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Without a doubt, the most iconic structure in Rome — and one that has come to symbolize not only Rome, but also Italy and the Italian language — is the Colosseum (Colosseo).

Built starting in 70 AD under the leadership of emperor Vespasian, and originally dubbed the Flavian Amphitheatre, the Colosseum hosted the legendary Gladiator battles as well as military re-enactments, dramas, plays, and public executions for hundreds of years. The structure slid into disuse after the fall of the Western Roman Empire and only was restored properly for tourists starting in the 1990s.

Two other nearby attractions — the Roman Forum (Foro Romano) and Palatine Hill (Palatino) — have been rolled into the same consecutive two-day ticket as the Colosseum. The Roman Forum consists of ruins of the core of ancient Rome and Palatine Hill contains additional ancient ruins and provides great views over the city, too.

Buying Tickets, Scheduling Your Visit & Free Options

When travelgasm.com visited the Colosseum in the off season, we were able to show up about 15 minutes before it opens at 8:30 AM and buy tickets by standing in the queue for 30 minutes or so. At least when we visited, the outside line only accepted credit cards, so make sure you have a credit card on hand should you need to buy tickets in person. Even an hour later, the lines had become painfully long.

In peak season — roughly May through October — multihour ticket queues are common. If you have to buy a ticket in person, you could try the Via di San Gregorio entrance for Palatine Hill. Fewer tourists pay attention to Palatine Hill, and it may have fewer people in line accordingly. The ticket still is accepted at the Colosseum as well as the Roman Forum which shares its paid area with Palatine Hill.

The smart option for most visitors is to buy your ticket in advance before arriving in Rome. The lowest prices are available directly from the officially selected travel agent, but in our experience, these tickets are snapped up quickly and fewer time slots may be offered than slightly more expensive tickets available from other agents. If the day or time you want is not available from the official site, two other options include a skip-the-line self-guided pass and skip-the-line guided tour, both with good reviews. The guided tour also includes access to the ground floor arena that is off limits to those with self-guided tickets. More expensive guided tours that provide access to the upper levels — known as the Belvedere — also are available.

The regular admission price to all three attractions is €12, but entry is €7.50 for EU citizens 25 years of age and younger, a mere €2 for all 17 and under, and it is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month. For most short-term visitors to Rome, it is better to just buy a ticket because free Sundays are incredibly crowded. If you want to get in on a free day, though, it would be wise to arrive at least 30 minutes before the Colosseum opens and expect to spend an hour and a half or more in line. Admission to the Colosseum is limited to 3000 people at one time, and during peak season, sometimes even skip-the-line ticket holders have to wait for others to leave before they can enter.

If it works with your schedule, we would recommend that you take full advantage of the two-day ticket and explore the Colosseum in the morning of one day and the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill in the morning on the next day. If you only have one day to explore all three sites, we would suggest starting with the Colosseum first thing in the morning and explore the other two sites subsequently. The Colosseum always is in highest demand and by mid-morning — even in the off season — it can be uncomfortably crowded. Tourists tend to get tired or not have enough time to explore the Roman Forum throughly, and it is not uncommon for many to skip climbing Palatine Hill entirely. Consequently, the two less famous sites may feel less frantic in the afternoon than the Colosseum.

It would be rather sad to go to Rome and not go inside the Colosseum and Roman Forum, but if you are on a really tight budget or schedule, or you just would like an additional photo op, there also is a beautiful — and free — view of the Roman Forum from above on Via Del Campidoglio street. It would be easy to take a peek at this viewpoint when visiting the Capitoline Musuems, as well.

We never have eaten near the Colosseum, but there is a whole neighborhood to the east that is packed with restaurants and bars. No doubt locals tend to avoid the area because of all of the tourists, but two options that are well-reviewed by Italians are the affordable Pizza Forum and the pricey, but lovely, Naumachia.

We've mapped out the short route from the metro to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill as well as the free Via Del Campidoglio viewpoint, below.

How to Get Here: Take Rome Metro Line B (Blue) to Colosseo Station and use the main exit. The Colosseum is immediately across the street and the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill are nearby.

Cities > Rome > Rome Best 7 > Next: (3) Visit the World's First Museum... >>

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