Last updated:
From 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027 the park is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, with last admission at 3:30 pm. The Colosseum itself opens at 8:30 am, while the Roman Forum and Palatine area and the Domus Aurea open at 9 am. the park's opening times and tickets page lists the hours for the rest of the year.
The park is closed on 25 December 2026 and 1 January 2027. The Domus Aurea is a special case: it is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with visits every 15 minutes, and it is closed on the first Sunday of each month.
Tickets come with a compulsory reservation of the time slot for entering the Colosseum, and sales open 30 days before the date of the visit. Book early for busy dates, because the slot you pick is the slot you get.
Every ticket is issued in the holder's name. At the entrances you must keep an identification document visible together with the ticket. For visit dates from 9 May 2026, the name can be changed only once, and only up to midnight on the seventh day before the visit, in the cases the regulations allow.
The arena ticket gives a single access of 20 minutes to the arena floor at the booked time. Admission is free on the first Sunday of the month, and on 25 April, 2 June and 4 November.
Much of the park stands on uneven ground, with rocky paths and ancient steps that are not always level, and the Colosseum has some very steep steps. Appropriate footwear is advised, and high heels and flip-flops are not recommended.
Stay on the marked paths, do not lean over railings or banisters, and do not run. Children must be held by the hand at all times. Clothing suited to the formal setting is required, which rules out ceremonial dresses, masks and period costumes. Writing on the walls, damaging or removing archaeological material and lighting fires are strictly forbidden, and the park's visitor guidelines spell out the penalties.
The official MyColosseum app is free and includes interactive audio guides in Italian and English.
The Colosseum is served by Metro Line B at the Colosseo stop and Line C at Colosseo-Fori Imperiali, and by tram 3. Buses 51, 75, 81, 85, 87 and 118 stop nearby too. the park's how to get here page covers the other gates of the park.
The Colosseum Guided Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Rome takes visitors through the first and second tiers of the amphitheatre with a licensed guide, then extends to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, which visitors explore independently, according to its operator.
The Rome Colosseum & Roman Forum Small-Group Guided Tour goes inside the Colosseum with a local expert, then continues past the Arch of Constantine and up Palatine Hill into the Roman Forum, according to its operator. For a different view, the Vintage Vespa Tour in Rome with Colosseum & Trastevere rides past the Colosseum and the Imperial Forums with a private driver, as its operator describes it.
Yes, the park requires a reserved entry slot for the Colosseum, and sales open a month ahead.
No. The name is on the ticket and it can be changed only once, within the regulations.
Yes, once a month and on three set dates in the year.
Comfortable flat shoes and clothes suited to the formal setting, with no costumes.
