Why visiting Rome’s Colosseum at Night is awesome

Rome’s famous amphitheatre looks incredible after dark.

More than 25,000 people per day visit the Colosseum in Rome. And I’m pretty sure the majority of them would prefer a little more elbow room and lot less lining up. Solution: visit the Colosseum at night.

Before I explain, a confession. I am embarrassed to admit I almost went to Rome and didn’t visit the Colosseum. I was afraid of the crowds. I worried about my stamina for standing in long lines. Yes, I know it’s the most famous symbol of Ancient Rome, the largest amphitheatre ever built, and something you can’t see anywhere else on Earth. But would the hassle really be worth it? For some reason I can’t fathom now, I wasn’t convinced.

Thankfully, on my first night in the city my friend who has been to Rome regularly gave me a walking tour that included passing by the Colosseum. And wow.

Against the backdrop of a black night sky, the shape of the Colosseum cut an even more imposing figure than the monumental monument already does in the day. Golden lighting spilled out from the arches, casting a soft and yet dramatic glow. It was truly awesome.

We took a seat on a nearby bench and watched people come and go in front of the amphitheatre as they have done for almost two thousand years. I made up my mind that I would need to come back and see the inside. Obviously.

I’m forever grateful that tickets were still available, and that we chose the last timeslot of the day. It was a bit of luck since there is a dizzying amount of different Colosseum tickets and combinations on offer. But here’s here’s what we did and why I recommend it.

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What kind of Colosseum Ticket do you want?

General Admission. Admission with Arena floor. Admission with Arena and Underground. Admission with Archeologist. Skip the Line. Guided Tour. Private Tour. Express Tour. A VR Experience. (?!) In all my travels to famous tourist attractions I’ve never seen so many ticket options. And that doesn’t even include all the combo tickets with other Rome attractions.

Every tour company in Rome offers Colosseum tickets. How do you pick? I would definitely read recent reviews because they don’t all deliver on their promises.

We kept it super simple and bought Admission with arena floor. This part of the Colosseum has only been open for tourists since 2021 so we felt we had to try it. No guide. Last timeslot of the day. We purchased through a company called Coop Culture and it cost us 24 Euro ($35 CDN).

What is Skip the Line?

Who doesn’t love skipping line-ups? You’ll see this a lot in tour advertisements and to my knowledge it simply means you don’t have to queue to purchase tickets on site. Which I don’t recommend in anyway because Colosseum tickets will sell out, especially in high season. Purchase any timed ticket in advance and you can head to the Visitors with Reservations line. You will still have wait in that line. And you will still have to go through security which took us thirty minutes.

Why you should pick the last timeslot of the day

There’s an old travel tip that to beat the crowds you should aim to visit the most popular attractions as soon as they open. Sometimes that’s true. We did the opposite and loved it.

First off, it was (somewhat) cooler. Summer in Rome is brutal. I cannot imagine going in the middle of the afternoon.

Second, we arrived right on time. Not 15 minutes early which is recommended. Meaning that once we passed security, there was almost nobody behind us. We could enter the doors to the arena floor at our own pace. Which to be honest was a slow pace since we were mostly staring up in awe. I may or may not have walked back and entered twice, it was so majestic.

The view from down there looking up at the four-stories of seats is spectacular!  From the arena floor you can also look down into the Colosseum tunnels – rows upon rows where cells would have kept slaves and prisoners turned Gladiators, also wild animals like lions, tigers and bears, hunted and imported from Asia at great expense.

The maze of underground tunnels can also be visited by group tour but we didn’t have that ticket. Knowing that the Colosseum would close at some point we tore ourselves away from the arena floor (not easy) to see the rest of the amphitheatre. It’s impossible to actually have the Colosseum to yourself, but, again, with no other tourists coming in behind us, at times we almost felt alone.

Our self-guided tour of the Colosseum brought us to the very top, where we had the equally impressive opposite view looking back down on the floor. Without a guide, we were free to wander, to stand in one spot as long as we wanted, taking in the scenery, imagining the scenes when 50,000 bloodthirsty Romans poured in here for entertainment. Golden Hour arrived and lit up the arena beautifully.

We lingered as long as possible until the whistles and pleas of Colosseum security forced us out. But it wasn’t over.

