Must-SeeVatican Museums and St. Peter's
About 2.5 miles away
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. Book the museums ahead.
Guide Coming Soon
Colosseum
Ancient Rome's great amphitheater, opened in AD 80 for gladiator fights. One timed ticket also covers the Forum and the Palatine Hill.
- Open
- Every day except Christmas and New Year's Day; hours change with the seasons, so check the website
- Price
- Paid; tickets carry your name and also cover the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill
- Time Needed
- 1½ hours
- Address
- Piazza del Colosseo, 00184 RomeDirections
- Getting There
- Colosseo station (Metro line B), or a walk down Via dei Fori Imperiali.
Why Go
Rome's great amphitheater, opened in AD 80, held around 50,000 spectators for gladiator fights and wild-animal hunts. Much of its outer wall still stands, and a walk through its arches and up to the higher tiers shows how crowds were moved in and out in minutes.
Special tours go down to the underground passages where animals and fighters waited, and out onto a rebuilt part of the arena floor. The Arch of Constantine stands just outside.
Tips
- Book on the official site weeks ahead in spring and summer, and bring the ID named on your ticket.
- Go at opening time or late in the day, and see the Forum and Palatine on the same ticket.
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