Italy

How to visit and what to see at the Rome Colosseum: schedules, prices

Colosseum of the ancient Roman city in Rome
Colosseum of the ancient Roman city in Rome

La visit of the Colosseum It is one of the must-see dates in your tourist trip to Rome.

El most visited monument in Italydeclared Heritage awarded by the Unesco, is integrated into it Archaeological set that Forum and palatine.

In this way, with a single ticket you will be able to visit these three great monuments of the Roman era that are concentrated in the historic center of the italian capital.

Built between the years 72 and 80 of our current era, it replaced a previous amphitheater that had been destroyed by the Great Fire of Rome.

With almost 200 meters long and 156 meters wide, and a height of 48 meters, in the Rome Coliseum It had up to 50.000 spectators who came to see the famous gladiatorial fightsnaval battles with sand covered with water.

During the Middle Ages The Colosseum deteriorated and even its stones were looted.

The monument began to be recovered as an asset of cultural interest after the Second World War.

When considering the visit of the Colosseum in Rome, you have several alternatives that you have to consider, because you can do it on your own or sign up for one of the options guided tours offered.

How to visit the Colosseum in Rome on your own

One option is to do the visit on your own, for which the information on the Rome Colosseum schedules and ticket prices.

Rome Colosseum visit schedules

The Visiting hours of the Colosseum in Rome They are, under normal conditions, throughout the year from 9 a.m. until one hour before sunset, with last access one hour before closing.

In this way, from March to August the Colisseum It is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 19,15:19 p.m., closing at 18,30 p.m. in September and XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. in October.

In winter, from November to February, it closes at 16,30:17,30 p.m., and then in March, at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

What days does the Colosseum in Rome close?

The only ones Closing days of the Colosseum in Rome During the year they are January 1 and December 25.

Rome Colosseum ticket prices

El joint ticket price to visit the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine at the box office It is 18 euros, and you can use it to visit these monuments within 24 hours.

There is a reduced rate 2 euros for young people between 18 and 25 years old who are citizens of countries of the European Union, as well as for teachers and professors.

How to visit the Colosseum in Rome for free

On the other hand, they can visit the Colosseum in Rome for free those under 18 years of age, as well as other diverse groups, being able to consult their terms.

In this regard, I indicate to you that the Coliseum It is one of the monuments that you can visit if you decide to buy the tourist card Rome Pass.

Colosseum in Rome in Italy
Colosseum in Rome in Italy

How to visit the Colosseum in Rome without lines

Of course, keep in mind that if you buy tickets directly at the ticket office, very long queues form throughout the year, which in high season or on weekends can last for hours.

In addition, the security measures implemented in the Colosseum prevent more than 3.000 visitors from having more than XNUMX visitors in the monument at the same time.

That is why you are interested in taking into account the various options you have to visit the Colosseum without waiting in lines.

First of all, you can do the Buy online advance tickets for the Colosseum.

Buy Rome Colosseum tickets online

Colosseum tickets are combined with the Forum and palatine, so you have two days to use them when visiting these three monuments of the ancient city of rome.

Colosseum in Rome in Italy
Colosseum in Rome in Italy

In other words, it is important to know that when doing the Buy online You do not have to select a specific time for the visit.

El online ticket prices is 18 euros since you have to pay an additional fee of 2 euros compared to its price at the Colosseum ticket offices, which is 16 euros.

But it is undoubtedly a worthwhile option because you avoid the lines…

With the ticket receipt in your hand, once you have printed it, you will access the Colosseum without queuing.

Visit the Colosseum with Rome tourist cards

Another option is that, after analyzing the different visits you plan to make in Roma, you are interested in purchasing the tourist card OMNIA Rome Card or the Rome Pass.

In these cases, the Coliseum It is one of the monuments included in this card, and you can enter it without having to queue.

Tickets for a joint visit to the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine

Another alternative if you also plan visit the Forum or the Palatine, since the entrance is joint, if you start by visiting any of these other Roman monuments first, you will surely find much less queue than at the Colosseum.

Then, with the same input, you can now Direct access to the Colosseum visit without queuing.

This way you have the additional advantage that you do not have to pay any extra price to enter the great Roman amphitheater.

Guided tour in Spanish of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine

But there is also another option that, from my point of view, is the most recommended, it is about signing up for a guided tour of the Roman Colosseum, for which you have two options.

