What stands out as the visual symbol of Rome for you?
More often than not, the answer is the Colosseum.
With its stunning arches curving around to create its stupendous elliptical shape, the Colosseum is a major tourist attraction. It is probably already on your bucket list for sites to see in Rome!
As you can imagine, hoards of people visit the Colosseum every day. To avoid long queues and dreaded waiting times, it is very important to book tickets in advance. This guide will delve further into why this is important, and how to go about doing so.
History of the Colosseum
Construction on the Colosseum began in 70 A.D. under the rule of Emperor Vespasian. He intended the amphitheater to be a gift for the Romans to enjoy and make part of the social and entertainment spheres of their lives.
Once it was finished, almost ten years later, there was never a break in the gushing streams of audiences that would walk into the Colosseum every time there was an event.
The amphitheater was most famously used for gladiatorial fights. The figure of the gladiator, inextricably linked to the Colosseum, also became a very important visual symbol for Rome.
However, the arena floor was also used for other kinds of performances as well, such as public executions. Hence, the vast space also became an important reminder of norms, social classes and legalities of the empire.
Nevertheless, after the fall of the Roman Empire began, the Colosseum started being used less and less. Coupled with a few earthquakes that rattled its structure, the harm to its massive socio-political usage was evident.
Can you pre-book for the Colosseum?
Yes, absolutely!
Booking Colosseum tickets in advance is highly recommended, especially when traveling during peak season.
This way you will be able to avoid having to wait in long queues at the entrance of the Colosseum and you will be able to enter the monument exactly at your chosen time. This is made possible through purchasing skip-the-line tickets, which as their name suggests, let you skip the queue as soon as you arrive at the monument.
Skip-the-line tickets are available for a lot of the other attractions you can visit in Rome such as the Vatican, but only through booking a guided tour.
How do I book a time slot for the Colosseum?
With a slew of information available online, choosing the best date and time to visit the Colosseum can get a bit confusing. The next paragraph will offer the optimal route for booking tickets.
Best way to book Colosseum tickets
There are two main booking options that are available for you:
- Purchasing tickets online through the official website of the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo. These are managed by CoopCulture.
- Booking a guided tour, which has the entrance ticket included in the package.
Purchasing tickets online:
The site states the opening hours for the Colosseum from January to September to be from 8:30-7:15 PM. The last entrance is admitted an hour before closing, at 6:15 PM. For the latter part of the year the timings get reduced, so it is best to keep track through the official site.
There are various types of tickets available:
- One day entrance to the Colosseum (without access to the arena floor), Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
- Forum Pass, which allows you into the Roman Forum, Imperial Fora and Palatine Hill.
- The Full Experience ticket, which is a two day pass for one-time access to the Colosseum and the archaeological area.
- The Full Experience Attic includes a panoramic lift to take you to the higher levels of the Colosseum as well as to its attic (the highest level).
Booking a guided tour:
Taking a guided tour with tickets included in the fee can be so much more beneficial than the aforementioned route.
Firstly, the underground of the Colosseum- which is incredibly interesting for it served as the ‘backstage’ for all the happenings on the arena floor- can only be accessed through taking a guided tour.
The overarching benefit is the additional support and compelling insight an expert tour guide can provide through their storytelling. The Colosseum can be overwhelming because of its vast size and complex structure. This can lead you to sweep over your visit in a more surface level way, treating it as a ‘check’ on your bucket list instead of really making the most of your experience.
What are the booking methods available to you?
You can either select a tour through the catalog available online on our website, which will refer you to a booking agent. Or, you can get in touch with a representative instantly by sending an email to [email protected]. We can answer your queries and help you customize the tour to fit your needs!
There is a much greater variety of Colosseum tours available for you to choose from!
Should you book tickets for the Colosseum?
We cannot stress enough the many advantages to booking Colosseum tickets in advance:
- Skip the long lines: Booking your Colosseum tickets online allows you to skip the queue at the entrance, saving you valuable time and stress.
- Guaranteed access: Access is regulated by time slots and booking online ensures your place at a specific time, avoiding the risk of being left out.
- Better travel planning: By booking your tickets in advance, you can better plan your trip and organize your itinerary more efficiently.
- Choose your preferred timing: Booking online gives you the possibility to choose the visiting time that best suits your needs.
- Greater peace of mind: Having the certainty of a booked ticket allows you to experience the Colosseum without the thought of long waits to plague your mind. This is also very important because of course, the Colosseum is not the only site that you would want to see during your visit to the Eternal City!
We invite you to plan your trip to the Colosseum carefully. Walks Inside Rome however, can take care of most of the decision making for you! You can contact us for further information about tours at [email protected].
