Inside Colosseum walls there are four things worth your time: the tiers, the arena floor, the underground and the attic. Which ones you can enter depends on the ticket, so this page works as a Colosseum map and a reading order. Before you go inside Colosseum gates, it helps to see the building and its surroundings, then the route I would take through it, then a note on each area. If you have not bought your ticket yet, my guide to tickets for the Colosseum shows which one opens which area.
Colosseum Map: Entrances, Stations and Sights Around It
The map below shows the Colosseum with its entrances, the nearest stations and the sights within walking distance, from Google Maps data.
The nearest station is Colosseo on Metro line B, about 150 m away by Google Maps, and the official site also lists buses 51, 75, 81, 85, 87 and 118 and tram line 3, per colosseo.it. The Arch of Constantine is the next landmark, about a 2-minute walk, and the Roman Forum is about 9 minutes away. Those walking times are my estimates, from straight-line distance multiplied by 1.3 at 4.8 km/h. The address is Piazza del Colosseo, 1, 00184 Rome.
I looked for an official floor plan to link here and could not find one on colosseo.it, so I will not link a map I cannot verify. The plan I give you is my own reading order, based on the official ticket descriptions and the tour itineraries, and it is not a substitute for the signs you will meet on the day. The park’s visiting guidelines are the official page to read for what the site expects from you.
The Route I Would Take Inside Colosseum Walls
This is the order I would follow inside Colosseum walls if your ticket includes everything, and it is also what to see inside Colosseum areas, step by step. The times are the ones sources give; the rest I leave blank on purpose.
My route inside the Colosseum
1Security checkMandatory for everyone
2Lower tierThe first order of seating
3Upper tierThe second order, best view of the arena
4Arena floorOnly with an arena ticket20 min
5UndergroundOnly with the underground ticket
6Attic and liftOnly with the attic ticket
7Exit to the ForumSame visit, a short walk
Security Check and Entrance
Every visit starts at the security check, and the tour listings say there is no skip the line for it. The official site says a timed slot is mandatory and your ID is checked at the entrances. Inside the Colosseum, you then follow the marked route. The listing for the sunset tour asks you to arrive 20 minutes before the start, and I would do the same for any timed slot. The listings also list luggage and large bags among the things not allowed on at least one tour, so travel light.
The Lower and Upper Tiers
The tiers are where most people spend their first minutes. The standard official ticket covers what the park calls the first and second order, which means the lower seating and the level above it. This is the part of inside the Colosseum that everyone sees. Wikipedia describes the seating as tiered to match Roman society: the emperor and the senators nearest the arena, knights above them, then ordinary citizens, with a gallery at the very top for the poor, slaves and women, per Wikipedia. Look for the numbered entrances and the passages called vomitoria, which let a crowd in and out in minutes.
I would spend the longest at the upper level, because it gives the widest view of the arena and the hypogeum below it.
The Arena Floor
Standing in the arena is the moment most visitors picture when they think of what is inside Colosseum walls. The arena was a wooden floor covered with sand, and the Latin word for sand, harena, gave us the word arena. Wikipedia gives the arena itself as 83 by 48 meters. Part of the floor has been rebuilt, so you can stand where the show took place and look down into the structure under it.
Official access to the arena lasts 20 minutes, per colosseo.it, so it is a short, timed moment, not a place to linger. Several tours sell it as an option: the Ivo Tours arena tour at $44 is one of the cheapest, and the listing describes the music played as the group reaches the arena floor.
Ivo Tours
Colosseum Arena Floor, Palatine & Forum Guided Tour
★4.5 (30,072 reviews)
2.5 - 3 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: Arena floor plus a long route through the Forum and Palatine: $44, 2.5 to 3 hours, 10 languages.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Guided tour
✓ Access to the Colosseum Arena Floor (if option selected)
✓ Access to the Colosseum
✓ Access to the Roman Forum
✓ Access to Palatine Hill
✓ Headsets to hear the tour guide clearly
Not included / not suitable
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Transfers
✕ Access to underground floor
Meeting point: Meet us at Via delle Terme di Tito 93. If you arrive by Metro, from the 'Colosseo metro station' reach the terrace above the station. Walk on 'Via Nicola Salvi' about 100m and turn left. Via delle Terme di Tito, 93, 00184 Roma RM, Italia
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Ian is a great tour guide - would definitely recommend using this as it was very informative and a great way to spend our morning and afternoon” – GetYourGuide review
Few people know how much of inside Colosseum space is below the floor. The hypogeum is the two-level network of tunnels and cages under the arena where gladiators and animals waited, which Wikipedia says was added under Domitian. It had 80 vertical shafts for raising caged animals and scenery into the arena. Today you only see it with an underground ticket. The official Full Experience Underground and Arena ticket includes both, and is valid for 2 consecutive days for one access to the Colosseum plus one to the Forum and Palatine, per the official site.
Among tours, the Trip in Art express tour lists an underground and arena option as a small group of up to 6, with the licensed guide and a guided Forum and Palatine visit.
