Colosseum Arena & Roman Forum Guided Tour
Rome, Italy
- 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Avoid standard sightseeing routes and experience the Colosseum in greater depth with this special-access visit through the Gladiator's Gate and onto the Arena Floor. Instead of choosing between going completely solo or committing to a large group tour, select the option that fits your style—explore independently with an included audio guide, or join a guide for deeper historical insight. Learn how gladiators fought and how the amphitheater functioned, then continue to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill for a complete, well-rounded look at ancient Rome’s most important sites.
- Enjoy multiple vantage points as you explore the interior of the Colosseum
- Visit the usually off-limits area of the Arena Floor
- Check off three historic sites in one seamless experience
- Choose the package that best suits your travel style
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
This flexible option gives you the choice between a tour guide and an audio guide.
What's Included
- Headsets to hear the guide clearly, over 8 people, if the guided tour option is selected.
- All Fees and Taxes
- Professional art historian Tour Guide (if the guided tour option is selected.)
- 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.
- Audio-guided visit with audioguide app (if self-guided option selected)
- Audioguide app available in English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Portoguese and Chinese
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities (recommended)
- Colosseum Underground
- Guided tour (if the self audio guided tour option is selected.)
- Audio option does not include headphones. We recommend bringing your own.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
- Roman Forum00186 Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy
The tour ends in the Roman Forum.
Itinerary
1
Colosseum
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Roman Forum
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 4 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Visitors have to arrive to the meeting point 20 min prior to departure.
- 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 will result in denied entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Please notice that the Colosseum Administration, which depends on the Ministry of Cultural Assets and Activities has the faculty to close the Colosseum, or parts of it, with or without notice, for events, strikes, heavy rain, or any other reason. In which case, we will offer an alternative itinerary as it seems fit and offer a partial refund.
- Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. 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. We are not responsable if you provide us with wrong information.
- Smartphones to download the app must be of the latest generation (No older than the year 2020)
- The departure time of the tour may vary and can be brought forward or delayed by no more than 60 minutes before or after the start time indicated in the reservation. In the event that there should be a change in the departure time, this will be communicated at least 7 days before the date booked by you.
- The order of visit of the monuments included in the tour description may vary.
- A valid phone number is required at the time of booking, as tour information and meeting details will be sent the day before the activity via Viator chat and by WhatsApp or text message.
- 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.
- The itinerary may vary depending on weather conditions (ice, rain, or high temperatures) or other events beyond the travel agency's control.
- PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 10 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.1
based on 58 reviews
Melissa_G, Mar 2026
I was disappointed because my original reservation said we would have a guide with audio. Said we would be given headsets etc. but it was cancelled and rescheduled for late in the day with only downloadable audio. Two of our five did not have phone usage and we missed both the Palatine hill and Roman forum because the entry said it closes at 16:30 and we would have only had 45 mins to go through the extremely long line. Which we would have never made. So in the end, sadly, only got half of our tour in. The operators were friendly enough and tried to help but at that point, that late in the day there was nothing more they could do.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your feedback, and we’re truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet expectations.
We would like to clarify that the Colosseum is not managed by our agency, and unfortunately we have no control over its entry procedures, schedules, or last-minute operational changes. Even though we always do our best to organize everything smoothly, the Colosseum management frequently changes rules and access times, which can impact the planned itinerary.
We understand your disappointment regarding the change from a guided tour with headsets to a downloadable audio option, and the limited time available to visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. We regret that, despite our team’s efforts to assist you on the day, the situation could not be fully resolved.
Your feedback is very important to us and will be taken into consideration as we continue to improve our service and communication.
Jodi_H, Jun 2024
Excellent guide! Great stories that brought the history to life. Would definitely recommend this tour. Was a little long for our 10yo.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Dear Customer, thank you for your wonderful review.
We are happy to know that our efforts to give the best possible service have been appreciated by you.
For us every review has an absolute value and is our lifeblood to work and give the best of ourselves.
We are certainly not perfect but we always do our best to ensure a wonderful experience for all our customers.
Thanks again from all our staff and we hope to have you as our customer soon.
Best regards
Stefano
Andres_G, Apr 2024
Very knowledgeable guide came with her own book filled with renderings. She shared stories and drew right to critical points of the landmark.
