The cheapest way into the Colosseum on GetYourGuide is a one-hour sunset tour at $24, and the cheapest plain entry is the $25 Ivo Tours ticket with an audio guide. The most-reviewed Colosseum ticket is the Crown Tours guided visit at $55: 4.8 stars from 94,213 reviews. The official site, colosseo.it, also sells tickets. For a first visit I’d book the Rutas Romanas tour at $48.
Tour
From
Rating
Length
Free cancellation
Book
Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Guided Tour
I compared all 10 Colosseum tickets and tours you can book on GetYourGuide right now. Only one of these Colosseum tickets is a plain entry ticket; the other nine are guided tours that include the Colosseum entry, and most add the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Prices are in US dollars and come from the listings, checked in November 2026. The links that open GetYourGuide are affiliate links (more on that on my about page).
Colosseum Tickets at a Glance
Here are all the Colosseum tickets in one table, so you can see where the money goes before reading the detail.
What
Details
Ticket types
1 ticket with audio guide, 9 guided tours that include entry
Price range
$24 (sunset tour) to $70 (arena floor tour, 14 languages)
Areas by type
Standard entry covers the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine; the arena floor, and in one tour the underground, are options on top
Official ticket
Sold at ticketing.colosseo.it; timed slot mandatory, tickets named, on sale 30 days ahead
Time to allow
1 hour (express, sunset, audio) to 3 hours (arena and evening tours)
Address
Piazza del Colosseo, 1, 00184 Rome (per Google Maps)
Google Maps hours
8:30 am to 4:30 pm, every day
The difference between Colosseum tickets is almost always what you can enter. The standard Colosseum ticket reaches the upper and lower levels. The arena floor, the underground and the attic are extras with their own tickets, which I cover below.
Colosseum Admission Tickets
Colosseum admission tickets on their own are only part of what you pay for here, because almost every listing wraps the entry fee into a tour. This Colosseum ticket bundle states the entry at 18 euros for the standard ticket and 24 euros if you pick the arena option, with the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill included either way. At $48 it is the one I would book for most first visits: 4.8 stars from 36,276 reviews, 2.5 hours, and you can cancel up to 7 days before for a full refund. The guide is a live official licensed guide, with headsets so you can hear in a crowd. Languages are English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian.
Rutas Romanas
Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour
★4.8 (36,276 reviews)
2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: My pick for a first visit: entry to the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine with a licensed guide, 4.8 from 36,276 reviews and 7-day free cancellation.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Entry ticket to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill (€18)
✓ Entry ticket to the Colosseum with Arena access, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill (if the €24 option is selected)
✓ Arena Access: Included if selected – will be stated in the tour title
✓ Underground Access: Included if selected – will be stated in the tour title
✓ Live official licensed guide
✓ Headsets to hear the guide clearly
Meeting point: Meeting point may vary depending on the option you select. Check availability for more details.
Languages: German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 7 days in advance for a full refund
“Tour with Alice was amazing, very knowledgeable & good sense of humour” – GetYourGuide review
The listing says the meeting point depends on the option you choose, so read the confirmation before you leave your hotel.
Skip-the-Line Colosseum Tickets
Skip-the-line Colosseum tickets are really about two queues, and a good Colosseum ticket deals with both: the one at the ticket office and the one at security. The City Walkers tour at $56 handles the first by including the tickets, and its guide meets you at Largo Gaetana Agnesi, on the upper level of the Colosseo metro station, in front of the entrance to the primary school. It takes about 1 hour, scores 4.7 from 31,698 reviews, and runs in English, Spanish, German and French. A reviewer on the page liked that it moved them around the big lines at the Colosseum and Palatine Hill.
City Walkers Tours
Guided Tour of Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
★4.7 (31,698 reviews)
1 hour
Free cancellation
My pick: The quick guided option: about 1 hour, tickets included, meeting at the Colosseo station, 4.7 from 31,698 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Guide
✓ Headsets to hear the guide clearly
✓ Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill entry tickets
Not included / not suitable
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Gratuities
✕ Entry to the Colosseum arena (English group tour with Arena access is the only option that has access to arena) and underground
Meeting point: The meeting point is located at Largo Gaetana Agnesi, 5, on the upper level of the Colosseo metro station. It is situated in front of the entrance to the primary school. Our staff will be wearing a light blue uniform with the City Walkers logo. Largo Gaetana Agnesi, 5, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: English, Spanish, German, French
Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: Cancel up to 3 days in advance for a full refund
“A great option if you’d like some great information and movement around the big lines for the colosseum and palatine hill.” – GetYourGuide review
The catch with this Colosseum ticket is that the arena is not included in the standard version. The listing says the English group tour with Arena access is the only option that reaches it, and it also excludes the underground. The security check is the same for everyone, so arrive early.
