A Complete Guide to Colosseum’s Underground Tour

The Underground Hypogeum is a unique and exclusive site within the Roman Colosseum. 

Serving as the backstage of the Arena, it was where wild animals and gladiators awaited their turn to be hoisted to the Arena floor. 

These tunnels and chambers beneath the Arena offer a revealing look into the detailed preparations and logistics behind ancient Rome’s grand spectacles.

Important: Colosseum’s Underground is the most exclusive part of the attraction, and as a result, ONLY a limited number of tour tickets are sold daily. Book yours today for a guaranteed entry.

What was the Colosseum Underground used for

The Hypogeum of the Colosseum was not constructed simultaneously with the Upper tiers and Arena; Emperor Domitian commissioned its construction a decade later. 

This underground structure served a crucial role, housing wild animals, gladiators, and slaves before surprising the audience by bringing them up to the Arena floor from below.

The Hypogeum featured a large central passage along the main axis, surrounded by 12 curved corridors. 

Within these corridors were 80 wooden freight elevators used to hoist machinery and animals onto the Arena floor for the games.

Advanced systems employing counterweights and inclined planes were used to transport props and materials to the surface from below. 

Evidence of these systems remains visible today through holes in the corridor floors.

Why visit the Underground?

Visiting the Colosseum’s underground provides a complete understanding of this historic site and the meticulous preparations that preceded each event in the Arena.

Descending into the dark and narrow underground passages offers a glimpse into the bustling activity that once filled these spaces, from attendants and slaves to wild animals and gladiators.

Exploring the underground mechanics allows you to appreciate the complex work done to stage the epic fights witnessed in the Arena above. 

It’s an exploration that deepens your appreciation of ancient Roman spectacle and the Colosseum’s history.

How to visit the Underground

Booking a guided tour with access to the underground area is the only way to gain entry to this site as they do not allow individual visitors to the restricted areas such as the Arena and Underground. 

All Colosseum guided tour tickets granting access to the Underground also include a comprehensive visit to the archaeological sites – Colosseum’s 1st and 2nd tiers, the Arena floor, the Underground Chambers, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum.

The entrance to the underground is via a staircase located along the main axis in the northwest section of the amphitheater, near the Stern entrance.

What can you see in the Underground tour of the Colosseum

See the blocked corridor that once connected the gladiator training school (Ludus Magnus) to the Colosseum.

Walk through the tunnels, which contain well-preserved walls and brick structures dating back to the 1st century, excavated after being buried for hundreds of years.

Look at the Bronze capstans (revolving cylinder-like structures) embedded on the brick floors that might have been used to pull trapdoors using ropes.

The replica of a wooden elevator that was used to lift gladiators and animals onto the Arena is another highlight.

You can observe the drainage system, which channels rainwater from the Labicano Creek.

Note: The water drainage system is not in optimal condition, which can cause flooding in the Underground during heavy rain. Consequently, underground tours are occasionally canceled due to adverse weather conditions.

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