Gladiator’s Gate: Special Access Colosseum Tour with Arena Floor
Description
Get a gladiator’s view of the Colosseum, then explore the Roman Forum on a walking tour through the heart of ancient Rome. With special access ticket, you'll enter the arena via the Gladiator’s Gate, stand where gladiators once fought, hear tales of ruthless crowds and emperors, then explore the Colosseum’s first and second levels with your guide. Finish with a tour of Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum with even more stories that bring the ruins to life.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide near the formidable hulk of the Colosseum, the gigantic arena that drew Romans of all walks of life to watch violent fights between gladiators and beasts. Bypass the crowds and head straight inside, entering the Colosseum through a special gate once used by gladiators themselves. Walk right onto the arena floor—an area not usually accessible to the public—and learn about the harrowing events that took place here for entertainment's sake centuries ago. If you want to enter through the legendary Gladiator's Gate and walk directly onto the arena floor, select the Gladiator's Gate Group Tour option at time of booking. Short on time? The Arena Express option offers a streamlined experience with a guided tour of the Colosseum arena floor and the Roman Forum. While the Colosseum Express option includes a guided tour of the Colosseum's first and second tiers (no arena floor) and the flexibility to explore the Forum on your own afterward.
If option with the guided Roman Forum selected: The adventure continues at the Roman Forum. You’ll appreciate having a historian as a guide here. As you wander the streets, they can make sense of the ruins for you, pointing out the subtle differences that reveal whether the structure is a moneylender’s shop, public bath, or any number of common ancient structures. Learn what life was like in the days of Caesar, Nero, and Hadrian, and how Roman society functioned.
Finally, climb the hill to see the palaces of Palatine Hill, built on the grounds where Romulus and Remus were discovered by the she-wolf in the legend of Rome’s founding. After an incredible day of making ancient history come to life, you’ll part from your group feeling more in touch with the beautiful ruins of Rome. If you choose the VIP Caesar & Colosseum tour when booking, your Palatine Hill and Roman Forum tour (which will take place before your Colosseum visit) includes access to the SUPER Sites. Normally off-limits to visitors with standard access tickets, these are some of the most breathtakingly beautiful ancient ruins in all of Rome. One highlight is the Casa di Augusto, the house of Caesar Augustus, with vibrant frescoes that rival those in Pompeii.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
- This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
- The full names of all participants must be provided at the time of booking and match the names on their ID. The Colosseum requires all guests (including children) to present government ID at the time of entry. Therefore any guest that does not submit their name in advance of the tour, or who does not bring their ID to the meeting point, will be refused participation without refund. Name corrections are possible up to 7 days before the visit. After this, changes may not be possible.
- The Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill may close occasionally. We'll notify you of any changes in advance if possible. For last-minute closures, updates will be given at the start of the tour.
- Walks is an Official Parco Archeologico del Colosseo Operator approved to lead guided tours of the Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill.
- Please note: This tour offers different options to help you customize your visit to the Colosseum. Take a moment to choose the one that best suits your interests.
Reviews(4,115)
Very disappointed with this tour. The tour was to include special access to the arena floor and 1st and 2nd floors, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. We toured the 1st and 2nd floors but did not get on the arena floor. The tour of Augusta’s house on Palatine Hill was nice, but way too long. We didn’t tour any of the Roman Forum because the guide said the tour was over and it was almost closing time. We didn’t feel like we got the tour described in the Viator booking.
This tour was a great experience for our entire family. The guide was incredibly knowledgeable and answered what felt like a million questions from our group including being patient with questions from the kids and teens in the group. She really gave us an idea of what the Colosseum would have felt like 2,000 years ago. The weather was unbearably hot but our guide made sure to help everyone stay in the shade as much as possible and take multiple water breaks. I know many people are concerned right now about which tour companies are allowed to actually visit the colosseum and it's hard to find a list. We tool this tour June 9th and Walks of Italy was definitely an approved professional vendor. Thanks for a great tour!
The meet up is chaotic and confusing… they are not really helpful. But the guide Eddy was awesome and really made the tour fun. Where comfortable shoes and be ready to walk.
Lucia was great and the tour was quick without being rushed. Perfect length with kids before they start to lose attention.
Amazing experience however 1 member of our group had an incorrect surname on their ticket and caused a half hour delay for everyone else she was not allowed in but did purchase another ticket outside and joined us later the knock on effect was inevitable
Excellent guide. Very knowledgeable. Great experience and highly recommended.
We had the best tour guide, gave us a lot of Roman history, very easy to ask questions and get responses, looked after us very well
The tour was good. The guide was knowledgeable. There was no access to gladiator floor. That part was disappointing.
This was an incredible experience. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the colosseum and house of Augustus. He was very welcoming and enthusiastic. You can tell he loves what he does. Highly recommend this tour!!
This is a must if in Rome! Whether you choose to visit and do a more in-depth tour of the underground, or choose this tour of the inside, the history and stories that our guide shared were excellent. Don't just view the Colosseum from the outside, being inside is crucial to understanding the history of this amazing place. I can't imagine touring the Colosseum without the vast knowledge our tour guide had.
