Skip to main content
VIP Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour

VIP Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour

Rome, Italy

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

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.

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

4.7
based on 1,686 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Had a great time. Our...

Sylvia_G, Jun 2026
Had a great time. Our tour guide was very warm, friendly and knowledgeable. We learned a lot about the history of the colosseum and the Roman forum. It was an incredible and unforgettable experience

Linnea was a fabulous...

Gayle_S, Jun 2026
Linnea was a fabulous guide. We learned lots about the construction of the amphitheater and the different shows performed each year. On a very hot day, she made sure to find as many shady spots for us to hear about the details and hear some funny jokes. We enjoyed following the lemon!

Great trip

Perry_M, Jun 2026
The trip was for a vacation To Rome I had an awesome time the tour guide was very knowledgeable And gave great information

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your review! We're so glad you had a great time and enjoyed exploring the city with our guide. We appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again soon.

Experience Underwhelming

Kari_O, Jun 2026
Unfortunately, our initial excursion was cancelled from 9:30am and rescheduled to 3pm. The day of our tour the weather was very hot and it negatively impacted our experience. Our guide was a kind man, but we would have appreciated someone with more knowledge about the history of the coliseum and the Roman connection with Troy. We were unable to to take our time though the displays in Troy, so having some information would have been nice. The ancient city part of the tour was ok. Again, if there was more dynamic information, it would have been better.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Hi Kari, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the rescheduling and the hot weather on the day negatively affected your overall experience. We understand how disappointing it can be when a time change impacts your plans, especially when visiting major sites like the Colosseum and Roman Forum. We also regret that the pacing and level of historical detail did not fully meet your expectations. While our guides aim to share engaging and accurate context throughout the tour, we’re sorry that in your case it felt less dynamic than you had hoped, particularly regarding the deeper historical connections you were interested in. We appreciate your comments about both content depth and time management within the sites, and we will share your feedback with our operations team for review and improvement. Thank you again for your honest review, and we’re sorry the experience felt underwhelming for you overall.

Five Stars

Diane_L, Jun 2026
Fantastic tour! Our guide Andrea was delightful, well-informed, and able to answer all our random questions. So interesting to see the history and learn more about early Roman culture. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your fantastic review! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed exploring the history of ancient Rome with Andrea. It's wonderful that she was able to answer all your questions and make the experience so engaging. Thank you for the recommendation! 🏛️🌟

Tiana 5 star!!!

Diana_M, Jun 2026
Tiana was very knowledgeable and so much fun. She didn’t rush us and we enjoyed the tour! I would highly recommend her!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed the tour with Tiana. Her knowledge and enthusiasm truly make for a great experience. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon! ⭐😊

Wonderful Colosseum tour

sarah_b, Jun 2026
Sabrina was wonderful. She was knowledgeable, accommodating in the heat by stopping in the shade. She was kind and passionate about the history.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your wonderful review, Sarah! We’re so happy you enjoyed the tour with Sabrina and appreciated her knowledge, kindness, and thoughtful care throughout the experience. We truly appreciate your kind words!

Not to be missed

Diane_B, Jun 2026
We had Ivana as our tour guide who was absolutely fabulous, she really brought the Colosseum alive for us. We would certainty recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your wonderful review, Diane! We’re so happy you enjoyed the tour with Ivana and that she helped bring the Colosseum’s history to life. We truly appreciate your recommendation!

So worth it.

Manny_D, Jun 2026
It was fantastic. Our tour guide was super awesome and knowledgeable. I especially loved being on the grounds in the arena. Incredible.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Hi Manny, thank you for your great review! We're so happy to hear you had a fantastic experience and enjoyed exploring the arena with your knowledgeable guide. We hope to welcome you again soon for another incredible tour!

Colosseum Tour

Greg_O, Jun 2026
Sabrina was an amazing tour guide. Answered all our questions and had in depth knowledge of the Colosseum and Paltine Hill. Even gave great suggestions for food and desert which we greatly enjoyed!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Hi Greg, thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill tour and that Sabrina made the experience so informative and enjoyable. We're glad you also appreciated her food and dessert recommendations, and hope to welcome you again soon!

