Help With Buying Tickets For The Colosseum And More

This is your guide to buying tickets for the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum and avoiding the scams when you are planning your trip to Rome.

Buying Tickets For The Colosseum, Palatine Hill And The Roman Forum?

The only allowable way to buy tickets, without going through a broker, is to purchase tickets for any of the options available on the website for Società Cooperativa Culture, also known as Coop Culture. On this website you can buy tickets to a wide range of culture destinations across all of Italy, which includes: Palazzo Ducale in Venice, Castel Sant’Elmo in Naples and Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, as well as the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and The Roman Forum.

When you buy the tickets online, you have two different options for using your tickets:

• Print@home – If you have chosen this delivery method, attached to the confirmation email you will find the tickets in pdf format. You will be able to print the tickets at home or your hotel.

• Pickup at the Ticket Office – If you have chosen this delivery method, you will show your booking confirmation and PNR at the ticket office to collect your access tickets.

Is My Name On The Roman Colosseum Tickets?

One fairly recent change for tickets to the Colosseum is that you are required to provide your name and nationality when you are buying tickets and this information will be printed on your ticket. This was implemented in 2021 in order to cut down on scalpers buying up all the tickets and reselling them at a higher price. You are expected to show ID when you are entering the Colosseum and at this point your name will be checked. 

I recently bought tickets for the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill and this wasn’t the case. Only a requirement for the Colosseum.

Are There Any Discounts Available When Buying Tickets For The Colosseum Or The Forum?

As with many of the popular sites in Rome and across Italy, there are a range of discounts available that you should be aware of. These discounts include:

• EU citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 can get the pass at a very reduced cost, €4.00 as of today. They will be required to provide ID when they enter.
• EU Citizens under the age of 18 can enter for free.
• On March 8, in celebration of International Women’s Day, entrance is free for women.
• If you have a Roma Pass, you can also get reduced entry prices, €11.50 as of today.
• There may be other discounts available when you book, so don’t forget to check more into it.

What Is The Best Time Of Day To Visit The Colosseum, Palatine Hill And The Roman Forum?

As with any site in Rome, I would strongly recommend getting to the site 15 minutes before it opens. These places fill up quickly, even during the off-season, so trying to avoid the crowds is an important consideration. Also, unless you love baking in the sun, being first in line will help minimize the challenges of overheating.

There are a couple of other things to keep in mind. The last admission to the parks will be one hour before closing. Also, there are “SUPER” sites that have different hours, but within those listed above. If there is a specific SUPER site you would like to visit, check the website.

How Long Should I Plan To Spend At These Attractions?

Visiting the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum is a lot to fit into one day, so my recommendation is to split it across two days, using the 24 Hour passes available. The other consideration is if you are planning on using a tour guide, which I highly recommend. If you do, the time you spend at any of these sites will be mostly dependent on their presentation. If you choose to self-guide, you can expect to spend, at a minimum, 1 hour per site. This too is dependent on if you plan to read every placard that is posted around the sites to learn more about what you are seeing.

Are Guided Tours Available When Buying Tickets For The Colosseum?

There are guided tours available and I would recommend using one if you can afford it. When I was younger, I didn’t think the guides were worth the cost, but I have completely changed my view on this. Sure, some are better than others, but if you use some of the more highly recommended tour groups, you won’t be disappointed.

There are also audio guides available in the App Store and the Play Store that are available in Italian and English. Once you install the free app, the audio guides are available for download for less than €5, depending on which site you choose.

What Is Included When Buying Tickets For The Colosseum, Palatine Hill And The Roman Forum?

The short answer is that the ticket includes only access to the parks. There is much more to the story than that, however. Some of the ticket options for the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum include these:

• The Super Pass to Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum and the Imperial Forum, including additional sites within these parks. These are valid for one day and for 30 days from the purchase.

• The 24-Hour Pass allows you access to the parks over 24 hours, which can allow you to split it over two days.

• The Full Experience of the Colosseum, which includes everything above ground.

• The Full Experience and Underground of the Colosseum, which also brings you into the underground, for a more thorough experience.

• The Colosseum By Night is a Colosseum Night tour in the underground and arena. I’m very excited about this because I just bought my ticket.

Are There Any Restrictions On What I Can Bring Into The Colosseum, Palatine Hill And The Roman Forum?

There are some rules and recommendations when you enter any of these parks. These include:

• The use of the mask is recommended.

• The use of comfortable shoes is recommended.

• It is forbidden to bring: bottles, glass containers, alcoholic drinks and spray cans, camping backpacks, bulky bags and suitcases/trolleys

• Medium and small shoulder backpacks may be carried in, but they will be checked with the metal detector and x-ray.

Is It Necessary To Buy Tickets To The Colosseum In Advance Or Can I Purchase Them On The Day Of My Visit?

There are limits to the crowd size, so access isn’t guaranteed, but it is possible to buy a ticket on the same day. When I was waiting for the gates to open, I saw a few people come up without tickets and the helpful staff pointed them to the QR code that would bring them to the site to buy tickets.

How Can I Avoid Long Lines And Wait Times At The Colosseum, Palatine Hill And The Roman Forum?

These are some of the most popular sites in Rome, Italy, so avoiding the crowds will definitely prove necessary, but difficult. My suggestion is to try to get to the sites as early as possible. This will help with both the expected crowds, but also the oppressive heat of Rome in the summer.

Can I Take Photographs Inside The Colosseum, Palatine Hill And The Roman Forum?

Yes, it is completely OK to take pictures in the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. You will need to be careful when you enter the parks because of the need to go through a metal detector and an x-ray machine for your bags. The security guards will allow you to put the camera on top of the machine so you can grab it once you go through the metal detector.

Plan Your Visit To Rome With This Guide

If you are planning on buying tickets for the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and/or the Roman Forum, these other posts may be helpful to you for your vacation planning:

• The Best Ancient Roman Colosseum Complete Planning Guide.
• The Amazing Secrets Of The Colosseum.
• The Colosseum At Night Tour Is A Worthwhile Experience.
• The Best Colosseum Tours For Families Coming To Rome.
• Great Hotels Near The Roman Colosseum You Should Consider.