To be clear, the only way to visit the underground areas of the Colosseum in Rome is as part of a guided tour. Unfortunately it is getting harder and harder to find availability as tours are fully booked months in advance. We offer our own tours whenever possible as well as working with other tour guides in Rome to offer tours that may also include the Forum, or the Arena floor, for example.
The underground - ipogei, hypogeum - areas are what made possible the long and spectacular days of the Colosseum in all their gore and glory - the subterranean backstage, as it were, where slaves worked, animals (read lions, tigers, hyenas and bears) were stored and gladiators rested, ate and offered up their prayers. They were completely filled in during the 5th century AD and as a result show a remarkable state of preservation.
Opening times:
The Colosseum is open almost every day of the year, excluding Christmas Day and New Year's Day, although opening times vary by season. Please note that last entry is one hour before closing time.
The buttons below will give greater detail on what we offer throughout the year, but it doesn't follow that they're always available ... many are seasonal, some only run on certain days of the week, and some have very limited availability, so please do use our calendar to check availability!
The following products are not available but may reappear in the future:
Colosseum, dungeons & Forum, 3 hour tour (small groups SGT1) Exclusive Colosseum After Dark Tour, with Dungeons & Arena Floor - 2 Hours Colosseum, dungeons and Forum, 3 hour - pre-booked tour Colosseum Arena and Roman Forum Small Group Tour Colosseum dungeons tour, 75 minutes (includes ebook guide) Colosseum Full Experience Dungeon and Arena Guided Tour Colosseum dungeons & third tier tour 1.5 hours (with ebook guide)Security checking and queueing:
Heightened security coupled with the recent decision to impose a ceiling on the number of visitors allowed to enter the Colosseum at a given time mean that it is possible, even with a 'no queues' ticket, that you will face delays.
It is now also compulsory to pass through a metal detector - these extra security delays are currently causing often considerable queues that are, unfortunately, affecting ALL ticket holders and you are currently required to arrive well ahead of your visit time - please see this page for latest updates. The authorities have now made it clear that animals (dogs) are not allowed inside the colosseum, so please do not take your pets with you.
Please note that should the underground areas be closed for whatever reason (for security reasons or due to flooding after heavy rain) then we will arrange a partial refund.
Additional Colosseum links: Colosseum history and images, Colosseum location map, Colosseum tickets.
How you'll get your tickets:
To reserve tickets for a Colosseum guided tour, just fill out the booking form, give us a preference for date and time (dates are in European DD/MM/YYYY format), supply us with credit card details, and we'll do the rest. There will be no charge whatsoever until we confirm your reservation. We'll then point you to our secure page, where you can print out and/or download your entry voucher. Full instructions will be on your voucher. As simple as that!
Please note: You must present yourself at the time specified on your booking voucher - admittance will not be granted at other times.
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