Honestly? Seeing the Colosseum back in July of 2023, was the highlight of my trip to Rome. Being passionate about history anyway, I was amazed at the sheer size of this Roman behemoth of architecture, still towering even after all these years. What's even more impressive, is that it took the ancient Romans only eight years to build and complete! And that's without all the tools and machinery we have in today's modern society!

My friend and I booked the tickets in advance as we imagined, being a popular attraction, it would be VERY difficult to purchase tickets on the actual day. Now I don't know myself, but it 'may' be possible to get them on the day. However, if you want to be on the safe side, it may be best to purchase tickets beforehand. That way, you haven't got to worry about queueing up in potentially massive queues and tickets being sold out before you have a chance to get one. I heard of cancellations and people being able to get last minute tickets, but I cannot be sure on this one. It's always best to check and ensure you buy tickets from the mains sites, as I believe there are a few scam websites out there.

We had a bit of a wait for our tour guide, however we were early in all fairness. So we relaxed in the shade, just across the way from the Colosseum until they had arrived. Getting into the Colosseum was pretty swift (the advantage of having purchased tickets beforehand), bypassing the usual queues and passing through the security checkpoint, before actually entering into the main part of the building itself. Getting up-close and personal with a piece of history like this, was pretty indescribable. Knowing that many Roman citizens once walked through these corridors, to bear witness to the spectacles that were to unfold on the arena floor. Speaking of, our ticket gave us access to part of the floor, where the gladiators once stood, looked upon by cheering crowds... quite the experience! From that area, we also got to take a look down into the floor below, to see where those fighters would be waiting and preparing themselves, ready to take the stage.

After the tour, we were free to explore the Colosseum at our own pace, which was really nice. We took some time, to look out from the upper floors onto the arena and the seating area, trying to imagine what chaos and excitement would have filled this once packed amphitheatre all those years ago. It was worth the money and if you're into history and all things ancient Rome, then I'd definitely give it a go!