Colosseum Entry Tickets
Colosseum entry tickets from Tour Italy LTD cost $70 per person, the most expensive in my set, and the extra money buys range rather than a better ground tour. The listing runs in 14 languages: English, Russian, German, Spanish, French, Greek, Hindi, Serbian, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese, Urdu and Italian, so it is the one I would check first if your group speaks something less common. It lasts 2.5 to 3 hours with an official guide and has four meeting points, and the arena floor is an option you select. You can cancel up to 7 days in advance. It scores 4.5 from 16,926 reviews, lower than the two tours above, so I’d choose this Colosseum ticket for the language, not the rating.
Tour Italy LTD
Colosseum Arena, Palatine Hill & Forum Guided Tour
★4.5 (16,926 reviews)
2.5 - 3 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The language pick: 14 languages and an optional arena floor, 4.5 from 16,926 reviews, but $70 is the top of the range.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill entry tickets
✓ Official guide
✓ Guided tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
✓ Access to the Arena floor (if option with Arena floor is selected)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Food and drinks
Meeting point: This activity has 4 meeting points. Your meeting point depends on the option you select. Via dei Fori Imperiali, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
A Colosseum tour is worth the money because the building is hard to read without someone explaining it, and the tickets for the Colosseum are included. Crown Tours’ Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill tour is the most-reviewed Colosseum ticket here, at $55 with 94,213 reviews averaging 4.8. It covers the Colosseum, the arena floor if you select it, the Forum and Palatine Hill in about 2.5 hours, with headsets. Languages are English, Italian, Portuguese, German, French and Spanish, and you can cancel up to 3 days ahead.
Crown Tours
Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Guided Tour
★4.8 (94,213 reviews)
2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The most-reviewed Colosseum tour: 94,213 reviews at 4.8, Forum and Palatine included, arena floor as an option.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Entry to the Colosseum
✓ Access to the Colosseum Arena (if option selected)
✓ Entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
✓ Headsets to hear the tour guide clearly
✓ Colosseum entry ticket (18€)
✓ Colosseum entry ticket with Arena (if option selected 24€)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transportation
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Tips
Meeting point: This activity has 2 meeting points. Your meeting point depends on the option you select. Monti, 00184 Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy
Cancellation: Cancel up to 3 days in advance for a full refund
“Valeria was an excellent guide. We’ve been in Europe for 6 weeks and undertaken several guided tours and he was the best guide we’ve had. Knowledgeable and passionate about his subject.” – GetYourGuide review
One reviewer described their guide in these words, and it is a pattern I saw across the listings: the praise goes to the guide’s knowledge and pace.
“Our guide was fantastic! Really good knowledge and pace! Very enjoyable visit”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
The meeting point depends on the option, with two meeting points on the listing, depending on the option you select. I compare every guided tour on my Colosseum tours page, with the route, group size and reviewer patterns for each.
Colosseum Night Tour
A Colosseum night tour is a different visit from the daytime one, and the listing I’d look at is the City Wonders evening tour at $66. It lasts 3 hours, has an English-speaking guide and a group size you choose (10, 15 or 25), and the arena is an option. It scores 4.6 from 1,073 reviews. The stop list names the Roman Forum, the arena floor and the Colosseum attic, floors 3 to 5. Cancellation is free up to 4 days before.
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 after-hours visit with a small group, arena as an option, 4.6 from 1,073 reviews.
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 official site also advertises its own night visit, “Una Notte al Colosseo”, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 pm to 11 pm with last entry at 9:50 pm, per colosseo.it. The listing text I have says the meeting arrangement holds until 31 December 2026, so check the date you want. If you only want an evening window, look at the sunset tour in the price section instead.
Colosseum Skip the Line
For a Colosseum skip the line ticket without a live guide, and the cheapest of the Colosseum tickets, Ivo Tours sells the audio-guide version at $25: entry to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, with a digital audio guide app. It lasts about 1 hour, has free cancellation up to 3 days before and scores 4.2 from 32,063 reviews. That is the lowest score of the set, and the reviews explain why: a host meets you at the Enjoy Rome agency near the metro and helps with entry, but there is no live guide or headsets.
