Rome: Colosseum Arena, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Tour
Badge of Excellence
Rome, Italy
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Offered in: English
Why travellers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Deepen your understanding of ancient Rome with a guide on a hassle-free group tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Choose from several time slots to fit your vacation schedule, and follow your guide on a walking tour to learn about the notorious gladiator competitions of old. Plus, enjoy access to the usually off-limits Arena Floor at the Colosseum.
- Visit many of Rome's top ancient landmarks in one tour
- Explore the Colosseum’s first and second tiers, plus the Arena Floor
- A choice of time slots means you can fit this into your busy schedule
- Get more out of the experience with a guide than you would on your own
What's Included
- Professional guide (not included if you select the AUDIOGUIDE option).
- Assistance 7 Days a Week
- Colosseum entrance ticket with arena access (valued at €24 per person)
- Colosseum reservation fee (valued at €2 per person)
- Headsets provided for groups (not included if you select the AUDIOGUIDE option).
- Note: Colosseum fees are as above. The remaining cost of the experience covers other services
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Via delle Terme di Tito, 93, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Meet us at our office at Via delle Terme di Tito 93
End point
- ColosseumP.za del Colosseo, 1, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Ticket Redemption Point
Via delle Terme di Tito, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Itinerary
After meeting your guide, your half-day Rome tour starts at the Colosseum.
With your guide in the lead, walk through the Gladiator's Gate and right onto the Arena Floor, which is usually restricted to visitors. Feel the thrill of the amphitheater and learn about the gruesome gladiator games, the Colosseum’s main attraction, which provided much entertainment to the crowd. Then, explore the first and second levels, learning facts such as how seats were assigned according to social class.
Then follow your guide back outside to walk around the neighboring streets, where the commercial and political center of ancient Rome once stood. Explore the ancient highlights of the Palatine Hill on the way.
Next, head to the Roman Forum, where you can check out historic ruins such as the Temple of Caesar and listen to stories about the power and backstabbing that went on during this period of Roman history.
After half a day of exploring, the tour ends back at the Colosseum.
With your guide in the lead, walk through the Gladiator's Gate and right onto the Arena Floor, which is usually restricted to visitors. Feel the thrill of the amphitheater and learn about the gruesome gladiator games, the Colosseum’s main attraction, which provided much entertainment to the crowd. Then, explore the first and second levels, learning facts such as how seats were assigned according to social class.
Then follow your guide back outside to walk around the neighboring streets, where the commercial and political center of ancient Rome once stood. Explore the ancient highlights of the Palatine Hill on the way.
Next, head to the Roman Forum, where you can check out historic ruins such as the Temple of Caesar and listen to stories about the power and backstabbing that went on during this period of Roman history.
After half a day of exploring, the tour ends back at the Colosseum.
1
Colosseum
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Palatine Hill
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
3
Roman Forum
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- The Colosseum has strict security restrictions. Due to metal detectors at the entrances (and no bag check service), it is forbidden to bring the following: glass bottles, spray cans, alcohol, large bags or backpacks, suitcases, umbrellas with pointed tips, tripods, drones, knives, scissors, or any sharp or dangerous objects. Food and drinks in glass containers are also not allowed. Only small bags are permitted and must be inspected by security staff.
- A valid ID or passport (also for children/infant)– Required for entry and ticket verification.
- Your own headphones – If you choose the AUDIOGUIDE option, please bring your own headphones to enjoy the commentary clearly.
- POP GUIDE app downloaded – If you choose the AUDIOGUIDE option, make sure to download the POP GUIDE app in advance from the App Store or Google Play.
- A fully charged smartphone – If you choose the AUDIOGUIDE option, ensure your phone is fully charged for the best experience.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travellers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveller Photos
Reviews
4.3
based on 1,894 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Amazing tour, unbelievable views. Maria was great! Would recommend if wanting to do the full colosseum tour.
