COLOSSEUM TICKETS, OPENING TIMES AND HOW TO BOOK YOUR VISIT
The Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre of the whole Roman Empire built by Vespasian starting from 72 AD and inaugurated in 80 AD.
The Colosseum hosted gladiator fights and hunting scenes with wild animals, coming from every corner of the Roman Empire, to entertain the Romans.
Visiting the Colosseum means understanding how the underground theatre system worked, which consisted of lifts, ramps and traps which permitted animals and gladiators to enter, but it also means finding out about the techniques which allowed the Romans to complete this huge structure, which could hold up to 70,000 spectators.
Here is all the information to book your visit to the Colosseum.
Colosseum tickets
COLOSSEUM TICKETS: WHERE YOU CAN BUY YOUR TICKET
The Colosseum is one of the most visited monuments in the world, thus the queue at the entrance might be rather long.
You can buy your ticket at the entrance or you can book it online, and it allows you to visit not only the Colosseum, but also the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill and the current exhibitions.
AT THE TICKET OFFICE: you can buy your ticket at the entrance (but you might run the risk of waiting a lot of time!) or you can go to the two less-known ticket offices such as the ticket offices of the Palatine Hill (located in via di San Gregorio 30) or in Piazza Santa Maria Nova 53 (200 meters from the Colosseum), Largo Salaria Vecchia – (Roman Forum), Via Sacra (Roman Forum, Arch of Titus).
ONLINE: On the Colosseum Package – priority entrance
This way you’ll skip the line and the reservation for groups is required.
The advantage of online purchase is that you can enter immediately, at the time you chose when you booked your ticket.
GUIDED TOURS: You can book an entrance to the Colosseum with a guide who can give you the explanations you need and answer your questions about this place rich in history, but you can also visit places you would hardly have access to without a guide.
Be careful: near the Colosseum you’ll meet many people offering you guided tours and who will assure you that you’ll skip the line.
In most cases they are not real professional tour guides and they will offer you a service at excessive cost. Avoid them!
I suggest using the official tours.
How to get to the Colosseum
The address is easy: Piazza del Colosseum.
When you take a stroll in the center of Rome you can not see it!
BY SUBWAY: Metro line B Colosseum station – Metro line A Manzoni station.
BY AUTOBUS: line 51, 75, 85, 87, 118.
BY TRAM: line 3
OPENING DAYS AND TIMES
Colosseum is open every day, but not the 1 of January and 25 December.
Opening days:
From 2 January to 15 February: 08.30 – 16.30
From 16 February al 15 March: 08.30 – 17.00
From 16 March to the end of the month: 08.30 – 17.30
From March to 31 August: 08.30 – 19.15
From 1 September al 30 September: 08.30 – 19.00
From 1 October to the end of the month: 08.30 – 18.30
From October to 31 December: 08.30 – 16.30
READ ALSO: Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome.