Small Group Tour: Colosseum & Roman Forum with Arena Floor Access
Description
Step onto the arena floor like a gladiator when you take this exclusive tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Your friendly professional guide will take you and your small group through the special gladiator gate entrance to stand directly on the arena floor. Here, you will get to feel what it's like to look up at the stadium the way gladiators would on the day of battle. After learning about the daily lives and fighting styles of the gladiators your guide will take you up to the next level so you can see the arena from the view of the excited spectators, where you will learn all about the games and the emperors who hosted them. Your guide will also take you to the Roman Forum, the city center of ancient Rome with it's temples and government offices. From here you'll go up to the Palatine Hill to hear your guide tell stories of the emperors as you walk through the palaces they built and lived in.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Take in the oldest part of Rome when you visit the Roman Forum to see the government buildings, temples and ancient roads that were home to daily life in Ancient Rome. Pass by the senate house, the temple of the Vestal Virgins and the Temple of Julius Caesar where his ashes were laid to rest. Walk on the road built by Emperor Augustus and marvel at the beautiful ruins that can still be seen today.
Make your way from the forum up to the Palatine Hill where Emperors built their palaces. Once home to the founder of Rome, Romulus, the Palatine Hill is where Rome originates. Throughout Roman history emperors were born and died on this hill. Many of them built grand homes we call palaces thanks to the name of the hill. You will walk through the ruins of these palaces as your guide tells you the entertaining stories of the emperors and the history of Rome. You will even get a peak at the Circus Maximus, the stadium where chariot races were held, as well as Emperor Domitian's own private stadium on top of the Palatine Hill.
You will feel like a gladiator about to go into battle when you enter the Colosseum directly onto the arena floor using the special access Gladiator Gate. This special entrance is only for those who book this special Arena Floor experience. Once you are on the floor, you will be able to look up at the stadium where over 50,000 spectators would sit to watch the day's events. The culmination of which were the gladiatorial battles. Your guide will tell you all about the different styles of fighting as well as the daily life activities for the gladiators. From here you will proceed up into the stands themselves to get the point of view of the fans, and some excellent photo opportunities. This is where your amazing guide will tell you all about the many events that were part of the games, including animal parades, exotic animal hunts and even public executions at lunchtime. This is the most complete Colosseum experience you can get and we know you will love every minute of it.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- 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.
Reviews(923)
We had a brilliant time on our tour, with our guide being extremely knowledgeable and very helpful, answering any questions we had and even taking photos of us (feet included 😉). We had the small group tour and ended up being just 4 of us, so was almost like our own little personal tour. Despite the heat (it was well over 30 degrees), he always found some shade and explained each element of the tour in a way we could all understand well. Would definitely recommend this tour.
Ciao! Thank you so much for your kind feedback and for choosing RomanVacations! We hope to see you soon again!
We took a late afternoon tour of the colosseum to beat the noon heat and it definitely worked. By 3pm the sun had moved enough on the horizon to provide shadows in the forum and palatine hill area. Our guide Angela was super sweet, funny and knowledgeable. She made sure we got ample water and shade breaks. We thoroughly enjoyed the guided tour. Colosseum with arena access is definitely the way to go! The architecture and history is mind blowing. Highly recommended.
Ciao, Thank you so much for your kind review, we are glad that you enjoyed the tour with our tour guide! Safe travels! Kind regards, RomanVacations
Amazing tour, Angela was very knowledgeable and entertaining. She really knows her way around the Colosseum and the hills. The meeting point is very clear and easy access The tour started and ended exactly as planned Great VIP family experience Definitely worth it
Ciao Mike! We are glad that you had such a great experience with Angela and RomanVacations! Safe travels and hope to see you again soon!
Small group is the way to go and Roman Vacations makes it easy and just as advertised keeps to a cool path throughout with the heat. Our guide, Mircea, was very knowledgeable and passionate making for a great tour.
Ciao! Thank you so much for your review, we will make sure to pass your words to Mircea. Safe travels!
I would highly recommend this small group tour! Mircea was our guide and we learned so much from him. He spoke with so much passion and knowledge. There were only 3 people in our group and it was perfect.
Ciao Shelli! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us. Mircea is a fantastic guide and one who truly loves what he does. His passion for the history of Rome really comes out on his tours. We hope to see you back in Rome soon. Safe travels!
We had a blast with “Mitch” and despite the heat, learned a lot. We appreciated his humor, hospitality, and his historical knowledge. 10/10 recommend!!
Ciao! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us. We hope the rest of your time in Rome is as enjoyable. We also hope to see you back here soon. Safe travels!
Very informative and interesting guide. Angela is very knowledgeable and has a way of communicating interesting historical facts in a concise manner
Ciao Linda! Thank you so much for your review and the kind words, we are happy that you had a great experience with us!
Great tour! Mitch did a great job. It was incredibly hit that day and he planned our tour so we were in shaded areas and made sure we had lots of water stops. He was a fast talker but very engaging. I would recommend this tour!
Ciao, Thank you so much for your kind review, we are glad that you enjoyed the tour with our tour guide! Safe travels! Kind regards, RomanVacations
Really good tour and lots of great things to see. Also so nice to bypass the lines to get in and around everything
Ciao Ashley, Thank you so much for your review, we are glad that you enjoyed the tour with us! Kind regards, RomanVacations
We had such a great time on this tour! Our guide, Michael, was a wealth of information and graciously answered our questions. He ensured we were comfortable, had enough water and shade, and added humour to make the whole experience memorable. Highly recommend this tour and company!
Ciao Robyn! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed your tour with us. We hope to see you guys back in Rome soon. Safe travels!
