Colosseum in Rome – tickets, sightseeing, interesting facts

Tickets to the Colosseum

I will start in the opposite way to everyone else, i.e. with a guide to buying tickets to the Colosseum, instead of the long and extensive history of the facility. I can already hear the sigh of relief from most readers :)
The brutal truth, however, is that you can check the history of the coliseum at any time in countless articles, publications and blogs, but if you wait too long and don't buy your tickets early enough, you either won't get inside at all or you'll have to overpay a lot at the dealer. (I strongly advise against buying tickets from random sellers, especially near the Colosseum, because it is almost certain that they are fake and you will not be allowed inside).

The Colosseum is often called the most popular monument in the world, which in practice means that there are many times more people willing to enter than available places. It is clear that only a small percentage of interested people will buy tickets. Another part will buy fake tickets, lose money and will not get inside. Most of them will simply leave empty-handed and will have to postpone their visit until another occasion. There is always a real war here for entry tickets. The authorities in Rome constantly come up with new ideas related to the distribution and sale of tickets, which in theory is supposed to limit abuses, but in practice only obscures the situation. Constant changes create information chaos and you never know whether the rules have changed. Where to buy, how to buy… where to buy, on what website? I admit that it is extremely tiring, or even impossible, to get a handle on it and keep up with the changes. However, I will try to somehow manage it and provide ways and sources that will allow you to be among the narrow group of lucky people who will be able to see the Colosseum from the inside.

Combined ticket only!

First of all, there is no such thing as tickets to the Colosseum itself!!! Tickets to the Colosseum are always combined tickets and also include entry to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. The basic ticket is valid for 24 hours. It is not possible to buy separate tickets for each attraction.
If you are looking for tickets on your own and do not use the information provided here, be sure to pay attention to this. If someone offers you a ticket only to the Colosseum (without the other two monuments), you know that something is wrong.

Date and time of entry

The facility can accommodate up to 3000 people at a time, so the number of tickets is strictly limited. Tickets are sold for a specific entry time. Delay at the entrance by more than 15 minutes will invalidate the ticket.

Average time to visit the Colosseum on your own: 45 min.

Where to buy tickets?

You can buy tickets directly before entering the ticket office or in advance via the Internet. When deciding to buy at the box office, be prepared for a long queue. Don't expect to buy a ticket for the next hour. It may turn out that the nearest free place is, for example, in 5 hours.
A much better solution is to buy a ticket online well in advance. The so-called reservation fee, which according to my current knowledge is EUR 2 and is added to each ticket. So you pay EUR 2 more, but you can book entry on a day and time that is convenient for you, without having to stand in lines.

When it comes to good and proven sources of tickets on the Internet, over the years there have been three websites that you can easily choose:
– Coopculture
- Tiquets
- GetYourGuide

After one of the changes in the distribution method (which I have lost count), a problem appeared on Coopculture and instead of tickets we have a 404 page error, which means that the page does not exist. After subsequent changes, did the website simply lose its distributor function? I don't know. However, for now (May 2024) it does not work.

So I will limit myself to the remaining two sources and suggest checking availability on both websites and choosing the better option for you:

- GetYourGuide [click] – tickets and other options for visiting the Colosseum
- Tiquets [click] – tickets, city cards, sometimes purchased in discounted packages and other options for visiting the Colosseum

Both sides build their offer independently and sometimes there are interesting promotions. If you plan to visit more attractions in Rome (e.g. the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel), you can sometimes get an additional discount on tickets to other attractions. For example, on the Tiqets website, during the ticket selection process, you will often come across information about possible ticket discounts when purchasing entry to more than one attraction.
If one of the pages opens in a foreign language, you can change the language at the top of the page.

Traditional ticket offices

However, if it is necessary or possible to purchase tickets at traditional ticket offices, getting to them will be easier thanks to precise GPS coordinates, indicating their exact location in the field.

Tickets are sold on site by three ticket offices:
- ticket office in front of the Colosseum (he is always with her the biggest queue), GPS coordinates:
41°53’26.0″N 12°29’21.1″E
41.890546, 12.489188 - click and route

- ticket office at the entrance to the Palatine Hill (200 m further and least people), GPS coordinates:
41°53’16.1″N 12°29’23.5″E
41.887805, 12.489872 - click and route

- ticket office at the entrance to the Roman Forum, GPS coordinates:
41°53’33.6″N 12°29’13.6″E
41.892655, 12.487108 - click and route

It's worth knowing about the Colosseum

Finally, some mandatory information, prepared in a shortened form. It's worth knowing a few things before visiting.

The Colosseum (Colosseum in original Latin Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre) is an ancient amphitheater in Rome that is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world.