Access to visit the Colosseum in Rome
Access to visit the Colosseum in Rome

The first would be to sign up for a guided tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine in Spanish, which lasts three hours and allows you to visit these corners of the ancient Roman city avoiding long lines.

This is the most complete visit to these Roman monuments, and with the company of a guide in spanish expert in archaeology, you will start by visiting the Colosseum, then head to the Forum and finish at the Palatine.

It is a visit that is worth it to have a clear vision of the history of the Colosseum and how the great gladiator shows were held there.

Official guided tour of the Colosseum

You also have the option to sign up for the official guided tour of the Colosseum, which lasts about 45 minutes.

When you arrive at the entrance to the Colosseum, instead of queuing, you must enter through the hallway to the left of it until get to the box office.

There you reserve one of the guided tours in spanish which take place throughout the day, and you only have to arrive a little before the scheduled time at the meeting point of the guided tour group, thus avoiding waiting in line.

Don't forget your Travel Insurance

Are you organizing your trip or getaway? Don't leave without take out your travel insurance before, and here we explain why. If you hire it with us, you have a 5% discount

El price of this guided tour It is 23 euros, as a result of adding the amounts of the entrance (18 euros) and the visit (5 euros).

Colosseum and gladiatorial arena skip the lines

For great movie lovers roman gladiators, surely you are very excited to step on the land where the gladiators fought.

And the normal visit does not include going down to the sand area.

Only from this area can you see the insides of the ColiseumOnly by going down to the gladiator arena can you see the galleries and backstage of this large venue that, in reality, was used almost as a theater.

El Roman Coliseum It was full of trapdoors that moved in order to have different stages for all kinds of functions.

Rome Coliseum
Rome Coliseum

The lower part was even flooded to make naval reenactments of battles of the Roman empire.

In the visit to the gladiator arena You will see areas that cannot be accessed if you do not purchase this extension of the general entrance to the coliseum.

Here you can buy admission to Roman Colosseum with the gladiator arena, which also allows you avoid queues.

Skip-the-line tickets to the Colosseum + Vatican

As for enter the Colosseum A huge waiting queue forms, Vatican visit Exactly the same thing happens to you.

The visit of the St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is free, but the greatest value of visiting this small and religious country is knowing the Vatican Museums.

It is here where you can find numerous works of art, especially amazing marble sculptures by the best sculptors of the time, and you can only enter this area by purchasing tickets.

Furthermore the famous Sistine Chapel It is part of the visit to the museums; That is why in practice most people are not satisfied with just seeing the basilica, but rather they usually visit everything.

When you sign up for a guided tour in Spanish you can buy the early entry to the Vatican skip the line, and you also have the option of buy both the entrance to the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums together

Our advice is to buy it separately so you can dedicate one day to the Colosseum and another to the Vatican, but depending on the time you have to visit Rome, you might be interested in visiting it in a single day.

Rent the audio guide at the Colosseum

Finally, another alternative you have to skip the lines at the Colosseum, instead of opting for the guided tour, the rent the audio guide service for 5,50 euros additional to the ticket price, or the video guide (6 euros).

Book your hotel, 15% discount, free cancellation

When planning your trip, we advise you to, well in advance, Book your hotel now on booking.com where you can find discounts from 15% and you will have a possible cancellation for free

In this case you also go directly to the ticket office and avoid the line.

In short, there are various options you have, and when you see the queues that form, you will realize that it is even totally worth using some of the alternatives that I have mentioned.

What to see when visiting the Colosseum in Rome

If you sign up for one tour Instead of going on your own, already in the group and after listening to a first introductory explanation about the Colosseum, you will access it from its northern side, through the door where a cross is located.

From there you will go to the circus viewpoint that is on the west side of the archaeological remains.

You will then go up to the first floor where you can see some of the Colosseum exhibitions that are displayed in the arcades.

In these exhibitions you will see various objects, in addition to animal remains found in excavations, weapons and armor, or a model explaining the elevator system mounted under the sand.

After leaving again from this second level inside the amphitheater, the guided tour of the Colosseum in Rome heads back to the west side of the building, from where you have excellent panoramic views of the Roman Forum as well as the mountain of palatine.

In short, without a doubt a guided tour is the best way to learn about all the historical aspects and curiosities of this great Roman monument.

About the Author

José Luis Sarralde

Journalist and traveler throughout his life, José Luis Sarralde is the founder of Guías Viajar, where since 2008 he has been capturing his travel experiences around the world, specializing in cultural and scenic destinations in Spain and Europe.

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