With more than 6 million visitors (per year) in the largest and most famous gladiatorial arena in history, it is best to check out how it works with entry to the Coliseum and how to get the tickets for the fastest before leaving for Rome Colosseum can get.
In recent years, visitor numbers in Rome have increased significantly; Of course, this is reflected in the long queues that are particularly evident in the Coliseum, the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Another reason for the ever-growing queues are the relatively newly introduced security controls. How can you now best visit the sights in Rome without having to queue for a long time?

Take, for example, the Coliseum:
If you have not bought tickets in advance, in Piazza del Colosseo you will wonder if it was a good idea not to have prepared the sightseeing tour better: already in front of the Colosseum, thousands of tourists mingle in the early morning; among them, the tourist catcher (self-invented word) will try to make big business with tourists like you by celebrating Skip the line tickets. The tourist catcher does not always have a license and usually provide internal guides with a basic English, but also have no qualified training.

Skip-the-line tickets: a good choice?
The Skip the line tickets are being sold in conjunction with a large group tour, and until they finally get started, you’ve been with us for a long time in the Coliseum.
If you’re one of those tourists who are already exploring the skip-the-line way before they check out the Internet, you may find that it’s not that easy due to the myriad of vendors selling tickets at different prices in advance is to find the right contact. Most tour operators also offer the ticket in conjunction with a group tour. The latter we advise against, but then you still have to wait a long time until the group is complete and can start the lead. In addition, the groups are now so big that one does not notice much of the leadership.

So where should you buy your tickets for the Colosseum and how expensive is the ticket in reality?
The entrance fee for the Colosseum is 12 euros (children under 18 are free) if you buy the tickets directly on site. This is not recommended if you plan to go to the arena in the morning.

Reserve tickets better in advance
In any case, tickets for the Coliseum should be reserved in advance. You would like to buy your tickets for the Colosseum online? The official ticket sale takes place via the agency Coopculture.

But to be honest, the reserved ticket to the Coliseum is often not enough to take care of on its own. Since the new security controls were introduced 2 years ago, the organization at the entrance to the Coliseum is quite critical. If you start the tour at 10 o’clock, you may still be in line, as the custodians record every single voucher number in a block, which can lead to an embarrassing traffic jam situation.

Since there are only 2 metal detectors for reserved visitors, ticket holders and non-reserved visitors, further waiting times can occur here as well. Sometimes it happens that the queue is longer with the reserved visitors than those who still have to buy tickets.

Capacity (places) of the Colosseum
In contrast to the Vatican Museums, which without any problem allow tens of thousands of people to enter the rooms at the same time, only 3,000 people are allowed to stay in the Colosseum at once. So if you start too late with the visit, it may be that you have to wait outside – even with reservation.
If you book a tour of Ancient Rome with us, we will of course take over the reservation for you. This also gives you the advantage that, depending on the season, we can best estimate how many o’clock you should start the tour in order to avoid unnecessary waiting times and associated stress.

Attractions near the Colosseum
Afterwards you will have enough time for further activities. After the tour, we send our customers first to a nearby pizzeria, where there are also games for children. In the afternoon you can visit interesting sights nearby: the Church of S. Clemente and its exciting underground rooms, the Lateran Basilica and the “Holy Stairs”, the Caracallathermen or the Circus Maximus and the “Mouth of Truth”. Your personal tour guide will assist you after the tour with words and deeds.

Julia von der Lippe Trust our experience and take the chance to enter the Coliseum in the quickest way with your private city guide from Romamirabilia and enjoy a personal tour.
Information and insider tips for buying tickets for the Coliseum:
The map you acquired for the Coliseum also applies to the Palatine and the Roman Forum. You can also use your reserved card to go to the other two nearby ancient sites and then to the Coliseum. The ticket is valid for 24 hours, but the ancient sites may only be visited once (Forum Romanum and Palatine are considered archaeological sites).
In recent years, more and more combo tickets (eg Romapass, Turbopass) have been put on sale, which have aroused the interest of many customers who bought these cards, but without due to a clever price philosophy and the “Skip-the-line” offer to know exactly what benefit. These cards are really only useful if you visit many other museums that are part of the map – which is the least of the case – and if you travel regularly by bus. But if you live in the city, you will certainly do many things on foot, as the main attractions of the city are close to each other.

There are 3 bookshops in the Colosseum. The largest is on the upper floor. In order to get a better idea of ​​the Coliseum and the games, but also of life in ancient Rome, we recommend that you buy a book on ancient Rome in the Bookshop. For family we recommend the band “Everyday Life in Ancient Rome”. If you take a tour with us, you will receive the books with 15% discount!

Pocket knives are not allowed and, since there is no cloakroom in the coliseum, thrown into the trash.

After the visit, take a look at the Ludus Magnus, Rome’s largest and most famous gladiator school. This is located across the street (at the beginning of Via S. Giovanni in Laterano), but is not yet accessible. From today’s ground level, however, you can get an impression of the practice area and the living rooms.

Are you looking for a good restaurant near the Colosseum? We recommend the Pizzeria / Trattoria La Pace al Cervello at Via dei Santi Quattro Coronati 63. For a lunchtime snack and a short rest, it is absolutely fine and as it is a bit back, not too crowded with tourists.

How to visit the underground rooms and the upper floors of the arena? Is it necessary to buy an extra ticket to the ticket for the Coliseum?
In order to visit these areas, my must solve an extra ticket, which costs 11 euros at Coopculture (2 euros for children under 12 years). The visit is possible with a group tour in English, Italian and Spanish. German tours are not offered here. Since the online reservation is a bit complicated, we recommend that you check with us for a possible booking option.

What are the opening times in the Coliseum?
Many tourists were often in front of closed doors in autumn in front of the Colosseum, because from the last Sunday in October, the entrance gates of the arena as well as the Palatine and Forum Romanu close already at 15.30. Here during the opening hours (admission is possible up to 1 hour before the closing time):

From the last Sunday in October to the 15th of February: 8.30-16.30
From 16 February to 15 March: 8.30-17.00
From March 16th to last Saturday of March: 8.30-17.30
From the last Sunday in March to 31st August: 8.30-19.15
From 1st September to 30th September: 8.30-19.00
From the 1st of October to the last Saturday of October: 8.30-18.30
Finally, which is the best way to visit the Coliseum?
If you would like to know more about the history of the ancient amphitheater, and perhaps you are with children in Rome where the visit to the Coliseum was at the top of your wish list, we would advise you to take a private guided tour tailored to your needs and desires book. First, you do not have to worry about anything. The only thing you have to do is to arrive punctually to the meeting place.
We reserve your tickets for the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine, and after we meet on the Arch of Constantine, you can start directly with the tour (without having to wait for other participants, as in a group tour). Your private city guide will have vivid material with the guide, with which he will reconstruct ancient history for you. Of course, the advantage of a private tour is that you can always ask questions that are answered in detail.