Rome Colosseum Guided Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
Description
Delve deep into ancient Roman history during this small-group tour of three of its most significant sites. Get ahead of the crowds at the Colosseum and explore the first and second tiers of the ancient arena as your guide brings Roman history to life. Climb to the top of Palatine Hill to wander through some of Rome’s oldest ruins and stroll through the Roman Forum, stopping at famous sights like the funeral pyre of Julius Caesar, the Arch of Constantine, and the Temple of the Vestal Virgins.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour starts at the Colosseum, where you bypass the crowds with pre-reserved passes. Your guide will lead you inside, up a set of stairs, and through the arches for your first glimpse of the world's most iconic sporting ground. Explore the first and second levels, hearing stories of the gladiators who fought here by choice (or otherwise), of the emperors who decided their fate, and of the captive audience whose graffiti still marks the walls today. The Colosseum had more uses as well, some of which you’ll hardly believe—your guide has all the details.
If Premium Colosseum Tour Option 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.
If Premium Colosseum Tour Option selected — 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.
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 multiple options. Take a moment to choose the one that best suits your interests.
Reviews(726)
Every tour guide in Italy was amazing! But, this Gigi was a gem…he truly enjoys the topics he talks about and he is truly an expert. His sense of humor and delivery and personal touch make his tour truly special and when I bring my family back in a few years I want to request any tour he does and go! He’s phenomenal.
Fantastic tour by Nichola! He explained every nook and corner of colosseum and Roman forum with explicit details which showcases his terrific knowledge of Roman history!
Great tour. Nicola was a great guide. Relaxed vibe and great knowledge. Highly recommended
Olga was an excellent guide! She had pictures to show us which was really cool. I appreciate that when we stopped she always tried to make sure we rested in the shade. Even in line I was never bored since she always chattered about the history, talked about the gladiators and other fun facts. We stopped for water several times and she was amiable. Olga made sure not to leave us behind. Excellent guide! Would recommend.
Sabrina is an excellent tour guide - truly wonderful. That said, Walks was not as great. We bought a small group tour and had 14 people with us - that’s not small group. Liv Tours the day before we had 4 people in our group. That was perfect.
Very knowledgeable tour guide with lots of insight into the broader context of why and how ancient society functioned. Was very funny too.
Amazing guide. Truly knowledgeable and kind. Poor ear piece.
Very good guide and walk we really enjoyed!
Great tour learned a lot and saw a lot of ancient sites!
This was a great experience! Definitely recommend a ‘skip the line’ tour for this one based on the crowds. Our tour guide was great—very knowledgeable and let us soak in the experience!
