The Roman Colosseum, known in ancient times as the Flavian Amphitheater, is one of the 7 wonders of the world and the icon of Rome. This amphitheater, built in the 1st century by the Flavia emperor dynasty, had a capacity for more than 65,000 spectators, which was filled with gladiatorial fights, battle reenactments, executions and other shows.
Over the years, the building suffered several natural disasters and looting, which have been deteriorating its original appearance, but nevertheless, it has not lost an iota of its grandeur and when you enter the interior of the Colosseum and look up you go back to the time of maximum splendor of the Roman Empire.
We first visited the Colosseum in Rome a while ago, on a trip to Rome in 6 days and recently returned, taking advantage of the month we were living in the Trastevere neighborhood, during which we wrote this travel guide to Rome .
Based on our experience, we show you what are for us the best ways to visit the Roman Colosseum, how to get there, prices, schedules, as well as how to book tickets without queues and guided tours in Spanish, so you can choose the option that best suits your needs.
Schedule
The Roman Colosseum is open every day of the year except January 1 and December 25. The closing time depends on the time of the year, although it always opens at 8:30 a.m., taking into account that the last admission is one hour before closing.
Closing times:
- At 4pm from the last Sunday of October until February 15.
- At 5 p.m. from February 16 to March 15.
- At 5:30 p.m. from March 16 to the last Saturday of March.
- At 7:15 p.m. from the last Sunday of March until August 31.
- At 7 p.m. from September 1 to September 30.
- At 6:30 p.m. from October 1 until the last Saturday of October.
Exterior of the Roman Colosseum
How to get
To get to the Colosseum, one of the best things to do in Rome, you have several options:
- Walking: If you are staying in the center, near the Termini Station or in Trastevere, we recommend you take the journey on foot, since the walk is worth it and is not very long.
- Meter: It is the best way to reach the Colosseum by public transport since you have the Colosseo stop on line B a few meters from the entrance.
- Bus: C3, 60, 81, 85, 87, 175 and 628 buses leave you very close to the Colosseum.
- Trolley car: Tram number 3 has a stop near the entrance.
The main entrance to the Colosseum is located in front of the ticket offices and near the spectacular Constantine Arch. If you buy the entrance to the viewpoint or to the subways, you must go around the Colosseum to the entrance Stern, located in front of Via Labicana.
Entrance to the Roman Colosseum
Keep in mind that when you buy tickets to the Roman Colosseum, the free entrance to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, two other places to visit in Rome essential.
You will also have two days to use the tickets to visit these three places (Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine, being able to enter only once in the Colosseum and once in the Roman and Palatine Forum).
The general ticket has a price of 12 euros per person and is purchased at the Coliseum ticket offices.
In the weekend the queues can be especially long and the waiting time can be close to 3 hours, so a good option is to buy the combined ticket at the box office of the Roman Forum and thus avoid the long queues that usually exist in the Colisseum. More information in this Roman Forum article, skip-the-line tickets and guided tour.
Entrance to the arena of the Colosseum
Skip the line tickets to the Colosseum or with prior reservation
The price of skip-the-line tickets to the Roman Colosseum is 14 euros and can be booked on this official page where you also have the option to book the audio guide or video guide for a total price of about 20 euros.
One of the most interesting options that you can book on the official website is the visit to the viewpoint and to the subways, for a price starting at 16 euros. In these two visits you can see where the gladiators were tuned before jumping into the sand and enjoy the best views of the Roman Colosseum from the last two stands. It also includes the general entrance to the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine, with the same characteristics as the general one, mentioned above.
Remember that if you book these tickets online without queues to the Colosseum, you must print them or have them downloaded to your mobile to be able to pass the entrance control.
Views from the viewpoint of the Colosseum
Guided tour of the Colosseum in Spanish
The guided tour of the Colosseum is the best alternative if you don't want to miss any details and learn about the fantastic history of the Colosseum. You can also include the specialized guide in the visit to the Roman Forum and the Palatine, two places where it is almost essential to have a guide for the state of many of its ruins.
You can book here the guided tour of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine in Spanish in advance and thus not run out of seats, in addition to skipping the lines.
If you also want to go down to the arena where the gladiators of the Roman Colosseum fought and trained you can book this guided tour in Spanish that also includes the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine.
And if during your trip you plan to visit the Vatican, it is highly recommended to book this offer that includes the Vatican, the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine with a guided tour in Spanish.
Interior of the Colosseum in Rome
OMNIA Vatican and Roma Card
The OMNIA Vatican and Roma Card is the best solution to save time and money on your trip to Rome. Buying this card you will have skip-the-line tickets to the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine, as well as other important places in the city such as the Vatican Museums, the Capitoline Museums, the Castle of Sant Angelo or the tourist bus as well as having unlimited public transport and Fantastic discounts on 30 other tourist attractions in Rome.
When booking the OMNIA Vatican and Roma Card, you will be given a map and a guide with all the monuments and places included so you can take advantage of it and enjoy it to the fullest.
You can book here in advance the OMNIA Vatican and Roma Card and forget about the long queues in the queues.
More information in this post about the OMNIA Card and in this one about which one is better, OMNIA or Roma Pass ?.
Roman Coliseum
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The 10 best tours and excursions in Rome
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