Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum Live Guide or Audio App
Description
Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill Official Guided Tour Colosseum Group Tours with our local expert guides for an unforgettable experience. Immerse Yourself in the History in this 2.5-hour tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum in Rome goes back in time. Bypass the queue at the Colosseum to avoid long waits. Explore the first and second tiers for great views. Then walk through the ruins of Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum with your guide, an art and archaeology expert history come to life!! For travelers who chose the Colosseum Arena Option: Colosseum Arena and Roman Forum Tour Meet your guide and enjoy special priority access that leads you directly to the Arena of the Colosseum. Visit the Roman Forum, the heart of the Roman Empire, for a truly unforgettable experience. Or visit at your own pace by booking the option Audio-Guided tour of the Colosseum/Palatine Hill/Roman Forum with Multilingual storytelling in English/Chinese/German/French/Italian/Spanish.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start your journey with a visit to Rome's symbolic monument with a tour that makes it easy and fun for all ages. Learn about the amphitheater’s history from an official tour guide with an art and archaeology background. Learn about the spectacular games and bloody battles that were held inside. Hear about the techniques of construction invented by the Romans, the incredible ability of the gladiators, the violent fighting between exotic animals, and the high level of technology achieved by Roman engineers to build the Colosseum. Walk around the first tiers and see the arena to learn about the trapdoors and all the mechanisms used to animate the games. Your guide will keep you entertained with stories of sea-battles, the cages where lions were kept before the games started, the rooms in which gladiators were waiting before they reached the arena, the executions, and the excitement of the spectators attending the most spectacular, fantastic, and expensive games in human history.
After the Colosseum, you will walk through Palatine Hill, where you will be able to explore the site of an older settlement from the 9th century BC. Admire the first settlements of the city of Rome and the Hippodrome, an elliptical sunken garden from the Palace of Domitian. Here, enjoy an impressive view of the Circus Maximus and the valley of the Roman Forum. Learn about the legend of Romulus and Remus, the abandoned brothers raised by a she-wolf who once they grew older, fought each other for power and control.
You will finish this amazing experience with a visit to the Roman Forum, one of the most important archaeological areas in the world with some of Ancient Rome's most evocative ruins, including the Temple of Julius Caesar, Arch of Titus, House of the Vestal Virgins, Senate House and Basilica of Maxentius. Admire the Roman Forum's Sacred Way, the triumphal road where the Centurions of Caesar marched after their return from countless battles and conquests.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Customers have a mandatory meeting time stated 20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time due to managing and organizational reasons.
- Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. 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. We are not responsable if you provide us with wrong information.
- PLEASE NOTE: as for the Colosseum new management, it might take few minutes to grab tickets for kids (if any of them are in the group) so the activity can suffer 20/30 min variation due to organizational reasons
- The order in which the sites are visited during the tour can vary
- Discounts for children under 18 years is applied only with a valid ID card!
- Please note that for safety reasons the Colosseum can accommodate up to 3.000 people at once.This could lead to delays in access to the site, even for pre-booked visitors.
- For security reasons all visitors and their luggage shall be screened.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Forbidden objects inside the Colosseum: bottles and glasses containers, alcholic beverages and aerosols, backpacks, camping, bulky bags and luggage / trolley
- Please notice that the Colosseum Administration, which depends on the Ministry of Cultural Assets and Activities has the faculty to close the Colosseum, or parts of it, with or without notice, for events, strikes, heavy rain, or any other reason. In which case, we will offer an alternative itinerary as it seems fit and offer a partial refund
- Activity not recommended for people with motor lag
- No change on a booking can be accepted less than one week before the time of the tour. In that instance, no refund will be issued.
- For the safety of all guests, the tour operator reserves the right to refuse service to passengers who are intoxicated or show signs of intoxication. If, as a result, your tour is canceled, you will not be entitled to a refund.
- PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED
- The meeting point for the group guided tour is at Piazza San Clemente. Our Staff will wait for you at the entrance to the Basilica, holding a "Tour in the city" sign. MANDATORY meeting time 20 minutes prior to tour departure time
- In case of late arrival or cancellation beyond the limits indicated in the cancellation policy by the customer, a refund is not foreseen.
- The duration of the tour may vary according to the time taken to access the monument. The tour duration is always at least 2 hours and will always be at most 3 hours.
- The itinerary may vary depending on weather conditions (ice, rain, or high temperatures) or other events beyond the travel agency's control.
- To download the Audioguide application you need a latest-generation smartphone not produced before 2020. We recommend bringing headphones.
- Last Minute TICKET & SELF AUDIOGUIDED: if you choose this option, It is mandatory for every customer to have a mobile phone. You must download the application, and once installed, you will need to download the QR codes provided. These QR codes must be presented at the entrance for access. Without the QR codes, entry will not be allowed.
- Not recommended for travelers with walking problems
- Not accessible for walker users
- We kindly inform you that any kind of disability (visual impairment, hearing impairment,... ) or anything that might prevent you to regularly join the tour, MUST BE communicated in advance to our staff at the following email address: tourinthecityrome@gmail.com
Reviews(3,458)
This experience was subpar, and a very poor value for the money. All guide services were booked, so I went with the audio guide. It was somewhat interesting, but also academic. Lots of facts about the coliseum and the history of Rome, but more like fluff filler.
