Colosseum Arena Floor, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tour
Rome, Italy
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Make the most of your time at Rome's Colosseum with exclusive access to the Arena Floor—something most visitors miss out on. Explore the site independently as you listen to a behind-the-scenes history of fighters, spectators, and more with an audio guide. Next up, join a guide to visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, and learn more about daily life for the ancient Romans.
- Step onto the Colosseum’s Arena Floor—only available to select visitors
- A guided tour of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill is included for added value
- Gain insight you'd miss if exploring independently
- Explore the Colosseum at your own pace, without a guide or group
What's Included
- Official Live Guide for Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
- Arena Floor restricted area and Entrance/Gladiator Door
- Colosseum Entrance with Audio Guide
- Headsets
- Colosseum entrance ticket with arena access valued €24 per person
- Colosseum reservation fee (valued at €2 per person)
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Transportation to/from attractions
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Santi Cosma e DamianoVia dei Fori Imperiali, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Meet in front of the Basilica San Cosma and Damiano. Look for tour greeters in red Show Me Italy jackets/shirts. They will be waiting next to the large red pillar just in front of the church on the Via dei Fori Imperiali.
End point
- Largo della Salara VecchiaL.go della Salara Vecchia, 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
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- 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.
- 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.
- The meeting time is subject to change. In this case, you will be contacted in advance via email
- Please arrive 15 minutes before the start time of the tour
- Refunds will not be provided for no-shows or late arrivals. If you are late to the meeting point, you will not be able to join your tour.
- Toilets are limited, use the toilet before arriving for the tour. (Breaks made when possible)
- No weapons (pocket knives), glass bottles or large backpacks
- Tours will run rain or shine (unless closed for safety reasons)
- There are mandatory security checks al all entry points to the sites. The wait time time for the security check can be considerable during peak times/seasons and has nothing to do with the ticket line
- The names provided at the time of the booking cannot be changed.
- The itinerary may vary, the tour may start at either the Colosseum or the Roman Forum.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.3
based on 9,542 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Zachary_M, Jul 2026
Didn’t get to do anything at all because the tour guide never showed up. Came all the way to Italy from the states to see the colosseum for my fiancés birthday, never thought spending $400 would ever result in it not seeing a single sight you paid for. If everything worked out I’m sure it would’ve been fabulous. Leaving Italy and not even getting to see what I paid all this money for is absolutely heart wrenching.
Christina_L, Jul 2026
“Show Me Italy” provided the tour. They offered the worst tour we experienced in Italy. Do not book with them.
Patricia_A, Jul 2026
It was extremely hot and you need to have some kind of cover on your head, either a hat or an umbrella
Ray_M, Jul 2026
Ray_M, Jul 2026
Our guide (from Pitsburg) was a great Guide, plenty of facts about the Forum, roman history and Colosseum.. would recommend this tour. The tour only covered the Forum and the outside of the Colosseum the Guide was not allowed to do the tour inside the Colosseum. I only found out about this a week before travelling. ( A partial refund was given in return for this).
Ruben_C, Jul 2026
Our tour guide Rich was spectacular in sharing so much history in such little time. This was one of the better tours I’ve experienced and the sights are out of this world!
Daniel_D, Jul 2026
The sites of course are amazing and well worth the curated tour. We’ve been coming to Rome for years and I’ve always walked around these historic sites, but this time we invested in a tour to go inside. Organization of the tour start was pretty well organized. Remember, you must bring ID for all members attending. Our tour guide, Juan Carlos was friendly and made the tour interesting throughout. The tour covers the forum and Palatine Hill and then you are on your own for the Colosseum. My only complaint is the first two segments felt very rushed to arrive at the Colosseum on time. I would’ve preferred more time but I’m not sure I can see how they can run anything more than three hours so it’s a soft complaint. in the future I may do individual tours on each segment separately. My favorite part of the tour was the Colosseum because of my interest in that site but also because we were not rushed and could go at our own pace. Picture opportunities on top of the Palatine hill were amazing of the forum and Rome beyond and of course the Colosseum pictures were spectacular.