Mia, Apr 2024
The tour was great! Our guide was amazing, we learn a lot about ancient times. We didn’t wait for the line and our ticket was for arena too. I recommend it!
Michelle_S, Sep 2023
I was informed a few days before the tour that we would no longer have access to the arena floor. However, I was not given a reason why. I asked via email a few times and did not get an answer. While we did get a partial refund, it was very disappointing as I booked this months in advance.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Dear Client,
We are sorry the tour did not meet your expectations. We apologize for not being able to give you access to the Arena. Sadly, there was a problem with the booking system, and even though we closed the availability, it was still open, which is why you could book the tour. As you know, after you booked the guided tour, we informed you that it was impossible to give the guided tour of the arena, and we offered a partial refund and the Colosseum Tour without the Arena or a free cancellation.
The itineraries of the tours offered by us are planned to allow our customers to get the best out of the visits and to optimize the time available. It would be helpful for you to contact us to check through your booking code which tour you have participated in and make the right decisions. Nevertheless, we have also forwarded this to our Guide Management department so that it can be looked at and followed up with the guide in case it is needed.
Our local guides, selected for experience and professionalism, try their best to share their passion for their country and local History; we apologize that the guided tour was disappointing for you, and we will do our best to avoid it again. Should you wish to contact us directly at info@tourinthecity.com with your comments, please do not hesitate to do so and provide your booking reference number so we can follow up with the relevant people for you. Thank you for leaving us your review once again. We hope to hear from you soon.
Kind Regards, Stefano Tour in the City
Jeff_R, Jun 2023
Two points: 1) The guides need headsets that position the microphone in front of the mouth. Our guide’s microphone was on his collar and because most of the tour is outside the wind cuts the microphone and he could only be heard intermittently. Should be an easy fix with higher quality equipment.
2. BRING I.D. FOR MINORS! The Viator fine print says this, but we figured it would be fine. After the forum tour our 13 year-old daughter (she looks 12) was refused entrance to the colosseum because she had a youth ticket and no proof of age. The guide said this happens about 20% of the time and just seems to depend on the whim of the ticket-taker. Major disappointment so be careful. They assume that U.S. kids have school ID’s like European kids do so leaving your passports at the hotel doesn’t fly as an excuse.
muhammad_o, Jun 2023
When we arrived for the 3 pm tour, we were toldvthat our tour was delayees by one hour at the spur of the moment. When we asked more, we were told that an email was sent to us. I toldvthevtour guide i checked my jookings in the morning of the day ofvtue tour and the time wss still 3 pm. I did not receive any email for the delay as well
The tour guide was excellent
Joe_M, May 2023
I purchased Colosseum Arena Floor Ancient Rome Small Group
Confirmation number: 1403101523 ,Booking reference number: 1015694665.
Their instructions state, "meet at Via delle Terme di Tito, 72" which is in front of a restaurant. We were there an hour and half before the tour was suppose to start along with another mother/son couple.
The mother/son couple started receiving text messages from Viator that the guide was sick and the tour was cancelled. I then texted the company and they said our guide was on the way and would be there in 5 min. We all continued to wait.
My partner noticed that across the street next to a park there were people standing in line. He went over to investigate and was then told that this spot was the meeting point even though this is not the address on the confirmation and that our tour had left us 5 min before because we were not there.
After arguing with the guy they agreed to put all of us in another tour. That tour was in a larger group, not the same tour we had booked, no refund for the difference.
We had another tour booked through them for the Vatican and that one was not much better.
Viator's customer service is horrible and I would not recommend them at all.
The one bright spot was the tour guide "Eddy" was extremely knowledgeable.
brittany_m, May 2023
terrible experience! i inquired about a refund and they refused. do not recommend this company. book somewhere else.
Mark_S, May 2023
Great guide (Andre). He was pleasant and knowledgeable. Post-tour he made recs on where to eat. Represented the company well.
James_R, May 2023
Great tour, guide was very knowledgeable and informative. English was great. Very interesting.
Took time to make sure we were all together. Was aware of the audience she had and made sure to take time with walking. Answered all questions.
Carmel_S, May 2023
Great guide - Took all the stress out of seeing a large part of Rome's tourist attractions. Very interactive and interesting.
