Check Out The Colosseum

The adventure

The Colosseum opened in AD 80 under the emperor Titus with a hundred days of games, and thousands of animals are said to have died in them. Walk through one of its numbered arches and you follow the same route as the crowds who poured in for gladiator fights, wild beast hunts and executions, then climbed to tiers that held more than 50,000 people.

Go below and the theatre of it all becomes clear. The hypogeum is a maze of tunnels, cages and lift shafts where animals and fighters waited in the dark before being hoisted up through trapdoors into the sunlight and the roar. Back up on the reconstructed arena floor, look around at the pockmarked walls, where medieval scavengers dug out the iron clamps that held the stones together, and imagine the noise.

Why it’s epic

Opened in AD 80 with a hundred days of games.
Eighty entrance arches, many still numbered, moved huge crowds in and out quickly.
The hypogeum beneath the arena, where lifts and trapdoors hoisted animals and gladiators into view.
The holes in the walls are where medieval scavengers dug out the iron clamps.

What it is

The Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre ever built, opened in AD 80 and able to hold more than 50,000 spectators.

How to do it

Book timed tickets online. Guided tours can take you to the underground chambers and arena floor.

Top tip

The ticket usually includes the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, so allow time for those too.

Need to know

Tickets are timed and named, and underground and arena-floor slots sell out early, so book on the official site well ahead.
Expect airport-style security queues, and leave large bags at your hotel.
The heat bounces off the stone in summer, so visit early or late in the day.

Plan this trip

Rough cost: £750 to £2,000 per person, including flights from the UK
Time needed: Half a day
Best time to go: October to April
Fly into: FCO airport

A short-haul city break; Rome hotels and an underground tour are the main costs.

Do it yourself

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My experience

Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.