I enjoyed the tour mostly only because it's ROME!! The guide(male, thinks he's a comedian) would walk way ahead quickly and never waited for the group of close to 20+ to catch up. Quite often the earned radio would be static because he was too far away from the tail of the group. Not once did he do a head count and I often felt panic when I lost sight of him. He stated he refuses to have a flag and if he was a taller man he wouldn't need one!! Luckily sites were great but I would have had a different guide.
My ticket was cancelled for a Friday due to issues at the Colosseum. Viator rebooked me for Sunday after I connected with them via online chat. They then called me repeatedly via WhatsApp afterwards to ask if I would switch to Monday. I agreed.
At this point, I had been awake for 24+ hours traveling to get to Rome. I knew I wasn't in my best thinking mind so I got back on the chat service and asked them to update my voucher with the correct time and date of the tour. They said "no problem" and sent me an updated ticket. I checked to make sure it had the right date (Monday) and it did. I had no reason to believe the time was not also updated appropriately.
Fast forward to Monday when I show up at the listed date and time and they tell me that my tour was at 9am even though my ticket, the email I received, the reminders that I got all stated at that the tour was at 10:30am. I also have an email from them that states "ignore the previous voucher and use this information instead". They refused me entry to the Colosseum and I was unable to rebook because I was flying out that afternoon.
I called Viator to figure out a refund and they said they would "look into it." I dont know what there is to look into when all of my booking materials (apps, emails, vouchers) stated the incorrect time. However they assured me they would get back to me in a few days. Well they did but only to tell me they would not be issuing a refund to me. I sent them more documentation showing that THEY SENT ME THE WRONG INFO and they denied it again.
This tour cost me $133 and I did not even get to go on it. This is a negligible amount for Viator and yet they won't refund it to me DESPITE THEM MAKING THE ERROR. I have never been more disappointed with a commercial company in my adult life. I didn't get to see the Colosseum (one of things I was looking forward to the most) and I have to pay for a service I didn't get to use BECAUSE THEY MESSED UP MY MATERIALS. I will never use this company again and I will urge everyone I know to not use them as well. This is absolutely abhorrent customer service.
Don't trust the documents they issue to you!
We loved this tour in spite of the torrential rain and thunder and lightning storm. Stefano gave us an extremely interesting and informative tour. The Colluseum is an astounding UNESCO site. A breathtaking achievement using methods still used today.
It is a must seen impressive history sight that tourists might not miss .
The tour company which provided us this visit acted poor ! They didn’t let us know we needed passport or ID . Although tried to find a backup plan to prevent possible cancellation at security sight, it was stressful before starting our journey. You need to have appropriate ID cause the security is hught to get in there …
The tour of Ancient Rome was excellent. The Colosseum is magnificent and even more than I expected in person. Our guide, Marco, was a very good narrator, extremely knowledgeable and answered all questions very well. This is a must do tour. The only advice to the new comers is that you need to be in reasonable physical condition. There are many steps and several hills. If you can take it.... the tour is well worth the effort.
The abilituy to see so much was great, however, the guide had such a heavy accent and such that he was difficult to understand. Seeing these sites was amazing but it lost a lot with the difficulty to understand the guide quickly and easily.
Response from Host, July 2026
We are happy to hear that you enjoyed visiting these amazing sites.
We are sorry to hear that the guide’s accent made your experience less enjoyable. We would like to clarify that all our guides are officially licensed by the state and trained to provide a high-quality experience. However, we appreciate your feedback and will take it into consideration as we continue to improve our service.
-NICOM TOURS Customer Service
Pretty good tour. Guide was kind and knowledgeable. Nature of this experience means you speed run it a little bit, so if you really like history or want to linger you might be better simply buying a ticket and touring on your own
Our guide Andrea was excellent ! He was very knowledgeable and friendly . It was a great experience!
Great tour - guide was very knowledgeable. The party was quite large but the audio guide meant you didn't miss anything. It was conducted at a good pace.
