I’ve visited the Colosseum in Rome several times and, yes, I’d recommend booking your ticket online at least 1 to 2 weeks in advance. Official tickets start from 18 eur, and the basic option also includes the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. At the venue, you can only buy a same-day ticket, and, particularly during the peak season, there may be no slots left.

The largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire was opened in 80 AD and was used primarily for gladiatorial combats, public festivals, fights with wild beasts, executions and theatrical performances.

The auditorium, which seats more than 50,000 people, continues to captivate crowds to this day, as does the relatively well-preserved façade.

Read more on our website:

• 👉Where to stay in Rome: my tips on locations
• 👉 Our reviews of hotels and flights

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Admission price: can you buy a ticket on the day?

The Colosseum is one of the attractions that suffers greatly from overtourism, so only a limited number of tickets are available for entry.

Time-slot admission

Tickets are always sold with a specific entry time for the Colosseum.

Online Booking

Booking online offers a much wider choice of dates, but to ensure there are enough slots available, I recommend booking at least 1–2 weeks in advance.

• 💡 My experience: I tried booking two days in advance and there were only a few available slots left, which disappeared very quickly. I recommend booking during the night or early morning (European time), when there aren’t so many people on the official website
• Online bookings are made via the official websiteticketing.colosseo.it

Tickets at the venue

These can only ever be bought for the same day, and you’ll be allocated a time slot (you can’t choose it yourself). So you might have to wait up to 5 hours for a slot to become available (but in the meantime, you can visit the neighbouring Roman Forum or other sights).

The ticket office is located opposite the Colosseum, beneath the wall of the Roman Forum.

• 💡 My experience: I wanted to buy a ticket on the spot in the afternoon, but there were no time slots available for that day

Admission prices

There is a wide range of different tickets to choose from.

Here are the most common options.

• 18 eur – 24-hour Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill
  • 1 entry to the Colosseum’s upper tiers (not to the arena where gladiatorial fights took place, nor to the underground areas)
    • a specific time slot
    • unlimited duration of visit
  • 1 entry to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill
    • any time within a 24-hour period
• 18 eur – Arena Only
  • 1 entry to the arena (not to the stands or the underground areas)
    • a specific time
    • maximum visit duration of 20 minutes
  • 1 entry to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill
    • any time within a 24-hour period
• 24 eur – Full Experience
  • 1 entry to the Colosseum’s upper tiers
  • 1 entry to the Colosseum’s amphitheatre
  • 1 entry to the Colosseum’s underground section (for a maximum of 30 minutes)
  • 1 entry to the Roman Forum + Palatine Hill

Tickets for children under 18

Children and young people under 18 get free entry.

Free entry for everyone – the first Sunday of the month

Every first Sunday of the month, entry to the Colosseum and other monuments is free for everyone.

• 👉 Tickets cannot be booked online
• 👉 Tickets are available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis
• 👉 Queues on site take1–3 hours
• 👉 I recommend joining the queue very early in the morning (ideally before 7.30 am)
• 👉 By the afternoon (around 2.00 pm), there will probably be no tickets left

My advice

I’ve visited the Colosseum several times and, speaking for myself, I’d recommend the following:

• 📅 Book your tickets online as soon as you know the date of your visit
• 🕙 The official website is easiest to access at night, when you’ve got the best chance of securing a ticket
• 🏛️ The Colosseum is so unique that I’d recommend the Full Experience Ticket, which allows you to visit all parts of the arena

💬 Have you had a different experience? Let us know in the comments below the article – thanks!

Opening hours

Opening hours are daily(except 1 January and 25 December) from 8.30 am; closing times vary depending on the season – see the official website for more details.

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What can you expect during your visit?

After purchasing your tickets (online or on the day), please arrive at the Colosseum ideally at least 15 minutes before the time stated on your ticket.

The only entrance is on the west side – see the map for the exact location.

1. A poorly organised queue forms here for ticket checking, taking around 10–15 minutes
2. You will then proceed to the security check (we recommend bringing only a small rucksack, as there is no luggage storage on site).
3. Once you’ve passed through security, you’re free to explore the Colosseum within the area covered by your ticket (the galleries, the arena, the underground areas, or all of them together)

Luggage rules

According to the official rules, you may only bring a small bag measuring 30x40x15 cm into the Colosseum.