History and Construction

Construction Period: The Colosseum was built between 70 and 80 AD during the reign of the Flavian emperors (Vespasian and Titus).
Architecture: The amphitheater is an example of advanced Roman engineering and architecture. It was built mainly of concrete and sandstone.
Size: The Colosseum had a capacity of up to 50,000 spectators. It is oval, approximately 189 meters long, 156 meters wide and 48 meters high.
Structure: The Colosseum consists of four levels. The lower three are equipped with arcades, and the top level contains small windows.

Features and Usage

Gladiatior's fights: The Colosseum was famous primarily for organizing gladiator fights. These were spectacles during which gladiators fought with each other, sometimes also with animals.
Other Shows: Animal hunting, executions and reenactments of sea battles (naumachie) also took place in the amphitheater.
Infrastructure: Under the arena there was a complex system of underground tunnels and rooms where gladiators, animals and equipment needed for fights were stored.

Meaning and Contemporary

Cultural heritage: The Colosseum is a symbol of ancient Rome and one of the best-preserved examples of Roman architecture.
UNESCO monument: It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Tourism: The Colosseum is one of the most visited monuments in Italy, attracting millions of tourists every year.
Renovations: Over the centuries, the Colosseum has undergone numerous renovations and maintenance to preserve its structure.

Interesting facts about the Colosseum

Historical Curiosities

Fire and Destruction: The Colosseum survived numerous fires and earthquakes that damaged its structure. The greatest damage was caused by the earthquake in 1349, which caused the collapse of the southern part of the building.
Building material: Parts of the Colosseum were used as a quarry for building materials. Marble from the Colosseum was used to build many other buildings in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica. Peter.
Hydraulic System: The Colosseum had a complex hydraulic system that allowed the arena to be filled with water to stage naval battles (naumachie).
Construction Cost: The construction of the Colosseum was financed by loot obtained during the war against the Jews, including the plundering of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Architectural Curiosities

Velarium: The Colosseum was equipped with a huge system of sails, called the velarium, which protected spectators from the sun and rain. These sails were manned by sailors from the Roman fleet.
Underground Tunnels: Underneath the Colosseum arena there was a complex system of underground tunnels and chambers, called the hypogeum, where gladiators, animals and equipment needed for shows were stored.
Construction Speed: The Colosseum was built in an extremely short time - approximately 8 years, which is a remarkable achievement considering its size and complex structure.

Social and Cultural Interesting Facts

Free Entry Tickets: Admission to the shows in the Colosseum was free for all Roman citizens. They were also provided with free food and drinks.
Symbol of Christianity: The Colosseum is often associated with Christian martyrdom, although there is no evidence that mass executions of Christians took place there. Nevertheless, in 1749, Pope Benedict XIV consecrated the Colosseum as a site of Christian martyrdom.
Green Colosseum: During the Middle Ages, the interior of the Colosseum became overgrown with vegetation and became a small ecosystem. Various plants, including exotic species brought to Rome, grew inside the ruins.

Contemporary Curiosities

Symbol of the Fight against the Death Penalty: The Colosseum is now used as a symbol of opposition to the death penalty. Every time the death penalty is abolished somewhere in the world or a person sentenced to death is pardoned, the Colosseum is illuminated in gold.
The Greatest Tourist Attraction: The Colosseum attracts approximately 6 million tourists annually, making it one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world.

Important to me!

Give the article a good rating (5 stars welcome 😀)!
It's free, a for me it is very important! The blog lives on visits and thus has a chance to develop. Please do it and ... thank you in advance!

If you like my guides, you will certainly find the one I created useful guide catalog - [click]. There you will find ready-made ideas for your next trips, descriptions of other tourist destinations and an alphabetical list of guides divided into countries, cities, islands and geographical regions.

I also post link to Facebook profile - [click]. Come in and press "Follow"then you will not miss new, inspiring posts.

Unless you prefer Instagram. I'm not a social media demon, but you can always count on something nice to look at on my instagram profile - [click]. The profile will gladly accept any follower who likes it.

I read ALL the comments (and many times). Under each of them I could write that Thank you very much, because you are real fantastic. I often come back to comments because they give me motivation and energy. For me this is invaluable a treasure trove of good emotions!
Thank you for this here (I don't want to clutter the comments with repeated thanks). Know that by leaving a kind word here, you are doing a really good job for me!

I make the content I create available free of charge with copyright, and the blog survives from advertising and affiliate cooperation. So, automatic ads will be displayed in the content of the articles, and some links are affiliate links. This has no effect on the final price of the service or product, but I may earn a commission for displaying ads or following certain links. I only recommend services and products that I find good and helpful. Since the beginning of the blog's existence, I have not published any sponsored article.

Some of the readers who found the information here very helpful, sometimes ask me how you can support the blog? I do not run fundraisers or support programs (type: patronite, zrzutka or "buy coffee"). The best way is to use links. It costs you nothing, and support for the blog is self-generating.

Pozdrawiam