Troy_J, Jul 2026
Excellent experience from beginning to end. Our tour guide Leah was fun and informative. Request her if possible!
Jervin_P, Jul 2026
Worst experience ever with a guide service. We showed up to the meeting sight 2 minutes late but our guide had already gone inside. The person checking us in told us to go find our guide inside but we did not find them. We ended up going around the areas alone without the guide. We made it to the coliseum but due to our time schedule without a guide we had to purchase tickets to the coliseum again in order to get access. We asked Viator and the guide company for a full refund but they only provided us with a 40% discount, even though it wasn’t our fault. I will never be using Viator or this guide services again.
Denice_C, Jul 2026
It was a fascinating tour and our guide, Giula, was very knowledgeable. She tailored the pace to our party.
Heather_H, Jul 2026
Easy to connect at meeting spot, great tour audio, and a wonderful tour guide (engaging, humorous, lovely all around). The Colosseum would not let tour guides in per new policy so the guide gave us the narrative outside, then were let in on our own. I was traveling with a 10yo who wanted to explore on their own terms, so this was actually ideal for us. It was also my second Colosseum visit so it truly did not feel that we were missing anything in this respect. In all and crowds aside, a great tour we’d do again!
Reeya_F, Jul 2026
This was a highly recommended tour so I booked it for my family. The tour guide was great and we learnt a lot and saw lots of amazing things in the Roman forum. We went in July and the heat made the tour quite unbearable.
We were meant to have a guided tour of the colloseum. Before the tour we received and email from viator saying guided tours were no longer allowed in the colloseum and so we would be refunded 20% due to this change. I have still not received this refund and cannot seem to get a response from the tour operator which is very disappointing.
Also disappointed that there were lots of guided tours in the colloseum....so not clear why we were told they were not allowed!
Charles_C, Jul 2026
Toured Imperial Roman sites (Paletine Hill, Roman Forum, associated ruins) and the. Self guided within Colliseum. Guide did good job moving fairly large group through site, despite mix of group and high heat. Lots of focus on Nero and Caligula
Avishek_G, Jul 2026
Great guide with a lovely tour. It was an extremely hot summer morning, so please carry ample water and electrolytes when doing this trip.
Wear good walking shoes.
Frances_S, Jul 2026
The tour guide, Theresa, was fantastic. She gave us very good information about the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. However, this company is a SCAM. We did not go into the attic area as we confirmed and paid for.
I knew their were changes in the tour guide policy and I attempted to contact the company weeks before the cancellation date. I did not get a reply expect for a “confirmed” status on my booking. Days before the tour, I received a message that there would be no tour guide in the colosseum. Fine. But I wanted confirmation that we were able still go to the Arena. I received confirmation from a Viator representative on chat and they attempted to contact the tour guide. Viator confirmed entry to the attic. Of course, as we entered the Colosseum, they did not allow us to go to attic. We were told that we only had general entrance. We should have been suspicious when the guide told us at the end, “You’re a tourist. Be an Italian and insist on what you want to see.” I’m still waiting for my 20% refund.
Heather_I, Jul 2026
Great tour. Our guide Loredana was full of interesting information as she walked us through. We enjoyed it!
Tyler_P, Jul 2026
The overall tour of the Coliseum and Forum was very informative and helpful, however finding our guide at the beginning was terribly difficult and disorganized. The meeting point was difficult to find, and when we got there the staff had difficulty organizing everybody into the different language tours. I recommend arriving early with lots of patience while the tour guides sort everybody out.
Jose_B, Jul 2026
Tour was good, friendly guide, knowledgeable. Tour was changed to not guide inside the Colosseum so the group was dispersed. I was promised a 20% refund for this change, still waiting for it after a week.
Katherine_R, Jul 2026
Wonderful tour, Fabrizio was very knowledgeable and entertaining! It was very hot July afternoon, but worth the experience!
