Visit The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
A Practical Guide For Those Planning On Visiting The Colosseum & Roman Forum Complex
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The Roman Forum |
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.
The Colosseum |
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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.
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
Entrance Gates / Queues At The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
The three sites although clustered together have their own separate entrances, Although you can walk between the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum without exiting.
The main entrance gate for the Roman Forum is along the Via dei Fori Imperiali between the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia, near the Piazza Venezia end. There is an exit gate from the Roman Forum close to the Colosseum. You cannot enter the Roman Forum at the gate nearest the Colosseum, this gate is just an exit.
If you want to minimise your time walking between the sites it makes sense therefore to explore the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill first before exiting at the gate close to the Colosseum.
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The Colosseum Interior |
The Colosseum ticket queues are normally by far the longest, so as a ticket combines all three you may save the 30-45 minutes queueing at the Colosseum time by buying your ticket at the Palatine Hill entrance gate. The ticket gate for the Palatine Hill often has no queues at all and is midway down the road Via di San Gregorio that runs from the Colosseum along the base of the Palatine Hill.
The Roma Pass also covers The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
Colosseum Special Access Tour Option
2011 marked the public opening of the Colosseum’s underground chambers for the very first time, as well as the Colosseum’s third tier, which hasn’t been open in decades. With an 8:30am tour, you’ll get special access to both areas and see Ancient Rome the way no one ever has. You’ll follow in the footsteps of the gladiators themselves as you explore the tunnels where they once prepared for fights and where lions and tigers were once caged. You’ll also go up to the highest existing level of the Colosseum – the third tier.
These newly opened areas can only be visited with a guided tour and must be booked in advance.
Special Access Tour Colosseum - More Details
The Colosseum - What To Expect
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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. Expect to stay 45 to 60 minutes.
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 Colosseum tour, audio or otherwise. There is a small exhibition area.
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 main entrance gate for the Roman Forum is along the Via dei Fori Imperiali between the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia, near the Piazza Venezia end. There is an exit gate from the Roman Forum close to the Colosseum. You cannot enter the Roman Forum at the gate nearest the Colosseum, this gate is just an exit.
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.
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Roman Forum |
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 Colosseum & Roman Forum 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.
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.
Tickets, Opening Hours & Thoughts On Visting
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.
Time taken to visit will vary wildly. If you have a keen interest in the subject matter or have read widely about ancient Rome in the build up to your trip then its possible that you will need a whole day to take it all in. At the other extreme its clear that many tourists just turn up cold, buy their ticket and expect to be “entertained”. The consequential result is often a very quick visit with just a few snapshots and a few vague memories of a ruin. There is not that much in the way of information provided anywhere in the three sites to make sense of what you are witnessing. You've come a long way and spent significant money to put you inside the Roman Forum and Colosseum, its worthwhile investing in at least an audio guide to make sense of the spectacle in front of you.
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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.
Colosseum & Roman Forum Guided Tours
There is no getting away from it, a visit to the Colosseum & Roman Forum means a lot of time on your feet, walking around the vast site. Walking tours are available taking up a morning or afternoon taking you to all the best parts of the attraction and giving you an informed insight to what you are witnessing.
