VIP Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Rome, Italy
- 1 to 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Most tours of Ancient Roman ruins offer one sightseeing option or, at most, two. This tour option offers different packages to explore the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Choose the package that best suits your travel plans, whether it's the small-group option, access to the arena floor or underground dungeons, or an express-length exterior stroll around the Colosseum to capture photos.
- Learn far more than you would on your own by visiting with a guide
- Upgrade to Arena Floor access that is usually restricted
- Check off plenty in a matter of hours—without committing to a full-day of sightseeing
- Choose from different tour options and lengths to suit your schedule
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
A selection of upgrade options makes this far more flexible than standard Colosseum tours.
What's Included
- Admission to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum (if option selected)
- Admission to the Colosseum Arena Floor (if option selected)
- Colosseum entry ticket and reservation fee included (€18–€24 value)
- Expert storytelling from a licensed historian guide with headphones provided
- Personalised, group experience offering top-rated value and comfort
- Access to the arena floor (unless selected, available for an additional fee)
- Food and Beverages
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Arch of ConstantineP.za del Colosseo, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Please meet your guide in front of the Arch of Constantine. They will be holding a yellow Carpe Diem Tours flag or sign. Arrive at least 15 minutes before the tour start time. Late arrivals unfortunately cannot be refunded.
End point
- Roman Forum00186 Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy
The tour will either finish in the Roman Forum or the Colosseum, depending on which monument we start with, where you will be left to either leave or spend more time exploring the area.
Itinerary
1
Colosseum
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Palatine Hill
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Roman Forum
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Please provide the full names of all travellers when booking. Tickets must match these names; failure to present a voucher with all travellers’ full names at the ticket office may result in denied entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Each traveller must present a valid passport or ID matching the name provided at booking for entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Tour order may vary: we will start with either the Colosseum or the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill depending on ticket times.
- Colosseum admission is free on the first Sunday of each month. Tours are discounted on these days.
- Want an upgrade? Check out these other options: VIP Colosseum Tour (12pax), Colosseum Express Arena Tour (24pax)
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 1,625 reviews
Sandra_M, May 2026
we booked this to include walking along the passage routes that the fighters walked. but we never went down there. other groups did but not us very dissatisfied as I paid nearly £400. We never got to Paletine Hill either as we were still in the Forum area at 4.50 p.m and the tour finished at 5.
Ruth_R, May 2026
Totally brilliant. Our tour guide, Kopal, was hugely knowledgeable and enthusiastic, she clearly had a real love of her subject.
She did such a wonderful job of building up walking through the tunnel into the Colosseum I could almost hear the roar of the crowd. I can’t recommend this enough.
If you do one thing while you’re in Rome, do this.
Barbara_F, May 2026
Great guide. Philomena gave us an interesting and very informative tour of Palatine Hill and The Colosseum. Not enough time to explore Roman Forum which was disappointing.
Porfirio_M, May 2026
Extremely informative, however 3 hours of walking. Therefore wear comfortable footwear that you would mind getting dusty. The guide was very friendly and detailed.
Vladimir_L, May 2026
The guide had a very heavy accent and was speaking way too fast. Sometimes, we could barely understand a word of she was saying.
Gery_L, May 2026
The tour was amazing and our guide was the best!!! She taught us so much about the Colosseum and history .
Patricia_F, May 2026
Tour guide offered good info, difficult to follow her accent, but kept up enough.
I expected to have time in the forum but most of the tour was spent at Coloseum.
Debra_B, May 2026
Our tour guide was excellent. She was very knowledgeable and explained everything clearly. She was patient as well
Eric_S, May 2026
Was great from start to finish, your team was there early to get everyone gathered, our guide Mariana was funny and drew everyone in with questions and we learned so much while seeing all the top sites, we even jumped bypassed lots of the lines and crowds, totally recommend this tour!
Samantha_P, May 2026
Andrea was a very experienced guide! The tour moved at a great pace - plenty of time to stop and take everything in and get great pictures, but didn’t feel like we lingered too long at any one spot. The smaller group option was the perfect size.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the pace of the tour and the small group experience with Andrea. We truly appreciate your kind words and are glad you had time to take in the history and capture great memories along the way!
Nicholas_J, May 2026
Daniele was a friendly and highly knowledgeable guide and provided us with a comprehensive tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill. Highly recommended.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your excellent review! We’re so glad you enjoyed discovering local spots with Anna and had a fun time with the group. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Peggy_C, Apr 2026
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion and our knowledgeable tour guide. I would definitely recommend.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad you and your husband enjoyed the tour and found your guide knowledgeable. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Lily_S, Apr 2026
Linnea was marvelous! She made the tour and all the historical information more than just a talking point, but also entertaining! We really appreciated her expertise!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour with Linnea and found her both entertaining and informative. We truly appreciate your kind words!
Karen_W, Apr 2026
What an amazing tour we had from 10 Star Nick! When I return next year with my kids, I hope that he will be our guide!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your amazing review! We’re so glad you had such a fantastic experience with Nick. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you and your kids next year!
Lauren_L, Apr 2026
Wonderful tour! My guide, I believe was Liliana, covered all the major areas thoroughly. I very much enjoyed her stories! The check in process in the morning was smooth and organized . Would book with the group again.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour and Liliana’s stories, and that everything ran smoothly from the start. We truly appreciate your kind words and look forward to welcoming you again!
Lyna_A, Apr 2026
Our guide ( Daniel) was very informative and considerate. We could understand what he was saying not like other guide we had for Vatican .
