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The Colosseum (Colosseo) is one of the most popular sites in the world, with thousands of tourists who come to Rome to visit it every year. Although it is not difficult to reach this attraction, you may spend hours waiting in a queue to come inside. The same with each popular site in Rome, for instance, Saint Peter’s Basilica, you should better plan your visit and come in the morning. The Colosseum opens daily at 8.30 a.m. So just come before its opening time to enjoy the amphitheater without crowds of tourists. You can buy tickets online 1-2 months in advance or at the last minute from an agency.
Do not trust tour guides near the Colosseum who promise you to skip the line if you don’t want to pay double price.
Colosseum Ticket Price – What’s Included?
The price for the entrance to the Colosseum is 18 euros per person + 2 euros for the reservation. It is active for 48 hours, and you can visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine hill using this ticket. Moreover, there are several ticket desks located in the site area. So you can buy tickets in the morning before the opening time. However, this option is not the most convenient because of the long queues. The Colosseum works daily from 8.30 am. It is closed on January 1 and December 25.
A discounted ticket will cost 7.5 euro, which is valid for EU citizens aged 18 to 24 years. EU citizens have the possibility to visit the Colosseum for free! Residents of the European Union under the age of 18 and after 65 years can pass through a special entrance to the amphitheater free of charge.
- Online: colosseo.it
- Reservation in advance costs 2 euros, but it helps avoid long queues at the ticket counter.
Note: You can visit the Colosseum by booking one of the Underground Tours to the amphitheater. These tours are also available in the evening when the official selling of tickets to the Colosseum is stopped. The whole arena will belong only to you. The underground tour’s feature is in its narrow corridors and secrets from the time of the ancient Roman Empire that you will recognize from your tour guide. The ticket price is included in the tour. Options of underground tours to the Colosseum and more details are here.
Working Hours
The Colosseum is open daily throughout the year, but there are certain holidays when it is closed.
- From 2 January to 15 February, the amphitheatre opening hours are from 08:30 to 16:30, with the last admission at 15:30;
- From 16 February to 15 March, it is open daily from 08:30 until 17:00, with the last admission at 16:00;
- From 16 March until the last Saturday of March, the Colosseum is open from 08:30 until 17:30, with the last admission at 16:30;
- From the last Sunday of March to 31 August, opening hours are from 08:30 until 19:15, with the last admission at 18:15;
- From 1 September to 30 September, the Colosseum is open from 08:30 to 19:00 with the last admission at 18:00;
- From 1 October to the last Saturday of October, opening hours are from 08:30 to 18:30 with the last admission at 17:30;
- From the last Sunday in October to 31 December, the Colosseum is open from 08:30 to 16:30, with the last admission at 15:30.
The Colosseum is open every day of the year except for Christmas Day and 1 January.
Roma Pass
You can use your Roma Pass to visit the Roman Colosseum along with many other sites. As an option, you can visit the amphitheatre one hour before its closing time, during its last admission time. Usually, there are no crowds, and queuing time for entry is minimal. On average, the Colosseum is busiest from the afternoon until 15:30. However, you should first check availability for Roma Pass holders online.
And after you press “here,” you can choose the entrance time.
You can book an individual tour to the Colosseum with rome.us to skip the queue and learn about the most interesting aspects of the Colosseum’s history.
Plan A: How to Buy Tickets to the Colosseum in Advance on the official website
There are several options for buying tickets to visit the Colosseum without standing in long queues.
The Colosseum can accommodate up to 3,000 people at once.
First, you can book a private guided tour so you can skip the queue and discover many fascinating facts about the site where famous gladiator games took place during the ancient Roman Empire. Second, you can purchase a ticket in the morning at the ticket office.
Read about the features of the Colosseum ticket office.
To buy tickets online, you need to visit the official website of the Colosseum:
Then go directly to [https://ticketing.colosseo.it/en/](https://ticketing.colosseo.it/en/) and choose category INDIVIDUALS.
Choose ADMISSION TICKETS, which is
- Ordinary ticket with €18 + €2 booking fee price;
- Valid 24 h, it allows one entrance to the Colosseum and one entrance to the Forum – Palatine area;
- Colosseum entrance from “Sperone Valadier.”
Tickets purchased cannot be refunded or moved to another date or time slot on the same day.
We will try to buy a basic ticket/ordinary admission (€18 + €2). It allows entrance to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Please note that the new website of the Colosseum may require a wait time of 1 to 20 minutes due to high traffic.
Now you should choose the type of ticket, date, and time for the visit:
We will choose the “Individuals” option, unless you’d prefer to book a guided group tour to the Colosseum or if your group includes more than 8 people (or is a school group). The classic individual ticket option (24H) grants you access to the Colosseum plus access to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill for 24 hours. However, several ticket options include access to the Colosseum arena and underground levels.
Let’s try to buy a classic 24-hour ticket.
Then, choose a time slot that suits you best. Please note that morning slots are usually booked at least 4 weeks in advance. Visiting the Colosseum in the morning is much more comfortable, so it’s worth considering booking through an agency as an alternative.
Note: you do not need to buy tickets for children under 18 years old. You will receive a ticket for your child at the ticket counter (€2 per child) just before entering the Colosseum, when your tickets are checked.
Also, you can add reduced tickets after selecting a date and time slot.
Enter your name and surname exactly as shown in your passport, then press “Confirm”.
Plan B: Last Minute Colosseum Tickets & Tours
If there are no more tickets available on the official website of the Colosseum, you can purchase one on the website of our partners: www.tiqets.com.
Have a wonderful experience during your stay in Rome! Remember, exploring the Eternal City in the morning or late evening is much more enjoyable. This way, you can avoid the crowds of tourists and the heat.
