Which one to choose in Rome
Two ancient sites in Rome. Appian Way has 36 tickets and tours to book; Colosseum has 349 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Rome, Italy
The Appian Way is the Roman road begun in 312 BC from Rome towards southern Italy, and its first 16 km out of the city still run past tombs, catacombs and villas. Long stretches keep their original basalt paving. Now a protected archaeological park on the UNESCO list since 2024, it is the best place near Rome to walk or cycle through ancient countryside.
Rome, Italy
The Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre the Romans ever built, an oval of travertine about 189 metres long that held some 50,000 spectators for gladiator fights and animal hunts from AD 80. Visitors walk two levels of its arcades, look down into the maze of underground passages and, on some tickets, stand on a rebuilt section of the arena floor.
| Appian Way | Colosseum | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tomb & Necropolis | Theatre & Amphitheatre |
| Civilisation | Roman | Roman |
| Founded | 312 BC | AD 80 |
| Area | — | 2.4 ha |
| Visitors | — | 14.7 million a year (2024) |
| Entry | Road free; park sites EUR 8 each; catacombs extra | EUR 18; arena and underground EUR 24; under-18s free |
| Hours | Road open at all times; catacombs about 9 or 10 am to 5 pm, some closing at lunch; park sites 9 am to dusk | 8.30 am to an hour before sunset: to 7.15 pm in summer, 4.30 pm in winter; last entry an hour before |
| Time needed | Half a day; a full day by bike | 1.5 to 2 hours; half a day with Forum |
| Booking | No booking for the road; book bike tours ahead at weekends | Timed named tickets released 30 days ahead; the underground sells out first |
| UNESCO | yes | yes |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | 36 | 349 |
| Official website | yes | yes |