Rome: Colosseum with Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Guided Tour

Rome, Italy

Trending

Booked 5+ times in 12 hours.

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Offered in: English

Why travellers loved this

4.3

· Michael_L ·

Apr 2026

Took 6 of us on the 3 stop tour. Are guid was great and pleasant to talk with. Held a good pace that wasn’t slow or pushing to go faster as we had young kids and one person fresh from back surgery. I wish I could remember the women’s name she was awesome to deal with. Answered everything you could ask. Worth it if you can swing it

· Brian_S ·

Apr 2026

Was a great tour with a friendly guide that took us through some of the most impressive sites the city has to offer. I really appreciated the Arena access at the Colloseum as well and think the overall length of the tour was just right.

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Overview

The Colosseum is one of Rome's top attractions, so make the most of your visit on a guided tour that gives you special access to enter the amphitheater's arena via the same entrance that gladiators once used for their battles. Once inside, explore the ancient landmark with a guide, and then head outside to tour the archaeological area of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

Cover Rome's ancient ruins in a single tour to optimize your time
Enter the Colosseum directly from the arena floor, a rare privilege
Visit with a guide or audio guide to gain a better understanding of ancient Roman life
Choose from a variety of start times to suit your schedule

Why Travellers Choose This Tour

This tour gets you exclusive access to the arena floor, restricted to most visitors.

What's Included

Official Professional Guide
Audio Equipment to Hear the Guide
Entrance to Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
Colosseum entrance ticket with arena access (valued at €24 per person)
Colosseum reservation fee (valued at €2 per person)
Note: Colosseum fees are as above. The remaining cost of the experience covers other services

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Transportation to/from attractions

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Santi Cosma e Damiano
Via dei Fori Imperiali, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
The meeting point is in the square in front of the Santi Cosma and Damiano Basilica, in Via dei Fori Imperiali 1 (halfway, near the Roman Forum entrance). Our staff will be wearing a light blue vest with our logos on. Please arrive 15 minutes early—late arrivals cannot join the tour.

End point

Colosseum
P.za del Colosseo, 1, 00184 Roma RM, Italy

Itinerary

Your tour begins by meeting your guide at the local tour office near the Colosseum; then walk to the special entrance reserved for members of this tour.

Maximize your time at the Colosseum as you enter the amphitheater directly onto the arena floor, where gladiators and wild animals engaged in bloody fights. Visit the ring overlooking the underground sections of the Colosseum, and learn about its history from your guide, who has a degree in either art history or archaeology. Listen to anecdotes about the glory days of the arena and the lives of the emperors and senators of the time.

Next, leave the Colosseum and walk to Palatine Hill, one of the Seven Hills of Rome, where emperors and other wealthy residents lived. Take in the view of the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus, and then walk down the hill to explore the ruins of the forum, where your guide shares more stories and uses books and 3D pictures to show you how the site looked during the days of Ancient Rome. Your tour ends with return to your starting point.

Roman Forum

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Palatine Hill

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Colosseum

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travellers can participate
Please note that names provided must exactly match IDs/passports for all participants (including children), or the Colosseum will deny entry. Bring valid ID for everyone—no nicknames, missing, or incorrect names/last names allowed.
For minors, the age must be 17 or younger on the day of the activity
The entrance tickets to the Colosseum cannot be changed or refunded
Each traveler must show a valid ID matching the booking name for entry. Without ID, entry is not guaranteed
Please show up at least 15 minutes before to do the check in

Meeting time is subject to change; if this occurs, you will receive a call or message from the activity provider. Please provide your correct phone number and country code
Late arrivals or no shows will not be refunded
In July and August due to the heat the duration of the visit is 2 hours
All visitors must pass through a metal detector to enter the Colosseum. No exceptions
Not Allowed: Big backpacks, pets, weapons, sharp items, large bags, alcohol, drugs, sprays, glass.
By purchasing this tour, you agree to our Terms and Conditions
If you select the semi-private option, our tours generally include up to 7 guests per guide for a more personal experience. From time to time, we may adjust the group size to accommodate families or friends traveling together, and some tours may also run with fewer participants. This flexible approach allows us to offer the best experience possible.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travellers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveller's review)

Reviews

4.3

based on 5,938 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Breathing event! A must see

MICHAEL_b, May 2026

Great tour with a small group of our guide was excellent It took about 3 hours and there is a good amount of stair climbing if that’s an issue for some

Ancient Rome Is Calling.