DONT book with VIATOR!! Reach out to tour companies directly!

Amanda_T, Jun 2026
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE! We had a few people leave our group weeks before we got to Italy. I spoke with Viator customer service and they confirmed the names I needed removed from our reservation. The wrong names were removed and we were unable to even enter the Colosseum! We have been offered a refund but we didn’t want the money, we wanted the experience of seeing the Colosseum! Totally ruined our trip as this was one of the biggest highlights for us.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Hi Amanda, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, and we are truly sorry to hear about the distressing experience you had during your visit. We completely understand how disappointing and frustrating it must have been, especially since the Colosseum visit was a key highlight of your trip. This is certainly not the experience we want any of our guests to have, and we sincerely apologize for the confusion regarding the name changes and the impact it had on your entry. Please know that we always strive to handle guest updates accurately and efficiently, and your case will be reviewed carefully with both our support and operations teams to understand what went wrong and prevent similar issues in the future. We truly regret that your experience was affected in this way and appreciate you bringing it to our attention.

Wonderful guide

Patty_C, Jun 2026
Aurora, our tour guide and former history teacher in Italy, was an awesome guide. She was very informative and allowed us time to absorb the surroundings, take pictures and enjoy the experience. She also gave tips for local experiences after the tour.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed exploring the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill with Aurora. It's great to hear her knowledge, thoughtful pace, and local recommendations helped make the experience so memorable. We hope to welcome you back again soon!

Terrific tour!

Christine_M, Jun 2026
Very friendly and knowledgeable guide. She made the excursion interesting and enjoyable. Be prepared for a lot of walking.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour and found your guide friendly and knowledgeable. We appreciate your helpful note about the walking and hope to see you again soon!

Best tour guide ever! 5 stars for Leia!

Sean_M, Jun 2026
Lesia was the best tour guide we’ve ever had! So knowledgeable about every facet of the colosseum and Roman history. Very encouraging of questions being asked & would expound even beyond the question asked! 5 stars for Leia!!!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour with Abid and had a great time exploring the food and local history. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again soon!

Heaps of interesting...

Aden_M, Jun 2026
Heaps of interesting history but not over complicated. We had a fantastic time. Our guide Maria was a legend.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you had a fantastic time and enjoyed learning about the history in an engaging way. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to Maria. We hope to see you again soon!

Wonderful In Depth Tour

Davina_P, Jun 2026
Ursus was an excellent guide and did a great job finding shade on this hottest of days! His knowledge of the archeological area was vast and we learned more than anticipated. It was amazing to stand in the middle of ancient history.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour with Ursus and learned so much from his expertise. We appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again soon!

Good Tour

Michael_H, Jun 2026
We did all three areas. Alot of space to cover in a short time. So seemed a little rushed but got to see alot and overall had a great time.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your review! We're so glad you had a great time overall and got to see so much of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. We appreciate your feedback about the pace and hope to see you again soon!

Monica, a trained...

Drew_G, Jun 2026
Monica, a trained archeologist, was very knowledgeable and explained things well. Loved her demeanor and charm.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour with Monica and appreciated her knowledge, charm, and engaging explanations. We really appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again soon!

Awesome

Alexander_C, Jun 2026
Daniel was an amazing guide. He took us in the best route and his knowledge was excellent. He made it fun.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour with Daniel and had a fun and informative experience. We really appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again soon!

Daniel was our guide and...

Gaurav_K, Jun 2026
Daniel was our guide and he made it very interesting. Be prepared for the heat and lots of walking but Daniel made sure to take breaks in shade and explained the history so well. It’s a beautiful monument with lots of history.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour with Daniel and appreciated his knowledge and care during the walk. We really appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again soon!

Our tour guide was just...

Mariola_R, Jun 2026
Our tour guide was just phenomenal! He made our experience through the Roman Forum and Colosseum one we still talk about till this day! So much insight, he was hilarious, and also very sweet! I believe his name was Danny! This Tour was so good, we are returning to Rome this year and we are wanting to rebook this again!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you had such a memorable experience with Danny and enjoyed exploring the Roman Forum and Colosseum. It’s great to hear you’re planning to return to Rome, and we’d love to welcome you again soon!

