Colosseum Tour with Arena Floor, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum
Description
Discover Ancient Rome on a small-group, expertly guided tour of its most iconic landmarks: the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum. With fast-track entry, a licensed guide, and just 3 hours, you’ll enjoy an in-depth journey through the Eternal City’s past at outstanding value. Begin inside the Colosseum, where tales of gladiators, emperors, and Roman engineering unfold, complete with sweeping views from above the arena floor. Continue to Palatine Hill, Rome’s legendary birthplace and once home to imperial palaces, before descending into the Roman Forum, the heart of ancient political and public life. With a relaxed pace, thoughtful route, and small group size, this tour is designed for comfort, insight, and unforgettable storytelling. Places are limited, so book now to experience Ancient Rome at the best price guaranteed.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This tour includes access to the Colosseum and entry onto the arena floor through the Gladiators’ Gate, the passage historically used by performers and participants entering the amphitheatre. From here, you’ll step into the central space where ancient spectacles once took place. With the guidance of a knowledgeable expert, learn about the Colosseum’s construction during the height of the Roman Empire and its role in Roman society. Your guide will explain how emperors used the amphitheatre for public events and displays, and how the Colosseum reflected Rome’s power, culture, and influence across the ancient world.
Next, continue to Palatine Hill, traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Rome. This significant archaeological area contains remains spanning from early settlements through later imperial and medieval periods. With your guide, view notable sites such as the Hut of Romulus and the ruins of the Imperial Palace, once associated with Rome’s ruling elite and administrative life.
The final stop on this tour is the Roman Forum. As the center of ancient Rome, the Forum was a bustling hub of markets, law courts, temples, and public life. Here, Julius Caesar was cremated, two emperors were killed in 69 AD, and Cicero delivered speeches that influenced Roman society and governance.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please provide the full names of all travellers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with matching names at the ticket office may result in denied entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Each traveller must present a valid passport or ID matching the name provided at booking for entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Tour order may vary: we will start with either the Colosseum or the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill depending on ticket times.
- Colosseum admission is free on the first Sunday of each month. Tours are discounted on these days.
Reviews(193)
The guide was funny and kept us engaged with the history of the area. It was hot so he made use of all the shade we could find. Made history come alive.
**Buyer beware - this tour did not match the advertised itinerary.** The tour was supposed to last 90 minutes and include the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Instead, it ended after about an hour, spent entirely touring the Colosseum floor. We did not visit the Roman Forum or Palatine Hill at all. Our guide repeatedly reminded us that we had purchased the “cheap tickets,” so we would only be covering that limited area. Much of the tour was spent standing in a hallway while she pointed to pictures in a book, rather than using the incredible surroundings we were actually standing in to explain the history. I contacted Viator customer service and requested a partial refund because the experience did not match the itinerary included with my booking. Despite the written description stating that the tour was 90 minutes and included the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, I was told those sites were not actually included, and no effort was made to resolve the issue. Overall, this was a one-star experience. Be very cautious before booking the “cheap ticket,” as what you receive may be significantly less than what is advertised.
At first, I was a little disappointed because I accidentally booked the guided tour outside the Colosseum instead of inside. However, it turned out to be one of the best experiences of our trip! Our guide was absolutely fantastic. He was incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, and made history come alive with interesting stories and details that we would never have discovered on our own. The 90-minute tour flew by because he kept us engaged the entire time. At the end of the tour, he also shared some of his favorite local places to visit in Rome, which was a wonderful bonus and made our stay even better. I highly recommend this tour, especially because of the excellent guide. Thank you for such a memorable experience!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that your experience exceeded expectations and that your guide brought Rome's history to life with engaging stories and insights. We're also glad the local recommendations helped make your stay even more special. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another memorable experience in Rome soon!
Being an experienced traveler, I have come to prefer small group tours. This particular tour of 5 plus the tour guide was perfect for my 15 year old son who was a first time visitor to the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill! Our tour guide, Kopal, was top notch and one of the best guides I've had. She was EXTREMELY knowledgeable. She knew her stuff. She was not reading from a script and was not thrown off by questions. She was patient and allowed our group to move at a pace that was perfect for capturing the memories!! I highly recommend Kopal and her expertise!!
Thank you, Heather! We’re thrilled to hear you and your son had such a memorable experience with Kopal. We’ll be sure to share your wonderful feedback with her. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back to Rome soon!
Our guide Francesca was GREAT! So much fun and full of information. Made the experience memorable!!!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad Francesca made your Colosseum tour both fun and informative. We'll be sure to share your kind words with her. We hope to welcome you back for another memorable experience in Rome!
Carpe Diem ruined my kid’s opportunity to see the Colosseum. I booked an 8:30 am arena floor tour in January for our June visit, and a week before our tour, they emailed to say that they could not secure tickets for our children. They offered another tour which was conveniently an extra several hundred dollars more expensive (outside of our budget) and was offered in the afternoon (during a heat wave during the hottest part of the day). By that time, it was impossible to buy morning tickets or secure another tour on my own, and I had two VERY disappointed children. I was shocked that they messed up, but didn’t offer another affordable solution for my family - I wouldn’t trust this company in the future.
Our guide was kind but very difficult to understand. His stories and information about the Colosseum jumped all over. It unfortunately didn't hold our attention. We opted out of the tour a bit over half way through due to the heat.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Aubrey. We’re truly sorry to hear that the tour did not fully meet your expectations and that the guiding style made it difficult to follow the stories and information. We also understand how challenging the heat can be, especially during outdoor visits around the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum. Please be assured that our team always does its very best to provide clear, engaging, and well-organized tours, and we will certainly pass your feedback to our operations team to help improve both communication and pacing. Your comments are very important in helping us refine the experience for future guests. We appreciate you joining us and hope we might have the chance to offer you a better experience in the future 🌿
It was a very informative and fun tour!! Our guide made sure to find all the shady spots and water fountains, since it was so hot that day!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback. We’re delighted to hear you found the tour informative and enjoyable. We’re also glad the guide helped keep everyone comfortable during the hot weather. We truly appreciate your review and hope to welcome you again soon!
Get a water bottle to take along! It was hot!! Our guide Emilio was amazing! He has a wealth of information! This history is his passion!
Thank you so much for your feedback 😊 We’re really glad you enjoyed the tour and Emilio’s passion and knowledge. Great tip about staying hydrated in the heat as well! We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again soon!
Absolutely recommend this tour. Daniele was a fantastic guide, who was extremely knowledgable and moved just at the right pace. We all learnt so much and saw so much more than we would have on our own. The Arena visit was a real highlight and discovering how everything beneath the floor worked was fascinating. The meeting point was really easy to find and lots of reminders were send to us ahead of the tour.
Thank you so much for your kind feedback 😊 We’re really happy you enjoyed the experience, the Arena visit, and learning more about the Colosseum. We hope to see you again on another tour soon!