Marc_B, May 2026

The ancient Roman ruins is a time capsule of artifacts, relics, and art preserved in time to give us a real view back in time to the Roman Empire. Freshly discovered churches hidden by new builds to hidden frescos and ancient columns rising high above the grounds adjacent to the coliseum. All of this was the perfect ending to our time in Rome and a bounty of local eateries added additional wow experiences for my wife and I. Our time was cut short because we had to rush out to catch our cruise from Civitavecchia (port of call for Roma) which was an hour drive from the coliseum to the port. I highly recommend this tour to immerse yourself in what you could easily miss adventuring on your own without a guide to educated you on the canvas of this tour.

So much fun. Not too...

KARINA_A, May 2026

So much fun. Not too much. Skipping the line was well worth it for just the tour. Book this tour!!!!

Ok

Julie_S, May 2026

The guide doesn’t pay close attention to where everyone is so it’s easy to lose him. Also a bit rushed. He was knowledgeable though.

Educational, breathtaking, and entertaining

Trevor_B, May 2026

Our tour guide was incredibly friendly, passionate, and knowledgeable. In order to not only appreciate the history of Rome, but really the history of modern civilization, this tour is a must!

Walking back in time

Fatina_Y, May 2026

Blown away with the history of the Roman forum and all. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and fun. Learned so much and f Really enjoyed.

Fun tour with Andre.

Tamra_W, May 2026

Our tour guide, Andre, really seemed to know his history. He made the tour fun and interesting. The only drawback was the crowds but that’s beyond anyone’s control. Likely less crowded earlier or later in the day. It was a bit chaotic getting organized but eventually we got going only a little later than scheduled. Definitely better than doing it solo as you do get priority for all the lines. Still lots of waiting about though.

Colesseum

Julia_E, May 2026

There were only 3 people in our escorted tour which was great as it meant our guide, Mircea, could make it more personal. He's knowledge was fantastic and he was absolutely brilliant answering questions. It is mind blowing how large the Colosseum is and we would certainly recommend this tour.

Highly recommend. Lots of walking.

Jake_A, May 2026

We wasn’t expecting much with all the bad reviews but it was definitely worth the money. Our guide was very informative I don’t know how he doesn’t drink any water with all the talking he does. It says 2.5 hours for the tour expect it to be pushing 4 hours. Cues wasn’t that bad considering we went on the first bank holiday in may(10-15mins to get into Colosseum). Get there earlier than the time it states as the meeting zone is crowded and hard to find your group. Other than that it was amazing 9/10.

Viator…..a great way to ruin that one day you looked forward to for months.

Garet_B, May 2026

Viator failed to send the vouchers to the tour company conducting the tour even though I booked months ahead. When contacted neither party was able to help getting us into Colosseum and resolved by offering a refund. Got money back but lost a day of great memories. Don’t use Viator.

Georgia was a great...

Becky_H, May 2026

Georgia was a great guide! She was very knowledgeable, friendly and made the tour fun. Meeting spot was a little tough to find using Google Maps, but once located all went smoothly.

Great tour learning so...

Trudie_H, Apr 2026

Great tour learning so much about the history with a great guide. Downside was only having 10 minutes in the colosseum with the guide .. (we only went onto the arena floor, thought we had more access) & then 2 minutes to get out when he left us.

Worth the experience

Marta_T, Apr 2026

We had a terrific guide, who knew so much and had a great way of presenting stories about the Colosseum. Only thing is that there was a lot of waiting involved, where you were just standing for long periods of time.

Bait and Switch. Terrible experience.

Cliff_C, Apr 2026

We paid 173 dollars per person for three kids to take the tour. We spent my mother's life savings. I rebooked over and over to ensure we had a small group (paid a LOT of moms money) to get a 10 or less personal group tour for 3 hours, from 1 till 4 and English speaking. As soon as I made final payment, everything changed, right up till the time we left for the tour at 2, which was later than scheduled so the tour was cut short by 1/2 hour, and started 1/2 late. The tour guide did do a great job, nothing wrong with him at all, however one of us could not understand him. There were 23 people on our tour, not 10 or less, it was not at all personalized, there was no sence of small group and close conversations with a small group experience. We were way to big of a group to stay in the know of all that we were taken through. Viator should not use or represent Journy Tours, they we not at all Profesional or forthright. Very very frustraighting and disappointing.