Sofia_D, May 2023
So rich in history. so much more than gladiators. To see where the emperors lived was very moving! This magnificent place still has the original temple where Julius Caesar‘s ashes were scattered.
Michele_G, May 2023
Great tour guide. We had rainy weather but she made it positive experience. So knowledgeable. Amazing experience
Cheri_B, May 2023
Our visit on this tour was very memorable. The tour guide moved at a very thoughtful pace, added much history and information to the various sights we visited. We needed the tour in Eng. and found him very easy to understand.
Nickolas_B, Apr 2023
I recommend bringing your own wired head phones so they fit inside your ears better. The tour guide was awesome, he told us about the history and pointed out the small details that would be difficult to notice. Skip the lines was a definite bonus since we did not want to wait for the experience. It was very informative and simple to navigate following him.
Ryan_H, Apr 2023
I really enjoyed the guide! She was very knowledgeable and very kind! Worth every penny on my opinion! My audio pack worked great and they do provide new earbuds but you can also plug your own in which I should have done, no problem though! I do recommend going on this tour because you get access to the coliseum floor which I saw those not part of a tour group get turned away from so it is part of the experience of getting a guide. Overall I really enjoyed my experience and am a seasoned traveler.
Charlie_C, Apr 2023
Our guide Paula was fantastic, gave us all the information and answered all the questions. We enjoyed ever part of this tour
Troy_D, Apr 2023
I've loved Roman history since I was a child, and yet still learned much from the tour. Highly recommend
Mari_V, May 2022
The size and the way things worked under ground. The guide was very knowledgeable. She explained a lot about how sets and animals were transmitted to the arena floor
Iris_P, Sep 2021
The tour was interesting and informative. The only reason I didn’t give it 5-stars was because I would have liked the time to have been more evenly split between the colosseum and The Forum area. Instead we were at the Colosseum for 2 hours which felt a bit over done and 30 min at The Forum. Other than that, our guide was friendly and very knowledgeable.
Thomas_A, Jul 2023
Unterirdische Tour gebucht, diese nicht erhalten, sondern eine komplett andere Tour die zwar schön war aber nicht das war was wir wollten. Geld zurück hab es keins nicht mal anteilig. Geantwortet wird auf Mails auch nicht. Danke nie wieder und nicht zu empfehlen.
Bianca_S, May 2023
Comprei uma excursão pelos subterrâneos do Coliseu, pois eu já tinha ido na arena e 2o andar outras vezes, porém na hora o guia disse que o ingresso não tinha acesso ao andar subterrâneo.
Koral_E, Apr 2023
Ich hatte die Untergrundbesichtigung zum Geburtstag meines Ehemannes gebucht. Diese ist ausgefallen. Darüber wurden wir aber erst auf der Arena nach Abschluss der „normalen“ und normalerweise günstigeren Tour, die ich eben nicht wollte, informiert. Die Agentur wollte sich melden. Aber gemeldet hat sich keiner und auch auf Mails antwortet keiner. Es wird sich Tod gestellt. Eine Unverschämtheit ist das.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Client,
We are sorry the tour did not meet your expectations.
We have reviewed the feedback from your group's participants and couldn't find any similar complaints.
The itineraries of the tours offered by us are planned to allow our customers to get the best out of the visits and to optimize the time available. As far as we know, there have been no delays or changes in plans.
It would be helpful for you to contact us to check through your booking code which tour you have participated in and make the right decisions.
Nevertheless, we have also forwarded this to our Guide Management department so that it can be looked at and followed up with the guide in case it is needed.
Our local guides, selected for experience and professionalism, try their best to share their passion for their country and local History; we apologize that the guided tour was disappointing for you, and we will do our best to avoid it again.
Should you wish to contact us directly at info@tourinthecity.com with your comments, please do not hesitate to do so and provide your booking reference number so we can follow up with the relevant people for you. Thank you for leaving us your review once again. We hope to hear from you soon.
Kind Regards,
Stefano Tour in the City
Liliane_A, Apr 2023
Payer pour aller dans les sous-terrains et ne jamais y aller. Pas le temps de prendre une photo non plus. L'agence n'a pas pignon sur rue, le lieu de rencontre est la porte d'un parc publique.
Paid for undergroud and never been there. No time to take pictures. The agency has no real office, meeting point is a the entrace of a public park.
