In the not-so-distant past, Rome’s premier tourist destinations like the Colosseum and Vatican Museums were relatively easy to visit. However, in recent years, securing tickets to the Colosseum and Vatican Museums has become increasingly challenging, if not nearly impossible. Tickets on the official websites for these attractions seem to vanish the moment they become available for purchase.
But why is this the case?
Contrary to what you might think, it’s not solely due to the influx of tourists or peak travel seasons. This issue stems from organized ticket scalping, as scalpers have resorted to reselling tickets at exorbitant prices.
Many suspect these scalpers use automated bots to snatch up all available tickets as soon as they’re released to the public – 60 days in advance for the Vatican Museums and 30 days in advance for the Colosseum. Regrettably, names like “ForgetYourGuide” and “Voyator” have been notorious for exploiting tourists in this way.
These online ticket scalping websites ( let’s call them what they are), have essentially monopolized ticket sales in Rome, transforming the city’s most famous landmarks and museums into overpriced “tourist traps” inundated with crowds and overpriced tickets.
The situation became so dire that Italian authorities launched investigations into Italy-based ticket vendor websites and the organization responsible for managing Colosseum tickets.
Is it worth visiting the Colosseum and Vatican Museums?
Given these challenges, you might be tempted to skip the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum altogether. The sea of tourists pushing through the museums or the underwhelming interior of the Colosseum might not be worth the struggle, overpriced tickets, crushing crowds, and long security lines.
My recommendation would be to consider skipping the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum.
The overwhelming crowds can make it challenging to fully appreciate these attractions, and the interior of the Colosseum, in particular, can be rather underwhelming after its grand exterior. If I were to rate the Colosseum’s exterior at a perfect 10, I’d give its interior a mere 2.
I’ve had the privilege of living in Rome for over 10 years, and after visiting the Colosseum’s interior once, I never felt the urge to return. I recognize that my perspective may be influenced by my proximity to these iconic landmarks, but even during my trips to Rome before I moved here, I found myself hesitant to explore the interiors of the Colosseum and Vatican Museums.
All things considered, while they are undoubtedly worth experiencing if possible, the struggle, high ticket costs, overwhelming crowds, and long security lines can be deterrents.
Nevertheless, if the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum are must-visit items on your bucket list, it’s achievable. You can even visit both these landmarks in a single day with some careful planning.
Suppose you’ve marked your calendar for online time slot ticket purchases, only to find them sold out. What’s the solution? What should you do?
.
Solution for Visiting the Colosseum / Vatican Museums if tickets are
SOLD OUT
My advice is to steer clear of ticket scalpers like “ForgetYourGuide” and “Voyator.” No ticket to the Colosseum or Vatican is worth a staggering 100 Euros – yes, some people have paid that much for a last-minute Colosseum ticket!
Instead, consider looking at walking tour companies in Rome that offer guided tours to the Colosseum and Vatican Museums, complete with tickets. Many of these companies have contracts with the Vatican (and possibly the Colosseum) for a certain number of daily tickets, often in the hundreds a day, to cater to their group tours, semi-private tours, and private tours.
Secure your visit by booking a group walking tour. You don’t need to choose the “best” walking tour company with the most entertaining guides; your goal is simply to get inside the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums. Whether you stay for the walking tour or venture out to explore on your own is entirely up to you.
.
To visit both the Colosseum and Vatican Museums in one day, consider booking your morning walking tour at the Colosseum. You can choose a Colosseum-only tour or a combination that includes the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. However, trying to squeeze in the Vatican Museums on the same day while touring the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (at least 3 hours) might be overambitious.
I’d recommend booking the Colosseum Walking Tour or, at most, the Colosseum and Roman Forum combination to avoid overexertion. The combo tour typically lasts about 2 hours.
Then, schedule your Vatican Museums Walking Tour with included tickets shortly after lunch. This provides you with a solid 2-3 hours at the Vatican Museums before the Sistine Chapel closes.