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your kind review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour with Daniel and found him informative and considerate. It’s wonderful to hear his clear guidance helped make your experience even better. We truly appreciate your feedback!
Ricky_N, Apr 2026
Great value and well spent time. Our guide was archeologist and made our tour wonderful. She did a good job talking and engaging with us.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your great review! We’re so glad you found the tour a great value and time well spent. It’s wonderful to hear your archaeologist guide made the experience engaging and memorable. We truly appreciate your feedback!
Johanne_R, Apr 2026
This experience was amazing! We learned so much and our tour guide was the best - she had so much interesting info, we loved every minute of it! easy to hear and understand with the portable mic set up. This is a MUST if you do one tour in Rome!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear you had an amazing experience and learned so much during the tour. It’s great to know your guide made it so engaging and that the audio setup helped you enjoy every moment. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again in Rome!
Albert_C, Apr 2026
Quick walk around the Colosseum with some history shared along the way. This was very informative and provided some context before entering the arena. The walk inside the Colosseum was 30-45 minutes, but that was all that was needed. More information and history shared, while giving the guests plenty of time to take photos and look around. Final tour into the ruins area (Palatine Hill) was good. Not as exciting as the Colosseum (at least for me), but still worth seeing at least once. Glad we had a tour guide to explain the key points of interest. Our guide was great.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your detailed review! We’re glad to hear you found the tour informative and well-paced, and that your guide helped bring the history of the Colosseum and Roman Forum to life. We truly appreciate your feedback and are happy you enjoyed the experience overall.
N_P, Apr 2026
Ivana (our tour lead) was amazing and very knowledgeable! She give a great explanation about the places we visited and the history behind them. Truly a really fun experience!!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re thrilled to hear Ivana made your visit fun and informative. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again soon!
Maryann_R, Apr 2026
very knowledgeable, thorough, a lot of walking, steps, hills but worth the time and effort. Our guide kept the group engaged and was considerate of the more mature members of the group
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you found the tour knowledgeable and thorough, and that your guide kept everyone engaged while being considerate of the group’s needs. We truly appreciate your kind words and support!
Lisa_K, Apr 2026
It covers a lot of important historical information and was a thorough tour of the Coliseum and Palatine Hill. Georgio, our guide, was knowledgeable and patient with the group in a very heavy tourist traffic week and bouts of heavy rain. I recommend this tour if you want the full blown Coliseum/ early Roman history background!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed such a thorough and informative tour. It’s great to know Georgio’s knowledge and patience helped make the experience enjoyable, even with the busy crowds and rainy weather. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Constance_R, Apr 2026
What a complete tour. Our guide was friendly, personable, and well informed. We walked a lot and there were many steps. Her humor kept us going. It was a great tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed such a complete tour and that your guide’s knowledge, personality, and humor made the experience even better. We truly appreciate your kind words and support!
Mary_B, Apr 2026
Our guide blended American movies, historical knowledge and site specific information with ease. This made our tour more enjoyable. She was accommodating with the speed of one member of our group. We did luck out and had the guide to ourselves for this tour. The pacing of the tour was excellent. Highly recommend this tour, especially with Ivonna as your guide.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such an enjoyable small group experience with Ivonna. Her ability to blend history, storytelling, and thoughtful pacing truly makes the tour special. We really appreciate your recommendation and kind words!
Deborah_G, Apr 2026
Lots of walking up and down hill and stairs but at a slow pace and worth it. Very knowledgeable guide.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour and found the pace comfortable despite all the walking. It’s wonderful to know your guide’s knowledge made the experience even more worthwhile.
JoAnne_K, Apr 2026
Our guide, Polina, was fantastic. We really enjoyed our Colosseum Tour with visits to Palatine Hill & Roman Forum. Polina shared so many wonderful bits of history and was really engaging.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum tour with Polina. Her engaging storytelling and historical insights truly make the experience special. We really appreciate your kind words!
Trevor_N, Apr 2026
Very good tour with clear audio so we could hear our excellent guide Paulette. Be prepared for steep steps, heat and lots of crowds.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re glad you enjoyed the walk and exploring such a beautiful part of Barcelona with our guide. We truly appreciate your support!
Susan_G, Apr 2026
Our guide, Yvanna, was great. She was easy to understand, very pleasant, and came prepared with tons of information beyond the basics. That being said, the tour included the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill. While we saw all of these, due to the lines to get into the Colosseum and then the Forum, we spent less than 20 minutes on the final two parts of the tour. I'm not sure how you would even get into the Forum a month from now when the crowd is double the size. Our guide was doing her best to think on her feet to adjust and had the courtesy to ask the group for preferences, but I am surprised that the wait time on the lines wasn't factored into the length of the tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We’re really glad to hear you found Yvanna knowledgeable, pleasant, and engaging, and that she adapted well to the situation. We also appreciate your comments regarding timing and queues—this is valuable for us as we continue to improve the overall experience.
KokLiang_Y, Apr 2026
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about Roman history. She was able to navigate through chaotic crowds which was commendable.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour and appreciated your guide’s knowledge of Roman history. We’re also glad her skill in navigating the busy crowds helped make the experience smooth and enjoyable.
Roni_J, Apr 2026
Paulina, our guide, was knowledgeable, charming, witty and kind. She brought ancient Roman history to life!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a memorable experience with Paulina. Her knowledge, charm, and wit truly bring Ancient Roman history to life. We really appreciate your kind words!
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