Dennis was the most amazing host! He even brought us to a fabulous little coffee shop and then a pasta place where we could grab food to go. He was very patient with us as we stopped in many places to take pictures and do some shopping. He was very knowledgeable about the city. Such a fun way to see Rome!
Very misleading description when booked, overpriced for what was included, very disappointing. We felt rushed as we had limited time to visit everything and it was not a tour we will remember with pleasure or we would recommend.
Wonderful to see these monuments to thr past. The heat was a factor in the experience but survived. Stephanie was excellent and knowledgeable. She also was very vigilant in monitoring our group health and water consumption. She went beyond by helping me navigating the taxi.
Hi, thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed exploring the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum. Summer heat in Rome can definitely be challenging, so we're especially happy that Stephanie's care, knowledge, and attention to everyone's well-being made such a positive difference. It's great to know she also went the extra mile to help you with a taxi after the tour. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable experience in Rome! 😊
When you’re in Rome, the Colosseum is a must see. I would highly recommend taking this tour and taking advantage of visiting this amazing archaeological site with a knowledgeable guide. The unexpected surprise on this tour was visiting the Palantine Hill, which no one in our group expected to be as amazing and interesting as it was and we’re so glad we got to see it.!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re truly delighted to hear that you enjoyed your experience at the Colosseum and that our guide helped bring this incredible site to life. It’s exactly what we aim for—making history engaging, informative, and memorable. We especially love that you mentioned Palatine Hill! It’s often an unexpected highlight for many visitors, and we’re so glad it turned out to be such a pleasant surprise for your group as well. Thank you again for your recommendation—we hope to welcome you back to Rome for another unforgettable experience soon!
Terrible, I arrived at the place to collect tickets and it was closed.
Debemos señalar, con todo respeto, que su comentario no refleja el funcionamiento de nuestro servicio. Nuestra oficina está abierta de forma ininterrumpida todos los días de 8:00 a 18:00 horas y, fuera de ese horario, nuestro equipo está disponible las 24 horas por teléfono y WhatsApp. Por ello, nos resulta difícil entender cómo pudo concluir que la oficina estaba cerrada. Además, en su reseña no indica a qué hora acudió ni qué reserva o servicio había contratado, por lo que nos resulta imposible comprobar lo ocurrido. Asimismo, enviamos los billetes e instrucciones de acceso a todos nuestros clientes tanto por correo electrónico como por WhatsApp, por lo que, en la mayoría de los casos, ni siquiera es necesario pasar por la oficina para recoger los tickets. Sin indicar el número de reserva ni aportar ningún dato verificable, su comentario no nos permite investigar el caso y, tal como está redactado, no refleja adecuadamente los hechos. Le invitamos a ponerse en contacto con nosotros facilitando su número de reserva para poder verificar lo sucedido.
My tickets were missing it took an hour to find where my tickets where but then at the last minute they had my tickets printed it seams my name was incorrect on the check in sheet. Other than the mix up at the beginning the tour was good.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We sincerely apologize for the confusion during check-in. Unfortunately, there was an error with the spelling of your name on the check-in list, which caused the delay in locating your tickets. We're very sorry for the inconvenience and understand how stressful that must have been before your visit. We're pleased that our team was able to resolve the issue and provide your tickets in time, and we're glad to hear that you enjoyed the experience afterwards. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help us improve our check-in procedures to avoid similar situations in the future. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back to Rome for an even smoother experience.
The lady at the office was great it was just the meeting point was a good 1/2 mile up the road from the colosseum which I f your on a time limit can make you wonder if you are in the right place. Remember use sat nav on your phone to find the meeting point. It was nice to be able to go round at our leisure and the audio guide was very clear and useful
Thank you very much for your review! We're delighted to hear you had a great day and that you found our office staff welcoming and the audio guide clear and helpful. We also appreciate your feedback about the meeting point. We understand that, especially when visiting a new city, it can be a little confusing at first. That's why we always recommend arriving at our office 30 minutes before your scheduled entry time and using the map link or your phone's GPS to reach us, ensuring a smooth and stress-free check-in before your visit. We hope to welcome you back to Rome again soon. Safe travels!
This is a self-guided tour but the same price as a guided tour. The audio tour was mediocre. We booked the tour last-minute, so it was one of the only options available. We were able to get in to all three sites. The tickets did not include any of the enclosed museums in the parks.
Thank you for your feedback. However, it is clearly stated before purchase that this is a last-minute self-guided experience with an audio guide, not a live guided tour. It is also clearly explained that last-minute tickets are more expensive because of their limited availability and the difficulty of obtaining them close to the visit date. If you are looking for lower prices and a wider choice of options, the best solution is simply to book well in advance. Last-minute availability always comes at a premium, not only for the Colosseum but for most major attractions around the world. The ticket inclusions are clearly described on the product page before booking, so there should have been no surprises about what was and was not included.
Our guide Marta was fantastic! She explained everything and was very knowledgeable! Highly recommended this tour and highly recommended Marta!
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that you had such a positive experience and that Marta made your visit so memorable. She is an exceptional guide, and we're thrilled that her knowledge, passion, and clear explanations helped bring the history of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum to life. Your recommendation means a great deal to us, and we'll be sure to share your kind words with Marta—they will certainly make her day! Thank you for choosing to explore Ancient Rome with us. We hope to welcome you back on another unforgettable adventure in the Eternal City. Warm regards, Tour in the City Team
