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

Rome, Italy

High interest

Booked 5+ times today.

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

Why travelers loved this

4.3

· sally_j ·

Jun 2026

Really well organised and our guide was so friendly and very informative. Lots of communication beforehand to make it really clear where you should meet etc. Nice sized group and headphones were provided so you could hear everything really well.

· Hilary_D ·

Jun 2026

This tour is definitely worth the cost! We were able to see the entire Roman Forum, Palatine and Colosseum including the arena floor in two and half hours. Our guide Flavia was very knowledgeable and interesting! It was a fabulous experience and we highly recommend it!

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Overview

Knowing where to start when visiting Rome's archaeological sites can be daunting, especially for first-time visitors. This group tour handles the planning for you, with an itinerary that includes the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Enjoy stepping onto the amphitheater's restricted arena floor, something the majority travelers aren't able to access. Gain deeper insights through your guide's commentary, which goes beyond what you'll find on the information panels.

Choose from a variety of start times to suit your schedule
Don't miss a word with an included audio headset
Learn more than you could if touring these sites on your own
Upgrade to a small-group tour for a more personalized experience

Why Travelers 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 travelers 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 12 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.
The Ancient Rome tour involves Steps and a lot of walking on un-even path especially in the Roman Forum . We highly suggest flat confortable shoes. This tour is not suitable for any person with recent surgeries, with disabilities and for people in wheelchairs due to the street level , up street level and steps.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.3

based on 6,165 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Useful information

JAVIER_S, Jun 2026

You’ll receive crucial information about the monuments that’s hard to comprehend just by looking around.

Don't trust Viator anymore

Scot_T, Jun 2026

I signed up for the arena entrance and they told me it wasn't available after I paid for it. I didn't get a refund yet and when we went on the tour it seems like it was open.

Highly recommend

sally_j, Jun 2026

Great Tour, but with some aspects missing.

Jonathan_B, Jun 2026

This was a brilliant experience with a very knowledgeable local tour guide. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the Colosseum. This tour was well-organized but it was a pity that a part of the tour (the visit to the Coloseum floor) was cancelled only a few days prior to the actual trip. This made it difficult to source alternative options and so I missed out on that part of the experience.

Great Tour

Dave_A, Jun 2026

An amazing experience walking out into the colosseum , the guide was very informative , an absolute must .

Amazing

Marilyn_V, Jun 2026

Our Spanish guide was very knowledgeable and her energy was upbeat. We loved that she kept our attention and she made sure we stayed under the shade if possible. Unfortunately, we forgot her name, but our tour was at 11:00am on 6/19/26. PRO TIP: it’s extremely hot and you will be under the sun the first half of the tour! Bring a fan, water, sunscreen, and a hat or umbrella.

Tour through roman history

Martha_M, Jun 2026

Georgia was a fabulous tour guide. She was able to explain Rome's history by combining various aspects of the history into a larger overall view. We went on the tour on a very hot roman day so the tour was a little long. We finished tired but with a excellent understanding of how the Forum and Colosseum played major roles in Roman history. The perfect tour and tour guide for history buffs. Georgia made sure we had shade and water breaks.

Andy is awesome

Vazquez_F, Jun 2026

Andy the Tour Guide was the best. He mase the whole experience worth every penny. He was witty, informational and very well spoken....we understood everything he was saying and learned alot.

Don’t use journey tours from viator. They both are bad.

Karen_S, Jun 2026

If your viator tour is with Journey Tours, cancel it immediately. They will change your time and say you agreed to the change when they can’t prove it. Then when you call them to talk about it, it goes to an answering machine. When you do get ahold of them they lie to you about what has happened. Their directions on where to meet are so vague that even the other tour companies in the area don’t know where they are. When you approach them to check they tell you no you aren’t on their tour when you are. The tour was long and very hard to hear the lady giving the tour. The other tours looked more organized. When I called viator, they sided with the tour company not the client who was paying the bill. I am very reasonable and easy going but this was just in imaginable.

Great guide, not great audio amplification

Dawn_N, Jun 2026

Our local guide was lovely and did a great job leading us and giving us interesting insights. The only thing that makes this a 4 instead of 5 stars is the quality of the audio. The receiver really didn’t amplify our guide well. Unless you were pretty close to her, you would not hear her especially with so many people around. I tried to stay really close but it was tough sometimes.

Tour

GL_B, Jun 2026

Fairly fast paced on uneven ground. Typical of Rome didn’t bother us. Diego was absolutely great!!!!

History brought to life

Leanne_F, Jun 2026

Our tour guide Mircea was amazing. He really brought the history to life. Recommended for young and old. Thank you Mircea.

Amazing Colosseum Tour with Fabrizio!

Marisol_G, Jun 2026

We had an excellent experience on this tour! Fabrizio was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about the history of Rome. He made the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill come alive with fascinating stories and details that we never would have learned on our own. He kept the tour engaging from start to finish, answered all of our questions, and made sure everyone felt included. His recommendations and insights added so much value to our visit. We left with a much deeper appreciation for Ancient Rome and had a wonderful time. Highly recommend this tour, and if you’re lucky enough to get Fabrizio as your guide, you’re in for a fantastic experience!

Great experience.

Brad_M, Jun 2026

We had a wonderful experience on the tour. So grateful for the knowledge of our tour guide. They were very caring.

Fantastic experience!

