Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Group Tour
Description
Want to explore Ancient Rome’s most iconic landmarks with ease? This expertly guided 3-hour tour offers an in-depth, personal experience of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum with a licensed local guide. Your journey begins at the awe-inspiring Colosseum, where stories of gladiators, emperors, and Roman engineering come to life. Take in panoramic views from above the arena floor as your guide shares fascinating tales of history that unfolded here. Next, continue to Palatine Hill, Rome’s mythical birthplace and home to the empire’s grandest palaces, before exploring the Roman Forum, the bustling heart of ancient Roman life. With a relaxed pace, a well-planned route, and plenty of time for questions, this small-group tour blends comfort, insight, and value. If you select the Colosseum Shadows Walking Tour, please note that access inside the Colosseum is not included. Space is limited so book now to experience Ancient Rome at its best!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide at the foot of a 4th-century triumphal arch, built to commemorate Emperor Constantine’s victory over his rival Maxentius. One of ancient Rome’s best-preserved monuments, it sits just steps from the Colosseum and offers a fascinating glimpse into the city’s imperial past.
Save hours of planning as you explore the Colosseum with your expert guide, who will transport you back to the heyday of the Roman Empire. Expect fascinating facts and engaging stories that bring the past to life. Learn about the Colosseum’s gladiator fights, beast hunts, and executions, and imagine the scenes as you gaze down at the arena floor. Discover how the Colosseum was built and how advanced engineering and technology made the games possible. Over the course of an hour, you’ll explore the first and second levels of the Colosseum, with plenty of stops at the best photo spots.
Walk along the ancient cobbled stones of the Via Sacra (Sacred Way), the route that triumphant generals and legionaries once took through the Roman Forum to celebrate Rome’s victories over its enemies.
Your next stop is the site where Rome was founded. According to legend, it was on this hill that Romulus killed his twin brother Remus before establishing the Eternal City in 753 BC. The Palatine Hill also gave us the word “palace,” as it was home to Rome’s rich and powerful. Explore the remains of the luxurious imperial palaces as you wander through what was the ‘Beverly Hills’ of the ancient world. The sprawling ruins, towering pine trees, and spectacular views of Circus Maximus and the Roman Forum make this a truly unforgettable experience.
The final stop on your tour brings you into the heart of the Ancient City. Explore what life was like for everyday Romans as you wander through the social, religious, and political center of Rome’s empire. Marvel at the remains of 2,000-year-old temples, triumphal arches, sprawling basilicas, and more as you walk the same stones once trodden by Julius Caesar, Cicero, and Augustus.
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
- Walking Tour - External Visit option does not include Colosseum entry; all sights are viewed from outside.
- Please provide the full names of all travellers when booking. Vouchers must match the travellers’ full names exactly; failure to present a correctly named voucher at the ticket office may result in denied entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Each traveller must present a valid passport or ID that matches the name provided at booking to gain entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
Reviews(23)
I bought a tour for August 5 at 7 pm, unfortunately when I arrived the site closed at 7, I lost my money and my tour too, really disappointed, how could they sell me a tour when the site closed at 7 pm
Thank you, Yasmina, for sharing your feedback. We understand your disappointment; however, we would like to clarify that the tour schedule and admission times are set according to the availability and operating schedule provided for the attraction. Our tours are sold based on the confirmed time slots available in the booking system, and we do not independently determine the Colosseum’s opening hours. We regret that you were unable to join the experience, but the tour was offered and confirmed according to the schedule available at the time of booking. We always encourage customer to reach out to us as soon as they encounter any issue so that we have the opportunity to understand the situation and assist where possible. Our team is always willing to review the circumstances and find the most appropriate solution within the applicable policies.
Very knowledgeable Guide knows all the ins and outs of Early to late Roman history… Z speaks very good English
Thank you, Troy! We're glad you enjoyed the tour and found Z's knowledge and insights into Roman history valuable. We'll be sure to share your kind words with Z, and we hope to welcome you back for more discoveries in Rome!
Met the tour guide early in the morning for our tour. She said she had low bood sugar and couldn't take us. We understand as health and saftey should come first. We waited another 45 minutes for a new tour guide who rushed us through everything and was less than professional. Feel like we really missed out on this experience.
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Tara. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment you experienced during your tour. While we understand that unexpected circumstances can arise, we regret that the replacement guide and the overall experience did not meet the standards we aim to provide. We appreciate your comments and will use them to improve our service and ensure a better experience for our guests in the future.
Very good, enjoyed it. Tour was 1,5h. Vers interesting facts about ancient Rom. Guide was very good thank you.
Thank you for your kind review! We're delighted you enjoyed the tour and learning about ancient Rome. We’ll be sure to share your feedback with your guide, and we hope to welcome you back for another memorable experience soon!
The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill tour was very thorough and interesting. Our tour guide Francesca did a great job explaining the history and leading our group through all of the different areas. It is a longer tour, 3 hours but well worth it.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled you found the tour thorough and interesting, and that Francesca made the experience so engaging. We truly appreciate your kind words and are glad it was well worth your time! 😊
The sound on the ear bud was intermittent it didn't seem like the system had a long range. Our guide would walk too far ahead ..it was so busy so we had to navigate around other visitors and we would lose the ear sound contact with her. We really only got half the information...we did tell her a number of times that we could not hear her she would adjust her mic but then walk far ahead of us. Others on the tour also complained but nothing changed.
Hi Kari, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the rescheduling and the hot weather on the day negatively affected your overall experience. We understand how disappointing it can be when a time change impacts your plans, especially when visiting major sites like the Colosseum and Roman Forum. We also regret that the pacing and level of historical detail did not fully meet your expectations. While our guides aim to share engaging and accurate context throughout the tour, we’re sorry that in your case it felt less dynamic than you had hoped, particularly regarding the deeper historical connections you were interested in. We appreciate your comments about both content depth and time management within the sites, and we will share your feedback with our operations team for review and improvement. Thank you again for your honest review, and we’re sorry the experience felt underwhelming for you overall.
Kopal was the best tour guide we've ever had. She was extremely knowledgeable and energetic and made ancient rome come to life.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great experience with Kopal and that she brought Ancient Rome to life for you. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again soon!
Pilar was amazing, as a historian she gave life and colour in to the tour. We learned so much, with all her insights. Would definitely recommend.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so happy you enjoyed the tour with Pilar and appreciated her historical insights and storytelling. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Andrea was a really great guide. He explained things very well, with a sense of humor, and was very pleasant to talk to. He was also very considerate since we had someone in our party who was pregnant and offered several areas to rest, drink, water, use the restroom, and avoid going through metal detectors. The tour was super interesting, would highly recommend!
Thanks Gabriella! Glad you had a great time with Andrea — it’s wonderful to hear he was informative, humorous, and considerate for your group. 🏛️✨ Highly recommend indeed!
This was a great tour for those who don’t prefer big crowds of people around you. It was very intimate and I feel we gained more knowledge than other groups. The host was amazing and I would 10/10 recommend this to anyone!
Thank you, Carol! We're so glad you enjoyed the intimate tour experience—your kind words mean a lot. A 10/10 from you is the best reward! 🏛️😊✨