Colosseum and Forum - Amazing in April

Frederick_P, Apr 2026

The tour was excellent and Mircea Marciu was tour guide. I was expecting a little more on the Palatine hill but maybe there are not many area on or around that hill that can be toured. There are quite a few long and steep stairs in this tour so folks should consider this if they are not so steady on stairs. We did this tour on 27 April and the high temperature that day was about 75 degrees F. It was warm. If you do this tour during summer be aware of the heat. Bring water but maybe make sure you stop for a bathroom break BEFORE the tour. The initial waiting to start the tour plus the tour time was about 3 hours and 15 minutes. No bathroom facilities until the end and there were long lines at those toilets when we exited the tour.

Walking tour

Angela_W, Apr 2026

Great tour very informative definitely recommend this tour I saw the sights from the outside the tour took me inside of the colosseum and the forum which was fantastic

Do it!

Alison_M, Apr 2026

Very informative. Guided tour is the only way to go. Even though it was raining, it was still fun. Guide made sure we all stayed safe.

Cancellation and refund

philip_m, Apr 2026

I booked the a tour to include floor access. A few days before we were informed that the main floor access part of the tour had been cancelled but we would get a partial refund. tour operator told me to claim from booking platform (viator). I requested this several times but no response. Be careful of what you book as you can pay for something which is suddendly cancelled and claims for a refund are ignored

Great Tour and Guide

Rick_N, Apr 2026

We had a great time! The tour guide was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Unfortunately, I don't remember his name but he gave the 11:00am tour on April 21. My friend, and another person, wasn't going to be able to handle going up Palatine Hill and he was very respectful showed great care in telling them where they could stay and sit and that we would come right back through the area and get then on the way to the colosseum. He even took us back to the office to collect a little pocketknife I had to leave behind due to security at the colosseum and recommended a really good place to eat just across from the office. I'd take another tour with this provider again.

Took 6 of us on the 3...

Michael_L, Apr 2026

Coloseum Tour Fail

Jose_S, Apr 2026

Road was blocked for some military parade so had to be dropped off early and took 45 minutes to find the Meeting Point. Arrived 10 minutes late and tour had left. No attempt to fix it - was left out in the heat and wasting the Tour cost!! Not happy.

Coliseum tour

Jeff_R, Apr 2026

Awesome tour! Our guide was amazing! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in the rich history Rome has to offer

Will take longer than 2.5 hrs!

Yvonne_M, Apr 2026

This experience will take you way longer than 2 hrs and 30 min. We did the audio guide tour and although the audio guide was very informative it took way longer than the suggested time. If you are going to book this I would suggest allowing yourself a minimum of 4 hrs to see the coliseum, palatine hill and the Roman forum.

Sad the Forum and Palatine Hill were closed

Laurie_B, Apr 2026

We were expecting a full tour of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill along with the Colosseum. Apparently there were electrical issues that meant the Forum and Hill were closed. We are hoping for a partial refund given this situation. The Colosseum portion was quite nice. We did struggle a bit understanding our tour guide given her heavy Italian accent. Regardless we learned a lot and felt the Colosseum was covered well.

Nice knowledgeable guide

Ana_V, Apr 2026

The guide was very informative she provide a lot of information. Trip started on time gave us a time for questions and you can see that she is passionate about guiding.

Our guide was very well...

Sandra_S, Apr 2026

Our guide was very well organized and informative. She shared not only the history of the Colosseum and Roman Forum but added little legends and her perspectives making the experience more enjoyable. She truly went out of her way to avoid lines by using alternative access points. This was a great tour and we highly recommend it.

The Colosseum Experience

Lorenzo_Y, Apr 2026

Amazing tour amazing tour guide. Did a great job despite a down pour of rain right before the tour. Was able see every part of the Colosseum and much more. Tour guide has a great knowledge of the history of Rome.

Friendly, Efficient, Prepared!

Melody_T, Apr 2026

The tour was absolutely fantastic! Our guide, Georgia, was informative, friendly, and efficient! She was very aware about pointing out important topics/ sights to us and making sure that we had chances to stand in the shade when possible. She brought pictures along to help show us what the sites on the tour looked like when they were first built and that helped a lot! Would definitely book with her and the tour company again!