Colosseum, Underground tour

The site you want is http://www.ticketclic.it/Gb/HTML/musei/colosseo.cfm.

Nadine has given you the correct link. Click on the "collect onsite" option about halfway down the page and choose a date. Then you'll see all the tours offered. The undergound/third tier can only be seen when on a tour. It should cost 21.50 each. Donna

Thank you Nadine, this link was excellent and enabled me to book an underground tour for my wife and me for 43 euro.

Thank you Donna, you were spot on!

Tracy, what could you tell me about the underground tour? What makes it worth the money? I have never been but initially just thought I would buy the Roma Pass when we get there. Thanks

Mark, the romapass has nothing to do with the underground/third tier tour. The tour itself takes you down to the lowest level of the colosseum, where the gladiators would wait for their turn to come out and fight. It also housed the animals and props they would use. It's a very interesting tour. It's something that should be booked in advance if you're interested as it's a very popular tour. If you are using the romapass for entry into the colosseum you'll need to call if you want to book the underground tour. You won't be able to do it online. 011 39 06 39967700 Donna

Thank you for your explanation Donna. I had just sat down to attempt to say the same thing, although I couldn't have said it that elegantly.

Thanks Donna - So, just to clarify, should I book the underground tour on the phone and use the Roma Pass separately, OR would you advise not buying the Roma Pass?

If you are using the romapass the only way to book the underground tour without being charged admission is to call and let them know you're using the pass for entry. If you book online you will be charged for admission which your romapass will cover so you'll be paying twice for the same entry. As to use the romapass or not, you really need to do the math to see if it's worth it to you. If you'll visit 3 sites covered by the pass you should save money. If you'll visit 2 sites and use a lot of public transport then you should save money. If you won't do either of these then you probably shouldn't get the romapass. If you end up not getting the romapass then you can book the tour and entry online or call and book both by phone. Donna

Does the underground tour include an above ground tour as well? I also see a regular colosseum tour on this site. If you want to do both do you have to sign up for each individually? If you do , do you wind up paying the colosseo-forum-palatine basic admission twice?

Joe, the underground tour includes the upper tier as well. It doesn't include a tour of the main areas of the colosseum. If you are taking the underground tour you really don't need to do the regular tour as most of the information is the same on both tours. If you really want to do both tours you should call to book the second tour. This way you can tell them you already have admission tickets and just pay for the tour. Donna

I was also just looking at this tour and had a few questions. Does the 21.50 euros cover only the tour or admission to the Forum/Palatine Hill for 2 days as well? (the main omniticket.it page lists the 2 consecutive day combo ticket and I'm not sure if that is a separate ticket or included in the price of the underground tour) Also, with the 2 day ticket, can you come and go unlimited for those 2 days? Thanks!

When you book the tour online for 21.50 it includes entry tickets to the colosseum, forum and palatine hill. You can enter each site only once (not unlimited entry) but you have two days to do those visits. This is helpful if you book an afternoon underground tour because you can come back the next morning to visit the forum which gets very hot in the afternoon. Donna

I just booked our tour for the colosseum last week. I had to call the official tele # and tell them that I will have a Rome pass. They asked me what day and told me the times for the english tours. I was charged a small fee I think 8E per person and given a confirmation # which I am to use at the group tour counter after entering the Colosseum. I was told by several people and officials that this was the only way to see the basement level of the Coloss with a Roma pass and booking by tele was the only way. By the way, be careful as the gal I spoke to was a bit hard to understand and we had quite a go around when I misunderstand her need for my e-mail address and I kept given her my mailing address. She and the other workers were getting quite a laugh. Good luck.

How long is the underground tour? Is ti possible to cover the main Colosseum with underground tour, the Forum and the Palatinum museum in 4 hours, 8:30 - 12:30?