I’ve personally seen people with larger bags, but they were subject to much more thorough security checks.

What’s more, space is quite limited in many parts of the Colosseum, so larger bags are very inconvenient.

History and points of interest at the Colosseum

The Colosseum enjoyed its heyday during Ancient Rome, when Emperor Nero began its construction as a gladiatorial arena between 70 and 72 AD.

Hunts involving wild and exotic animals were also held here, as were many other large-scale cultural events. The last gladiatorial combats and animal hunts are recorded as having taken place around 520 AD.

From the 6th century onwards, the Colosseum underwent radical changes: part of it was converted into a cemetery, a small church and various workshops were built there, and later it even served as a quarry.

Throughout its history, the Colosseum has been seriously damaged by earthquakes on numerous occasions.

Its present-day appearance

To this day, roughly a third of the Colosseum’s original structure remains. This is partly due to earthquakes and partly due to the building’s age. Nevertheless, it remains a monumental structure with a number of very well-preserved details, particularly in the Colosseum’s underground sections. 

Today, the Colosseum is one ofthe world’s most visited monuments and, in 2007, it was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Where are the best views of the Colosseum?

I’ve been inside the Colosseum several times, so on my last visit to Rome I devoted my time to finding the best views of the Colosseum from the outside.

It’s a cliché, but the most beautiful views are also the best-known ones.

• The square in front of the Colosseum– the most classic and, for me, the most beautiful view of the arena
  • 📍 location on the map
  • ☀️ best in the afternoon or early evening
  • 💶 free entry 24/7

• Monte Oppio Gardens – a very popular ‘Instagrammable’ spot offering a slightly elevated view of the Colosseum. This public park is just a 2-minute walk from the Colosseum
  • 📍 location on the map
  • ☀️ Best visited all day long in summer (in winter, best around midday)
  • 💶 free entry 24/7

• Roman Forum –one of the most famous views is from the neighbouringRoman Forum
  • 📍 location on the map
  • ☀️ Best in the afternoon or early evening
  • 💶 Admission: 18 eur

• Via di San Giovanni di Laterano –an unusual view of the Colosseum, ideal for vertical photos capturing the local hustle and bustle
  • 📍 location on the map
  • ☀️ Best time to visit: mornings and early afternoons
  • 💶 free entry 24/7

Hotels near the Colosseum

If you want to minimise your journey time from your accommodation to the centre of Rome as much as possible, the area around the Colosseum – with excellent access to the main attractions, the metro and numerous bus routes – is the ideal choice.

The nearest hotels to the Colosseum in Rome:

• B&B Colosseo Panoramic Rooms–a guesthouse with very clean and modern rooms offering a direct view of the Colosseum
• Maison Imperiale – a small guesthouse in a block of flats just 100 metres from the Colosseum and right next to a metro station, with good prices starting from under 150 eur per night
• HT Residence Maximus – one of the cheapest places to stay right next to the Colosseum, with prices around 120 eur and very good reviews

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How to get there

The Colosseum is situated in the centre of Rome and is easily accessible by public transport or on foot.

Underground

• Colosseo station, served by two lines
• LineC 🟦
  • towards Termini railway station, Tiburtina railway station, Ostiense railway station (change to the Roma-Lido train to the coast)
  • direct connections to the following attractions: St Paul’s Basilica Outside the Walls, EUR, Baths of Caracalla, Piramide
• LineB 🟩
  • towards Rome’s eastern suburbs (no tourist attractions)
  • in future, also towards the historic centre

Buses

Several bus routes useful for tourists stop right in front of the Colosseum:

• 51– towards Circus Maximus, the Mouth of Truth
• 85 and 87 –towards Piazza Venezia ( Vittorio Emanuele II Monument), Rome’s historic centre
• 118– towardsthe Baths of Caracalla, the Catacombs, Via Appia

I describe in more detail how I got around Rome and how much tickets cost in the article Transport in Rome.

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