Every Colosseum ticket also covers the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, but the ticket you choose decides which parts of the amphitheatre you see. The standard ticket covers the first and second tiers; the arena floor, the underground and the upper levels each need a ‘Full Experience’ ticket or a tour that includes them. Tickets with a time slot go on sale 30 days ahead, carry your name and are checked against your ID, so book early and type every name exactly as it appears on the passport or ID card.
Colosseum tickets and tours: which entry to book, and when
Colosseum tours and tickets compared
Five well-reviewed ways in, from a classic three-hour tour to the underground, all with free cancellation and the Colosseum entry included. Prices checked on 30 October 2026; live prices in your currency are shown on each card.
Where available, you can reserve now and pay later. Payment dates and eligibility depend on the experience and the options shown at checkout.
Finding experiences…
Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine guided tour
From €59The Colosseum ticket and the €2 reservation fee are included, with options for the arena floor, a small group of up to 15 or an audio guide on your phone. Until 31 December 2026 it meets at Largo Gaetana Agnesi, above Colosseo metro station (line B); from 1 January 2027 at the Belvedere Cederna viewpoint on Via dei Fori Imperiali, above the Metro C exit. Free cancellation up to 72 hours before.
Arena floor tour with the Roman Forum and Palatine
From €79Entry through the restricted arena entrance, with the €24 arena ticket and the reservation fee included, then a guided walk through the Palatine and the Forum. Small-group, German and Spanish options. Meets at an office near the terrace above Colosseo metro station. Free cancellation up to 72 hours before.
Colosseum with arena or underground access
From €99Choose a one-hour tour of the main levels in a group of up to seven, a three-hour arena tour, or a three-hour underground tour that adds the main levels, the arena and a guided Forum visit. The upper levels are not included. Meets outside Colosseo metro station (line B) 30 minutes before the start. Free cancellation up to 7 days before.
Gladiator’s Gate arena tour in a small group
From €63The arena, the first and second levels, then the Palatine and the Forum with your guide; the €24 Colosseum ticket is included. Not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers. Meets at Via delle Terme di Tito 72, by the gate of Colle Oppio park. Free cancellation up to 72 hours before.
Colosseum, Forum and Palatine tour on a budget
From €49A guided tour with the Colosseum ticket (€18, or €24 with the arena) and the reservation fee included, in groups of up to 24, with English, French and Spanish departures. Not wheelchair accessible. Free cancellation up to 72 hours before.
Which Colosseum ticket do you need?
Standard ticket: the first and second tiers
The standard 24-hour ticket (€18) gives one timed entry to the Colosseum’s first and second tiers, for up to 75 minutes, plus one entry to the Roman Forum, the Palatine and the Imperial Fora within 24 hours before or after your slot. The arena floor is not included. Arrive 15 minutes early; up to 15 minutes late is tolerated, but your entry time cannot be changed.
Arena floor: two ways to stand where the gladiators fought
The Full Experience Arena ticket (€24) adds the rebuilt eastern section of the arena to the normal route, with up to 90 minutes inside and the Forum and Palatine the day before, the same day or the day after. It goes on sale only 7 days ahead. The cheaper ‘24h Only Arena’ ticket (€18) is a 20-minute visit to the arena floor alone, entering from the side, for 50 people every 20 minutes, with no late arrivals.
Underground and attic: the hardest tickets to get
The underground (hypogeum) is visited only in accompanied groups of up to 25, starting every 15 minutes; you must arrive 30 minutes before your slot and late arrivals are not admitted. The ticket costs €24, or €32 with an educational tour, and one buyer can book at most eight a day. The attic ticket (€24) takes you to the upper levels; from 9 November 2026 groups of up to 25 go up every 30 minutes. Because so few places exist, a guided tour that includes the underground is often the easier way in.
Guided tour or ticket only?
A ticket alone is the cheapest option if you are happy to read the signs and can book on the day sales open. A guided tour costs more, but the operator handles the timed entry, and the guide brings the Forum and the Palatine to life; without one, many visitors find the Forum a confusing field of ruins. Tours that include the arena or the underground are also a way in when official slots have sold out.
The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Your ticket includes the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, which open at 9am, half an hour after the Colosseum. The main entrances are on Via Sacra from Piazza del Colosseo, at Largo della Salara Vecchia on Via dei Fori Imperiali and at Via di San Gregorio 30 for the Palatine. Allow at least two hours for both, and note that the Palatine summit has short, steep stretches.
Map of the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine
The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill form one archaeological park in the centre of ancient Rome. Times are approximate walking times from the Colosseum.
Getting to the Colosseum
- Metro: line B to Colosseo, or line C to Colosseo–Fori Imperiali, which opened in December 2025 with an interchange to line B.
- Bus: lines 51, 75, 81, 85, 87 and 118.
- Tram: line 3.
- Check your tour’s meeting point before you go: many tours meet near the metro station, not at the Colosseum entrance.
Around the Colosseum
1Colosseum
startThe amphitheatre: standard entry to the first and second tiers, with arena, underground and attic tickets sold separately.
2Arch of Constantine
about 2 minThe triumphal arch beside the Colosseum, visible from Piazza del Colosseo.
3Roman Forum (Via Sacra entrance)
about 5 minThe entrance on Via Sacra, near the Arch of Titus; your Colosseum ticket includes one entry.