Ivo Tours
Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Hill Entry & Audio Guide
★4.2 (32,063 reviews)
1 hour
Free cancellation
My pick: The cheapest plain entry at $25 with an audio guide app; no live guide, 4.2 from 32,063 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Assistance at the meeting point
✓ Digital Audio guide app (downloadable mobile app)
✓ Host (Staff that will assist you at the meeting point)
✓ Arena Floor access (if option selected)
✓ Entry to the Roman Forum
✓ Entry to Palatine Hill
Not included / not suitable
✕ Headsets
✕ Live guide
Meeting point: Meet at the office of the Enjoy Rome agency, 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
Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: Cancel up to 3 days in advance for a full refund
“Guide very helpful and professional. we were straight in, no queueing. He was also very knowledgable” – GetYourGuide review
Opinion is split. One reviewer wrote that the guidance to the location was poor, while another was pleased with how it worked.
“Guide very helpful and professional. we were straight in, no queueing. He was also very knowledgable”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
If the meeting point confuses you, the Colosseo station is the landmark: the agency sits on Via delle Terme di Tito, a short walk away.
Colosseum Tickets Official Website
The official Colosseum tickets website is ticketing.colosseo.it, run by the archaeological park, and it is where the plain Colosseum ticket comes from. Per the official hours and tickets page, every ticket is named for the visitor, you show an ID document at the entrances, and a timed slot is mandatory for the Colosseum. Tickets go on sale 30 days before the visit date. The official types include a 24-hour Colosseum, Forum and Palatine ticket, an Only Arena ticket, and the 2-day Full Experience tickets for the arena, underground, attic or the Commodus passage. The page I read did not list prices, so check it for the figures.
What a reseller adds to the official Colosseum tickets is a guide and flexibility. The City Wonders tour at $66 is 4.7 stars from 8,468 reviews, and it spells out the cost split: the listing says the Colosseum entry is worth 18 euros, or 24 with the arena, and that a 2 euro reservation fee is included. It lasts 1.5 hours and runs in English only. You can cancel up to 4 days ahead.
City Wonders Ltd.
Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum Guided Tour
★4.7 (8,468 reviews)
1.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: A guided alternative to the official ticket: 1.5 hours, English, entry and reservation fee included, 4.7 from 8,468 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Access to the Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
✓ Guided tour of the Colosseum with an expert licensed guide (Guided tour options only)
✓ Colosseum entrance ticket included (€18 value, or €24 with Arena access)
✓ Colosseum reservation fee included (€2 value)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Gratuities
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting point: Until December 31, 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 1, 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. Largo Gaetana Agnesi, 5, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Languages: English
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 4 days in advance for a full refund
“I really enjoyed the tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and made the tour very enjoyable!” – GetYourGuide review
Colosseum tickets for the underground are the hardest Colosseum tickets to find, and the Ivo Tours arena tour at $44 is not one of them, even though it is the closest match for this section. Its listing includes the arena floor if you pick that option, and the Forum, Palatine and Arch of Titus, but it states in plain words that access to the underground floor is not included. It lasts 2.5 to 3 hours, scores 4.5 from 30,072 reviews and offers 10 languages. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before, the shortest window of any tour here.
Ivo Tours
Colosseum Arena Floor, Palatine & Forum Guided Tour
★4.5 (30,072 reviews)
2.5 - 3 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: Arena floor and the Forum, not the underground: 4.5 from 30,072 reviews, 10 languages, 24-hour cancellation.
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
The one listing that names the underground as an option is the Trip in Art express tour, covered in the section on unavailable tickets below: its third option adds the restricted underground and arena floor for a group of up to 6. The Rutas Romanas listing above also says underground access is included if that option is selected. Because every operator sells Colosseum tickets for the underground differently, I would read the option names before paying.
Coliseum Tickets Price
Coliseum tickets (the Colosseum ticket price) in US dollars start at $24 and top out at $70, and the cheapest listing is the Rome - Tour sunset tour. It lasts 1 to 1.5 hours, has English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Persian and Portuguese guides, and scores 4.4 from 1,697 reviews. It is also the only product here that is non-refundable, and the listing says the Colosseum entry is only included if you select that option. The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill are not part of it.