Sam, the underground tour takes about 90 minutes give or take. I think it's possible to see all those sites within that amount of time but you may be a little rushed. I would plan an extra hour just in case. Donna

I am trying to book the combo tickets on http://www.ticketclic.it/gb/html/musei/colosseo.cfm for September 10th of this year but it wont let me.... am I booking too far out? When I add the date it says NO EVENT. Please help! Thanks,
Jen

If you use the print at home option you can buy the combo entry tickets. They have not yet released any of the underground tours for September so if you're trying to book those you'll need to wait. Last year they only released the tours a few weeks prior to those dates so you'll need to keep checking back. Donna

Hello, I am interested in purchasing the underground tour, do you know if you purchase the combo ticket of 21.50 which includes the underground tour, entry to roman forum and palatine hill, do you have to wait in line to enter or do you skip the lines as you would with the Roma pass?

Pre-purchasing tickets or the tour online will allow you to bypass the lines. The romapass is another way to bypass the lines as is buying your tickets at the forum or palatine hill. All of these ways will allow you to bypass the lines of people who are waiting to purchase entry tickets. If you purchase entry tickets or book a tour online you must go to the colosseum to pick up those tickets. You won't be able to pick them up at either of the other two sites. These tickets are good for two consecutive days and give you one entry into each of those sites over the course of those two days. If visiting during the hotter months it's better to visit the forum in the morning and try to avoid the heat of the day. There is no shade in the forum and it gets very hot. Donna

I am really struggling with this web site. When I try to puchase tickets for the colosseum tour that includes the hypogeum, I get screens that look like I'm purchasing an admission ticket only. Would anyone be so kind as to provide the exact links to get to the guided tour tickets? I just want to make sure I'm buying the right ticket! THANKS!!

The link was provided in the first response but here it is again. http://www.ticketclic.it/Gb/HTML/musei/colosseo.cfm Scroll halfway down the page and click on the "collect onsite" button. On the next page you'll choose a date. On the page after that you'll see all the tours that are available. The underground tour will say "underground tour Eng". On the next page you'll choose the 21.50 option for full price tickets. If you're trying to book tickets for September or later you won't find them available yet. You'll need to check back in mid august. Donna

Thank you so much, Donna, for taking the time to list the links for me. I was following the wrong pathway to the tickets and would have purchased the wrong thing without your help. If anyone else uses your directions, know that the first link, "Collect onsite," gets you going on the right path. Thanks for saving me a couple of hours in line at the Colosseum!

Hi, Thank you for all of the great information provided in this post. I too am travelling to see the Colesseum 22 August 2012 and I am hoping to book in the morning tour .. I am in the booking portal (omniticket) and have clicked: UNDERGROUND TOUR  ENG Wed, 22-Aug-2012 09:41 LAST 2 TICKETS This particular tour costs 21.50 euro - Could someone please confirm that this includes a tour of the underground and third tier? Will this also include access to the main Colesseum area and will I be able to explore this area with free time before I leave the Colesseum? Any help would be much appreciated, I am so confused!! Thank you so much!!!

Yes, that is the underground/third tier tour. It also includes entry to the regular areas of the colosseum as well as entry to the forum and palatine hill. After the tour you'll be able to stay in the colosseum for as long as you wish. Donna

I am ready to book tickets online for the Colosseum Underground tour thanks to Donna's great directions. I do have a question though. I will be with my parents who are 73 years old. Do I book 3 adult tickets or do I book one adult ticket and 2 discount tickets. I want to make sure I correctly book the tickets for this tour.

Thank you so much Donna, I have now purchased my ticket to the underground tour! You made my purchase very easy, thank you for all of the instructions. Very grateful!

Erika, unless your parents are from the EU they won't qualify for any type of discount. You should book three regular price entry tickets and which ever tour you wish to take. If you book the wrong tickets they will make you buy the correct ones without giving a refund for the others. Donna

Donna wrote, "If you purchase entry tickets or book a tour online you must go to the colosseum to pick up those tickets. You won't be able to pick them up at either of the other two sites." I might be misunderstanding, but we bought tickets online and printed them out on our home printer. We could use those printed tickets at any of the entrances, and didn't have to exchange them for "real" tickets, or "pick up" tickets at the Colosseum. But maybe it's different for the tours - we just purchased entry tickets online. Also, maybe this is already widely known, but the security line that RS talks about in his guidebook is gone. We'd bought our tickets online, so no line to buy tickets, AND no line for any security check! It was great.

