Visit The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

A Practical Guide For Those Planning On Visiting The Colosseum & Roman Forum Complex

The Colosseum Rome
The Colosseum

Official Opening Hours & Admission Prices The Colosseum + Roman Forum


A visit to the Colosseum is almost a prerequisite for any first time visitor to Rome. Adjacent to the Colosseum is the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Up until a few years ago the Roman Forum had totally free access, now all three attractions are grouped together and covered by a single admission charge/ticket that is valid for 2 days.

You cannot enter the Roman Forum at the gate nearest the Colosseum, this gate is just an exit. It therefore make sense to explore the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill first before exiting at the gate close to the Colosseum.

Practical Guide To Colosseum + Forum
Walking or Segway Tours
Colosseum Hotels
Colosseum Hotels
Colosseum Hotel Map

Getting To The Colosseum & Roman Forum

Although the Rome Metro is not the most comprehensive of systems Linea B(blue line) has a station at Colosseum station (2 stops from Termini). The Colosseum is unmistakable as you exit the station.

The Colosseum and Roman Forum is also more than adequately serviced by local buses. The Via dei Fori Imperiali that runs from the Colosseum to Piazza Venezia alongside the Roman Forum has a dozen routes that fan out after the Piazza Venezia to most accommodation areas.


Rome Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Bus

It is mid-way along the Via dei Fori Imperiali between the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia that the main entrance and ticket office for the Roman Forum is sited.

You cannot enter the Roman Forum at the gate nearest the Colosseum, this gate is just an exit. It therefore make sense to explore the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill first before exiting at the gate close to the Colosseum.


There are a myriad of Rome hop on, hop off bus operators, all of which stop at the Colosseum. All the operators use very similar double deck open top buses. Each passenger will get a disposable audio device for commentary along the way with a choice of at minimum 8 languages. Most buses have their first bus departing Termini at 08:30 or 09:00 with the last bus leaving at 18:00, finishing around 20:00.

More Detailed Information About Rome's Hop on, Hop Off Sightseeing Buses

The Colosseum Interior

The Colosseum

Expect queues at all times for entrance to the Colosseum. Remember you can purchase tickets at the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill for which the 2 day admission ticket is also valid. As well as much shorter queues for tickets it makes logistical sense to make the Colosseum the last port of call if you are visiting all three in one day.


After gaining entrance past security there are lifts, but most people use the stairs up a few flights. There is a chance you may spend more time queuing to get in than actually within the monument.

Other than take in the spectacle presented to you from all angles, there is little more to see and do unless you have invested prior in reading up about the Colosseum or are taking a tour, audio or otherwise.


When construction was completed on the Colosseum in 80 AD it was the largest amphitheatre built in all of Rome and could house over fifty thousand people! The engineering skill and technology of the day was pushed to its limits by its construction and design. The stadium was even designed to flooded in order to provide for mock navel battles.

The Colosseum was built primarily to entertain the masses in brutal and barbaric games. Some were beast on beast combat to the death. Others were people fighting animals to the death, while the most popular was the human on human combat. Gladiators were slaves, often captured in war, that were trained in special schools to fight each other to the death.

The Roman Forum

The Roman Forum

The main entrance to the Roman Forum is mid-way along the Via dei Fori Imperiali, a wide road between the Colosseum and its Metro station and Piazza Venezia.


Originally a marsh, the Romans drained the area and turned it into a centre of political and social activity. The Forum was the marketplace of Rome and also the business district and civic centre.


The Roman Forum is a large area to cover with little shade, so do bring along plenty of fluids. The time you will spend in the Roman Forum largely depends on the level of interest you have in the ruins before you. There is very little in terms of information explaining what you are seeing in front of you, without investing in a tour, audio or otherwise.

The natural flow of a visit is to exit the Roman Forum at the Colosseum end of the site. You cannot enter or reenter at this gate though. The Palatine Hill towering above you is also linked both ways to the Roman Forum.

Roman Forum & Colosseum in Background
From Palatine Hill

The Palatine Hill

The Palatine Hill is one of the seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city. It stands above the Roman Forum. The main outside entrance is just south of the Colosseum on the on Via di San Gregorio but you can access the Palatine Hill also from the Roman Forum, though its a bit of a climb.


The Palatine is the spot on which the first settlers built their huts, under the direction of Romulus. In later years, the hill became a residential district attracting the nobility. In time, however, the area gave way to imperial palaces and drew the famous such as Caligula (murdered here by members of his Praetorian Guard) and Nero.


Only the ruins of its former grandeur remain today. Some of the hill, especially around the lower reaches are just like a botanical park where every so often a ruin will appear as you explore down the maze of paths which crisscross the hill. Towards the top there are most of the ruins and the Palatine Museum containing Roman sculpture.

For the general tourist the subject matter is quite dry, you may value the visit more as a chance to have a break from ancient ruin overload and for the views.

Tickets & Opening Hours

The standard admission ticket covers all three monuments, The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

Current admission prices for tickets bought in Rome at the site are available through the official link at the top of the page. You can order tickets in advance for which there are booking fees.


Opening hours are from 8.30 am to one hour before sunset, exact times are again on the link at the top of the page.

Roma Pass

Roma Pass provides free and direct entry to the first two museums or archaeological sites visited, the choice is yours. After the first two sites/museums visited there are reduced ticket prices to all other museums and archaeological sites visited thereafter.


There is a long list of Rome museums and archaeological sites, perhaps the main draws for most tourists are the Colosseum (including the Roman Forum & Palatine Hill, Galleria Borghese and Appia Antica . The notable area not covered is the Vatican.

Combo Pass - HoHo Bus & Boat + Public Transport Pass + Museum Pass

The Rome ComboPass® valid for three days, it includes 'Roma Pass,' unlimited use of public transport, free access to the first two museums, discounts for numerous other museums, hop on/off bus for two days, hop on/off boat for one day during high season, and more!

+ +
Free Hop On/Off Bus for 2 Days

Free Rome Public Transport 3 Days

Free Hop On/Off Boat 1 Day
= 3 Day Pass €69.90

Extra Days Public Transport Pass
1 Day €5.50
3 Days €14.00
Free & Discounted Admission Rome Museums