Rome - Tour
Colosseum: Sunset Tour with Optional Interior Access
★4.4 (1,697 reviews)
1 - 1.5 hours
My pick: The lowest price at $24, but non-refundable and the Forum is excluded; interior entry only if you select it.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Guided tour
✓ Colosseum entry ticket if the option is selected
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Meeting point: Meeting point may vary depending on the option you select. Check availability for more details.
Prices are the lowest per-person prices on GetYourGuide when I last checked; the final price depends on the date, time slot and age.
Colosseum tickets cost more as the extras pile up: $24 to $25 for short or self-guided visits, $44 to $56 for live-guided tours with the Forum, and $66 to $70 for arena options and evening or multilingual groups.
What to Do When Colosseum Tickets Show as Not Available
Colosseum tickets that are not available online usually mean the date is not released yet or the slot is full. The official site releases Colosseum tickets 30 days before the visit and sells them for timed slots, so a date further out will not appear. I could not find any statement on the official pages that the Colosseum is sold out.
If your date is close, a reseller’s tour is the quickest thing to try. The Trip in Art express tour at $44 lasts 1 hour, scores 4.6 from 554 reviews and offers four options, from a plain Colosseum tour to a small-group underground and arena visit. Cancellation is free up to 7 days before, and the group is up to 12 on the basic options.
Trip in Art
Colosseum Express Tour with Forum and Palatine Access
★4.6 (554 reviews)
1 hour
Free cancellation
My pick: Try this when a date is tight: four options, 1 hour, 4.6 from 554 reviews, free cancellation up to 7 days before.
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
Only the access in your selected option is guaranteed, the listing says, so pick the Colosseum ticket option that matches what you want to enter.
Is the Colosseum Attic Worth It
The Colosseum attic is the upper section of the building, floors 3 to 5 on the City Wonders evening tour’s stop list, and it has its own official ticket, the Full Experience Attico, valid for 2 consecutive days. None of the 10 listings I compared sells the attic as a standalone product, so I cannot give you a GetYourGuide price. I can tell you what the data says: the attic only shows up on the evening tour above.
My view, from the data and not from a visit, is that the attic suits people who have already seen the arena floor and want the height. If it is your first visit and you have one chance, I’d put the money on the arena floor or underground. The official site is where I’d confirm what the attic ticket covers.
Is the Colosseum Worth Visiting
Yes, and tickets for the Colosseum sell in the millions: Google Maps rates it 4.8 from 511,567 reviews, and Wikidata records 5,832,996 visitors in 2022. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, about 189 m long and 156 m wide, and was completed in AD 80, according to Wikipedia.
The part most tickets skip is what lay under the arena. The hypogeum, a two-level network of tunnels and cages, was added under Domitian and had 80 vertical shafts for raising animals and scenery. That is why Colosseum tickets for the arena floor and underground cost more.
Opening Hours and Getting There
Google Maps lists the Colosseum open 8:30 am to 4:30 pm every day, and the official hours page shows an 8:30 opening for 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027, with closures on 25 December 2026 and 1 January 2027. Book your Colosseum tickets for a morning slot if you can. The nearest metro station is Colosseo, about a 3-minute walk. My Colosseum opening hours and visitor guide has the day-by-day table, entrances and the best time to go.
Which Ticket Fits You
Choosing between Colosseum tickets comes down to time, language and areas. This table is built from the product listings; the sections above hold the detail for each row.
Ticket
Kind
Price from
Duration
Areas
Best for
Rutas Romanas guided tour
tour with entry
$48
2.5 hours
Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, arena optional
First visit
City Walkers guided tour
tour with entry
$56
1 hour
Colosseum, Forum, Palatine
Short on time
Tour Italy LTD arena tour
tour with entry
$70
2.5 to 3 hours
Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, arena optional
Rarer languages
Crown Tours guided tour
tour with entry
$55
2.5 hours
Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, arena optional
Most reviewed
City Wonders evening tour
tour with entry
$66
3 hours
Colosseum, arena optional, attic
Night
Ivo Tours audio guide
entry ticket
$25
1 hour
Colosseum, Forum, Palatine
Cheapest entry
City Wonders guided tour
tour with entry
$66
1.5 hours
Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, arena optional
Entry fees spelled out
Ivo Tours arena tour
tour with entry
$44
2.5 to 3 hours
Colosseum, Forum, Palatine, arena optional
Arena floor
Sunset tour
tour with entry
$24
1 to 1.5 hours
Colosseum only
Low price
Trip in Art express
tour with entry
$44
1 hour
Colosseum, optional underground and arena
Tight dates
Every product here is a guided tour with entry bar one, so what separates these Colosseum tickets is time, language and the areas you choose.
