Standing almost 50 meters tall, the Colosseum is even more impressive in person than it is in photographs. Taking a decade and 60,000 slaves, construction on the largest amphitheater in the world began in 72 A.D.
Everyone who visits Rome wants to visit it, but with so many types of tickets, tours, and experiences, how do you choose which of our Colosseum tours is right for you? Read on to find out.
Our Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Tours
We offer many different Colosseum tours and update this article regularly. Here are the current tours we offer at the Colosseum:
- Arena Floor Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum | €
- Colosseum Underground Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill | €€€
- Rome in a Day Tour Including the Colosseum and Vatican Museums | €€
- Privileged Entrance Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill | €
- Colosseum Underground + Top Levels Tour | €€€
- VIP Colosseum at Night Tour with Underground and Arena Floor | €€
- Private Colosseum and Roman Forum Tour with Restricted Access | €€€
- Private Family-Friendly Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour | €€€
1. Arena Floor Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum | €
Standing on the Arena Floor, let your eyes wander upwards and imagine 60,000 screaming spectators.
If this sounds like it belongs on your bucket list, you’re in luck. In the 1990’s, a portion of the Arena Floor was reconstructed, making it easier for modern-day visitors to see what the Colosseum looked like in its heyday.
This is where Roman gladiators and animals fought, sometimes to the death! Only a limited number of people with a special Arena Floor reservation are allowed to access this area, so it’s worth planning in advance.
If you’re traveling to Rome with kids or you’re looking for cheap things to do in Rome, this tour is a good bet.
Highlights:
- 2.5 Hours Long
- Escape the crowds and walk through the special “Gate of Death”. This is where the losers would be dragged off the arena floor.
- Walk out onto the reconstructed arena floor, located in the heart of the Colosseum.
- Includes a skip the line guided visit to the Roman Forum including
- Julius Caesar’s Temple
- Senate House
- Arch of Titus
- Arch of Constantine
- Basilica of Antoninus & Faustina
2. Colosseum Underground Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill | €€€
Also known as the Colosseum Dungeons tour, this is the hottest tour in Rome and a Colosseum bestseller.
Due to extremely limited availability, this tour sells out within minutes of going live during the busy season.
So, if you decide this one is for you, make sure you book well in advance.
Not only do you gain exclusive access to the “Hypogeum” (dungeons/Underground), but you’ll also get the opportunity to walk out on the Arena Floor where the gladiatorial matches took place.
If there weren’t enough, it also includes a guided skip the line visit to the Roman Forum. Instead of looking down into the Colosseum like you do on the Belvedere tour, you look up into the Colosseum from below.
It’s pretty amazing. The Colosseum Underground Tour is a behind-the-scenes full package kind of tour for people who want to feel like VIPs on vacation.
Highlights:
- 3.5 Hours Long
- Go underground and into the Colosseum’s dungeons, with an expert English-speaking guide.
- Walk out through the “Gate of Death” and out onto to the Arena Floor, where the brutal games took place.
- Includes a skip the line guided visit to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
3. Rome in a Day Tour Including Colosseum and Vatican Museums | €€
Though we tell travelers to stay in Rome for as long as possible to make the most of the Eternal City, we understand that sometimes, your visit to Rome only lasts a day or two. We recommend this Rome in a Day Tour for anyone who isn’t staying in Rome for long, as it includes skip the line Vatican and Colosseum experiences. This tour visits the same areas as the Arena Floor tour; however, you do not visit the Roman Forum on this experience.
Highlights:
- 1 Hour inside of the Colosseum
- Escape the crowds and walk through the special “Gate of Death”. This is where the losers would be dragged off the arena floor.
- Walk out onto the reconstructed Arena Floor, located in the heart of the Colosseum.
- Includes a visit to the Vatican as well
4.Colosseum Highlights Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill | €
Looking for an abridged Colosseum tour, yet still want to visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill? Our Colosseum Highlights Tour combines our Flash Colosseum tour with a guided visit to Rome’s ancient city.
This is our quickest way to visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill in one experience.
Highlights:
- *3 Hours Long
- Visit the Colosseum’s first and second tiers
- Visit Palatine Hill and the ancient Roman Forum
*As this tour combines our Flash Colosseum tour with a visit to the Roman Forum, it’s possible that there is a break between the two portions of the tour. The tour can last over three hours for this reason.
5. Colosseum Underground Plus Belvedere Top Levels Tour | €€€
We’ve added this tour just this year to make sure you can experience all of the levels of the Colosseum, not just the underground.
With this tour, you can visit every level of the Colosseum and see where every class of Romans got to sit when watching the gladiatorial games. Whereas most tours only visit one restricted access Colosseum area, this tour visits three!
Please note: The Colosseum Belvedere Top Levels are under maintenance right now. On this tour, the highest level you will reach is the 3rd tier. We will update this blog once the renovations are complete.
