you should book as soon as you know your dates.
A city pass can work well if you plan to visit several paid sites and use public transport. You still need to reserve a timed entry slot for the Colosseum, even if the pass covers admission.
The Colosseum is a massive ancient amphitheater in the center of Rome. Picked apart by scavengers and ravaged by earthquakes and time, the Colosseum still stands as an impressive symbol of life in ancient Rome. It showcases the power of past emperors and the durability of the Eternal City.
This huge, marble and limestone structure was built to hold more than 50,000 spectators, all there to revel in the various forms of (mostly violent) entertainment, such as hunts, gladiator battles, and executions.
Before the Colosseum was a famous ruin, gladiators would square off here in brutal fights for Romans' entertainment. But who were these gladiators?