Nice tour. The guide was very informative. It was hot, so we took plenty of water, sun visors and hand-fans that helped with the heat.
Great tour! Very knowledgeable, friendly guide. Covered a lot of ground in 3 hours. Be ready to walk! but worth it!
Choose only if you are ardant fan of architecture.
Else without ticket view is enough.
The view from outside is marvelous
Response from Host, July 2026
Thank you for sharing your opinion.
We understand that each visitor has different interests and expectations when visiting historical sites. We are glad you appreciated the view from outside, and we respect that the experience may not have matched your personal preferences.
However, from our side, the service was provided as described and everything proceeded accordingly.
- NICOM TOURS Customer Service
It was only a 2 hour tour not a 3 hour. The lady we didn’t speak good English. All around it was nice seeing things never seen before but not worth the money.
Response from Host, July 2026
We are sorry to hear that the experience did not fully meet your expectations.
Please note that all our tours are scheduled to last 3 hours, so a 2-hour duration is not possible for this itinerary. We always strive to provide the best quality experience, which is why we only work with guides who are officially licensed by the state. Thank you for your feedback, which we appreciate and will take into consideration.
- NICOM TOURS Customer Service
We had such an enjoyable experience with Irene A. and learned so much history that would have been missed if we were not on a tour. Such a great time
This was a good tour and our guide Esther was pretty good, sharing lots of history and showing us pictures to help us see what sights would have looked like. I booked after having trouble securing tickets directly for the Colosseum. It was a hot day and the Colosseum was super crowded so it was hard to keep track of the group or take time to soak it in - this is not the tour’s fault it just goes with the popularity of the Colosseum. We decided to leave the group after entering the forum because one of our group has knee troubles and wasn’t going to be able to make it up Palantine Hill, the tour guide was very kind about it and we were able to continue at our own pace which worked out well.
Fantastic tour guide! Very knowledgeable and great with the kids. A highlight of our Rome vacation!!
The tour was great despite the fact that coloseum was crowded. Glad that arrived early at the meeting point as it was a bit difficult to find it.
All in all, a very positive experience. Our tour guide Stefano was very knowledgeable and helpful and the hearing devices were very helpful. The tour was the right length. Don’t forget to bring id or passport to enter the Forum, Colosseum, etc.
Lots of walking, friendly and knowledgeable guide, hit all the big sites. We went off season and practically had the places to ourselves
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your lovely review!
We’re glad you enjoyed exploring the Colosseo and the major highlights with our friendly and knowledgeable guide. Visiting in the off-season really does make the experience even more special — almost like having these incredible sites all to yourselves!
We hope to see you again in Rome!
The tour is very ambitious in the sense that it turns out that there is a lot to cover. There is practically constant moving around and a ton of information to digest. The guide was friendly but a bit stressed to keep correct timing and his stress was eventually transferred to us. With all due respect, I think that his accent was very hard to follow. This is by no means a criticism to his knowledge and other skills but as a non Italian speaker I expect that certain language skills are to be taken for granted when selecting a guide for an English speaking tour. The tour is not recommended for people who are not at a great physical condition. And a final note for the Colosseum as a sight: it is clearly breathtaking but also overcrowded. The Forum and the Palatine hill on the other hand were significantly less stressful.
When the guide leaves you at the end of the tour, be sure to take time to go further up to the top of the Palatine and explore the whole archaeological site - there's so much more to see!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you! We’re glad you enjoyed the **Rome: Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill tour** and appreciate your tip about exploring the Palatine further—it’s a must-see!
It was a nice tour, although it was bit of soaring hot due to climate. The tour guide was excellent.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you! We’re glad you enjoyed the Colosseum Arena, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill tour and your guide. Hope to see you again soon!
