Why go

Nothing in Rome prepares you for the scale of the Colosseum. Opened in AD 80 under the emperor Titus, the Flavian Amphitheatre held tens of thousands of spectators for gladiator fights, animal hunts and public spectacles, and its outer wall still rises four storeys above the traffic. Even with two thousand years of earthquakes, quarrying and restoration, it remains the single most recognisable building of the ancient world.

A visit is more than a look at a ruin. Inside you can trace the tiers where Romans sat by rank, look down into the maze of passages beneath the arena floor and stand on the upper terraces for views across the Forum and the Palatine. The site is also part of a single archaeological park, so one ticket covers the heart of ancient Rome.

What to see

  • The cavea. The seating bowl, where the first and second levels and their panoramic terraces are included on every ticket.
  • The arena floor. A partly rebuilt section of the floor lets you stand where the games took place, with a Full Experience Arena ticket.
  • The underground. The hypogeum of tunnels, cages and lifts that fed animals and fighters into the arena, visited in escorted groups.
  • The attic. The third level and top tier, reached with a panoramic lift and steep steps on the Full Experience Attic ticket.
  • The Arch of Constantine. The triumphal arch beside the Colosseum is free to see from the square.

Plan your visit

The Colosseum opens at 8.30am every day. From 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027 it closes at 4.30pm, with last admission at 3.30pm, and it is closed on 25 December and 1 January. The Roman Forum and Palatine open at 9am.

Tickets are sold on the official site, ticketing.colosseo.it, from 30 days before your visit, and each one carries a timed entry slot and the visitor’s name, so bring matching photo ID. The standard 24-hour ticket costs €18, or €2 for EU citizens aged 18 to 24, and allows 75 minutes inside the Colosseum plus one entry to the Forum and Palatine. Full Experience tickets cost €24, last two consecutive days and add the arena, the underground or the attic.

Entry is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month and on 25 April, 2 June and 4 November, but free tickets still need booking and go quickly.

Getting there

Colosseo station on Metro line B is directly opposite the amphitheatre, and Metro line C now also stops at Colosseo. Tram 3 and several bus routes stop nearby, and the walk from Piazza Venezia along Via dei Fori Imperiali takes about 15 minutes.

Tips

Choose the first slot of the morning or a late afternoon one to avoid the worst crowds, and see the Forum and Palatine either side of your Colosseum time. The free MyColosseum app has an audio guide in English. If you want the underground, book the day your date opens, or join a guided tour that includes it. Wear sturdy shoes and carry water, as there is little shade on the Palatine.