Near the Colosseum
The Colosseum sits among the main sights of ancient Rome, and your Colosseum ticket reaches only part of them, and the walking times below are my estimates from straight-line distance, multiplied by 1.3 at 4.8 km/h. The Roman Forum is next door, with its own page on the Roman Forum tickets. For the Pantheon, see Pantheon tickets, and the Trevi Fountain has its own Trevi Fountain page.
The Arch of Constantine is about a 2-minute walk, the archaeological park office about 8 minutes, the Roman Forum about 9, Trajan’s Forum about 13 and Piazza del Campidoglio about 14. The Trevi Fountain is roughly 23 minutes, the Pantheon 26 and Piazza Navona 30.
How I’d Choose
Cheapest Colosseum ticket: the $25 Ivo Tours entry with an audio guide, or the $24 sunset tour if you accept it is non-refundable and Colosseum-only.
No queue and a guide: the City Walkers tour at $56 for an hour, or Rutas Romanas at $48 for 2.5 hours.
First visit: the Rutas Romanas Colosseum ticket and tour, with the arena option if you want the floor.
Special areas: the Trip in Art express tour for the underground, or the Ivo Tours arena tour for the floor.
Other languages: the Tour Italy LTD tour with its 14 languages.
Night: the City Wonders evening tour at $66.
Frequently asked questions
How much is it to enter the Colosseum in Rome?+
The tour listings I compared state the standard Colosseum ticket at 18 euros and the arena-floor ticket at 24 euros, plus a 2 euro reservation fee. On GetYourGuide, the options with entry start at $24 for a one-hour sunset tour and $25 for a ticket with an audio guide. Guided tours with the Forum and Palatine Hill run from $44 to $70. Check ticketing.colosseo.it for the current official price.
Can you just turn up at the Colosseum?+
I wouldn't count on it. The official site says a timed slot is mandatory for Colosseum entry and that tickets are named and checked against ID at the entrance. Tickets go on sale 30 days before the visit date, so book ahead for your slot rather than relying on the ticket office.
What is the best ticket to buy for the Colosseum?+
For a first visit I'd book the Rutas Romanas guided tour at $48: 4.8 stars from 36,276 reviews, entry included for the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, and free cancellation up to 7 days before. If you only want to get in, the $25 Ivo Tours entry with an audio guide is the cheapest ticket-only option.
Is 2 hours enough for the Colosseum?+
Two hours is enough for the Colosseum itself, which the one-hour express and sunset tours cover. If you also want the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, the guided tours I compared run 2.5 to 3 hours, so I'd allow half a day.
What day is the Colosseum free?+
Per the official hours page, entry is free on the first Sunday of the month, and the page also lists free dates on 25 April, 2 June and 4 November. A timed slot is still required, so check colosseo.it before you plan around a free day.
What's better, Colosseum attic or underground?+
They are separate areas with separate official tickets. The underground is where the gladiators and animals waited below the arena; the attic is the upper levels, floors 3 to 5 on the evening tour's stop list. Pick underground if the arena machinery interests you, attic if you want the high view, and check which one a tour guarantees before booking.
Why is it so hard to get Colosseum tickets?+
Entry is timed, tickets are named, and the official site releases them 30 days before the visit date, so popular slots go quickly. A guided tour from a reseller includes a reserved entry, which is why I'd look at those if your date is close. I couldn't confirm any sold-out status from the official site.
What is the best site to buy Colosseum tickets?+
The official site, ticketing.colosseo.it, is the source for the plain ticket. I'd use GetYourGuide when I want a guide, a skip-the-line meeting point or free cancellation, because the tours here include the entry ticket and several can be cancelled up to 7 days ahead.
Every Colosseum ticket and tour I compared
Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Guided Tour★ 4.8
Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour★ 4.8
Guided Tour of Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill★ 4.7
Colosseum Arena Floor, Palatine & Forum Guided Tour★ 4.5
Colosseum Arena, Palatine Hill & Forum Guided Tour★ 4.5
Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Hill Entry & Audio Guide★ 4.2
Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum Guided Tour★ 4.7
Colosseum: Sunset Tour with Optional Interior Access★ 4.4
Colosseum by Evening Guided Tour with Optional Arena Access★ 4.6
Colosseum Express Tour with Forum and Palatine Access★ 4.6