Great tour. Highly recommend. Didn’t have to wait in lines. Our guide provided lots of interesting information.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the Colosseum Arena, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill tour. It’s wonderful to hear you didn’t have to wait in lines and that your guide shared so much interesting information. We hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
Patricia, our guide, was informative, organized, and patient. Glad we didn’t choose to view these sites without a tour.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that Patricia made your experience informative and enjoyable. Seeing the Colosseum arena and exploring these incredible sites with a knowledgeable guide really makes all the difference. We hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
The site itself was amazing to see. This critique is more for our tour guide (I think his name was Paolo?). He was very informative, however, his accent could be a little hard to understand at times and he wasn’t very personable or friendly. The tour was scheduled for 3 hours and went over for approx 45 mins and he maybe only cracked one joke the entire tour. I’m grateful to have learned a bit of history about the Colosseum and Forum, but if you are going to hold up the group for almost an extra hour, it would be more enjoyable to have a guide who is engaging. I think others from my tour group would agree; a few from the group left early either because of boredom or because they had other engagements and this one went over time. Maybe our guide was having a bad day, but I genuinely hope he makes adjustments for future group tours.
Response from Host, July 2026
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We are glad to hear that you appreciated the guide’s knowledge and the historical information provided during the tour.
However, we are sorry to hear that some aspects of the experience, such as the guide’s accent and the overall interaction, did not fully meet your expectations. We appreciate you sharing your comments, as they help us continue improving the quality of our tours and the experience we provide to our guests.
-NICOM TOURS Customer Service
Very informative tour but also very long (lasted more than an hour past expected end time). Guide was extremely knowledgeable but a little difficult to understand. Overall, a good tour.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for your feedback! We’re sorry that the tour exceeded the expected duration and was at times difficult to follow. Your comments will help us improve future experiences. We’re glad you found the tour informative and enjoyable overall, and we hope to welcome you again on one of our tours in the future.
Amazing even in spite of the crowds… very well organized. Good communication and customer service. Would definitely recommend!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for your review! We’re happy to hear that you had a great experience and that our team’s communication and service met your expectations. It means a lot that you chose us for your Rome experience, and we look forward to hosting you on another tour soon.
Expect a lot of walking that will include steep grades, multiple surfaces and wuite a few steep stairs. Be prepared for a day of exercise but it will be worth it. You will see one of the most beautiful views in the city from Palentine Hill, will learn so much history and you'll be amazed when standing on the floor of the Coliseum. Be sure to have you ID and make sure you book your tickets with your legal name on your documents. You will have to show this numerous times throughout the tour and you will be denied entry if they don't match. Also, bring a watery bottle which you can refill along the way.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We're happy that you enjoyed the views, the history and the overall experience. We hope to welcome you on another tour in the future.
Nancy was a great tour guide! She was Very knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely add on the Forum and Palatine hill part of the tour.
Member Pricing
From
USD 63.82
per personWas USD 67.18(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Member Pricing
Rome: Colosseum Arena, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Tour
1,894
3 hours
Free Cancellation
From
USD 67.18
USD 63.82
5% savings
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Rome, Italy
- Villa Doria Pamphilj Tours & Tickets
- Aventine Hill (Aventino) Tours & Tickets
- Farnese Palace (Palazzo Farnese) Tours & Tickets
- Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo) Tours & Tickets
- Vatican Gardens Tours & Tickets
- Rome Corsini Palace (Palazzo Corsini) Tours & Tickets
- Seven Hills of Rome (Sette Colli di Roma) Tours & Tickets
- Historic Center of Rome (Centro Storico di Roma) Tours & Tickets
- Forum Boarium (Foro Boario) Tours & Tickets
- Keats-Shelley House Tours & Tickets
- Vatican City (Citta del Vaticano) Tours & Tickets
- Palatine Hill (Palatino) Tours & Tickets
- Basilica di Sant'Agostino Tours & Tickets
- Church of Saint Louis of the French (Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi) Tours & Tickets
- Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone (Chiesa di Sant'Agnese in Agone) Tours & Tickets
- Ancient Ostia (Ostia Antica) Tours & Tickets
More attractions near Rome, Italy