How to visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill

In this post, you will find tips, prices, and everything you need to know to visit the Coliseum. For those who followed our 4-day trip through Rome, you know that we went in our first day to the Vatican. For our second day, we save a visit to one of Rome’s most emblematic monuments: the Coliseum.

ROME GUIDE: COLOSSEUM, PALATINE, AND ROMAN FORUM

As you would expect from the monument that makes up one of the 7 wonders of the modern world, the lines to enter were kilometers long. In December, when we took this tour, the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine closed at 16:30. Which left us a little desperate about spending our time in lines.

During the European winter, some attractions have their opening hours shortened. That’s why we chose to buy a guided tour right there near the Arch of Constantine. All guided tours have a different entrance than other visitors, which makes you skip the line. We negotiated the price and entered the Coliseum in less than half an hour.

Colosseum

HOW TO AVOID QUEUES

To avoid queues at the entrance of the Colosseum, the ideal is to guarantee your ticket in advance. The long lines around the monument are actually lines for access to the box office. Therefore, with the ticket in hand, it is possible to cut part of the lines by going straight to the entrance of the Coliseum.

ANTICIPATED TICKET FOR THE COLISEUM

To avoid queues, the best option is to buy your ticket in advance. On the official website for Colosseum ticket sales, you reserve the day and time of the visit. Therefore you can go straight to the entrance of the monument, which is just after the Coliseum ticket office. A purchase fee of € 2 is added to the purchase on the website (€ 16 over 18 years).

The entrance to the Coliseum lasts for 24 hours and also includes the entrance to the Palatine and the Roman Forum. If you prefer to buy the ticket physically, you can buy tickets at the ticket office of the Roman Forum or Palatino.

As most people go straight to the Coliseum, many forget that the entrance to the other attractions has the same ticket. That is why these ticket offices are usually more empty. Still, to prevent long queues choose to go during the opening hours of the attractions.

And if you don’t mind running a little to see all the attractions, you can choose the reduced ticket. It’s valid from 2 PM until closing time (depending on the time of year). It cost only € 9.50. But be aware that this ticket isn’t valid for 24 hours, which means that you need to visit everything on the same day.

In my opinion, this ticket is valid for those who want to visit only the Colosseum or one of the other attractions. As visiting all of them in only one afternoon is nearly impossible.

VISIT THE UNDERGROUND OF THE COLISEUM AND PANORAMIC VIEW

The Coliseum features five levels between the basement, where the gladiators were preparing to fight, up to the upper bleachers. It had the capacity to welcome more than 50,000 spectators.

To visit the different levels of the Coliseum, it’s necessary to book the visit in advance. Only official guided tours can access the underground, the floor with panoramic views, and the arena. But be smart when booking: some agencies sell guided tours held only on floors open to all visitors.

So, if you want to see these other points inside the Coliseum, check if the tour grants access to the underground galleries, to the belvedere (5th floor with panoramic view) or grants access to both (visit the underground and panoramic view).

To purchase guided tours safely you can use the Get your Guide application. Check here this and other Apps that can help you on your trip!

ROMAN FORUM AND THE PALATINE

For those who buy the Colosseum common ticket, the visit to the Roman Forum and the Palatine is already included. You can start by visiting any of the monuments and even divide the visit between two days (one afternoon and one morning).

Generally, guided tours on the Colosseum don’t include a guide to visit the rest of the places. However, you can use the same ticket and make your visit yourself. It isn’t necessary to make a prior reservation as in the Colosseum, nor is there a specific time to visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

Begin your visit by passing through the Arch of Constantine and following the stone path on the left. The entry for both Forum and Palatine is the same. Follow the trails through the archaeological site and discover all the main ruins of the administrative center of ancient Rome.

OTHER INFORMATION:

COLISEUM OPENING HOURS:

The Colosseum and the entrance to the Palatine and Roman Forum are open every day from 8:30 AM until one hour before sunset. That’s why they have different closing times throughout the year. In the winter the activities end around 4h30 PM, while in the summer the monuments are open until 7 PM.

HOW TO GET there:

It’s very simple to reach the Colosseum by public transportation in Rome. The subway on line B has a stop at Coliseum station, which is right in front of the entrance. In addition, there are numerous bus stops around the Coliseum. Such as Celio Vibenna, which has a beautiful view to take pictures.

On our map you can see, in addition to the transport stops, a route to help you guide yourself inside the Palatine and Roman Forum. Download the map and get guided by Google Maps inside the ruins:

Did you like the post? Want more tips about Rome? Check out our complete 4-day city guide.

FAQ: Visit the Colosseum, Palatine, and Roman Forum