Cathy, I was responding to those who were purchasing tickets and a tour combination and not just entry tickets. You obviously used the "print at home" option for your tickets which is why you didn't need to exchange them when you got there. These were your tickets. That is entirely different than booking the tour/ticket combo. If you book entry tickets in combination with a tour you can only pick up those tickets at the colosseum. After that you can visit the other two sites. When you book a tour/ticket combo you get a voucher that you must exchange. You can only book a tour by using the "collect onsite" option which is what most of the people on this thread have been asking about. It's the only way to book the underground tour. You cannot book that tour with the "print at home" option. As for the lines, your pre-purchased tickets allowed you to bypass the lines. There is usually a very long line to enter the colosseum and those waiting in it are waiting to buy tickets. Donna

Donna,
Thank you so much for the information regarding booking tickets to the underground tour for my parents. I will book 3 adult tickets. After reading previous posts, I am still a little confused. Do I need to buy entry tickets to the Colosseum in addition to the tickets to the underground tour? I am not interested in seeing the Forum/Palatine Hill. Please advice! Thanks

Erika, if you book the tour online and pay the 21.50 that will include the entry tickets. These tickets are also good for the forum and palatine hill. There is no single ticket for just the colosseum, it's a combo ticket of the three sites. If the tour you booked costs less than 21.50 each then it's either the wrong tour (there is a tour of the main area of the colosseum) or you chose the wrong payment option (you chose a discount you can't use). Donna

Donna, you seem very knowledgeable, and I hope you can help me out. When I clicked on the link provided above, the page says that teachers qualify for a discount, and EU citizens under 12 get into the Colosseum free. I am a university professor and have a photo ID to prove that. Do I qualify for the "teacher" discount? I'm also traveling with kids who are dual (EU) citizens and they have ID. If I want to book the Underground Tour, can I choose 1 adult discount (for me as a teacher) and 2 "free" tickets, and just pay the extra price for the underground tour? Many thanks!

If you are a teacher *from an EU state with documentation** then you qualify for the reduced entry fee. If the children have documentation showing they are EU citizens then they qualify for free entry. You can use the reduced ticket button for you and the free entry for the kids to book the tour. If you buy these tickets without the proper documentation you'll be forced to buy the full price tickets without any type of refund for the tickets already purchased. You'll use this link: http://www.ticketclic.it/Gb/HTML/musei/colosseo.cfm click on the "collect onsite" option and enter your dates. Then you'll see the tour options and the next screen will show the pricing options. If you meet all the qualifications just click the reduced and free options for tickets and you'll be charged accordingly. Donna

Hi Donna, thanks for the info so far! been great help. For the underground colosseum tour, there would be a guide to walk us through as well as explain what's what to us yes? However for Palatinum Museum & Roman Foro, we'd be on our own for that?
Thanks in advance!

Yes, you're with a guide for the underground and third tier of the colosseum. Your entry ticket also gets you into the forum and palatine hill. There is no tour included with those sites. If you wish to take a tour of those two sites you'll need to book with a private tour company. You might also want to consider an audio guide. There are some really good ones out there. Donna

ahh so i can just get the audio guides for the other 2 sites there.
great. Thanks a lot Donna!

Well, I know there is an audio guide for the forum that you can rent onsite but I'm not sure about the palatine hill. I use ones from the internet. You might want to do a search to see what you can find and just take them with you. Donna

I have followed the links but can't seem to find the Underground tour option for Sept.30. This is a Sunday free day, could that be the problem.

The free Sunday has nothing to do with it. They have not released any underground tours beyond September 15th. They are monitoring the weather and won't release dates for later in the month until right before then, if at all. If the weather continues to be rainy they might not open up the tours until next spring. You'll just need to keep checking. donna

Thanks for the prompt response. I will keep checking for updates.

Hi, Does anyone know if it says the tour is sold out in October is there anyway to still get tickets?

