Rome Colosseum Underground Tour Tickets - how to get them and is it worth it?

Getting Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets is now easier than it used to be (even though they can be hard to come by, the procedure is easier.)

You no longer have to book a guided tour, and you see so much more now than ever before!

Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets - Everything you need to know

Visiting the Rome Colosseum underground is a very special thing to do, and it gives you a completely different understanding of the architecture and the history of this iconic monument.

In 2021, they opened pretty much the entire Colosseum underground so you see a lot more than you used to be able to see.

Here's everything you need to know about getting Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets:

• How much do tickets to the Rome Colosseum underground cost?
• Do you have to take a guided tour to see the Rome Colosseum underground?
• What's the best Rome Colosseum underground tour?
• What's included with a visit to the Colosseum underground? Is the arena included? Is the third ring included?
• How long does a tour of the Colosseum underground last?
• How do you book Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets with a Roma Pass?
• Is it worth it to see the Rome Colosseum underground?
• What to do when the Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets are sold out?
• Is it claustrophobic to visit the Colosseum underground?
  
• Is the Colosseum underground wheelchair accessible?

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Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets - cost

The Colosseum is open daily from 8:30AM.

Closing hours vary throughout the year. In spring, summer, and early fall, it closes at 7:15 pm.

The Colosseum is closed on December 25 and January 1.

If you book the Colosseum underground tour through the official booking site Parco Colosseo, the cost is:

• 22 Euros for adults
• 2 Euros for European Union citizens between 18 and 25 years of aged

There is a 2 Euro fee for booking, which is obligatory.

It is free for:

• Everyone under 18 years of age
• European tour guides (with valid documentation)
• People with disabilities and one person assisting them (documentation is required)

As of October 18, 2023, all Colosseum tickets will be nominative.

This means that your ticket will have your name on it, and you’ll have to show ID to prove you are the person whose name is on the ticket.

ANY valid photo ID will do, including your driver’s license.

You can also show your ID on your phone as long as it has your photo.

You do NOT need to bring your passport.

They also confirmed that a photocopy of your passport will suffice, as long as it’s clear.

There are more details about discounts and free tickets on the Parco Colosseo website.

Rome Colosseum underground - do you have to take a guided tour?

To visit the Colosseum underground, you must be accompanied, i.e. you cannot visit on your own.

However, you can book the visit through the Colosseum website, Parco Colosseo, and you will simply have a Colosseum staff member accompany you in a small group.

It's not a tour per se, although they give you some basic info.

When you book Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets through Parco Colosseo, you also have the possibility to book a tour through them.

This tour costs 32 Euros + 2 Euros booking fee.

With this tour, your guide will give you a tour of the Colosseum underground only (not other parts of the Colosseum, or of the Palatine Hill/Roman Forum.)

Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets - the best tours

If you do want to take a guided tour of the Colosseum underground, what are the best tours to take?

The least expensive option is the one you book directly with the Colosseum via Parco Colosseo. It's pretty minimal and you will just get a tour of the underground and area.

But if you want a more complete tour, I recommend booking one that includes a tour also of the Colosseum itself, plus the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill. This type of tour will likely take around 4 hours.

There are several good options for Colosseum underground tours with our partner company Get Your Guide.

Colosseum underground evening tour

I absolutely love taking a tour of the Colosseum at night. This is without a doubt one of the most special things you can do in Rome. 

The tour takes you around the inside of the Colosseum, and includes a visit to the underground and arena.

It's not available year-round, and availability is often limited, but if you can get this tour, I really recommend it.

Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets - what's included

When you buy Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets, you get what's called a "Full Experience" ticket. You will get:

• 1-time entrance to the Colosseum
• accompanied visit to the underground (it's not possible to visit this on your own)
• A guided entry to the arena floor, you may stay as long as you wish.
• 1-time entrance to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
  
• Entrance to S.U.P.E.R. sites that are open
• Entrance to any temporary exhibitions

This ticket is good for 2 consecutive days.

This means you could visit the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill the day prior or after your Colosseum visit, if you want. (You can of course also visit them the same day.)

So what can you see with this ticket?

Your ticket gives you access to the underground of the Colosseum (you will be guided, either simply accompanied or on a tour, depending on what you book, but you cannot go in on your own.)

Your ticket also gives you access to the main 2 levels of the Colosseum as well as to the permanent and temporary exhibits.

Rome colosseum underground tickets - arena

When you visit the Colosseum underground, you will see the underground first, followed by a visit to the arena floor. 

Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets - how long does it last?

A visit to the Colosseum underground takes around half an hour by itself. Once you leave the underground, you will visit the arena, too. This can last about 15 minutes.

So for just the underground + arena, figure about 45 minutes.

You'll want another hour or so to visit the rest of the Colosseum.

Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets - Roma Pass

Can you use the Roma Pass for free or discounted entry to the Colosseum underground?

At the moment, you cannot use the Roma Pass for entry to the underground area, only the regular admission ticket.

Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets - is it worth it?

Whether it's worth it to visit the Colosseum underground is of course subjective. 

I always thought it was worth visiting this special area of the Colosseum.

Now that it's so much easier to get Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets than ever before, and especially since they have opened up so much more of the underground, I have to say that most definitely YES it is so worth it!

Colosseum underground tickets - sold out

What can you do when Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets are sold out?

If you have some time before your trip, you can keep checking back. Sometimes availability can change if it's far back enough.

If your visit to the Colosseum is imminent, you can look for a last minute colosseum underground tour with a tour agency.

In either case, when you are faced with no availability for the Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets on Parco Colosseo, you can usually book through a tour agency.

Yes, you will pay more, but you will also likely get a bit more or a well-rounded tour.

When you book with the Colosseum, you will often have just a guide, or maybe a tour, but usually only for part of your visit, such as JUST for the underground.

Whereas when you book with a tour company, you will get a more complete tour that includes the Colosseum, underground, and usually also the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill.

If you cannot get any tickets at all, you could try exploring some of the other Rome underground sites on offer, such as the many catacombs across the city.

Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets - is it claustrophobic?

If you're hesitating getting Rome Colosseum underground tour tickets because you are worried it could be claustrophobic, I would suggest that you go ahead and get the tickets.

In the first bit of the visit, you will indeed be underground, but you can see ahead of you the open sky. 

And this space at the beginning is pretty ample, opening to all sides, so you are never in a small space.

Most of the rest of the visit is in what was once underground, but is today uncovered, so you have open sky above you.

Rome Colosseum underground - is it wheelchair accessible?

While the Colosseum is wheelchair accessible, the underground is not really accessible for wheelchair users.

Having visited the Colosseum underground recently, I can attest to the fact that there is indeed a lift that can take you down to the underground level if need be, and there are ramps throughout.

But I think the access is limited as parts of the walkway are narrow and or not quite connected and may not accommodate a wheelchair. 

According to the Parco Colosseo site:

• The entrances to the monument located along Via Dei Fori Imperiali are equipped with ramps.
• The ground floor (first order) of the amphitheatre is accessible to wheelchair users.
• The first floor (second order) is accessible by lifts.
• Two wheelchairs are available at site, one for the ground floor and one for the first floor.
• Suitable toilets are available on site.

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