If you’re going to Rome, then you no-doubt want to visit the famed Colosseum. Understandably so, as, apart from St Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum is likely the most popular attraction in Rome. Sadly, it’s not a free one, and so you’ll need a ticket. How much do these cost? When does the Colosseum open? We’ll go over all the basics in today’s post to prepare you for your visit.
Opening hours of the Colosseum
When can you visit the Colosseum?
The Colosseum has a few variants of its opening hours, meaning it has a different schedule for different times of year. Here’s a full breakdown of the opening hours of the Colosseum in Rome:
- January 1st – closed
- January 2nd – February 15th – 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
- February 16th to March 15th – 8:30 am to 5 pm
- March 16th to the last Saturday of March – 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
- Last Sunday of March to August 31st (with the exception of 01.05) – 8:30 am to 7:15 pm
- September 1st to September 30th – 8:30 am to 7 pm
- October 1st to last Saturday of October – 8:30 to 6:30 pm
- Last Sunday of October to December 31st (with the exception of 25.12) – 8:30 – 16:30
Please, remember, that the ticket office closes an hour before the actual closing time.
Ticket prices for the Colosseum
How much does a ticket to the Colosseum cost?
How much do tickets to the Colosseum in Rome cost? It depends, of course, but the most popular tickets are bundled with the Roman Forum and the Palatine.
A ticket to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine (valid for 24 hours) costs €18 per adult (or €2 for a concession ticket). This ticket will allow you to enter the Colosseum on the first and second levels, without the arena. You can book your tickets here.
For a ticket where you can enter the Arena, the Underground, the Curia Iulia, the House of Augustus and more alongside the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine will cost you €24 (still €2 for a reduced ticket). You can book your tickets here.
In the prices provided, we have already included the €2 that you pay for the service fee.
We recommend arriving at the Colosseum entrance 15 minutes before your scheduled entry time. Free entrance to the Colosseum in Rome is with the ParCO Colosseum Archeological Park
Do I need to print out my ticket to the Colosseum?
No, you don’t need to.
Is it possible to buy a ticket to the Colosseum at the ticket office?
Yes, you can, though we’d discourage this heavily as the queues are always tediously long.
Entering the Colosseum
A few tips
Firstly, as we’ve mentioned, be about 15 minutes early. You can enter the Colosseum only once with your ticket, same deal with the Roman Forum and the Palatine. As such, make sure that you’re adequately prepared for your trip and that you won’t have to hop out for a moment, for there’s no way back in. If you’re travelling with your child who can enter the Colosseum for free, you still need to have a free ticket for them.
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