There are no dates for the underground tour released past September 15th. There has been a lot of rain in Rome and I believe they are waiting to see the impact on the site before releasing any more tours. You'll just need to keep checking. I would not reserve with a third party vendor if the official site is not selling the tour. Donna

@Allison I am in the same boat as you. I been checking for awhile now and nothing is showing up for October yet. Will have to keep checking the site. I was going to try booking through TickItaly, but would rather not lose $$ if the tour did not happen due to bad weather. Ohh well. Guess that is the price we have to pay to explore during the off season :)

Hi Donna, When I go to the website and try to purchase the guided tour ticket, it only give me the following option: GUIDED TOUR - ENG (Colosseum) But I can't see an option specifically for Underground. Does the above include underground already or the underground tour is only offered in a certain day? Deb

No, that is the regular guided tour. Right now there are no underground tours scheduled for after September 15th. They may release more tours or they may not. It really depends on the weather. If it rains a lot they probably will not continue with the tours and just restart them in the spring. The only thing you can do is keep checking the website to see if they release any more dates. If they do it will say "underground" or subterranean. Donna

Not certain, but fairly sure that underground tours are not offered on Sundays. I ran into this last spring while looking for myself.

Hi Everyone - They just opened up dates for underground tours for October - and that includes Sundays (or at least the Sunday I was looking for!). I just kept checking every day. Penny

Thanks, Donna. I'm on the site for the Underground tickets, now, however it only shows options for "Underground Tour" but not Underground Tour eng", and I check Sept, 21, 22, 23 and 24. What language would all these other Underground Tour's be? Where do I find an english one? Thanks a bunch.
Gary

Gary, if the tour doesn't have a language listed next to it then it will be in English. Sometimes it's listed with Eng next to it and sometimes it just says "underground tour". Both of these will be in English. donna

hi Donna thank you for all the info you provided. are all the Underground Tours in English? they do not specify. thank you!

The tour listed as "underground tour" is the English tour. All others will be written in the language they are given in. Donna

hi donna, can you please confirm the following before i click on the pay button: - i will be buying 3 adult tickets (2 adult + 1 child - 9 years old) as we are not EU Citizens. each ticket is priced at EUR 22.50 now for underground tour (includes a guided underground, third tier and the main ring). can you please confirm this is correct? - i will have to collect the tickets on site even after i purchase online? - there will be a guide showing us all the three tiers at colosseum? - the underground tour didn't indicate the word "ENG"? so will this tour be in english?
would appreciate a lot if you can answer to my queries above. many thanks!

Carina, Yes, all three of you pay the 22.50 for the tour including entry tickets. This allows entry to the main areas of the colosseum as well as a tour of the underground and third tier. Yes, you go to the special tours window to collect the actual tickets. Bring your confirmation code number with you. You bypass the lines with this code. The tour is conducted by a guide. The English tour option for the underground is written in English. The tour in other languages is written in that language. "underground tour" is what you're looking for. Donna

Donna, thank you so much :-) you are really a good help! Cheers!

Hi, I'm getting somewhat confused, so I'm hoping someone can confirm (or correct) my thinking on visiting the Colosseum and taking the underground tour. I just reserved the Underground tour by phone.. We'll be using the Roma Pass. So, I paid for the Underground tour and got a confirmation number. The tour is at 1 pm (need to be at the ticket counter at least 20 minute before that). Since the tour is not until 1, I figure we would buy our Roma Passes at the Palatine Hill entrance (suggested by R Steves)and wander around there first, Possibly the Forum after that, if we have enough time.. After that, if we go into the Colosseum earlier than required for the tour, I take it we can look around on the main levels without a separate guided tour? Then just show up at the ticket counter by 12:40? Or wonder around the main levels after the Underground tour? Thx any clarification you can provide, Jim

Jim, yes you are correct. Once you buy the romapass you can enter the palatine hill and forum and then, even if you're early for the tour, you can enter the colosseum and look around the main levels. You can also stay after the tour is over to continue looking around. Just be aware that once you enter the sites, colosseum, forum or palatine hill, you cannot leave and re-enter them. Donna

Thx Donna, I appreciate the help... BTW, I booked the Colosseum Underground tour by phone (we're going to get the Roma Pass) and it was quite easy - other then a little difficulty understanding each other - but part of the problem was a bad phone connection.. After we did everything over the phone (including payment by credit card), they sent me an email confirmation that I printed out to bring with me the day of our tour.. Jim

Donna, I've followed your excellent guidance and just purchased an underground tour online with collection onsite. I never would have figured it out without reading your postings, so thank you! Just to confirm, if we want to visit the forum and palentine In the morning prior to our 12:00 underground tour, we may do so after picking up the tickets at the colosseum reservation window, correct?? Thanks again.

