The Colosseum Arena + Underground Tour…my honest take
I’m walking on no sleep, dragging myself down uneven cobblestone streets - scooters buzzing past me, tourists’ voices overlapping, snippets of different languages floating through the air. I’m still half out of it after traveling from Southern California, barely processing anything, just trying to stay awake, when suddenly I see it - the Colosseum - right there in the distance. And I literally stop.
At first it doesn’t even feel real. It’s massive, all these arches and shadows and stone catching the light, like it’s just been sitting there forever (because, obviously, it has). And the smile that hits my face comes out of nowhere. Holy shit… nothing prepares you for that moment. Not the photos, not the research, not how many times you’ve tried to picture it in your head.
You think you’re ready, and then you’re standing there, hearing the city move around you, realizing you had absolutely no idea. It’s not just something you look at - it kind of pulls you in without asking, like it’s been doing to people for the last 2,000 years. And I, just like everyone before me, stood there completely gobsmacked.
Honestly, that kind of set the tone for Rome in general—everything felt louder, more chaotic, and way more magical than I expected.
So here’s my honest take on everything we did… what was worth it, what caught me off guard, and what I’d maybe do differently next time.
First glimpse, first kiss 🥰
I knew going to the Colosseum was a Rome must-see, so I booked a tour for our first day (which explains the slightly delusional, jet-lagged state we were in getting there). Not wanting to be late for our first Roman tour, we somehow ended up being an hour early. But honestly, it worked out perfectly. It meant we could take our time wandering there instead of rushing, soaking in everything along the way.
As we walked, we got these incredible views of the Roman Forum from the street… layers of crumbling stone, broken columns, and dusty pathways stretching out below us. Even from a distance, it felt massive and kind of surreal, like you were just casually walking past something that old.
And if anything, it just made me more impatient to get down there and explore it up close, so I was very excited knowing the Forum was included in our Colosseum tour.
Skipping the chaos (thank you, tour guide)
Going into the Colosseum with a guide ended up being such a win. We were smoothly ushered past long lines of people and only had to pause briefly for a security check. It made everything feel easy, like we were actually making the most of our time instead of spending it waiting around. I will say, I was slightly stressed they wouldn’t let us bring in the water and snacks that were in our backpack, but it wasn’t an issue. Phew.
Underneath the arena (a completely different world)
Then we went underneath the arena… and the shift was immediate. It was cool and damp, the air heavier, the noise from above fading into this low, distant hum. After the chaos outside, it felt almost strangely calm.
We walked through narrow stone corridors and shadowy tunnels, seeing remnants of archaeological finds like plates and goblets, small oil lamps, even petrified bits of food that people would have eaten while watching the games (which is kind of wild to think about).
There are reconstructed gladiator uniforms and weapons, and you start to piece together what it must have been like… where they held the animals, how everything moved beneath the arena, all these hidden passageways most people never even see.
Standing on the arena floor
Stepping out onto the arena floor is a whole different feeling. Suddenly you’re in the center of it all, looking up at rows and rows of towering stone seating that once held around 50,000 spectators.
The energy is palpable with the crowds above, which makes it easy to imagine what it must have felt like to be a gladiator standing there with so many eyes on you.
It’s one of those moments where your brain kind of glitches a little. You know where you are, but it also feels like you’re stepping into something way older at the same time. I don’t know… it’s just so weirdly transportive in a way that’s hard to explain.
Seeing it from above (the cheap seats)
After a bit of time on the arena floor, the guide led us higher up into the stands, and suddenly you’re looking down from the “cheap seats.”
It hits completely differently. From up there, you can really see the full shape of it - the arena floor, the underground sections peeking through, the curve of the seating wrapping all the way around.
Where the tour continues
The entire Colosseum tour lasted about two hours, and from there we were escorted out and toward the next stops included in most tours: the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
Okay, real talk…
Was it worth the money?
Honestly, yes. Being able to skip the lines and actually go underneath the arena made it feel way more immersive than I expected. I didn’t feel like I just “saw” the Colosseum, I actually experienced it.
Would I do it again?
100% - not even the slightest hesitation.
What I’d do differently
I’d plan to go back to the Roman Forum on my own instead of just seeing it as part of the tour. We moved through it pretty quickly, and it’s definitely one of those places that deserves its own time to wander and explore.