Experience the Colosseum with Dex
The Colosseum Dex experience is an interactive self-guided tour available exclusively with selected Colosseum admission tickets booked through Headout.
Put on your earphones and follow a story that unfolds around the tiers and the arena, connecting the arena floor, the underground hypogeum, and the seating tiers with the doorways, numbered arches, and worn stone most visitors step over. Historical and fictional characters lead you through stories of the emperors Vespasian and Titus, who built it; the gladiators and animals brought into the arena; the machinery and cages beneath the floor; the crowd and the strict hierarchy of its seats; the velarium that shaded them; and the centuries afterwards when the amphitheater became a quarry, accompanied by original music and immersive sound design.
How Dex guides you through the Colosseum
- Dex uses your phone’s location to guide you along a recommended route covering the numbered entrance arches, the first and second tiers, the views across the arena and hypogeum, and the outer walls facing the Arch of Constantine and the Roman Forum.
- As you reach each location, it automatically begins the story connected to what you are seeing.
- The route is only the starting point. When an arch, a numbered inscription, or a hole in the travertine catches your attention, pause and ask your Dex guide a question.
- Photograph a supported architectural detail, inscription, or fragment to uncover more about it, open a related story, or return to the route when you are ready.
- Dex also points you towards recommended viewpoints, photo spots, and parts of the Arenhypogeum and outer walls that are easy to miss in the flow of the route. You decide when to pause, where to go deeper, and when to continue.
How Dex differs from an audio guide and a group tour
An audio guide gives you a collection of prepared recordings. Dex builds those stories into a location-aware route, automatically connects them to what is around you, and lets you ask questions or investigate supported objects along the way.
A group tour gives you live interpretation from a human guide while following a scheduled departure, shared route, and group pace.
Dex offers a different experience: a structured tour that you can begin when you choose, pause whenever something interests you, and explore at your own pace. Choose Dex if you want the direction and storytelling of a guided visit with the freedom to explore the Colosseum independently.
Unlock Colosseum Dex
Selected Colosseum admission tickets booked through Headout unlock the complete Colosseum Dex experience at no additional cost. It is not available as a standalone purchase or with tickets bought elsewhere.
After booking:
- Download the Dex app.
- Sign in with your Headout details.
- The Colosseum experience will unlock automatically.