Unfortunately no, they have stopped letting people pick up the entry ticket part of their tour combo. In the past they had let people pick up the tickets and come back for the tour but now they don't let you in until it's just before your tour time. Since you have already booked the tour and tickets you'll just have to get to the colosseum around 15-20 minutes before the tour in order to be at the waiting area. For those who want to book the underground yet visit the other two sites first, you can do this. It has to be done as two separate transactions. First you use the "print at home" option for the entry tickets. This will give you tickets in hand. Then you simply call to book just the tour. This way you can visit the other two sites before the tour if you choose. Donna

Hi Donna, so if I choose to print the tickets for Forum and Pallatino and then choose the other option for colloseum, I still pay the same price?

William, I'm not sure what you mean. The entry ticket is for the colosseum, forum and palatine hill. If you wish to visit the forum and palatine hill before visiting the colosseum you should use the print at home option to book just the tickets. If you wish to take a tour of the colosseum you would then need to call to book just the tour. You cannot book just the tour online, it's sold as a package along with entry tickets but you cannot pick up the entry ticket part of the package before the tour so you just buy them separately. I hope this makes sense. donna

We just got back from Italy and did the underground tour. It was a great way to see the colloseum and hear the history away from the masses of other visitors. There were only 8 other people on the tour, so time to take pictures, ask questions, etc. The day we went was Rome's birthday (a Sunday), so the main street in front of the Colloseum had a parade going on and the line to buy tickets was very long. Just a little more explanation for picking up tickets. There was a separate entry line for those with reservations (bypassing the long line of those purchasing tickets). Very short line at the window to pick up the tickets. We received the combo tickets and a sticker with the "tour time". We had about 30 minutes until our tour, so since we had not yet gone through the turnstyle into the Colloseum, we walked back out to grab a slice of pizza before the tour. Then back through the "reservation" entry, through the turnstile where you swipe your ticket, then continued on to the elevator to meet up with the tour guide/group. Be sure to keep your tickets as you will need to enter the Forum. (again, don't wait in the line, just go right to the turnstyle).
For the Forum, we listened to RS Audio guide on our iphones, and was pretty good.

Hi Donna, I'm sorry for not explaining myself clearly. My question is in relation to the underground tour. The earliest time for two tickets available on may 18th is at noon, so I wanted to know how to go about buying the tickets so that we can go to Forum and Palatino beforehand. I see that you give some instructions on how to buy and print the tickets for Forum and then to call to reserve for underground. Since it seems to be two separate transactions my question was if the total cost for them ends up being the same as if ai buy them as a package which I don't think is what I want to do because I cannot pick up the tickets for forum prior than noon right? You mention a number to call, do you mind telling me what number it is? Is it a toll free? Than you Donna, you do an outstanding job in helping all of us in navigating through these waters.
William

Hi William, Here is the number to call to book just the underground tour. 011 39 06 399 67 700 It should cost the same or perhaps 1.50 euros more to book the two transactions separately since they charge a service fee but this way will give you the freedom to visit the forum and palatine hill before the colosseum. Donna

I just went to the website listed in the prior posts to check dates for the Colosseum Underground tour. They have no events listed after August 31 so is it too early to book a tour for late September? I'm thinking they must still offer tours in Sept/Oct, correct? Thanks, Sherry

Is there a site to print/order tickets for September? The site listed only works through August.

Still no tix for underground tour in Sept 2013. Are private tours the only option?

Still no tix for underground tour in Sept 2013. Are private tours the only option?

Matt, the website is not working right now. The only way to book is to call. It's a quick and easy call to make. The number is in one of the previous posts. It's been working for lots of people who were waiting for the website to come back online. Donna

The tickets aren't available online you have to call 011 39 06 399 67700. I tried for a week and finally called and got though last week and was able to get tickets for September.