Colosseum Arena, Underground, or Regular Entry & Roman Forum Tour
Description
Enjoy a premium tour of Ancient Rome, combining a guided visit of the Roman Forum & Palatine Hill with one of two ways to visit the Colosseum: Guided or Independent entry. 1. Choose the "Arena" or "Underground" options if you want to enter the Colosseum with your guide following a guided-group itinerary, with either Arena or Underground access depending on the option selected at booking. 2. Choose the more flexible "Freedom Experience" if you prefer to explore the Colosseum at your own pace without being tied to a group itinerary. Your guide will explain it in depth from selected outside viewpoints, then you will enter independently with your included Roma Pass (no Arena/Underground access). This option includes 48-hours unlimited public transport within Rome. In both versions, your guide will bring Ancient Rome and the world of gladiators to life, explaining how the Colosseum was built, how the games worked, where gladiators trained, and why it became the symbol of Imperial Rome.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Guided Interior Visit: Begin your journey inside the Roman Forum, the political, religious, and commercial heart of Ancient Rome. Walking among temples, basilicas, triumphal arches, and ancient streets, your guide will help you imagine the Forum as it once was: a vibrant centre of power, public life, ceremonies, speeches, and imperial ambition. This is where Rome’s history becomes tangible. Hear about the Vestal Virgins and see their gardens and the pagan temple of the Goddess Vesta they served. Learn about the Basilica Julia and the penal system of Ancient Rome and its effects on Christianity. See the temple of Castor and Pollux and the Arch of Titus and learn about the sacking of Jerusalem. Discover the Senate House, where senators met to decide the fate of the Roman Republic and how that climaxed with the murder and cremation of Julius Caesar.
Guided Interior Visit: Continue to the Palatine Hill, the legendary birthplace of Rome and later the most exclusive address of the ancient world. Here, emperors built their palaces above the city, surrounded by gardens, courtyards, and spectacular views. Your guide will reveal the myths, power struggles, and imperial lifestyles connected to this extraordinary hill. From the heights of the Hill, enjoy a bird's eye view over the Roman Forum and what is considered to have been the largest structure for public games ever built by mankind, the Circus Maximus.
Exterior Stop: Start the second part of your tour by pausing at the Arch of Constantine, one of Rome’s most impressive triumphal monuments. Standing between the Colosseum and the ancient city, this richly decorated arch tells a story of victory, propaganda, and transformation. Your guide will explain why it was built, what its sculptures reveal, and how it marks a key turning point in Roman history.
Choose Your Preferred Option at booking: For the Colosseum part of the tour, choose the experience that best fits your style. Select the "Arena" or "Underground" options if you want to enter the Colosseum with your guide and follow a guided itinerary inside the monument, with Arena or Underground access depending on the option selected. Select the "Colosseum Freedom Experience" option if you prefer a more flexible formula: your guide will explain the Colosseum in depth from selected exterior viewpoints, then you will enter independently with your included Roma Pass (with 2-day public transport included) The exterior option gives you both the context of a premium guided tour and the freedom to explore independently (guests on an interior tour are not allowed to leave the guided group and visit freely). You can move at your own pace, pause where you want, take photos, and enjoy the monument without being tied to a group itinerary or rushed through timed sections.
Only with option "Colosseum Freedom Experience". See the remains of the Ludus Magnus, the ancient gladiator training school located just steps from the Colosseum. This fascinating site reveals the hidden world behind the games: where gladiators lived, trained, prepared, and waited before entering the arena. It adds a more human and dramatic perspective to the story of the Colosseum and the people who fought there.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- IMPORTANT: Please provide the full names of all travellers (specifying who is younger than 18). Missing/wrong information may result in denied entry.
- Please make sure to provide the names exactly as they appear on the ID or passport.
- Each participant will be asked to present a valid passport or ID card, at the entrance of Roman Forum / Colosseum, that matches the name provided at the time of booking.
- You will pass through strict security checks both at the Colosseum and at the Roman Forum entrance. Please be aware that security check lines are not skippable.
- A moderate amount of walking and steps are involved; wear comfortable walking shoes
- Please be at the meeting point 30 minutes before the tour starts in order to complete the signup. We might not be able to accommodate, refund or reschedule late arrivals
- This tour is subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
- Flying drones and knives of any kind are strictly forbidden. Neither trolleys and big backpacks nor animals are allowed into the Colosseum. Glass/metal containers and sprays of any kind are also not allowed.
Reviews(5,262)
The colosseum portion of the tour was canceled and we were told we would have to buy new tickets separately. We ended up canceling our tour and getting a full refund due to the circumstances.
The trip started off with them having issues with the tickets they had printed out for everyone which left our group standing in the blistering heat for over an hour, eventually managed to get access to the Roman forum, once this finished we were told that we couldn't get access to the colosseum as there was further issues with the tickets and that we had to book our own tickets, they didn't give any further explanation other then a quick sorry and then disappeared with saying they would give us 60% refund. (You get free access to the Roman forum when you purchase a colosseum ticket) so the refund should have been 100% due to waisting everyone's time and the whole reason people book this trip is to access the colosseum. As you could image all the floor access tickets to the colosseum were sold out which then completely ruined our trip, I would never use this company again to purchase tickets because you'll just be left disappointed.
The tour guide was so knowledgeable and friendly! The team accommodated the group during some last minute changes to help with ensuring we could see everything!
Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour.
Great guide, very knowledgeable and professional. Learn so much I would have never known without the guide.
Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour.
Excellent guided tour of the forum, palatine hill and arena colosseum. Our guide was v polite, helpful and knowledgeable. He kept a good pace and ensured we were all comfortable with shade and water. It was VERY HOT! Unfortunately I had to book the 3pm tour as all the earlier tours were fully booked. If you can book earlier in the day I would recommend this. I had no choice as I’d been let down last minute by the dungeon tour I’d booked being cancelled and had to book what I could a week before. Definitely recommend this guided tour as I would have missed so much detail and history without such a good guide.
Thank you so much for your review! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum and Roman Forum guided tour.
Amazing tour Dona the guide was very informative. The tour was about 2.5 hours would highly recommend going on the arena floor was brilliant.
Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour.
We had a wonderful time with Francesca. She was very knowledgeable with helpful illustrations for us to learn about the historical context of the sites. Long tour on uneven surfaces and steps, so wear good walking shoes. If you’re going in the summer bring a hand fan and water bottle. There are water fountains for filling the bottles.
Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour.
The tour started at the Roman forum and ended in the Colosseum which was just perfect. Really worth it, the guide is essential for the Roman forum
Thank you so much, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed our tour!
Very simple and fantastic guide throughout the trip.
Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum tour with us.
That there was nothing premium about this guided tour
We are sorry to hear that you did not enjoy our tour, however please note that everything ran regularly and you visited everything that was included in the voucher, at the scheduled time.
