Colosseum Arena, Underground, or Regular Entry & Roman Forum Tour
Description
Enjoy a premium tour of Ancient Rome, combining a guided visit of the Roman Forum & Palatine Hill with one of two ways to visit the Colosseum: Guided or Independent entry. 1. Choose the "Arena" or "Underground" options if you want to enter the Colosseum with your guide following a guided-group itinerary, with either Arena or Underground access depending on the option selected at booking. 2. Choose the more flexible "Freedom Experience" if you prefer to explore the Colosseum at your own pace without being tied to a group itinerary. Your guide will explain it in depth from selected outside viewpoints, then you will enter independently with your included Roma Pass (no Arena/Underground access). This option includes 48-hours unlimited public transport within Rome. In both versions, your guide will bring Ancient Rome and the world of gladiators to life, explaining how the Colosseum was built, how the games worked, where gladiators trained, and why it became the symbol of Imperial Rome.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Guided Interior Visit: Begin your journey inside the Roman Forum, the political, religious, and commercial heart of Ancient Rome. Walking among temples, basilicas, triumphal arches, and ancient streets, your guide will help you imagine the Forum as it once was: a vibrant centre of power, public life, ceremonies, speeches, and imperial ambition. This is where Rome’s history becomes tangible. Hear about the Vestal Virgins and see their gardens and the pagan temple of the Goddess Vesta they served. Learn about the Basilica Julia and the penal system of Ancient Rome and its effects on Christianity. See the temple of Castor and Pollux and the Arch of Titus and learn about the sacking of Jerusalem. Discover the Senate House, where senators met to decide the fate of the Roman Republic and how that climaxed with the murder and cremation of Julius Caesar.
Guided Interior Visit: Continue to the Palatine Hill, the legendary birthplace of Rome and later the most exclusive address of the ancient world. Here, emperors built their palaces above the city, surrounded by gardens, courtyards, and spectacular views. Your guide will reveal the myths, power struggles, and imperial lifestyles connected to this extraordinary hill. From the heights of the Hill, enjoy a bird's eye view over the Roman Forum and what is considered to have been the largest structure for public games ever built by mankind, the Circus Maximus.
Exterior Stop: Start the second part of your tour by pausing at the Arch of Constantine, one of Rome’s most impressive triumphal monuments. Standing between the Colosseum and the ancient city, this richly decorated arch tells a story of victory, propaganda, and transformation. Your guide will explain why it was built, what its sculptures reveal, and how it marks a key turning point in Roman history.
Choose Your Preferred Option at booking: For the Colosseum part of the tour, choose the experience that best fits your style. Select the "Arena" or "Underground" options if you want to enter the Colosseum with your guide and follow a guided itinerary inside the monument, with Arena or Underground access depending on the option selected. Select the "Colosseum Freedom Experience" option if you prefer a more flexible formula: your guide will explain the Colosseum in depth from selected exterior viewpoints, then you will enter independently with your included Roma Pass (with 2-day public transport included) The exterior option gives you both the context of a premium guided tour and the freedom to explore independently (guests on an interior tour are not allowed to leave the guided group and visit freely). You can move at your own pace, pause where you want, take photos, and enjoy the monument without being tied to a group itinerary or rushed through timed sections.
Only with option "Colosseum Freedom Experience". See the remains of the Ludus Magnus, the ancient gladiator training school located just steps from the Colosseum. This fascinating site reveals the hidden world behind the games: where gladiators lived, trained, prepared, and waited before entering the arena. It adds a more human and dramatic perspective to the story of the Colosseum and the people who fought there.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- IMPORTANT: Please provide the full names of all travellers (specifying who is younger than 18). Missing/wrong information may result in denied entry.
- Please make sure to provide the names exactly as they appear on the ID or passport.
- Each participant will be asked to present a valid passport or ID card, at the entrance of Roman Forum / Colosseum, that matches the name provided at the time of booking.
- You will pass through strict security checks both at the Colosseum and at the Roman Forum entrance. Please be aware that security check lines are not skippable.