Hilary_D, Jun 2026

Incredible y magico

Samanta_T, Jun 2026

It was great and our guide was amazing, she knows a lot about the history of this wonderful place, it was amazing

We were a small group 20...

Martin_P, Jun 2026

We were a small group 20 people and their were four people late so this started Us off very badly. The tour guide was extremely nice but I feel we should have left without them. It inconvenienced 16 people for the four and caused us more then 30 minutes late

Good tour, questionable customer service

Beverley_B, Jun 2026

We booked the Colosseum with Arena Floor, Roman Forum and Palletine Hill guided tour for 9am that was changed by the operator 48 hours before. The time was deferred to 11.30am which wasn't a real issue since we had free time for the remainder of the day and therefore this didn't have any knock on effect against anything else we had planned but the Arena Floor was also cancelled. Wasn't too disappointed as I'd read on many reviews that tours often get cancelled so I was glad we still got to do most of what we expected and the email from the operator stated we could get a refund. The tour itself was great, the guide had really good knowledge and the pace was comfortable. Upon our return home I emailed Vivicos to request our promised refund and heard nothing in response. I have since emailed a further two times and have not even been acknowledged despite them advising we were entitled to a refund for the cancelled Arena Floor. Extremely disappointing customer service.....ironically, if they hadn't told us we could get a refund i wouldn't have even considered asking for one.

Wonderful overview of 3 great sites.

Barbara_C, Jun 2026

Our tour went through VIVICOS. The tour guide was excellent, very knowledgeable, kept a good pace. It IS a 2.5 hour tour so if you can’t walk and stand for long periods it’s not for you. CONS A few days before the tour our group was broken up into different tour times without asking us. 8:00, 11:00, etc. Not happy about that at all. Our meeting place was also changed a couple of days before. Lastly, our listening devices had static. Our guide did his best to swap our earpieces. Not a deal breaker. Would still recommend.

Great Tour

JohnDavid_H, May 2026

Our tour guide was excellent, kept us on schedule and imparted a lot of information which we hope to turn into knowledge. When it is warm, like today, 87 F - go as early as possible to avoid a little heat.

Excellent Experience

Myesha_M, May 2026

Our tour guide was amazing. She was extremely knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting…even for the 4 teens that were with us. She kept the tour moving at a pace that was comfortable for all of us.

Viator doesn't deliver

Robert_D, May 2026

1st you change our time without enough notice to do anything about our next Viator tour that day. 2nd we paid for the arena floor and then told we can’t go there now.3rd order reversed, we tried to talk to someone guide to no avail. We entirely missed the Colosseum portion because we had to run and catch a cab so as not to miss our next tour with Viator. This is uncalled for, unfair and we are demanding a full refund for all 4 tickets. The Colosseum was our primary goal for this tour and you ruined it! Have lot more to say but surely running out of space.

Molto Bene

Brent_M, May 2026

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and took good care of us. Tour guide gave some insider tips and behind the scenes information.

Not corresponding to Viators promisse

Elena_A, May 2026

The tour may have been fine, but the customer service experience was very disappointing. Our Colosseum tour was originally confirmed for 10:00 a.m., then the operator VIVICOS TOURS changed to 12:30 p.m. just four days before, disrupting other prepaid plans we had arranged around the original time. When I contacted them, I was told cancellation was not possible and given the impression an alternative might be offered, but ultimately nothing could be changed. What disappointed me most was the misleading and contradictory communication. I have used Viator many times before, which made this experience especially surprising.

Would recommend

Shanna_C, May 2026

Great tour. Elida was very informative and kind. She kept the group together and led us through the crowds gracefully. She was knowledgeable. Check in was easy enough. I would recommend.

Coming in sideways.

Jeremy_S, May 2026

Well I showed up early to the original spot. I guess I got a message after my airplane landed. And I called them up before 10 o’clock to find out where they’re at. I was there at the original spot a hour early. They weren’t in the clothes that they said they were gonna be. But I found them he hand me my pass but said the group was already gone. Because they switched locations. So he gave me a pass and said I will have to go alone. I never was allowed to see the Colosseum inside which I pay for. But I was allowed to see everything else. And I had to stay in line for everything. They seemed a little unorganized and flustered, but they probably gave them less than 24 hours notification just like myself. If you’d like to give me money back, that would be greatly appreciated. Since I didn’t get to see the Colosseum.

I got to he meetinf point...

Sylvie_Y, May 2026

I got to he meeting point at 432 , 2 minutes late due to traffic. They left without me. It took me a while to find the staff from the group and i was kn he phone with someone as well who was trying to show me where they are. I tried to find them with no success. They were already too fast into the tour. I finally saw them and they had already done the arena floor so i couldnt continue with them because i wanted to see the arena. I had to do the tour by myself. I was very disappointef and felt like i wasted my money and that there was no empathy aor understanding especially that it was just 2 minutes. If the tour was late 2 minutes, do tbey expect us to leave also? If i was late 10 minutes or more, i wouldve understood.

Guided, Skip the Line tour provided an exceptional experience

Jane_G, May 2026

Booking a guided, skip the line tour was well worth the money. Our tour guide, Georgia, was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and provided an exceptional experience.

History Brought to Life

Isabel_D, May 2026

Our tour guide was from Peru—unfortunately, I don’t remember her name. The way she explained everything made it feel like she had actually lived through it and been there herself. She was incredibly thorough, detailed, and brought the history and stories to life.