Which one to choose in Italy
Two ancient sites in Italy. Colosseum has 349 tickets and tours to book; Pompeii has 687 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 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.
Pompei, Italy
Pompeii is the Roman town that Vesuvius buried in AD 79 and excavators have been uncovering since 1748. About two-thirds of its 66 hectares are open: paved streets, houses, bakeries, baths, temples and two theatres. Nowhere else shows everyday Roman life in such detail, from bar counters to painted dining rooms.
| Colosseum | Pompeii | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Theatre & Amphitheatre | Ancient City |
| Civilisation | Roman | Roman |
| Founded | AD 80 | 550 BC |
| Area | 2.4 ha | 66 ha |
| Visitors | 14.7 million a year (2024) | 4.3 million a year (2024) |
| Entry | EUR 18; arena and underground EUR 24; under-18s free | EUR 20; under-18s free; free on the first Sunday |
| Hours | 8.30 am to an hour before sunset: to 7.15 pm in summer, 4.30 pm in winter; last entry an hour before | 9 am to 7 pm mid-Mar to mid-Oct, to 5 pm in winter; last entry 90 minutes before closing |
| Time needed | 1.5 to 2 hours; half a day with Forum | 3 to 4 hours |
| Booking | Timed named tickets released 30 days ahead; the underground sells out first | Named tickets online or at the gate; daily cap of 20,000 visitors |
| UNESCO | yes | yes |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | 349 | 687 |
| Official website | yes | yes |