Highlights:
- 4 Hours Long
- Go underground and into the Colosseum’s dungeons, with an expert English-speaking guide.
- Walk out through the “Gate of Death” and out onto to the Arena Floor, where the brutal games took place.
- Visit the 3rd floor of the Colosseum, which is restricted from public access
6. VIP Colosseum at Night Tour with Underground & Arena Floor | €€
Want an experience even more VIP than our daytime Underground tour? Well, you’re in luck! Our Colosseum Night Tour is one of the most exclusive experiences you can get in Rome.
Experience the Colosseum Arena Floor and Underground under moonlight with no crowds.
That’s right, if you choose our VIP Colosseum at night tour, it’s quite possible that you won’t see a single other tour group while you’re inside the amphitheater.
Not only do you get to skip the crowds and heat, but there are other benefits if you tour the Colosseum at night. For one, you get access to the Underground and Arena Floor.
You’ll also enjoy a warm-up section of the tour that takes you to Rome’s most beautiful photo spot and helps set the scene of ancient Rome as you admire the Roman Forum from above, all lit up at night.
Highlights:
- 3 Hours Long
- No Crowds! You may not see another tour group the entire time you’re in the Colosseum.
- Explore the Colosseum’s Underground, with an expert English-speaking guide.
- Walk onto to the Arena Floor, where the brutal gladiatorial games took place in ancient Rome.
- Includes a skip the line guided visit to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
Colosseum Hours of Operations
- January 2nd to February 15th: 8:30 a.m.-4.30 p.m., Last entrance 3:30 p.m.
- February 16th to March 15th: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Last entrance 4 p.m.
- March 16th to March 31st: 8:30 – 5:30 p.m., Last entrance 4:30 p.m.
- April 1st to August 31st: 8:30 a.m. – 7:15 p.m., Last entrance 6.15 p.m.
- September 1st to September 30th: 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m., Last entrance 6 p.m.
- October 1st to October 27th: 8:30 a.m. – 6.30 p.m., Last entrance 5:30p.m.
- October 28th to December 31st: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Last entrance 3:30 p.m.
- Colosseum CLOSED: January 1st and December 25th
Ticket office: Closes one hour before closing time
Tips for Visiting the Colosseum
- Wear comfy shoes! Not only will you walk during the tour, but the ground outside the Colosseum is made of cobblestones and can be slippery/uneven.
- Keep two eyes open and on your belongings. It’s a crowded area with people who may want to take advantage of distracted tourists.
- Water is important. Bring a reusable bottle and fill it up with the wonderful fontanelle around the Colosseum (and the rest of the city).
- Address: Piazza del Colosseo
- By public transport:
- Metro B – “Colosseo”
- Bus: Line 75-81-673-175-204
- Tram: Line 3
Where do you meet?
Ciao Glenda! Thanks for reading our blog. For all of our Colosseum tours, they meet right outside of the Colosseo metro stop. More detailed information can be found upon booking. Hope this helps!
My wife is claustrophobic – what areas of the tour would you recommend to stay away from – e.g. underground?
Ciao Wally! The Colosseum Underground might not be the best option for you guys. I recommend the Colosseum Arena Floor tour, this way you’re only in wide-open spaces.
Thanks Kayla. If we were to book 3 underground tours, is the Underground portion first, last or in between? We thought we could let my wife skip the Underground portion, but meet us for the rest of the tour. Is this even possible to coordinate?
Ciao Wally! Depends which tour you’d like to do. Our Colosseum Underground, Underground + Top Levels, and Night Tour all visit the Colosseum Underground. I recommend calling our travel experts to coordinate the best experience for you and your group! You can reach them at 888-290-5595.
I am planning an analog photography trip to Rome/Italy in October. My daughter, who currently lives in Rome, says that they pass bags through an x-ray scanner when you visit museums. Since I will be carrying film and a film camera, I would like to know whether they will hand check my film and camera instead of sending it through the scanner if I request it.
X-rays will damage film, especially if it is is done repeatedly. I am buying all my film in Italy and developing it there specifically to avoid having to have it x-rayed at airports.
Hi Dave! Thanks for reading our blog. I can’t say that we have a definite answer on this one. You can definitely ask them to hand check your bags, but we guarantee that they will. We recommend using a digital camera to take pictures inside of the Colosseum to avoid this issue. Hope this helps!
Thanks for your reply. I will be carrying a film camera, not digital. I have decided to carry limited film with me on each day’s excursion and log how many times each film is x-rayed so I can keep the x-ray passes to a minimum which will hopefully not be enough to damage the film. I will be buying and developing the film in Italy, so it will not be exposed to x-rays by the airlines.
Ciao Dave! Sounds like a good plan. Always good to be prepared before your trip to Rome!
We are going to be in Rome on November 7th and thinking of taking the VIP night tour. What time does this tour start and end?
Ciao Paul! We would be more than happy to get you all set up. You can contact our travel experts who will help you book your tour at 888-290-5595.