Hi, my husband and I are trying to buy Coloseum tickets for January 27th, 2026. I hoped to buy the full experience tickets but seem to be unable to do so. Could it be that those tickets for that day are sold out? Should we try again when the site is open? Will the basic ticket be enough for a full Colosseum experience? Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks!
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
8555 posts
By “site,” do you mean Website, or the place where the Colosseum sits? We’ve found that lots of places around Rome expect visitors to have pre-purchased tickets, but there are third-party tour companies (Viator, for example) that buy up many of the available reserved tickets before regular people can get them for themselves. Then that tour company expects people to sign up with them, at their inflated price. I don’t know whether that’s what’s happened with Jan. 27, whether the tickets are being held hostage by for-profit tour companies, or what. If you’re just waiting for the Website to open up again in c a few hours, that’s another matter.
This was 13 years ago, but we were able to walk right up and get tickets at the box office at the Colosseum entrance, including the Underground tour, as well. Times are different now, with different procedures. I hope someone with more familiarity can provide more information (and hopefully assurance - either way) but it would be a shame if things are sold out, except for scalped tickets that the Colosseum itself no longer has for sale. I wish you the best of luck on getting tickets, at the right price.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you!
We are just met with ‘unavailable’ on the calendar on the official website. But all show the same lack of availability for the month of Jan. Hard to believe it is all sold out?!
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
8555 posts
I don’t want to be discouraging, but for our trip a couple of years ago, things like the Borghese Gallery and the Vatican Museums seemed to be sold out two or three months in advance.
Not that you should buy immediately from any of them, but if you do a Google search for full experience tix for the Colosseum on January 27, does anything come up, third-party tour sellers, maybe?
Again, very best of luck getting something reasonable and acceptable, and hopefully directly from the real, official Website. A couple of years ago, I know that it was Coopculture, but a post on this Travel Forum last year said that that was changing to https://colosseo.it/en/ . It added that it only comes up during the hours the attractions are open, which is weird. Have you been trying that Website, and during its open hours in Rome, which appear to be 8:30am-6:15pm Italian time (2:30am-about noon Eastern Standard Time, 12:30am-10:30am Mountain Standard Time)?
Apparently Coopculture was fined for contributing to the Colosseum being persistently sold out, and they list the official contract. There now seem to be a million tour companies claiming to be the “Official” Colosseum ticket vendor, but then the Rome airport has a million cars claiming to be official taxi cabs, and many of them aren’t. Scams are rife in Rome, sadly.
Worst case scenario: sign up with one of those tour companies like, Viator, Get Your Guide, etc. and at least you’ll get in. If they hold all the tickets, then they’re calling the shots, unfair though that may be.
Happy New Year, and enjoy Rome!
Posted by
OP
3 posts
I appreciate the feedback. We will try again during times the sites are open (Rome time)
3rd party sellers do have tickets but we would prefer to book directly.
I will keep you posted!
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
8555 posts
Great … hope that works.
The third-party tour companies may … maybe … provide an acceptable-quality tour, but it seems to be a racket that is out of control.