4Palatine Hill entrance
about 7 minThe Palatine entrance at Via di San Gregorio 30, one of the ways into the Forum–Palatine area.
5Belvedere Cederna
about 4 minA viewpoint on Via dei Fori Imperiali above the Metro C station, and a meeting point for tours from 2027.
6Colle Oppio park
about 5 minThe park beside the Colosseum; some small-group tours meet at its gate on Via delle Terme di Tito.
7Circus Maximus
about 12 minThe ancient chariot-racing ground below the Palatine, now an open park.
Named tickets, ID and name changes
Every Colosseum ticket carries the visitor’s name, and staff check it against an original ID at the entrance. If the name does not match, you are refused entry and there is no refund.
- Online, you can buy up to eight named tickets per transaction.
- For visits from 9 May 2026, a name can be changed once only, by email, until midnight on the seventh day before the visit, and only for an obvious typo, a ticket type given to the wrong person or a serious documented reason.
- Tour operators need every participant’s full name when you book, too; children need ID as well.
- Official tickets are refunded only if the site has to close. If you miss your Colosseum slot, the ticket is still valid for the Forum and the Palatine.
Free entry and reduced tickets
Under-18s enter free, and EU citizens aged 18 to 24 pay €2, with ID.
- The first Sunday of each month is free: tickets are handed out at the Piazza del Colosseo ticket office in order of arrival and cannot be booked. The arena, the underground, the upper levels and the panoramic lift are closed on free Sundays.
- Entry is also free on 25 April, 2 June and 4 November.
- People with disabilities and a companion enter free.
Security, bags and accessibility
Every entrance has metal detectors and scanners, and there is no cloakroom, so bring only a small bag.
- Not allowed: glass bottles, large backpacks and suitcases, umbrellas wider than one metre, selfie sticks, trekking poles, spray cans, drones and professional tripods.
- A lift links the first and second tiers, so the second tier is on the accessible route; wheelchairs can be borrowed on the Colosseum’s first tier and at the main Forum–Palatine entrances.
- In the Forum there is an accessible alternative to the Via Sacra; the Palatine summit has short, steep stretches.
- Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Mistakes to avoid at the Colosseum
The most expensive mistake is a name that does not match your ID: the ticket cannot be used and is not refunded.
- Assuming the standard ticket includes the arena floor. It does not.
- Arriving late for the underground or arena-only tickets: late arrivals are not admitted.
- Planning a late-afternoon visit in winter. From 25 October to 28 February the last entry is at 3.30pm.
- Leaving it until the last minute. Timed tickets go on sale 30 days ahead and the special areas sell out first.
- Bringing a large backpack: there is nowhere to leave it.
Colosseum FAQ
How much does a Colosseum ticket cost in 2026?
The standard ticket for the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine is €18. Full Experience tickets with the arena, the underground or the upper levels cost €24. EU citizens aged 18 to 24 pay €2 and under-18s enter free.
How far ahead should I book Colosseum tickets?
Tickets with a Colosseum time slot go on sale 30 days before the visit; the Full Experience Arena ticket goes on sale 7 days ahead. Book as soon as sales open for the arena, the underground or the upper levels.
Does the Colosseum ticket include the arena floor?
No. The standard ticket covers the first and second tiers. For the arena you need a Full Experience Arena, ‘24h Only Arena’ or underground ticket, or a tour that includes the arena.
Can I change the name on a Colosseum ticket?
Only once, by email, until midnight on the seventh day before your visit, and only for a typo, a ticket assigned to the wrong person or a serious documented reason. A name that does not match your ID means no entry and no refund.
What are the Colosseum’s opening hours in winter?
From 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027 the Colosseum opens at 8.30am and the park closes at 4.30pm, with last entry at 3.30pm. The Forum and the Palatine open at 9am.
Is the Colosseum free on the first Sunday of the month?
Yes. Free tickets are handed out at the Piazza del Colosseo ticket office in order of arrival and cannot be booked, and the arena, the underground and the upper levels are closed that day.
How long do you need at the Colosseum?
The standard ticket allows up to 75 minutes inside the Colosseum and Full Experience tickets 90 minutes. Add at least two hours for the Roman Forum and the Palatine.
Can I bring a backpack to the Colosseum?
Only a small one. Every entrance has security scanners and there is no cloakroom, so large backpacks and suitcases cannot come in.
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Spotted something out of date? Tell usSources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources on October 30, 2026. Prices and times can change, so confirm them when you book.
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo: opening times and tickets (colosseo.it)
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo: visitor regulation, updated 8 October 2026 (PDF) (colosseo.it)
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine ticket (colosseo.it)
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo: 24h Only Arena ticket (colosseo.it)
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Full Experience Arena (colosseo.it)
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Full Experience Underground and Arena (colosseo.it)
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Full Experience Attic (colosseo.it)
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Forum Pass SUPER (colosseo.it)
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo: how to get here (colosseo.it)
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo: the park for all (colosseo.it)
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo: free Sundays (colosseo.it)
- Ministry of Culture: free first Sunday of the month (cultura.gov.it)
- Roma Servizi per la Mobilità: Metro C Colosseo and Porta Metronia stations open (romamobilita.it)
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From prices are indicative. Choose your date and confirm availability, cancellation terms and the final total on the booking page. * Ratings and reviews are collected by Viator and Tripadvisor.
* “What travellers say” summarises recent reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor, covering every star rating (October 2026).