Trip in Art
Colosseum Express Tour with Forum and Palatine Access
★4.6 (554 reviews)
1 hour
Free cancellation
My pick: The tour with an underground option, in a group of up to 6: English only, 1 hour, from $44.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Only the access included in your selected option is guaranteed**
✓ Option 1 - Colosseum Tour (No Arena, No Underground Access)
✓ Licensed professional guide; official Colosseum ticket (€18 value); upper levels; Roman Forum and Palatine Hill access; headsets when required; group up to 12
✓ Option 2 – Colosseum Arena Tour (No Underground)
✓ Licensed professional guide; official Colosseum ticket (€24 value); Arena Floor; upper levels; Roman Forum and Palatine Hill access; headsets when required; group up to 12
✓ Option 3 – Colosseum Underground & Arena Full Experience
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Gratuities
✕ Guided tour of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill — Options 1, 2 and 4
Meeting point: This activity has 2 meeting points. Your meeting point depends on the option you select. Via dei Fori Imperiali, 25, 00184 Roma RM, Italia
Languages: English
Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: Cancel up to 7 days in advance for a full refund
“Great guide. Brought the colosseum alive, and even offered to take our picture. Very clear English and a catching smile. Kind and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour.” – GetYourGuide review
The attic is the top level of the building, which the official site sells as the Full Experience Attic ticket with the panoramic lift included. Wikipedia describes the attic as the tall wall with windows above the arcades, and the mast corbels around its top that held the awning. Of the tours I compared, the City Wonders evening tour lists the Colosseum attic on floors 3 to 5 among its stops.
Night tour
City Wonders Ltd.
Colosseum by Evening Guided Tour with Optional Arena Access
★4.6 (1,073 reviews)
3 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The tour whose stop list names the attic on floors 3 to 5, with the arena floor as an option: 3 hours, English, $66.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Reserved Entrance to the Colosseum
✓ Includes standard Colosseum entry ticket (€18)
✓ Includes Colosseum Entry ticket with Arena (€24) [If option selected]
✓ Group size of your choice (10, 15 or 25 participants)
✓ Dedicated audio headsets so you don't miss a thing
✓ Expert, English-speaking tour guide
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup/drop-off
✕ Gratuities (welcomed and appreciated)
Meeting point: *** Until December 31st, 2026 ***
Meeting Point: At Largo Gaetana Agnesi, above the 2nd floor of the metro line B (blue line) stop "Colosseo". Your guide coordinator will be waiting here wearing a blue City Wonders polo shirt or jacket for easy recognition.
*** From January 1st, 2027 ***
Meeting Point: Belvedere Cederna (Cederna Viewpoint), Via dei Fori Imperiali 43, 00186 Rome.
The meeting point is located on Via dei Fori Imperiali, between the PIT Fori Imperiali (Tourist Information Center) and the Colosseum. The Colosseo Metro C station exit is directly beneath the viewpoint. Our coordinator will be waiting at the meeting point and will be clearly identifiable with City Wonders flags. L.go Gaetana Agnesi, 5, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: English
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 4 days in advance for a full refund
“Hisam was amazing - a really great tour guide with lots of knowledge and he was super engaging with the group. I would absolutely recommend this tour with him.” – GetYourGuide review
The exit leads back into the open, and the Arch of Constantine is the nearest landmark, a 2-minute walk. The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill are next, and many tours walk you straight through them. My page on Colosseum tours compares each of the tours that do this, and the evening version is on my Colosseum night tour page.
Getting Around Inside Colosseum Walls: Access and Rules
The official site lists an accessible area, a lift or hoist, toilets, baby changing stations, a baby pit stop, an info point, audio guides, a refreshment point and a bookshop for the Colosseum. It also warns that the building has some very steep steps and paths that are rough and uneven, asks for appropriate footwear (high heels and flip-flops are not recommended) and says children must be held by the hand at all times, per the visiting guidelines. Visitors may only follow the paths open to the public, and clothing must suit the formal setting.
The free MyColosseum app has interactive audio guides in Italian and English that follow you around the route, including the underground and the attic, per the official page. If you plan the day around the hours, my Colosseum opening hours guide has the table and last entry. For the story behind what you see, read my Colosseum history page, and when you are ready to book, compare every Colosseum ticket in one place. The home page lists the other attractions I compare.
Frequently asked questions
What is inside the Colosseum?+
Inside the Colosseum you see the tiers of seating, the arena floor with a partly rebuilt section, and the underground tunnels where gladiators and animals waited. Which parts you can enter depends on your ticket: the official standard ticket covers the first and second order, and the arena, underground and attic are separate tickets.
Is there an official Colosseum map?+
I could not find a downloadable official map or floor plan on colosseo.it when I looked, so I have not linked one. The official site does list the accessible area, lifts, toilets, baby changing, audio guides and the bookshop for the Colosseum, and its MyColosseum app has a free audio guide that follows your route.
How long do you need inside the Colosseum?+
Allow about an hour for the Colosseum alone. The official arena access lasts 20 minutes, and the guided tours that add the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill run 2.5 to 3 hours in the listings.
Can you go down to the Colosseum underground?+
Yes, with the right ticket. The official Full Experience Underground and Arena ticket includes the underground and the arena. Among the tours I compared, Trip in Art lists an underground option, in a group of up to 6, and Rutas Romanas lists it as an option too.
Is the Colosseum accessible for wheelchairs?+
The official site lists an accessible area and a lift or hoist among the Colosseum services, but its visiting guidelines warn of steep steps and uneven paths. Check the accessibility page on colosseo.it for your needs before you book.
