Give it one to two hours, and the rest of the day to the Roman Forum and the Palatine. The same 24-hour ticket covers all three.
What to see
The Colosseum opened in 80 AD, under the emperor Titus, as the largest amphitheater in the Roman world.
The first and second levels. The standard 24-hour ticket takes you around both, with views down into the arena and out over the Forum.
The arena and the underground. The arena floor, and the passages beneath it where animals and scenery waited to be lifted up, need a Full Experience ticket.
The Arch of Constantine. Just outside, beside the Colosseum. It was built in the early 300s to celebrate the emperor Constantine’s victory in a civil war.
Plan your visit
Buy on the official ticketing site, wear flat shoes, and come early. The site opens at 8:30.
- Booking
- Entry is by time slot, sold on the official ticketing site from 30 days ahead, in the holder's name. The 24-hour ticket covers the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine.
- Dress code
- No period costumes, masks or fancy dress. High heels and flip-flops aren't recommended; the paths are uneven.
- Entrance
- Piazza del Colosseo. Metro line B, Colosseo, or line C, Colosseo-Fori Imperiali.
Getting in
The entrance is on Piazza del Colosseo, across the road from Colosseo station on Metro line B.
When to go
At opening. From 25 October to the end of February the site closes at 16:30, with last entry at 15:30.
Which ticket
The 24-hour ticket gives one entry to the Colosseum’s first and second levels, without the arena, and one entry to the Roman Forum and the Palatine. The arena and the underground need a Full Experience ticket.
Free audio from the park
The park’s own MyColosseum app has free audio guides in Italian and English.