Ancient Rome Guided Tour: Colosseum, Forum and Palatine

Recommended by 94% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Rome, Italy

High interest

Booked 3 times today.

3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8

· Paula_K ·

Dec 2025

Tour was good, well organized, meeting point was easy to find, nice guide. Lots of walking and details given. Guide explained everything about history in Rome.

· Ilana_G ·

Oct 2025

We had a great time exploring the colosseum and Roman Forum with Roxy! She provided a lot of insightful information and was always open to answering any questions! If you want to see these ancient sites, I recommend Roxy and this tour!

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Overview

The Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill are three of Rome’s notable attractions, but going alone risks leaving your many questions unanswered. Learn more by going with a guide on this sightseeing tour. Walk up Palatine Hill for panoramic views of the Eternal City, see where gladiators battled in the ancient Colosseum and discover centuries of ruins in the Roman Forum. Ideal for first-time visitors to Rome.

Don't struggle to hear your guide: headsets are provided
Meet your guide and group at an easy-to-find meeting place
See a lot in limited time with a comprehensive itinerary
Choose from morning or afternoon tours to suit your schedule

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

The inclusion of headsets on this tour helps ensure you can hear the guide clearly.

What's Included

Entrance to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Headsets to hear the guide clearly
Professional Guide
Wireless audio headsets
Option for meeting point
Admission Fee - Colosseum entrance ticket (€18 per person), reservation fee (valued at €2 per person) - Note: Colosseum fees are as above. The remaining cost of the experience covers other services

Food and Drinks
Gratuities
Hotel Drop-off & Pick-up

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Via delle Terme di Tito, 75, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
COLLE OPPIO PARK - VIA DELLE TERME DI TITO, CORNER OF VIA NICOLA SALVI, INSIDE THE PARK.

End point

Via dei Fori Imperiali, Roma RM, Italy
Via dei Fori Imperiali

Itinerary

After meeting your guide and group at a convenient central spot, head first to the top of Palatine Hill to enjoy views over the Roman Forum and the Circus Maximus below. Listen as your guide recounts the legend of the seven hills of Rome, and explore the hilltop ruins, including the impressive Hippodrome of Domitian and the House of Augustus.

Continue into the heart of ancient Rome to visit one of the city’s most popular attractions—the mighty Colosseum. Accompanied by your guide, learn more about the remarkably preserved amphitheater, which dates back to AD 72, and hear stories of the notorious gladiator games once held in the stadium.

After visiting the Colosseum, stop to admire the Arch of Constantine, which dates back to AD 315, before setting out to explore the ruins of the Roman Forum. Enjoy a guided tour of the archaeological site, including the Via Sacra, the Temples of Vesta, Antonino and Faustina, and the ancient Basilica Julia.

Your tour ends in central Rome, close to the Colosseum.

Parco di Colle Oppio

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Colosseum

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Roman Forum

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Palatine Hill

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

Please is mandatory to provide the full names of all travelers when booking.
May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
Children must be accompanied by an adult
It is mandatory to bring your passport or ID card on the day of the tour
If you have a pacemaker you will need to show a certificate, otherwise you will not be admitted without being screened
Not recommended for individuals with impaired mobility
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours 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

4.8

based on 491 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Wonderful tour!

Paula_K, Dec 2025

Tour was good, well organized, meeting point was easy to find, nice guide. Lots of walking and details given. Guide explained everything about history in Rome.

I can’t believe I shared experience with gladiators.

Jaime_L, Oct 2025

Get ready to be moved emotionally. There are very few places where you can share steps with ancient Emperors, Governors, people of all classes and Gladiators. I had to remind myself that I was truly in the place I studied as a child. Our guide FABIO was phenomenal! He was wonderful Grey lines I love Rome was wonderful in making sure we found the location easily. I have booked all my tours in Viator via Rakuten and highly recommend this one. What a privilege to be in Italy and have such kind, informative and professional team! The emotions were palpable. ♥️😞😃

Ancient room tour

Sheryl_M, Oct 2025

We had a great tour of the Colosseum, forum and Palatine Hill. Laura, our guide was exceptional. Would highly recommend the tour and Laura.

Lots of walking- Dimitri...

Pam_M, Oct 2025

Lots of walking- Dimitri was very knowledgeable, but he showed up late and not just a couple minutes, like 20 minutes-and we rushed to be on time.

Find another tour company

Jeanette_P, Oct 2025

Do not be late. They will not wait. Assistant tour guide very rude. When we asked if we could catch up with the guide, the assistant said no way to contact him. We could have easily found him and joined up. Instead we lost $170 and no tour

Interesting and...

William_B, Oct 2025

Interesting and informative tour of the coliseum and Roman forum. Dimitri our guide was very knowledgeable and fun.

We had a great time...

Ilana_G, Oct 2025

Fantastic tour!

