Colosseum Guided Tour
Description
Begin your visit to the Colosseum through the Gladiators’ Gate, the historic passage once used by ancient fighters before stepping onto the arena. Entry is included and coordinated by your licensed guide as part of the scheduled tour. Entry is coordinated as part of the scheduled tour, with access to the first and second levels, where spectators once gathered for historic public events. From these upper tiers, take in sweeping views of the amphitheater and gain insight into its impressive scale and design. Your guide will explain the traditions of gladiatorial combat, the social hierarchy of Roman spectators, and the historical context behind the construction and legacy of the Colosseum. Along the way, discover architectural details such as ancient inscriptions carved into the stone by Roman nobles. The elevated viewpoints offer excellent photo opportunities, providing a memorable and informative perspective on this world-famous archaeological site.
Tour Options
Itinerary
See Rome's iconic monuments in a fun and easy way with your tour guide. Learn about the history of the amphitheater and the spectacular matches that the Colosseum Arena has hosted. Hear about the construction techniques invented by the Romans, the amazing skills of gladiators, fierce battles between exotic animals, and the advanced techniques Roman engineers used to build the Colosseum. Walk through the first level and see the arena, trapdoors. It will entertain you with the story of Gladioteral game, the largest and most expensive game in the history of humanity.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with all travelers' full names at the ticket office prior to entry may result in denied entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Each traveler must present a valid passport or ID document that matches the name provided at the time of booking for successful entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Due to the Jubilee, some monuments may be under restoration. Please pay attention to any messages we may send regarding potential changes.
Reviews(1,512)
I had a wonderful experience on the Colosseum Guided Tour. Our guide, Milan, was very educational, knowledgeable, and kind. He explained the history in a clear and interesting way, making the tour enjoyable from beginning to end. I learned so much about the Colosseum and ancient Rome. Highly recommend this tour!
Really good story telling and brief overview of a lot of interesting Roman history.
I cannot recommend this company. We were the first ones to show up in front of the Cafe Roma meeting point, about 30 minutes early just to be extra sure. We were waiting around for other tour mates to show up, and finally they did come and we were split into two groups. (Apparently the security at colloseum allows only 7 people with each guide at the entry point. After that, no one is apparently enforcing this rule. Only at entry gate). The first group went in with their guide, and my group was left waiting. Big Question: WHY are my mom and I in the second group when we were the FIRST to arrive ahead of any other guests???? Why did I get pushed to the end of the queue??? This is particularly frustrating because the second group never got a guide. To compensate, they offered us a tour of the Roman Forum in 75 minutes. So that means I was offered a lesser tour that I wasn't interested in, and during the time frame that I was planning to eat lunch. Also, I have to rush through the colosseum with no guide, in order to meet back at the meeting point to redeem this inferior tour. When the staff asked if this is ok, my mom and I said NO. BUT they had no other offer for us I guess. So we went in with our group mates, lost and confused and upset that I spent $160 for nothing. And that I am guideless instead of being put in the first group, despite the fact that my mom and I showed up before the other guests. We should have gone in the first group with the guide. Later, inside the colosseum, our group mates recognized the other first group because they had family split up into that group and my group. Because they knew the guests, they identified the tour guide that came for them and we let him know what happened. Paolo, their guide, was incredibly upset that this happened and after they finished their tour, he stayed an extra 40 minutes or so to give us an abbreviated presentation of the colosseum. We appreciated his gesture to help us out, and he did call his fellow staff to ask about what happened. Poor coordination apparently was to blame. He also called to get us a partial refund. Since I only got 40 minutes in one area instead of the 75 through the whole colosseum, I expected a little more partial refund than the $32.52 I was refunded. I wonder if that was the refund for one person, but I had 2 people, so maybe $64 would have made me happier. I paid $162.60 for two people and had no tour guide show up. That deserves a full refund. However, because Paolo made a generous gesture of time and effort to teach us about the site and to contact his staff to complain and get me a refund, a partial refund is good. I did expect a little more than $32.52 partial refund though, because that is only a 20% refund, and I only got half the experience. Maybe 40-50% refund is more proportionate to the experience and stress. Needless to say, chose to linger in the colosseum longer because the Roman Forum tour was really not of interest to me and I did answer 'no, I'm not ok with that arrangement.' the only redeeming factor here is Paolo. Unfortunately the lack of coordination on the backend resulted in a lack of guide available for my tour time. And we waited such a long time since we showed up first, and no one acknowledged that we should be first with the guide since we showed up first before other guests. Very unprofessional.
Dear Stephanie, Thank you for your detailed feedback. We are truly sorry that your experience was disappointing, and we appreciate you acknowledging Paolo's efforts to make things right. We would like to provide the full context of what happened. What actually occurred: Your group consisted of 2 people. The other group for your time slot was a family of 12 who arrived 30 minutes late to the meeting point. Our team was waiting for them to arrive so we could coordinate both groups together. Due to their significant delay, the second guide who was scheduled for your group had to leave because he had another tour commitment later that day. To resolve this, we provided clear instructions that you and your mom should join Paolo's group (the first group) from the start, while the late‑arriving family would do a self‑guided Colosseum visit followed by a guided Forum tour. Unfortunately, this plan was not executed correctly on the ground, and you were left without a guide. We sincerely apologize for this operational failure. We acknowledge: You arrived early and should have been prioritized. You were left confused and frustrated, which is unacceptable. The 20% partial refund may not feel proportionate to the stress and lost experience. Paolo – We are incredibly grateful that he stepped in after his own tour to give you an abbreviated presentation. That was entirely his initiative, and we are proud to have guides like him. What we are doing: We are reviewing our on‑site coordination procedures to ensure that guide assignments and group splitting are handled more clearly, especially when delays occur. We are also reviewing our refund guidelines to ensure compensation better reflects the level of disruption. Please contact us directly through Viator with your booking ID if you would like us to review your refund further. We are open to adjusting it based on your feedback. Again, we are very sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for your honesty – it helps us improve. Sincerely, Customer Support Team
Very educational. Would highly recommend. This is the way to go!!!The guide was excellent and patient with our daughter. Made for an experience to remember.
Good guide and good tour, volume should probably be lowered though
The bones of the Flavian Amphitheater are impressive, but when you step out and view the “playing field”, it will etch an image into your brain that is better than the best stock photos that you can find. Awesome!
We were met where it was described on the ticket. Our guide was very welcoming and knowledgeable. He was like a living encyclopedia. A great experience that is recommended for everyone. He got us through all the checkpoints quickly. Highly recommended.
Joya was an amazing guide. Knowledgeable and entertaining. We loved her. We skipped most lines because she was able to navigate the area.
Great experience, our guide was very knowledgeable and personable. Would highly recommend this tour.
Semi private way to go.. beware the crowds are high! At times difficult to see interior. Our Guide Aphrodite was excellent.
