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We learned so much on the best Colosseum tour in Rome, Italy.

I was surprised by all the knowledge I learned from our guide on our Colosseum tour.The Colosseum is one of the top tourist attractions in the world! It was built in about 6-8 years by the Roman Empire starting in 72 AD. It was built to provide entertainment for the people of Rome and could hold 50,000 spectators, all of which that could evacuate in about 10 minutes! In 80 AD, it was opened for the first time with 100 days of games to start the Gladiator shows. The games included fights against other people or against wild beasts. There were 5,000 animals killed on the opening day of the Colosseum. Many animals almost became endangered because of the games. 🙁

A tour is the best way to learn facts about the Roman Colosseum.

The Colosseum provided entertainment for almost 450 years. It endured an earthquake, as well as a fire from a lightning strike. The end of the Gladiator games occurred due to the failing Roman economy and the rise in Christianity. A monk from Egypt, Telemachus, became upset when he saw the blood baths taking place at the Colosseum. Telemachus objected, shouting for it to stop in the name of Christ. The angry mob threw stones at him and killed him. Shortly after, the Emperor Honorius, impressed by the monk’s martyrdom, banned the Gladiator fights.

The Colosseum was a place where many Christians were executed for their religious beliefs. Some Christians were thrown to the wild beasts with nothing to defend themselves, only to die a horrible death. Some were stoned or nailed to the cross and set on fire to be used as torches to light the Colosseum. It was Constantine the Great that put a stop to the Christian executions in the Roman Empire.

There is a cross placed at the Colosseum in honor of the Christian martyrdoms that were stoned, crucified, and burned to the stake at the hands of the Roman Empire. The cross is placed where the Roman Emperors once sat.

Watch an overview of our trip to the Colosseum! P.S. I thought Gladiators were brave men who fought. I didn’t know why until visiting the Colosseum and reading more details later. In fact, Gladiators were not cool at all!

Tips for visiting the Colosseum:

  • Buy skip the line tickets or book a tour that has skip the line access. The lines are VERY long and you can sometimes wait for well over an hour just to get in.
  • Wear sunscreen- the sun coming down and reflecting onto you will cause you to blister!
  • Go early! Preferable before 830 AM. Try to avoid the long lines. Even skip the line access may have a line.
  • Be cautious of anyone dressed as a Gladiator for you to take photos with. They do charge.
  • Wear comfortable walking shoes. You will be climbing stairs and walking on uneven ground. Remember, the Colosseum was built almost 2000 years ago!
  • Make sure you bring your proof of purchase with your entry tickets. Our guide had trouble from the entrance security because she did not have it. She explained it may just be the guides that have trouble, but bring it just in case!
  • See the Colosseum at night!

Below are some Colosseum tour options that are available with Get Your Guide. I like to book my tours with them because they are easy to book and if my plans change, they are easy to cancel, too! Check out some of their options below (and there’s plenty more if you click here).

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