Colosseum/ Palatino/ Roman forum entrances, tickets, and how to navigate

There will be long lines at opening time so be prepared to wait.

You can buy entry tickets online if you have a smart phone. This way you won't have to wait in the line at the forum. The ticket booth is on Via di San Gregorio.

There is no single entrance for all three sites. The colosseum is across the courtyard from the forum/palatine hill. Which you visit first, for me, would depend on which direction I'm coming from. If I get to the colosseum first I would visit it, then the forum/palatine hill.

Donna

I was there last month. If you want to buy a ticket on-site use the Palatine Hill entrance. From the Metro Stop cross the street between the Colosseum and the Forum, follow the fence past the Arch of Constantine, past the Hop-on Hop-off bus stop. Keep following the fence and in about a hundred yards or so the entrance will be on your right. If there is no line it will look like an exit only. If this is the case go through the arch on the left hand side, look to your left and you will see the ticket booth. You cannot see the ticket booth from the street.

Your ticket is good for two consecutive days with one entrance each for the Colosseum and one entrance for the Palatine Hill/Forum. Depending on the time of year the they close from 16:30 to 19:15 . I have been there when they start shooing people out 1/2 hour early so they can actually CLOSE the gates at closing time.

Palatine Hill/Roman Forum is pretty large. You might want to plan on 3-4 hours or more if you really want to see everything.