The Colosseum, Rome - Visiting Tips

The Colosseum is a huge structure the heart of old Rome, where gladiators would fight to the death in front of thousands of spectators. It’s one of the most impressive ancient arenas you’re ever likely to see and considering its age, it’s in decent condition. Although it was damaged in an earthquake, there’s still plenty left to get a feel for what the Colosseum would have been like in its heyday when 55,000 Romans would have squeezed inside. This is another building where you’re likely to find a long wait to get in, but taking an official guided tour costs only a few euros extra and means you bypass the line. There is now a free app for the whole area which includes audio guides available from Apple App Store or Google App Store called MyColloseum.

We took an official guided tour, but the guide’s English wasn’t great and we wished we’d gone for the audio tour instead. As such we learned little from the guide, but the experience of being there was one we’ll never forget. You can’t help but be impressed with the building, but we felt that more explanation of the lower parts, which would have been underneath the original floor, was needed. These are the bits now covered in grass (pictured below) and it was a shame that there is no public access here. There are many organised guided tours which you can take to see the Colosseum. One that consistently gets good reviews is the Ancient Rome and Colosseum Half Day Walking Tour which offers “skip the line” entry to the Colosseum.

The Colosseum opens every day from 8.30am but closing times vary depending on the time of year. This ranges from 7.15pm in the busy summer months to 4.30pm in the winter. Standard admission is 18 Euros (2024 prices). There are a range of additional experiences you can pay extra for. Your ticket will also give you access to the ancient Roman ruins in the Forum and at Palatine Hill so make sure you keep it handy. We saw some people paying extra for these attractions without realising their ticket covered both. There is little shade in the Colosseum, so bear that in mind on hot days.

LOCATION & CONTACT

Address: Colosseo, Piazza del Colosseo, Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 700 4261
Metro: Nearest metro stop is Colloseo

The Colosseum is opposite the Roman Forum and is served by major bus routes and tour busses as well as the Metro stop mentioned above. It is a short walk from the huge white monument which marks the first king of a united Italy (Monumento A Vittorio Emanuele II). This landmark can be seen around most of central Rome.