Colosseum winter hours from 25 October: last entry 3:30pm

Colosseum: winter hours from 25 October

From Sunday 25 October 2026, the Colosseum opens at 8:30am and closes at 4:30pm. Until 24 October, last entry is at 5:30pm; between 29 March and 30 September, it is at 6:15pm, according to the schedule published by colosseum-rome.co.

The same day, Italy switches to winter time: clocks go back an hour, from 3:00am to 2:00am. So an afternoon slot you booked earlier should be checked against the new hours, with last entry at 3:30pm.

Key points

• Opening at 8:30am: mornings are the easiest time to combine the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill
• Last entry at 3:30pm for the Colosseum, one hour before closing
• A visiting window of about eight hours, against more than ten in summer

If you’d rather go with a guide, the tour below covers the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill in about 2 to 3 hours, with priority access. It suits anyone who wants a storyline across the three sites rather than a ticket alone.

Book a slot on the official ticketing site

Your ticket carries a timed slot and should be booked in advance, winter included, on the official ticketing site ticketing.colosseo.it. Tickets go on sale 30 days before the visit date, so check availability as soon as your date falls inside that window. Guides recommend booking even out of season.

Prices depend on the product you choose: standard ticket, Full Experience (arena and underground levels), or the reduced rate for EU citizens aged 18 to 25. Check the current price list on ticketing.colosseo.it before you buy, and compare it with resellers, which sometimes show different amounts.

• One timed slot per ticket, at the time shown on your confirmation
• Sales open 30 days before the visit date
• A security check at every entry, with or without a booking

The security check is compulsory, even with a booked ticket. Arrive 15 minutes before your slot so you can get through without rushing. Large bags slow the queue, so travel light.

Visiting the Forum and the Palatine on the same day

Your timed ticket gives access to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill within 24 hours, according to tickets-rome.com. Set aside half a day to link the three sites: the Palatine is open air, with slopes and ancient paving.

In winter, visitor accounts describe sites that are much quieter than in summer, with few queues. These are individual reports, not measurements, so booking is still advised.

It’s cold, especially in the morning and the evening, and night falls early at this time of year. An early-morning visit leaves time to see the Forum and the Palatine in daylight. No night visits are confirmed for this winter.

On 25 December, the sources checked announce a closure. Check the calendar before planning a visit that day.

To extend the day, Trastevere suits a late afternoon: our hyperlocal experiences in Trastevere offer ideas, and our private cooking classes in Rome suit an evening out there.