Are you holidaying in Rome and planning to visit the Colosseum?
All visitors entering the attraction must buy Colosseum entry tickets, which thankfully are not very costly.
Just that, with more than 7 million visitors annually, the attraction gets sold out often. So it makes sense to buy your Colosseum tickets beforehand.
Entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill are included with the Colosseum entrance ticket at no extra cost.
And since the ticket is valid for more than one day, visitors can easily plan their visit to all three sites.
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Is entry to Colosseum worth it?
The Colosseum is a must-visit attraction, which is why every year, around 7 million tourists through its corridors.
When you walk in through the Colosseum’s gates and see how massive it is, you understand its scale.
Stepping inside also helps you comprehend the reality of all the gladiator stories we have only heard.
Colosseum is beautiful and engaging, making it a history lover and a photographer’s dream.
Tip: If you want to learn how the gladiators and the wild animals were moved about under the Arena floor during the ‘performances’, you must book the guided tour of Colosseum Underground. It is also possible to visit Colosseum at night.
Entrance times
Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine are open at 8.30 am all through the year.
During the peak months of March to September, Colosseum closes at 7.15 pm.
The last entrance into the oval amphitheater is an hour before closing.
When to be at the Colosseum’s entrance
Visitors can enter Colosseum only at the time selected while booking the tickets. This timed entry is strictly enforced to ensure the attraction doesn’t get overcrowded.
We recommend you show up at the Colosseum’s entrance 15 minutes before the chosen time.
You will be allowed to enter up to 15 minutes after the booked time, but after that, you will be asked to go back, and your tickets won’t be refunded.
Types of Colosseum entrance tickets
There are many kinds of Colosseum tickets you can book.
Most of them include entry into Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill.
These tickets are valid for 24 hours from the first entrance, either at the Colosseum or at the archaeological area of the Roman Forum – Palatine Hill.
Your Colosseum entrance fee will depend on the kind of experience you select.
Roma Super Pass
Roma Super Pass covers two of the most popular attractions – the Colosseum and the Vatican and lasts 72 hours.
The discount pass gets you priority entrance to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill, and Salta Cosa entrance to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.
It also includes the official audio guide for St. Peter’s Basilica.
During these 72 hours, you also get unlimited access to public transport (metro, bus, tram).
The best part is that you don’t need to go anywhere to collect the Roma Super Pass – it gets emailed to you as soon as you purchase.
Check out the Rome Tourist Card if you also plan to visit the Pantheon.
Tip: Two combo tickets are popular among tourists holidaying in Rome – Colosseum and Vatican Museums tour and the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain tour.
Which Colosseum’s entrance to take
The Roman Colosseum has three entrances.
– Main Entrance
– ‘Stern’ Entrance
– Entrance for groups
Each gate is meant to cater to a different set of visitors.
Having multiple entrances at the Colosseum also helps shorten the long lines.
Knowing the right Colosseum entrance to take helps you don’t walk around unnecessarily and waste your time.
Important: Due to the pandemic, all entrances except the Individual Gate (Sperone Valadier) are closed.
Colosseum’s main entrance
Individuals, groups of friends, and families visiting the Colosseum by themselves use the Main Entrance. It is also known as the Entrance for Individuals.
The individual guest entrance is also referred to as Sperone Valadier, after the architect who reconstructed this section of the Colosseum.
You can use the Individual Entrance Gate, if you have bought –
– self-guided timed-entry tickets
– guided tour tickets
– audio and video guides tickets
– Roma pass holders, are allowed through this gate.
The moment you reach the Colosseum’s main entrance, you will notice a long line of visitors in the ticketing queue.
These visitors didn’t plan and buy their Colosseum tickets online.
If you have already bought the Roman Colosseum ticket online, you can pass this queue and go directly to the security checkpoint.
Gate timings: 9.30 am to 7.15 pm, daily. Last admission at 6.15 pm.
Average waiting time: The average wait time at Sperone Valadier is around 45 minutes.
The ‘Stern’ Entrance
The ‘Stern’ entrance is on the opposite side of the main Colosseum entrance.
Stern is the architect who designed the retaining wall at the entrance to the arena.
It is also known as ‘Gladiator’s gate’ and leads tourists to the Arena at the ground level.
Using this entry point, visitors with a licensed guide can gain direct access to the Arena floor in 20-minute time slots.
Guided tours to the Upper floors and Colosseum Underground start at this entrance.
Usually there is little waiting time at the ‘Stern’ entrance.
Gate timings: 9.30 am to 7.15 pm, daily. Last admission at 6.15 pm.
Average waiting time: The average wait time at Stern Entrance is about 10-15 minutes. This entry gate ensures the quickest entry to the Colosseum.
Group Gate
The third entrance of Roman Colosseum is called the ‘Group Gate’ and is right next to the Main entrance.
It is for large groups of tourists, school kids, etc. who are accompanied by an authorized tour guide.
Gate timings: 9.30 am to 7.15 pm, daily. Last admission at 6.15 pm.
Average waiting time: The average wait time at Group Entrance is about 15-20 minutes.
Sources
# Colosseum-rome-tickets.com
# Headout.com
# Coopculture.it
# Thecolosseum.org
The travel specialists at TheBetterVacation.com use only high-quality sources while researching & writing their articles. We make every attempt to keep our content current, reliable and trustworthy.
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