Shenglin_Z, Oct 2025

I did a tour with Alexandra, and there were only 10 of us. It was a mix of young and older people from all over the world. She was friendly, deeply knowledgeable (with postgraduate degrees in archaeology and art history!) She was enthusiastic and more than happy to share in-depth knowledge of Roman life, while also offering to take photos for us! She takes care of those with limited mobility in the group. She encouraged questions and took care to answer them, allowing everyone to have a better understanding. It was designed to be three hours, but she went above and beyond for those of us who were eager to keep exploring the area. Thank you Alex! Do try to go to the bathroom before starting the tour. The whole area is full of tourists and toilet queues are long. The scheduled bathroom break was about 2.5 - 3 hours in. The tour covers some the biggest sights - c Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Forum. After the tour is finished you are free to continue wandering in the archaeological area (if you still have energy!). It will be well into lunchtime so you can grab a bite at the cafe inside the park, or bring a packed lunch. Once you leave the park you can’t return.

Overall decent tour

Alex_G, Sep 2025

Our guide was informative and learned some new history on the tour. Only issue was we were getting a phone call from the tour operator 10 minutes before departure saying we were late and that everyone was waiting to depart. We still made it on time and people showed up after us. The tour itself was fine. Only critique is guide would walk ahead with a moderate size group and sometimes hard to follow if you were in the back. Overall worth it to see a historic site and skip the line

Lots of wonderful...

Gina_P, Sep 2025

Lots of wonderful information amd stories were told. Well worth the time and tired feet. I especially loved the Palatin. Would use agai6!

It was a lot of walking...

Tammy_G, Sep 2025

It was a lot of walking but so informative and you got to see everything from all the different vantage points.

Excellent!

Lynda_W, Aug 2025

Emmanuel was very knowledgeable and personable. Highly recommend this tour. You won’t be disappointed.

Awesome tour guide

Carlo_C, Aug 2025

Maria our tour guide number 151 for the Ancient Rome tour was awesome. She is very knowledgable and considerate of the needs of the tour group. Great tour though quite a lot of walking but Maria did her best to make sure everyone was good and had time to enjoy the sites and take the pictures they wanted. Highly recommend

Great tour!

Grace_S, Aug 2025

Very knowledgeable and personable tour guide! We learned a lot and appreciated the shade breaks as well.

Horrible

Cindy_N, Jul 2025

Horrible! We had no power in our hotel and could not locate your operator after asking many people. We are in a foreign country with no support. We missed the tour and asked for a refund! These people are rude and do not Care!!!!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Dear Cindy, We're truly sorry that you weren't able to join the tour. We understand how disappointing this must be. Please note that, as per our policy, refunds are not applicable in cases where the meeting point is missed. All the necessary information — including details on how to reach the meeting point — is provided both before completing the reservation and again on the voucher you received. We also confirm that our Booking Department made several attempts to reach you and has shared a copy of the phone log with you via private message. As a friendly suggestion for future bookings: it can be very helpful to review directions and plan your journey to the meeting point a day in advance. This often helps avoid any unexpected issues on the day of the tour. Thank you for your understanding. Best regards, Gray Line Rome

Very informative tour....

Tony_K, Jun 2025

Very informative tour. Easy way to see great sites and learn the history of the area. We took our teenage daughters and they thought it was great.

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Dear Tony - thank you so much for your kind review! Knowing that even teenagers found the stories from our guides about the Colosseum captivating tells us we’re hitting the mark. It’s our goal to offer an outstanding service for all visitors who choose us as their agency or platform for booking activities in Rome. We’re thrilled to have made your family’s experience both fun and educational! 😊🏛️ Warm regards, Gray Line Rome

California Rome pilgrimage

david_k, Jun 2025

Emmanuel was very knowledgeable about ancient Rome and made the coliseum Roman forum tour the best. Highly recommend for enjoyment of rome

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Dear David - yes, Emanuele is one of our newest guides but brings with him a wealth of experience. He is consistently highly rated by our guests partaking the Ancient Rome Guided Tour: Colosseum, Forum and Palatine. Gray Line Rome 💪🏼

Colosseum disappointment

Andrea_T, May 2025

Make sure you read all the relevant info. We didn’t download the pdf file as the tickets were on my phone. On the pdf it states yr passport is mandatory for entrance. On the tickets and the info for meeting point etc it doesn’t mention passport. Unfortunately we were not able to have access to our tour. Very disappointing as that was one of the reasons we came frm Australia to Rome to see the Vatican and the colosseum.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Dear Andrea - we're sorry to hear that you were unable to join the guided tour of the Colosseum. Please note that the requirement for presenting an ID to access the Colosseum is a regulation set by the monument's authorities, not by us. We include this important information in every section where it can be communicated: it’s clearly stated online in the product description and on the voucher (confirmation email) sent after booking. We regret that you may have missed seeing it, and we truly understand how this might have affected your experience. Should you have any further questions or require assistance for future bookings, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Sincerely, Gray Line Rome

Great tour

Kristin_E, May 2025

The tour was fantastic. Our guide Valentina (I hope I got her name correct) was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed the tour very much! Thank you

Great tour

Tynise_K, May 2025

So much history learned on this tour. The architecture and the way things were built is just mindblowing.