If you opt for a tour that also covers St. Peter’s Basilica, you’ll enjoy a convenient shortcut from the Sistine Chapel, bypassing the lengthy security lines in the square. The Vatican permits access through this shortcut only for visitors accompanied by a licensed tour guide.
.
RECAP :
How to Visit the Colosseum and Vatican Museums on the Same Day
.
Book a Colosseum Walking Tour with Tickets included first thing in the MORNING
Book a Vatican Museums Walking Tour with Tickets included in the AFTERNOON
As most organized group tours require arriving 10-15 minutes before tour time, aim to arrive at the Colosseum at least 20-30 minutes early just in case you experience any delays.
.
Why should you visit the Colosseum in the morning?
If you are traveling during the warm months between May to September, it can get pretty hot out mid-day and in the afternoons. As the Colosseum is built of stone, it can get quite hot and feel like an oven inside. To avoid the scorching sun, I would advise planning to visit the Colosseum first thing in the morning.
.
How to get to the Colosseum:
If you have easy access to the Metro, you can take the Metro Line B to the Colosseum stop.
You can also call a Taxi or use UBER (via the Uber app) to have a taxi pick you up at your hotel or accommodation. If you are staying at a hotel, your front desk concierge can call a Taxi for you. Allow about 10-15 minutes for a taxi to arrive, or about 20 minutes for an Uber driver to arrive.
Most Taxis in Rome are small economy cars for up to 4 passengers. If you are 5 or more people, you may consider getting an Uber Van via the Uber app.
If you arrive well before you are due to meet your group tour, stroll around Piazza del Colosseo and view the Colosseum from different angles as the monument truly changes its appearance from different angles! And don’t miss the nearby Arch of Constantine.
After you finish your visit at the Colosseum and/or the Roman Forum, you can make your way towards the Vatican.
.
How to get to the Vatican from the Colosseum
.
If you have lots of free time between your Colosseum Tour and Vatican Museums Tour, you may walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali towards Piazza Venezia and admire the ancient Roman forums that flank this pedestrian-friendly avenue.
The grand Monument to Victor Emmanuel II (Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II) that dominates the roundabout square of Piazza Venezia is quite remarkable. If you walk around the Vittorio Emanuele II monument to reach Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill) up along the gently sloped stairway, then cross the square past the Capitoline Museums to the far back terrace.
This special spot tucked away behind Capitoline Hill will reward you with a spectacular view of the Roman Forum that’s postcard-perfect.
From Piazza Venezia you may take a Taxi from the nearby Taxi Rank to take you to the Vatican Museums.
If you prefer to go straight to the Vatican after you finish your Colosseum and/or Roman Forum walking tour, you may also get a Taxi from the taxi rank located behind the Colosseum.
Again, if you need a van for your larger group, get an Uber Van via the Uber app, but do so about 20 minutes or so before you need it as it can take a while for a Uber driver to reach you.
Lunch before your Vatican tour
If you have time for lunch, you may stop first in Piazza Risorgimento near the Vatican as there are lots of restaurants and eateries for a quick bite. I strongly recommend 200 Gradi panino shop at the corner of Piazza Risorgimento towards the Vatican Museums.
There is also a great gelateria, “Old Bridge” around the same corder for a tasty gelato before your Vatican visit. From Piazza Risorgmento just follow the Vatican walls for a couple of blocks’ distance to the Vatican Museums entrance where you will meet your Vatican tour group.
.
Why should you visit the Vatican Museums in the afternoon?
Aside from the convenience of visiting the Colosseum in the morning, by visiting the Vatican Museums after lunch you would encounter fewer “bus tours” that usually flock there in the morning. The Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are also most likely to close in the mornings for papal events than in the afternoon.
If you end up in St Peter’s Square at the conclusion of your Vatican visit, you may take a Taxi from the taxi rank near St Peter’s Square. Or you may also use Uber. However, the area around St Peter’s Square is NOT accessible to most vehicles so your Uber driver will only be able to pick you up a couple of blocks away. So plan in advance for a suitable location to meet your Uber driver.
There you have it. If tickets to the Colosseum and Vatican Museums sell out before you can secure them, consider booking group walking tours with included tickets.