Great Tourguide and Tour Small Groups

David_G, Jun 2026
This was a great tour. The meeting point was easy to locate which is a big plus. Our tourguide Marianna was very knowledgeable and easy to understand. She was very nice and conscious of everyone’s needs. There were stops made to get out of the heat and drink water. There were three or four challenging stairways. But, the views were well worth the climb. Marianna showed and explained all of the areas listed with great detail. We have a lot of great photos and memories that we’ll cherish.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour with Marianna and appreciated her knowledge and care for the group. It’s great to hear you had a memorable experience and left with amazing photos and memories. We hope to see you again soon!

Amy was a fantastic tour...

Melinda_K, Jun 2026
Amy was a fantastic tour guide! So knowledgeable and fun. She really made the whole day relaxing and enjoyable. Unbelievable experience!!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you had such a great experience with Amy and enjoyed the tour. We really appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again soon!

Colosseum with the family

Brandon_K, Jun 2026
Did a tour of the Colosseum in 2018 and enjoyed this one much better. Keep us out of the crowds and the newly opened area for September of 2024 was cool to see.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed the Colosseum tour with your family and appreciated the quieter experience and special access areas. We hope to see you again soon!

Fascinating & Strenuous

Ellen_L, Jun 2026
Verrrrrrrrrrrry steep foot tall steps that can be difficult with not so great knees, hips or if you are very short. Aurora was SO knowledgeable she was great, but the sun was scorching and physically demanding and long. I would consider perhaps less detail to speed the length of the tour.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Hi Ellen, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re really sorry to hear that parts of the tour felt physically demanding, especially with the steep steps and the intense heat on the day of your visit. We understand that exploring the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill can be challenging terrain for some guests, and we appreciate you pointing this out. Your comments about the pace and level of detail are also very helpful, and we will share them with our team for review to see how we can better balance information with comfort during longer tours. We’re glad to hear that Aurora made a strong impression with her knowledge, even in such tough conditions. We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to her. Thank you again for your honest feedback, and we hope to welcome you again in the future for a more comfortable experience.

Great tour!

Don_P, Jun 2026
Loved our tour! Our guide was very knowledgeable. On a side note, going through security inside coliseum, a bucket is needed for people’s key, change, wallet, etc. Our keys to our Airbnb were somehow lost going through and we never did find them. Also, our tour was sold as a small group of 8 and we had 12 adults and three kids.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your review. We're glad you enjoyed the tour and found the guide knowledgeable. However, we're very sorry to hear about the issues you experienced with group size and the loss of your keys. Your feedback is important and has been shared with our team for review. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know.

This is a very quick...

James_C, Jun 2026
This is a very quick tour, perfect for kids! Our guide, Aurora, was knowledgeable and informative. Do a longer tour duration if you want to spend a lot of time in the Colosseum.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad you enjoyed the quick tour and had a great experience with Aurora. We appreciate your helpful note about tour duration and hope to see you again soon!

Collosseum VIP TOUR June 2026

Carlos_S, Jun 2026
The tour was worth every penny. Impressive how the tour guides know the full history and background of the monuments. But the guide talk too fast. English was ok but just too fast for you to catch on what she was saying. Could be the type of head sets they provided but i had the morning the Vatican and the tour was amazing as well. Tour guide paused and cautious of noise and surroundings. Overall would recommend. You will walk a lot up and dowsn stairs as well as hills. A great work out.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your detailed review! We're so glad you found the tour worth it and appreciated the guide’s knowledge of the history and monuments. We also appreciate your feedback regarding the pace of speaking and will share this with our team to help improve the experience. Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope to see you again soon!

What a thorough &...

Jody_U, Jun 2026
What a thorough & informative tour! Lumi was quite knowledgeable & entertaining!! She really brought early Roman history to life on this tour. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour with Lumi and that she brought Roman history to life for you. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon!

Great Tour

Scott_G, Jun 2026
The colosseum, Palatine Hill and Forum were amazing. Our tour guide was exceptional and made our experience even better. I would recommend this tour to everyone!!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed exploring the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Forum, and that your guide made the experience even better. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon!

Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought