Small Group Tour: Colosseum & Roman Forum with Arena Floor Access
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Rome, Italy
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Step back in time and learn about life in ancient Rome with this small-group guided tour of the city’s top archaeological treasures. Visit the Colosseum, with access through the restricted area of the arena floor , and learn about this magnificent amphitheater from your guide. Then continue on to stroll through the ruins of temples and squares in the adjacent Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.
- Visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill on a guided tour
- Visit the arena floor through the Gladiator’s Gate with exclusive access
- Tour with a small group for time to ask your guide questions
- Choice or morning or afternoon tour times to suit your schedule
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
A small group size allows more personal attention and a more relaxed pace than larger tours.
What's Included
- Entry to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
- Expert Certified Guide
- Access to Arena floor
- Headsets for groups when appropriate
- Colosseum entrance ticket with arena access (valued at €24 per person)
- Colosseum reservation fee (valued at €2 per person)
- Please note: Colosseum fees as above. The remaining cost of the experience covers other services.
- Transport to/from meeting point.
- Food and Drink
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Via dei SS. Quattro, 81, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Meet at the Roman Vacations office on Via dei Santi Quattro, 81 Roma RM 00184.. Look for the white Roman Vacations flag with the lion head on it.
End point
- Arch of ConstantineP.za del Colosseo, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Ticket Redemption Point
Roman Vacations, Via dei SS. Quattro, 81, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Itinerary
1
Roman Forum
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Palatine Hill
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Colosseum
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with all travelers' full names at the ticket office prior to entry may result in denied entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Each traveler must present a valid passport or ID document that matches the name provided at the time of booking for successful entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 7 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 1,001 reviews
Review summary
Last 12 months
416 reviews
Select a theme to learn more
Travelers appreciate this small-group Roman history tour for its well-organized logistics, clear communication, and comfortable pacing that accommodates diverse speeds. Guides receive consistent praise for their extensive knowledge, engaging storytelling, and personalized attention, enhancing understanding and enjoyment of key sites like the Colosseum and Roman Forum. The tour’s thoughtful inclusion of hydration, shade breaks, and family-friendly elements further supports comfort and accessibility. Check-in processes are noted as straightforward, contributing to a smooth overall experience.
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Traveler reviews summarised by AI
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Our guide Tiberia was excellent! He was highly knowledgeable, professional, enthusiastic and very entertaining. We had a great time & learnt so much! We would recommend this tour and if you’re lucky you’ll get Tiberia to guide you!
Response from Host, Nov 2026
Ciao! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us.
Tiberio is awesome at what he does and is a bit of a legend in the guiding circle of Rome.
We hope to see you back here soon.
Safe travels!
Very nice experience but lots of walking is involved . Our guide was good but there is so much history and information to comprehend.
Response from Host, Nov 2026
Ciao David! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us.
There is an awful lot of history and information to see in this city, and our guides do an amazing job of condensing that down to a 3 hour tour.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
Great tour. Only complaint was strong accent made it difficult to understand. Guide should slow his speaking down a bit. But super friendly and very knowledgeable
Response from Host, Nov 2026
Thank you for your review. Our tour guides do come from all around the world as professional historians who focus on Ancient Rome, and so there are a variety of accents that will be present here in Rome. We are happy you enjoyed the tour overall and wish you a great time in your holiday.
Our family group had a fantastic experience with our knowledgeable, friendly guide. He was so good, sorry I can’t remember his name, that we had another group on a tour ask us for his contact information because he was so much more engaging and informative than their guide.
Response from Host, Nov 2026
Ciao Esmerelda! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us.
The guide you had was called Mircea, and it's not a stretch to say he is one of the best guides in the city.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
The tour to the Colosseum and Forum was amazing. We did the small group so there were 6 of us total. Our tour guide was awesome! He knew so much of the history and presented it in a way that always seemed interesting. I would highly recommend!
Response from Host, Nov 2026
Ciao! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enojyed the tour with us. We only work with the very best guides available and it shows on the tours.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
One of the best tours I have done! Angela was the BEST! Super informative. I couldn’t believe how much we learned. I definitely recommend!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Ciao,
Thank you so much for your kind review, we are glad that you enjoyed the tour with our tour guide! Safe travels!
Kind regards,
RomanVacations
Our tour guide was great! Very informative and great at telling the stories of the Colosseum. I highly recommend doing a tour like this because we learned much more than just walking it ourselves. We covered a lot of ground and saw all the wonderful spots in and around the Colosseum.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Ciao,
Thank you so much for your kind review, we are glad that you enjoyed the tour with our tour guide! Safe travels!
Kind regards,
RomanVacations
Mitchell was a very knowledgable guide and patient with the children in our group. He allowed extra time to explore and get alll the pictures we wanted. It was great to be in a small group with the Colliseum being so crowded. I would highly recommend this tour
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Ciao! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us.
Mircea is a awesome guide, and is easily one of the best in the entire city. He loves sharing his passion wiht people on tours.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
Tiberius was an excellent guide. He was very knowledgeable and let us take time to enjoy the sites. We everything there was to see.
.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Ciao Rena! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us. Tiberio is a fanstastic guide who always provides a fun and engaging expereince.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
Benjamin was a great tour guide who knew so much about the two areas. He also was an enjoyable storyteller! He brought the Coliseum and Palantine Hill to life by sharing details that helped one see what it was like during the various eras of building, destroying, and "repurposing" this history dense section of Rome. Thanks for a great day; we learned so much!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Ciao! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with Benjamin.
He is a wonderful guy and an amazing guide. We love working with him.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
Great tour, despite the rainy weather! Guide very knowledgeable! Intrigued with his information and fun attutude!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Ciao Debbie! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
We could not locate the meeting point. Even with help over the phone. The person on the phone was very nice and helpful. But it just didn’t work.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Ciao!
We are very sorry to hear that you missed the tour, and we sincerely hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on another occasion. However, we would kindly like to clarify that we always provide the exact meeting point in the booking confirmation, as well as sending it again one day before the tour. Our team also always does its best to assist our customers in finding the meeting point and reaching the group on time. On the day of your tour, we tried to contact you several times by phone and provided additional assistance, including directions and Google Maps links, to help you locate the meeting point. During our communication, you also confirmed that the issue was related to your phone not functioning properly at the time. We completely understand that unexpected technical issues can happen. At the same time, we kindly ask all our future customers to make sure they have access to their phone, booking details, and the provided meeting point information on the day of the tour, and to allow enough time to reach the meeting location. Thank you for your understanding, and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you another time.
It was a very informative tour with lots of interesting history. There were a couple in our group who had mobility issues and it was difficult for them to travel over the terrain. Our guide found a better way for them to get the most out of the experience. I believe a question of mobility issues should have been addressed prior to them paying for this tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Ciao,
Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad to hear that you found the tour informative and that our guide was able to help the members of your group make the most of the experience. We would, however, like to clarify that this is a 3-hour walking tour, and a significant part of the experience takes place at the Roman Forum, which is an extensive archaeological site with uneven, rocky terrain, steps, and other areas that can be challenging for people with mobility difficulties. While we are always happy to assist where possible and adapt the experience when circumstances allow, the nature of the tour and the terrain at the Roman Forum do mean that a certain level of mobility is required. We encourage guests with mobility concerns to consider the physical demands of the tour before booking. We appreciate your feedback and will continue doing our best to make the experience as enjoyable and accessible as possible within the limitations of the site. Kind regards,
RomanVacations
English speaking tour guide from Syracuse. She was amazing and very knowledgeable on the whole tour. Fun and entertaining the entire time. 10/10 would recommend.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Ciao Joe! Thank you so much for your review, we are glat that you had a great time with Angela!
If they change your tour time (for us it was months before our trip), they don’t change your voucher and continue to send reminders for the original time. You are expected to remember the time has been changed even tho there is no documentation. For us, showing up on time only to be told we were 5 hours early, in a small alley, in a city we weren’t familiar with, and “greeted” by a very unsympathetic agent, this was a terrible way to end what had been a wonderful 16 day trip abroad. We ended up walking several blocks to a taxi stand (which we found despite the wave of the hand of the tour agent) and traveled to the Vatican where we booked a skip the line tour - ironically less expensive then had we booked through Viator. I doubt we will book through Viator again.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao,
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. However, we would like to politely clarify a few important details, as your review contains several misunderstandings and does not align with our operations or records. First and foremost, our office is not located in a "small alley," but rather in a highly central, easily accessible location right next to the Colosseum.
Furthermore, while schedule adjustments can occasionally occur in exceptional circumstances, we always notify our guests clearly in writing, and we only proceed after receiving their confirmation.
Regarding your specific mention, we must note that on the date of your booking, the Colosseum tour in question did not even take place due to an unexpected Colosseum closure. Additionally, our records show no record of you checking in with us for this tour, and our agency exclusively operates Colosseum tours, not Vatican tours. We truly regret that you had a frustrating experience during your trip to Rome. We wish you all the best in your future travels!
Best regards,
RomanVacations
Mitchka was the most entertaining guide with a wealth of knowledge. He detailed the forum and colleseum with great detail plus was humorous.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao! Thank you so much for your kind review, we are glad that you enjoyed the tour with us!
A fascinating look at the history of the Palatine Hill and the Coliseum. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and very responsive to the needs of his tour group. Wear comfortable shoes, you will be putting in a lot of steps!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, we are delighted that you enjoyed the tour with RomanVacations!
Mark (Marcio) brought the colosseum to life for my group. He told us not only about the history of the colosseum but of the politics and day to day life of gladiators and common people during the peak of the colosseum’s use.
Highly recommend Mark!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao! Thank you for the recommendation, hope to see you again in the future!
The guide was fabulous however beware of this company and Get Your Guide booking companies because they are notorious for cancelling booked tours.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao,
Thank you so much for your review. We are glad that you enjoyed the tour with us.
However, please kindly note that unfortunately sometimes there are vis maior situations and decisions which come from the ticketing administration centers, and we have no chance but changing the start times, but we always make sure to make it smooth and communicated way before the tour, so our customers can organize themselves like that.
Safe travels!
This is an amazing tour and our tour guide was extremely passionate and equally knowledgeable about Roman history. He made the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum come alive! Be advised there is a lot of walking for three solid hours, but it’s so worth it!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us.
We only work with the best possible guides who we know can deliver a engaging and memorable tour.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
Such a great tour! Our guide was awesome (forget his name but it begins with M :) ) - he gave us sooo much great information. This tour is great for both adults and kids. Could not recommend more!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao Kelly! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
If you get Mircea as a guide you will be very happy. His knowledge and sense of humour was brilliant. He took photos for us and explained each part of the tour. The experience was more than we expected. The photos will last a lifetime.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao Jo!
Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us. Mircea is an awesome guide who constatntly gives 5 star tours, and one who has a true passion for the sites on the tour.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
Our guide, Angela, was fantastic!! She was fun, incredibly knowledgeable and her passion for history and the city of Rome made the tour so memorable. We got stuck in a huge thunderstorm and didn’t even care, because we were having so much fun!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao Helen!
Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us.
Angela is a fantastic guide who really makes her tours entertaining and memorable.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
Easy to locate meeting place. Guide was awesome and very knowledgeable on the subject and history. Wonderful experience
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao Terry! Thank you for your feedback, we are truly glad that you enjoyed the tour with us!
Great information so you understand what you are seeing. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao Shelly! Thank you for your kind words, we truly appreciate it!
There was alot more to the tour than we expected. We thought we were only going through the Colloseum, but this tour includes the Palace and Forum as well. Wear your walking shoes. Benjamin was a fantastic guide.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you Travis! There's so much to discover, and we're so glad you had a great time with Benjamin.
Our guide was so knowledgeable! Funny! Witty! Amazing!!! The time flew by and she even stayed extra to give more information and answer questions! Enjoyed this soooo much!!! She was fabulous!!! Take any one of her tours!!! Do it!!!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for the recommendation Kelly! We always want to take the time to make sure each person has an amazing experience with us.
Our tour guide was informative and friendly. The tour covered so much of the area. We really enjoyed our tour with Mircea.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao,
Thank you so much for your kind review, we are glad that you enjoyed the tour with our tour guide! Safe travels!
Kind regards,
RomanVacations
We were in Italy for 2 weeks and booked multiple tours throughout multiple cites...this Colosseum tour was hands-down our favorite of them all!!! Mircea was absolutely incredible - he filled every minute of the tour with interesting fun facts, relevant context, and engaging content that stuck with us long after the tour ended. It wasn't just your typical walking tour where every guide at every company gives you the same repetitive facts, but a really comprehensive guide to the Colosseum, ancient Rome, its history, and its people, all tied into modern Rome and how it relates to world history in general. I would gladly love to talk to Mircea about Roman history over a drink - he was that friendly, engaging, and approachable. Regarding Roman Vacations in general, check-in was a breeze, everyone was so friendly, and the skip-the-line access was a huge perk! Ending the tour in the Roman Forum was great, since we were then able to explore on our own and have the context of what we'd just learned to what we were seeing beyond the tour. But in 3 hours, it felt like we saw an entire day's worth - Mircea highlighted the crucial parts of the Forum, mixed with context and history we would not have been able to understand on our own. Hands-down, I would book this tour every time I returned to Rome and recommend it to anyone. You will learn things you couldn't have ever imagined, while looking at some of the most incredible sights in history.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Ciao Sydney! Many thanks for your kind words. We are so glad you enjoyed the tour with us. Mircea is an awesome guide and his tours are always engaging and memorable.
We hope to see you back in Rome soon.
Safe travels!
What an amazing experience, our guide Angela was fantastic so knowledgeable on the history & made plenty of fun jokes along the way. As we endured a massive storm whilst our tour was on we all got a little soggy though Angela tried to shelter us with cover as best she could. That certainly didn't take anything away from the experience. A must do when in Rome. Thanks Angela had an awesome tour. Ciao
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you Gavin! Your group made the rainy day a great tour!
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