- A moderate amount of walking and steps are involved; wear comfortable walking shoes
- Please be at the meeting point 30 minutes before the tour starts in order to complete the signup. We might not be able to accommodate, refund or reschedule late arrivals
- This tour is subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
- Flying drones and knives of any kind are strictly forbidden. Neither trolleys and big backpacks nor animals are allowed into the Colosseum. Glass/metal containers and sprays of any kind are also not allowed.
Reviews(5,292)
we had a wonderful guide, very informative
Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our tour :)
Pros: Tour guide was good, and the changed MEETING location was well-communicated and was easy to find (for us, the others in our tour were unaware of the changed location, though) Cons: Listing and what we purchased was very misleading. What we had selected said “Underground” but our guide said we only had “Arena”. This ONLY included the Arena, NOT the entire Colosseum (going around and onto the other floors where we saw all of the other tourists with other tickets accessing). Very disappointing considering the amount of money we spent. Note that after booking, our voucher stated “Underground, Arena, OR Regular entry”
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're glad to hear you enjoyed your guide and that the updated meeting point was easy for you to find. We're sorry to hear you were disappointed by the ticket access. After reviewing your booking, we can confirm that the option selected at the time of purchase was the Arena ticket, which includes access to the Arena floor but not the Underground or other areas. We appreciate your feedback about the listing and voucher wording, and we'll review how this information is presented to help make the distinctions between ticket options clearer for future guests. Thank you again for your comments, and we hope you enjoyed the rest of your visit to Rome.
The contact persons from Tripadvisor / TOURIKS were absolutely reliable, very friendly, and competent. They took care of every detail in a highly professional manner. Our city guide, "Super" Mario, was great: knowledgeable, humorous, he spoke excellent English at the right pace. We learned a lot and really enjoyed the tour.
Thank you for your review, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed our tour with Mario!
Get a guide! There is so much history here and if you travel all this way to see it and learn about it, spend the extra to get a guided tour. Our guide was so knowledgeable and friendly! Gave us such a great picture of ancient Roman life. We had direct access to the sites. Incredible tour!
Thank you so much, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum and Forum guided tour!
Our expert-guided tour of the Colosseum was very well organized and enjoyable. We were part of a small group, which made it easy to stay engaged and explore all the included areas at a comfortable pace. Our guide was knowledgeable and shared many interesting facts and important details about the Colosseum’s history and surrounding archeological dig site. Overall, it was an informative and memorable experience. Note if you're in a wheelchair or carrying a stroller, the site is not very accessible - but otherwise great experience.
Thank you for your review, we are so glad to hear that you enjoyed the Colosseum tour with us!
It was a great tour, very informative. It was July and it was hot, I recommend brining portable fan and a hat. The tour guide was great and very informative.
Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our tour :)
We booked 10 am tour Company said they had to switch us to 2:45 pm due to ticket issue Tour was described as 2 hours long Per online and guide Ran way over because delay with colloseum We missed our next booking at 5:45pm Because of delay And are out $200 (Cooking class) Of course colloseum tour saying not their fault Beware folks when we book this tour Allow for more time than described
Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear you were disappointed and understand how frustrating it must have been to miss your next booking. We'd like to clarify that the tour duration is listed as 3 hours on the booking voucher and confirmation, rather than 2 hours. On the day of your visit, entry to the Colosseum was delayed due to factors outside of our control, which can occasionally happen because of security procedures or site operations. We regret that this impacted your plans, and we always recommend allowing some flexibility between scheduled activities when visiting major attractions such as the Colosseum, where delays can occur despite our best efforts. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Our tour guide Francesca was incredible. She was knowledgeable and kept everyone engaged the whole tour. Would highly recommend this to anyone traveling to Rome.
Thank you so much, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed the guided tour with Francesca!
The tour was great, exactly what we were expecting. Guide was knowledgeable and friendly. Even with terrible heat she made sure to find us shade and cooler spots for longer discussions of the history. We were very grateful for her recognition of our need to balance the weather and the tour. We learned a great deal even though we were well read on the history. Selecting the arena floor view was a great decision!
Thank you so much for your review. We are really glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum tour!
It was a good experience. Highly recommended. The tour guide was amazing.
Thank you so much! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the guided experience with us.