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Dear Customer,
We are sorry the tour did not meet your expectations.
Sadly on Easter Time, the Colosseum is visited by 30 thousand people daily, and we did everything possible to ensure quality service.
We have reviewed the feedback from your group's participants and couldn't find any similar complaints.
The tour is called "Colosseum Arena Floor Ancient Rome Small Group Tour and Tickets," the description says:
"Get direct access from the Gladiators' Gate! A professional guide will accompany you on a journey back in time, lasting approx. 3 hours.
This guided tour is an exclusive experience; get directly inside the Colosseum from the Gladiator's Gate, arriving in the middle of the Arena's fighting floor.
Your guide will tell you about gladiator fights and many stories about fool emperors who played in the Arena as gladiators against wild beasts.
From the Arena floor, you will also have a view directly above the Undergrounds.
Your guided tour will continue with the Colosseum's first and second rings, admire the incredible engineering of the Romans, and learn all about their skills in building this legendary monument!
After the Colosseum tour, your guide will lead you to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, one of Europe's most significant archaeological areas."
The itineraries of the tours offered by us are planned to allow our customers to get the best out of the visits and to optimize the time available. As far as we know, no planned delays or changes have occurred.
It would be helpful for you to contact us to check through your booking code which tour you have participated in and make the right decisions.
Nevertheless, we have also forwarded this to our Guide Management department so that it can be looked at and followed up with the guide in case it is needed.
Our local guides, selected for experience and professionalism, try their best to share their passion for their country and local history; we apologize that the guided tour was disappointing for you, and we will do our best to avoid it again.
Should you wish to contact us directly at info@tourinthecity.com with your comments, please do not hesitate to do so and provide your booking reference number so we can follow up with the relevant people for you. Thank you for leaving us your review once again. We hope to hear from you soon.
Kind Regards,
Stefano Tour in the City
Roberto_D, Apr 2023
La experiencia nos ofrecía y cobraba por bajar a los subterráneos del Coliseo, y no fue así.
Nos pareció un engaño.
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Dear Customer,
We are sorry the tour did not meet your expectations.
Sadly on Easter Time, the Colosseum is visited by 30 thousand people daily, and we did everything possible to ensure quality service.
We have reviewed the feedback from your group's participants and couldn't find any similar complaints.
The tour is called "Colosseum Arena Floor Ancient Rome Small Group Tour and Tickets," the description says:
"Get direct access from the Gladiators' Gate! A professional guide will accompany you on a journey back in time, lasting approx. 3 hours.
This guided tour is an exclusive experience; get directly inside the Colosseum from the Gladiator's Gate, arriving in the middle of the Arena's fighting floor.
Your guide will tell you about gladiator fights and many stories about fool emperors who played in the Arena as gladiators against wild beasts.
From the Arena floor, you will also have a view directly above the Undergrounds.
Your guided tour will continue with the Colosseum's first and second rings, admire the incredible engineering of the Romans, and learn all about their skills in building this legendary monument!
After the Colosseum tour, your guide will lead you to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, one of Europe's most significant archaeological areas."
The itineraries of the tours offered by us are planned to allow our customers to get the best out of the visits and to optimize the time available. As far as we know, no planned delays or changes have occurred.
It would be helpful for you to contact us to check through your booking code which tour you have participated in and make the right decisions.
Nevertheless, we have also forwarded this to our Guide Management department so that it can be looked at and followed up with the guide in case it is needed.
Our local guides, selected for experience and professionalism, try their best to share their passion for their country and local history; we apologize that the guided tour was disappointing for you, and we will do our best to avoid it again.
Should you wish to contact us directly at info@tourinthecity.com with your comments, please do not hesitate to do so and provide your booking reference number so we can follow up with the relevant people for you. Thank you for leaving us your review once again. We hope to hear from you soon.
Kind Regards,
Stefano Tour in the City
Trek60712854606, Jun 2019
Achei incompleta a visita ao monte palatino é Fórum Romano
O guia ficou parado muito tempo contando a história o que poderia ter feito mostrando as atrações. No fim disse que tínhamos apenas 5 minutospra explorar sozinhos o que não seu pra nada
A visita ao Coliseu foi excelente. A guia dessa visita foi excepcional
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