Sunset over the Colosseum

The Italian phrase la dolce vita means “the good life” and nowhere did we feel that as much as watching the sun go down behind Colosseum with a delicious drink in hand and warm fresh focaccia bread in our mouths.

I picked out The Court for drinks in Rome based on its impressive mocktail menu—I don’t drink alcohol and am always looking for exceptional bars and restaurants with something to offer me— and the fact that it’s steps from the Colosseum and has gorgeous views from a panoramic terrace. Because our tour of the Colosseum was at the very end of the day, we arrived just in time for sunset.

What a glorious way to spend our last night in Italy. The Court is attached to the five-star Palazzo Manfredi hotel, and the service is elevated as expected. We were seated on bar stools at a counter with perfect unobstructed views of the Colosseum. The spread of olives, bread, crudité was just enough after an afternoon of walking around. The drinks, some of the priciest I’ve had in my travels, were well worth it—superbly crafted and beautifully presented.

If this sounds heavenly it’s because I thought it was. For the second night, I got to see the Colosseum illuminated, to marvel at its grandeur without the obstruction or annoyance of crowds. It’s the kind of monument that fires my imagination and to be able to sit quietly with my own thoughts in its shadows was a highlight of my trip.

(An important note the Court has a dress code—no shorts, no Tshirts, no sandals, that kind of thing—so dress stylishly if you don’t want to be turned away. Reservations are highly recommended, as seatings do fill up in advance. Also you cannot reserve the front bar seats but all seats have a great view. The Colosseum is pretty big, after all, it’s tough to miss.)

Guided tours of the Colosseum at Night

Want to go inside the Colosseum after dark? If you are visiting Rome in the summer you may be in luck!

Colosseum at Night (sometimes called Moon over the Colosseum) is a special one-hour guided tour after the regular hours. If you want an English tour this is only on Saturday nights. Tours in Italian are offered twice a week (Saturday and Tuesday or Saturday and Thursday, depending on when you visit.)  The cost is 25 Euro for adults, 20 Euro for under 25 and free for children under six.

We were not lucky enough to catch this tour but it’s high on my list for my next visit to Rome. If you’ve been I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

When to book a guided tour

As mentioned, we visited on our own. As someone who loves to research and read, I prefer to be in my own thoughts, and look up information later. (Watching YouTube videos about the places we saw that day is a regular bedtime activity for me.) Also sometimes the tours have more walking, and not enough resting in the shade or sitting down. On my own, I can decide based on my stamina.

In my view a guided tour is better for you if you get much more out of historical sites with a tour guide to point out specific details, or you don’t speak the local language and would really enjoy spending time listening to your native language and meet other people from your own country. (By booking a tour in Spanish, or German or French, e.g.)

How to get tickets to the Colosseum for free

A few days a year entrance to the Colosseum is free for everyone! Be prepared to line up though tickets are only available in person, first come and first served. The arena floor and underground tunnels are not open on these days.

The first Sunday of the month

April 25, for Liberation Day

June 2, for the Republic Day

November 4, for National Unity and Armed Forces Day

Otherwise, these people can grab a free ticket anytime: under the age of 18, disabled people and their family member or accompanying person, high school art history teachers.

What to bring to the Colosseum?

Comfortable walking shoes. Water. Camera.

That’s it! (There is nowhere to store large bags or luggage)

OK, if you plan to hit up the Court or another nice place for dinner after maybe some deodorant!

Hours of operation at the Colosseum

The closing time depends on when you are visiting. In high season (April to August) it’s open until 7:15pm. September it closes at 7pm, October at 6:30pm, November and December and March 4:30pm and January/February it closes at 3:30pm. Last admission is one hour before doors close.

So if you want to enjoy the vibes at night, summer and fall is best.

Our Hotel in Rome: Ponte Sisto

We really enjoyed our stay at Hotel Ponte Sisto. Location can’t be beat: steps from the Ponte Sisto bridge, close to hip Trastevere and a 30-minute walk to the Colosseum through picturesque narrow streets and passing some incredible restaurants. I especially loved the inner garden courtyard where the breakfast buffet is served (included), and their quiet rooftop bar. Rooms were basic, staff were friendly and helpful. I would stay there again.

I hope you have the chance to visit the Colosseum at night on your next trip to Rome!

Looking for something unusual to do in Rome? Check out my review of the Capuchin Crypts!