Tricia_C, Jul 2026
Our tour time was changed to an earlier time by Show Me Italy tour company. Our incoming flight schedule and arrival time was not compatible with the new tour time. I messaged the company directly to see if we could get a different tour time, join the tour group at the coliseum, or just get our admission tickets to the 3 sites on the tour. The company never messaged me back. I tried calling them directly; no answer. I even tried calling Viator customer support. They were very nice and tried to reach the tour company for me as well. Unfortunately they had the same unsuccessful results as me. Very frustrating that the tour company can change the tour time and does not respond when contacted.
Christina_V, Jul 2026
These people never showed up to our meeting and tried to gas light us and say the tried to call us but they lied. Very unprofessional and un organized don’t book with them.
Tara_P, Jul 2026
Absolutely amazing!! Our guide was very informative and really helped us learn about the history of Rome. I would highly recommend Eugene as a guide.
Kenneth_S, Jul 2026
Tour guide was very informative. Lots to see. Views from Palantine Hill were fantastic. Colisseum was amazing, although it would have been nice if tour guide went into the Colisseum with us.
Claudia_H, Jul 2026
Be prepared for a lot of walking. Bring a cold water bottle, patience, and an umbrella if you’re attending during the summer months.
Our tour guide was absolutely amazing. She provided a comprehensive overview of the history and gave insight into what life was like during that time. As we walked the grounds, we felt immersed in the history and everything that had taken place there. Seeing pictures of what used to exist alongside what is there now allows your imagination to run wild. This tour was truly the icing on the cake for us. Starting at Palatine Hill was a beautiful way to understand the past of those who came before us. Entering the Colosseum was jaw-dropping—the pictures don’t do it justice! Wow! I absolutely recommend this tour.
My only feedback is that we did not visit the Colosseum floor, even though it was supposed to be included. Our tour guide mentioned that she wasn't aware of this and suggested we contact the company for clarification. So, please make sure to confirm access before booking.
Dominique_H, Jul 2026
Great tour, excellent guide & nice group. Very informative and perfect views. Definitely recommend early morning tour to avoid heat and crowds.
Angela_D, Jul 2026
The arena pass is a must for the tour, you can see the underground passages from here also. Took around 4 hours in total for Roman forum, pallatine hill and colosseum tour. Tour guide was great, couldn’t enter colosseum with us but didn’t impact on our tour.
Remember your ID!! We forgot ours but the staff were great and assisted us. We found pictures of ID on phone which saved the day!
Mary_O, Jul 2026
The Colosseum in the summer heat can be daunting. However, if you have Semeli as your guide you will learn so much information! She was an amazing guide, walking us through the Forum and Palatine Hill and giving us plenty of breaks in the shade and water fountains. Semeli was very knowledgeable and it really was a great experience thanks to her! We did find out a few days before the trip that we would no longer have arena access but Semeli told us where to go that would give us the same effect. We were also told that no guides were allowed in the Colosseum (which we did see) but it worked out better for us because of how crowded the Colosseum was. We wouldn’t have enjoyed the tour as much if it continued through the Colosseum. It was definitely important that we booked the first tour in the morning as when we were leaving the Forum there was a long line trying to get in. At this time too getting into the Colosseum didn’t take long at all. Overall a great experience!
Catrina_W, Jul 2026
Nice tour and knowledgeable guide. She was fun, polite and made sure we stayed hydrated on a very hot day.
Italia_S, Jul 2026
This was a nice experience. Tour guide made sure to stop at lots of places to fill water and shade. Learned a lot!
Edgar_R, Jul 2026
Very nice tour, bear in mind you get a full tour of the forum and palantine, but you’re just dropped off at the front of the colosseum.
anuj_m, Jul 2026
A few days before our excursion, we received a mail from the local partners of Viator, Show me Italy, that due to change in regulations, the guide was not allowed to accompany us to the Arena area.
The guide was good but she only accompanied us to Roman forum and Palentine hill. She told us that we needed to go to Arena area by ourselves. When we sent to Arena area, all other groups were with their guides. So basically Show Me Italy / Viator lied to us that guides were not allowed to accompany to Arena area. We were left to make sense of Arena area by ourselves despite paying for an expensive guided trip! Please book your trips with other excursion operators, so this does not happen to you!
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Colosseum Arena Floor, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tour
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