Our guide was wonderful!...

Elizabeth_K, May 2025

Our guide was wonderful! Knowledgeable, friendly, patient, and spoke English very well. He made the tour comfortable and fun! Great job!

We had a great time with...

Eric_C, May 2025

We had a great time with our guide. We appreciated his expertise and enthusiasm. Would recommend to others.

Amazing Tour!

Joseph_D, Apr 2025

Fantastic tour with Rosalba! Great personality, very informative and she took us to all of the great spots at the legendary Colosseum and the enduring Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Thank you for helping to create such wonderful memories!

Response from Host, May 2025

What a fantastic review to read—thank you for sharing! It sounds like Rosalba truly made your experience unforgettable. With her engaging personality and wealth of knowledge, it’s no wonder she helped you discover all the must-see spots at the legendary Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. We're thrilled to hear that you walked away with such wonderful memories! Rosalba is passionate about sharing the magic of Rome, and we know she'll be so happy to hear how much you enjoyed the tour. We hope your time in Rome was just the start of many more amazing adventures! When you’re ready to explore more, we’d love to be part of it. 😊

Aside from being a bit...

Neal_T, Apr 2025

Aside from being a bit arduous (lots of steps to climb), the tour was great. Very informative, and the guide was extremely helpful to my wife's mobility issues. One small thing is that we didn't so much visit the Forum as observe it from above. Of course, one could come down from the Palatine and walk through on their own if desired.

Response from Host, May 2025

Neal - it’s wonderful that your local guide at the Colosseum and Roman Forum was able to assist with your wife’s mobility needs, ensuring the experience was comfortable for you both. We take pride in our guides’ ability to tailor tours to make them accessible to everyone, and we’re happy that helped improve your visit. We also appreciate your comment about the Forum. While the Palatine Hill offers a fantastic view, we understand that walking through the Forum itself offers a different kind of experience. It’s great to know that you had the option to explore further if desired. We hope the rest of your time in Rome was as memorable as this tour, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more adventures in the future! 😊 Gray Line Rome

Amazing tour with Mirico

Chris_S, Apr 2025

We toured with Mirico (I believe that’s the spelling of his name). Mirico was incredibly knowledgeable about Roman history and how it played into the sights that we toured. He did a great job telling the story while showing us the sites. He was also very attentive of needs to using the restroom, refilling water bottles and waiting on those who walked a little slower. Feeling like I need to know more about the Roman Empire like the character in Suits after this tour! I’m researching podcasts and documentaries! I would recommend having some level of physical fitness on this tour. My wife and I are very active and have no issues but we had others who were elderly or out of shape who struggled to walk the distance and the hills. The stairs at the Coloseum are steep and the hills at Palantine can be daunting. Know your limits and don’t give this tour bad ratings if you are the issue.

Response from Host, May 2025

Chris - happy to hear that Mirco made such a positive impression on your tour (Ancient Rome Guided Tour: Colosseum, Forum and Palatine). His deep knowledge of Roman history and ability to weave it into the experience really brings these ancient sites to life, and we’re happy to know you enjoyed the storytelling aspect of the tour. Plus, his attention to everyone’s needs, from bathroom breaks to keeping pace with the group, truly shows how dedicated he is to making the tour enjoyable for all. We’re also so excited that this tour sparked your curiosity about the Roman Empire—podcasts and documentaries are a great way to keep learning! You make an excellent point about the physical demands of the tour. It’s definitely an active experience, with some challenging steps and hills, and it’s great to know that you and your wife were well-prepared for it. We always encourage participants to be aware of their limits and choose tours that suit their fitness levels for the most enjoyable experience. Thanks again for sharing your insights, and we hope your next Roman adventure will be just as fascinating! 😊 Gray Line Rome Feedbacks Team

Disappointing

PamelaBrennan, Apr 2025

Was not able to attend, I have emailed but no response. I would like the opportunity to discuss please?

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Dear Pamela - we understand that you are already in contact with our Booking Department, where they are explaining that an ID is mandatory to access the Colosseum. This is a requirement set by the venue authorities, and we apologize if this detail was not clear. However, we want to assure you that this information is prominently displayed across our platform and is automatically included on all vouchers. Sincerely, Gray Line Rome

Collesseum

Janice_B, Apr 2025

Our Guide was absolutely amazing!! I recommend her 100%. She knows alot & can answer questions. She explains things.

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you so much, Janice!

Coliseum, Roman Forum and palatine Hill

Christopher_B, Feb 2025

Informative tour, views from Roman forum were great. Lot of security into coliseum, took first of day and lines were minimal

Informative, interesting tour with Zarah

Rebecca_N, Jan 2025

Our guide Zarah was very informative, organized, and we learned a lot from her explanations and insights. She also was helpful, warm, and patient with our young son along for the tour. Having the skip-the-line tickets and her knowledge really enhanced the experience of seeing all of the ruins. Would definitely recommend Zarah and this tour.