The Colosseum is a symbol of Rome and one of the city's most popular tourist attractions, with about 6 million visitors a year, according to Civitatis Tours.

Five days before my visit, I booked a self-guided, skip-the-line ticket through Viator for $60. I found other similar skip-the-line services online, but thought this was the best value at the time.

A basic admission ticket would have cost me less than $20.

My ticket included direct entry to the Colosseum, allowing me to skip the crowds waiting to get inside, explore at my own pace, and access the nearby attractions of Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum.

I had no set time to leave the Colosseum, but my ticket suggested a one-hour stay.

According to Colosseum Info, the arena covers roughly 6 acres and could once seat at least 50,000 people.

I wasn't expecting the Colosseum to feel so cramped, loud, and stressful to get around.

The seemingly endless crowds of people throughout made me feel like I was standing in line for the majority of my visit.

The tourism boards of Italy and Rome did not respond to requests for comment about how crowds are regulated.

Along the way, I encountered several people blocking paths and sidewalks as they stopped to take pictures.

This made getting to the attraction itself difficult and frustrating. I suspected my experience wouldn't be as stress-free as I had hoped.

I got to my destination at 11 a.m. so I'd have ample time to find my tour guide before my 12 p.m. entry time — and thank goodness I did.

The grounds were packed with people looking for their tour guides and waiting for entry. As noon approached, I started to panic, thinking, "What if I don't find them?"

It took me nearly an hour to find the tour group's small black flag beside the Arch of Constantine outside the Colosseum's entrance.

A Viator representative apologized for the confusion, telling BI that the issue stems from tourist hot spots becoming increasingly congested.

When I finally found my tour guide, she handed me my ticket for entry.

With my ticket, I was able to skip the general admission line, but I still had to wait in a relatively short line to be admitted and go through a security checkpoint.

I encountered people pushing each other forward and arguing about who was in line first.

One woman took her whole tour group and pushed to the front of the line, cutting several people off.

When it was my turn to use the bathroom, another woman shoved me forward as soon as a stall opened up before I even had a chance to take a step.

I was truly shocked at how people behaved in this situation, and it soured my experience at the historical landmark.

There were too many people at the Colosseum to walk up to the edge of the stands.

Instead, people formed lines in front of each viewpoint to get a glance at the arena below and take a picture.

While waiting for my turn, I stood on my tippy toes to see the Colosseum above rows of heads that obscured my view.

More than anything else, I wanted a few moments at the Colosseum to tap into my creativity and visualize the fights that happened in Ancient Rome.

But there were too many people trying to take my place for me to have that time.

The ongoing restoration I saw at the Colosseum made it feel like one big construction site.

However, I understand that old buildings often need to be restored to last hundreds of years, and I think the current work on the Colosseum will improve the visitor experience.

In May 2021, NPR reported that the Colosseum planned to open a floor-level attraction by 2023. The attraction would allow visitors to enter the arena on a retractable floor and get a gladiator's view.

We haven't seen reports on the site's opening to the general public. Still, Carpe Diem Tours offers a VIP Colosseum excursion with access to select spaces, including the arena floor and underground tunnels.

To view the Colosseum's exhibits, I shuffled along slowly with a crowd, simultaneously taking in as much as I could before people began to move forward.

The exhibits were more packed than almost any museum I've been to, and I only viewed them for about 15 minutes before I became frustrated and gave up.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to visit the nearby attractions. So I was excited that the Colosseum's interior also has views of surrounding Ancient Roman sites, like the Roman Forum.

But I found that these areas were just as crowded as the arena viewpoints, and since I'm 5'3", I couldn't see past other tourists and their outstretched phones.

There are fewer crowds in Italy during the winter. Next time, I'll visit Rome during the colder months for a quieter experience.