Colosseum tickets at a glance
You enter the Colosseum with a ticket for a fixed time slot, and the ticket is personalized. Which ticket you need depends on what you want to see. The standard ticket covers the upper levels and does not include the arena floor. The Arena and Underground tickets add those areas, last longer in the Colosseum and are valid for two consecutive days.
All tickets listed here include entry to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. This is an independent guide, not the website of the Colosseum Archaeological Park, and the prices are those listed in 2026. They can change, so check them when you book. The hours also change with the season, and the table further down shows the winter hours.
Ticket types compared
Adult prices in 2026. EU citizens aged 18 up to their 25th birthday pay €2.
| Ticket | Price | Time in the Colosseum | Includes | Sold ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard, 24 hours | €18 | 75 minutes | Levels one and two, no arena; Forum and Palatine once, within 24 hours before or after | – |
| Full Experience Arena | €24 | 90 minutes | Arena floor; Forum, Palatine and SUPER sites once; valid 2 consecutive days | 7 days online |
| Full Experience Underground and Arena | €24, or €32 with a guided visit | 90 minutes | Underground, arena, Forum, Palatine and SUPER sites; valid 2 consecutive days | 30 days |
| Only Arena, 24 hours | – | 20 minutes | Arena floor only; Forum, Palatine and SUPER sites once | – |
The Only Arena ticket is no full tour of the upper levels, and its price is shown on the ticket page when you book. The Arena ticket page also mentions sales at the ticket offices, so "online only" is not a safe rule for every product. The sales windows differ too, which is why a general rule of booking everything a month ahead does not hold.
Our picks: Colosseum tours
Guided Colosseum visits with Forum and Palatine, one of them with the Vatican on the same day.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Colosseum and Vatican full-day tour
Colosseum, Forum and Palatine plus the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's, with an English-speaking guide. Arena floor and underground are not listed, and the transfer between the two parts is not included.
Check availability →
Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill guided tour
A guided visit to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill with headsets. The arena floor is included only with the matching option, and the underground is not listed.
Check availability →Colosseum arena floor, Palatine and Forum tour
A guided visit to the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine with headsets and a host at the meeting point. The arena floor is included only with the matching option, and the underground is excluded.
Check availability →Colosseum tickets and tours
Timed Colosseum entries, Underground and Arena visits and guided tours, with live prices and availability.
Hours and closing days
The last entry is one hour before closing.
| Period | Closing | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| 29 March to 30 September 2026 | 7:15 p.m. | 6:15 p.m. |
| 1 to 24 October 2026 | 6:30 p.m. | 5:30 p.m. |
| 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027 | 4:30 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. |
The Colosseum is closed on 25 December 2026 and 1 January 2027. The first Sunday of the month is free, and so are 25 April, 2 June and 4 November. A free day does not open every special area, and the way free tickets are handed out can change, so check how it works on the day you plan. Dates for later seasons are set by the park, so check them again for a trip in 2027.
Booking rules to know
These are the details that cause trouble at the entrance.
Name and ID
Tickets are personalized. Bring a valid ID to the entrance. For visits from 9 May 2026, the name can be corrected once, until midnight of the seventh day before the visit, and only for the errors the park lists or a documented inability to attend.
The time slot is mandatory
You choose the slot when you book. Allow for the security check before your slot.
Children and free tickets
Children under 18 enter free. The pages disagree on how the free ticket is issued: one describes online booking, a product page describes collection at the ticket office. Read the instructions on the ticket page before you go.
The Forum is included, once
The Forum and Palatine entry can be used once, within the validity of the ticket. Do not plan to leave the site for lunch and come back. The Roman Forum page shows how to use that entry.
How the Colosseum fits into your day
Go first, then walk on.
Book the first slot you can get. The Colosseum opens at 8:30 a.m. and, from 25 October 2026, closes at 4:30 p.m., so it cannot be an afternoon stop in winter. After the Colosseum, the Forum and Palatine are next door, and you can use the same ticket within 24 hours before or after your slot.
From the Colosseum to the Pantheon it is 1.8 km, about 21 minutes on foot. Plan for the entry check, the walk through the monument and the exit when you count your time. If you arrive by metro, the Colosseo station is on line B, and line C has stopped here since 16 December 2025, with an interchange between B and C.
If you want to see more than the standard ticket allows, the Underground and Arena ticket is the one that adds the underground level. It needs more time, 90 minutes in the Colosseum instead of 75, and it is sold up to 30 days ahead. Rome has other places that need their own day. The Vatican is one of them, and the guide to things to do in Vatican City shows what you can plan there.
Continue your day
The next stops on the route.
Colosseum tickets: frequently asked questions
How much does a Colosseum ticket cost?
The standard ticket costs €18 for adults in 2026. The Full Experience Arena ticket costs €24, and the Underground and Arena ticket €24, or €32 with a guided visit. EU citizens aged 18 up to the 25th birthday pay €2.
Do I have to book a time slot?
Yes. The time slot is mandatory, and the ticket is personalized. Bring a valid ID.
How long can I stay inside?
The standard ticket allows 75 minutes in the Colosseum. The Full Experience tickets allow 90 minutes, and the Only Arena ticket 20 minutes on the arena floor.
Is the Forum included?
Yes, the tickets above include one entry to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. On the standard ticket you can use it within 24 hours before or after your Colosseum slot. The Full Experience tickets are valid for two consecutive days.
Can I visit the Colosseum and the Vatican on the same day?
That is not a good plan. The Colosseum needs a fixed slot and the Vatican needs its own time, with security queues. See the Vatican Museums page for what a visit there involves.
Is this the official Colosseum website?
No. This is an independent guide with no link to the Colosseum Archaeological Park. Prices and hours are those published for 2026, so check the current state before you book.