Rome: Colosseum Arena, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Tour
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Rome, Italy
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Deepen your understanding of ancient Rome when you join 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 Colosseum's Arena Floor to really feel history come alive.
- Discover 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
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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 1,886 reviews
Jim_P, Jun 2026
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
David_S, Jun 2026
Our guide Andrea was excellent ! He was very knowledgeable and friendly . It was a great experience!
Rob_F, Jun 2026
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.
Patty_R, Jun 2026
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.
Stacia_B, Jun 2026
Great tour! Very knowledgeable, friendly guide. Covered a lot of ground in 3 hours. Be ready to walk! but worth it!
Nishant_M, Jun 2026
Choose only if you are ardant fan of architecture.
Else without ticket view is enough.
The view from outside is marvelous
NATHAN_C, May 2026
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.
Heather_H, May 2026
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
Chelsey, May 2026
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.
Jacob_L, May 2026
Fantastic tour guide! Very knowledgeable and great with the kids. A highlight of our Rome vacation!!
Lina_L, Apr 2026
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.
Steve_L, Mar 2026
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.
Sheila_E, Feb 2026
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!
Angelos_P, Feb 2026
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.
Tasmin_S, Jan 2026
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!
Reggie_C, Jan 2026
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!
Mindy_D, Dec 2025
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!
James_R, Nov 2025
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!
Cloriza_G, Nov 2025
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.
Kirt_M, Nov 2025
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.
Kristen_B, Nov 2025
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.
Christine_D, Nov 2025
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.
Sharon_D, Oct 2025
Nancy was a great tour guide! She was Very knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely add on the Forum and Palatine hill part of the tour.
Kim_V, Oct 2025
This was an amazing tour. The sites are stunning. Ian, our guide, was very informative. His dry sense of humor was very entertaining. I would highly recommend this tour for an in-depth look at the incredible history before your eyes.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for your review and your kind words about our guide! Our guides work hard to share history, and we're glad that you enjoyed the tour. We look forward to welcoming you on another tour in the future!
Fern_H, Oct 2025
A lot of walking up and down stairs. Pavement was uneven. The guide’s accent was so thick that it was difficult to understand. To his credit he possessed a great knowledge of the site.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad to hear that you recognized our guide’s great knowledge of the site, and we’re sorry that the walking and stairs were challenging and that the guide’s accent made it difficult to understand at times. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and will work to ensure a better experience for future visitors.
Amy_N, Oct 2025
I would recommend this company and tour 100%! One of the only ones that honored the exact time on our skip the line tickets! The crowds are unreal so I can’t imagine having tried going through the Colosseum on our own. The guide was extremely knowledgeable, which actually made the first part in the Colosseum longer than I would have liked. Our schedule did not allow us to continue on the forum or Palentine Hill, but I think it would have been amazing as well.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for your review! We're glad to hear that you appreciated our punctuality and our guide's knowledge. We look forward to welcoming you back on another tour in the future to explore the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
John_M, Oct 2025
Didn’t get the experience so can’t comment. Turned up at the meeting point and got given tickets. The tour guide said to check that the names matched your ID. If not, entry to the sites would be denied. Of course, one of the names on the ticket was wrong. The tour operator immediately denied responsibility, claimed it was all our fault and that there was nothing they could do. They couldn’t change the name on the ticket nor would they give a refund. Under pressure, they eventually contacted Viator who were completely useless and denied any responsibility, said they couldn’t do anything and also refused a refund. They also claimed it was entirely our fault - without any proof. In fact, Viator entered the wrong surname but refused to accept any responsibility. This has obviously happened many times before - that’s why they told us to check. Why don’t they send us the tickets by email a few days ahead so we can check the names instead of waiting until we get there? Avoid these guys at all costs. They are just scammers.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you were unable to join the tour. As clearly stated at the time of the booking, it is necessary to provide the full names of all participants included in the reservation as entry cannot be guaranteed if the booking contains incomplete or incorrect informations. We appreciate you bringing your experience to our attention and we'll work to ensure a better experience for future visiting.
Laura_V, Oct 2025
I hate to write a negative review but we were highly disappointed with our tour today. We were a group of 7 (one pregnant) and a toddler. To be fair, our toddler was over exhausted and emotional. To start, our tour guide was visibility annoyed with our toddler. We opted for an English tour guide but we had trouble understanding him as there seemed to be a language barrier. The forum tour felt extremely rushed- I asked the guide a question and he responded that he already discussed that and seemed mad that I asked. We can’t speak to the colosseum tour as we lost the group for that portion of the tour. 2 of our group had stayed back with the toddler to avoid stairs and were told we could meet the group at the arch of Titus to enter the colosseum. We missed the group at the arch but know they were close as we could hear them on the radio. Thankfully, after begging security at the entrance and explaining our situation we were allowed into the colosseum to walk at our own pace. We ended up running into our tour group at the end of their tour- the guide seemed extremely relieved to have his radios back. Maybe we had high expectations because we had an INCREDIBLE tour guide from a different company yesterday who was extremely kind and accommodating to our toddler and situation… It was incredibly disappointing to hear sound bites from other tour guides in the forum and colosseum and wish we were on their tour. We would have gotten more value out of just getting tickets and reading the signs at our own pace.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for your feedback. We're very sorry to hear that the tour did not meet your expectations. We understand that traveling with a toddler can be challenging, and we regret that the pace and language barrier made parts of the tour difficult. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention, and we’ll work to ensure a better experience for future visitors.
Stephanie_B, Oct 2025
This was the only tour/excursion I booked through Viator that wasn’t with City Wonders and it was a night and day difference between the two companies.
I do highly recommend seeing these sights with a tour guide, especially the Colosseum to bypass the lines.
But unfortunately this tour and the guide were not well organized. The extra materials used to offer visuals to explain the history were unorganized and disheveled looking, it was unprofessional for the cost of the tour. The most disappointing part was that I chose the English speaking tour and was not able to understand about 75% of what the guide was saying, so I left the 3 hour tour feeling like I hadn’t learned anything. I understand that the guides are multilingual and English is not their primary language, however, after having 3 other tours where the guides were non-native English speakers, I do think it falls on the tour company to ensure their guides are properly trained and able to offer a tour in that language.
Gerald_M, Sept 2025
5 star rating applies to the historical sites which I had read about all my life. It was very hard to understand the guide in many instances which was probably not his fault as the audio on the receiver was terrible. The Coliseum portion was very good, walking past the Arch of Constantine and Titus was top notch as well. However standing at the top of the stairs leading to both the Forum and Palatine Hill listening to the guide drone on and on without actually getting into both sites was not good. I understand that our ticket allowed us to skip the line for both but then expecting us to navigate the sites on our own was not good….all that talking could have been done with the guide moving thru both sites and then allowing us to tour on our own after. It would have made for a better experience
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for your review! We're glad you enjoyed all the historical sites. We’re sorry that the audio and the guide's approach while covering the Forum and Palatine Hill affected your experience. Your feedback is very helpful and will guide us in improving our tours in the future.
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