Things to do · Rome
Colosseum tickets: how to choose the right one
One ticket, three ancient sites and a couple of choices that decide what you actually get to see. Here are the differences.
The Colosseum
The amphitheatre held around 50,000 spectators, and took about ten years to build.
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You are queuing on Via dei Fori Imperiali while the sun is still low. The stone is cold and the first guides are raising their umbrellas. Within an hour it will be packed. Anyone with a timed ticket walks straight past.
In short: Colosseum tickets
A standard ticket gets you the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. For most people that is enough. To stand on the arena floor or see the tunnels below, where animals and gladiators waited, choose a tour or ticket that includes it. Book ahead, especially from April to October.
Our first choice: a guided tour with the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, with an arena floor option. See experiences and tickets
How to choose the right Colosseum ticket
First time in Rome: a guided tour with the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. You get the story, and the guide takes you through the three sites in the right order.
Been before: a tour that takes you onto the arena floor. That is where the scale sinks in.
With children: a shorter tour. The Palatine is green and pleasant to walk, but the Forum soon becomes a lot of stone for small legs.
Two ways to see the Colosseum
Both can be cancelled. Choose by how much time you have and what you want to see.
Guided tour with the Forum and Palatine
For first-timers: the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill with a guide, by day or night, with an arena floor option.
Book: Guided tour with the Forum and Palatine
Gladiator's Gate and the arena floor
For return visitors: a small-group tour that enters where the gladiators did, out onto the arena floor.
Worth knowing
Getting there: metro line B to Colosseo. From the Centro Storico it is about a 30-minute walk.
ID: Colosseum tickets are named. Bring your passport or ID card.
Security: large bags and glass bottles may be stopped. Bring an empty water bottle, there are drinking fountains on site.
Time: allow an hour in the Colosseum and two more for the Forum and Palatine.
Best time: the first slot of the morning, or late afternoon when the light turns warm.
Stay near the Colosseum
The closest hotel, looking straight at the amphitheatre.
Palazzo Manfredi
Breakfast comes with a view of the Colosseum's arches.
Palazzo Manfredi
For the view: a small luxury hotel in a 17th-century palazzo directly opposite the Colosseum. Breakfast comes with a view of the arches, and in the evening you see the amphitheatre lit up from the roof terrace.
Book your stay: See rooms at Palazzo Manfredi
More hotels at every price point in our Rome hotel guide.
Colosseum tickets: FAQ
Does the Colosseum ticket include the Roman Forum?
Yes, the standard ticket covers the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. You get a fixed time for the Colosseum, and can visit the Forum and Palatine the same day. Check what is included in the ticket or tour you choose. Evening and arena tours often have their own rules on which areas are included.
Do I need to book Colosseum tickets in advance?
Yes, you should. Tickets are sold in time slots and often sell out in high season. Booking ahead also means you skip the queue to buy a ticket. From April to October the early morning slots can go weeks ahead. Winter is easier, but book a few days ahead anyway.
Can I go down to the arena floor?
Yes, but only with a ticket or tour that includes the arena floor. The same goes for the tunnels underneath. A standard ticket gives you the stands and the view from above. The arena floor has been partly rebuilt, so you stand roughly where the gladiators did and look up at the stands. It gives a very different sense of scale.
How long do I need at the Colosseum?
Allow an hour inside the Colosseum. With the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill it becomes half a day. Bring water and good shoes, there is little shade. The first slot of the morning is the coolest and the least crowded. Late afternoon brings the warmest light over the Forum.
Where should I stay to be near the Colosseum?
Monti is the neighbourhood just north of the Colosseum, full of small restaurants and wine bars. Palazzo Manfredi sits right opposite the amphitheatre. From the Centro Storico it is about a 30-minute walk. The area goes quiet in the evening once the crowds leave, and from several streets you can see the Colosseum lit up.