The Colosseum being one of the greatest wonders of the ancient world with a fascinating history. It is one of the most visited monuments in Europe and the world. Hence, there are often long lines to enter. Read on to know all your best options to skip-the-line at the Colosseum and save your valuable time on holiday.
Important Information
The Colosseum is open every day of the year with an exception of 1st January and 25th December. The opening hours may vary based on the season with longer opening hours in the summer and shorter in winter. The regular adult ticket costs 18 euro on the official website and 16 euro at the ticket counter. These tickets are valid for 24 hours from the time printed on the ticket and include a visit to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
Free and Reduced Tickets:
Children below the age of 18 can enter the archaeological park for free if tickets are picked up at any of the ticket windows in the archaeological park. Online reservation for children tickets cost 2 euro. Id proof for age might be required to be produced at the ticket windows for both online and regular reservations.
European citizens below the age of 26 can enter with a special reduced ticket which costs 2 euro at the ticket window. Online reservations for these reduced tickets can be made for 4 euro. All reduced European citizens will be required to provide age proof while collecting the ticket from the ticket window.
Official Timings for the Archaeological Park:
Please note: Due to the pandemics, timings have changed. Please check the official website for exact details.
Below is an updated timings list for the different months of the year:
2nd January to 15th February: 8:30 – 16:30 (Last entrance at 15:30)
16th February to 15th March: 8:30 – 17:00 (Last entrance at 16:00)
16th to the last Saturday of March: 8:30 – 17:30 (Last entrance at 16:30)
Last Sunday of March to the 31st of August: 8:30 – 19:15 (Last entrance at 18:15)
1st September to 30th September: 8:30 – 19:00 (Last entrance at 18:00)
1st October to last Saturday of October: 8:30 – 18:30 (Last entrance at 17:30)
Last Sunday of October to 31st December: 8:30 – 16:30 (Last entrance at 15:30)
Different Options to Skip-the-line at the Colosseum:
1. Visiting During Off Season
The Colosseum is one of the most visited monuments in the world. Hence you will find lines to enter pretty much throughout the year. Especially during the summer and autumn months which are high tourist season in the city. You could be stuck in line for anywhere between 2 to 4 hours!
So the best time to visit would be during low season when you are sure to find shorter lines. This is usually from mid-November to mid-December and post the first week of January right until a week or two before Easter. But even during the low season, weekends can get pretty crowded.
2. Buying Tickets in Advance Online
One of the best ways to skip-the-line is to buy the tickets online in advance. This saves you the time of lining up to purchase your tickets. The only line you would have to go through would be security check.
The cheapest skip-the-line Colosseum tickets you can get your hands on will have to be through the official Coopculture website. These cost 18 euro for the normal 24 hour ticket to the combo ticket and 24 euro for the Full Experience ticket which includes access to various restricted sections in the archaeological park. These are usually limited in number and tend to be sold out in advance. So I highly recommend booking these as early as possible. Click here to check availability.
3. Buying a Ticket from a Re-seller
Most of the times, the tickets on the official website are sold out well in advance. This is mainly because many tour agencies and travel agents buy them in bulk. In this case, the best thing to do is buy a ticket from a re-seller.
These skip-the-line tickets usually cost more than the tickets on the official website. They can range from about 25-35 euro but will ensure you skip-the-line at the ticket window. You can find these skip-the-line tickets here.
4. Visiting During Quieter Times of the Day
One way of avoiding the crowds and ensuring you skip-the-line at the Colosseum is by visiting early morning or during lunch time. The time slot between 8:30 am to 10 am when the park first opens are relatively slower as compared to later on in the day. This is the best time to visit as there are fewer people around and the weather is still bearable, especially during the summer months. I recommend getting there before the ticket window opens and lining up so you’re one of the first few to enter.
If you are not a morning person, then lunch time is the best time to visit for you. You might want to get there by 12:30 and pick up your ticket from the ticket window. I recommend heading to the ticket window at the Palatine Hill or Roman Forum as those are not as crowded as the ticket windows to the Colosseum.
5. Book a Skip-the-line Colosseum Tour
This might be the best option to skip-the-line at the Colosseum. The main reason for this is that rules for the archaeological site keep changing time and again. The tour companies who are around every day are the most updated with all these changes and know the best solutions to avoid these lines. Besides, all tours booked at the group entrance have a fast-track entrance included.
These tours can be booked online starting from 45 euro and onward. Click here to check your options.
If you would like to try and book once you’re at the Colosseum, you will be able to spot promoters selling these tours around the monument. These tours can be bought for as low as 35-40 euro depending on how busy the monument is.
6. Buying a Roma Pass
If you own a Roma Pass, you can use the free entrance at the Colosseum. All you need to do is book a time slot for the entrance to the Colosseum. It is mandatory to have a reservation, the cost of which is 2 euro. This can be done online, by calling the Coop Culture helpline or at any of the ticket windows in the archaeological park.
Please Note:
The only line you are allowed to skip is the one to purchase tickets. You will still be required to line up for security check. This could take somewhere between 15 mins to 1 hour, depending on how busy the Colosseum is on the particular day. Earlier in the day, the line for security check if faster but might get stuck as the day progresses. This is mainly because the capacity of the monument is only 3000. Once that is reached, all entrances are blocked or slowed down.
To clear security faster, make sure you don’t have any weapons or sharp objects like swiss knifes, scissors with you. Glass bottles and sprays of any kind are also prohibited inside. If found, you will be asked to throw it out.
I hope all this information has been useful to you, and hopefully this will help you save a couple of hours. If you need any more information or guidance with planning your upcoming trip to Rome, feel free to get in touch!
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Simple and very much to the point! Nice! I’m the first one to read? comment? and share? haha, go girl! Brava!
Haha! Thank you so much. You probably are since the site was being updated and transferred from Wix since a few weeks now. 😀