Colosseum tickets and tours
The Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre the Romans ever built, opened in AD 80 for gladiator fights and public spectacles. Here are the main ways to visit, what each one includes, and what to know before you choose.
Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Ticket options compared
What each kind of ticket lets you see, and how the options differ in price and cancellation terms.
| Option | What’s included | Good for | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard timed entry | Entry to the first and second levels at a set time. The same ticket covers the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. | A first visit on a budget | Book now |
| Entry with arena floor | Standard entry plus the reconstructed arena floor, where you stand at the level the gladiators did. | The best photographs | Book now |
| Underground and arena | A guided visit to the tunnels and cells beneath the arena, sold in small numbers. | Seeing how the shows were staged | Book now |
| Guided tour | Entry with a guide who explains the building, usually continuing into the Forum and Palatine. | Understanding what you are looking at | Book now |
Check live prices
Open each option to see the price and the cancellation terms for your date.
About the Colosseum
The building held around 50,000 spectators, seated by social rank, and could be emptied in minutes through its eighty arches. What you see today is roughly two-thirds of the original: earthquakes and centuries of stone-robbing took the rest.
The most useful thing to know is that the standard ticket is a combined ticket. It includes the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill next door, so there is rarely a reason to buy those separately.
The difference between the options is which parts of the Colosseum you can enter. The arena floor and the underground are not on the standard ticket, and the underground is sold in limited numbers with a guide.
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Good to know
Opening hoursOpen daily from morning until about an hour before sunset, so closing time changes with the season. Check the date you plan to visit.
How long to allowAbout an hour and a half for the Colosseum itself, and three to four hours if you add the Forum and Palatine Hill.
Security and bagsEveryone passes airport-style security. Large bags, backpacks and suitcases are not allowed, and there is no cloakroom.
Tickets are namedTickets carry the visitor’s name and you may be asked for ID at the gate. Arrive before your time slot.
Nearby
Roman Forum
The ruined civic centre of ancient Rome, next to the Colosseum and on the same ticket.
Palatine Hill
The hill above the Forum, with the remains of the imperial palaces.
Arch of Constantine
A triumphal arch standing beside the Colosseum. Free to see.
Capitoline Museums
Ancient sculpture on the Capitoline Hill, with a view over the Forum.
Also in Rome
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Frequently asked questions
Does the Colosseum ticket include the Roman Forum?
Yes. The standard ticket is a combined ticket for the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
Can I buy tickets on the day?
Sometimes, but entry is by time slot and slots sell out in busy months. Booking ahead is the safe choice.
Is the arena floor worth it?
If photographs matter to you, yes: it gives an open view of the whole interior. The standard ticket still shows you the building well from the upper levels.
Is the Colosseum accessible?
There is a lift to the upper level and step-free routes on the main levels, but the ground is uneven in places. The underground has more limited access.