Colosseum Underground and Arena Exclusive Private Tour

Recommended by 91% of travelers

Rome, Italy

3 hours (approx.)
Group discounts
Offered in: English

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Overview

Go deeper into the Colosseum—literally—on this private tour with exclusive access to secret tunnels below the Arena Floor and into the arena itself. Go where few travelers get to explore, as you follow in gladiators' footsteps, discover hidden trapdoors and cells for exotic animals, then tread the gladiatorial stage and ascend to the spectator areas. Finish with a trip through Rome’s twin centers of power—the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

Discover the Colosseum’s mysterious and hard-to-access underground levels
Delve deep into gladiators’ lives as you see areas most tours don’t reach
Private tour means you can ask your guide as many questions as you like
Cover every level of the Colosseum as well as the Forum and Palatine Hill

What's Included

Colosseum entrance ticket with underground and arena acces valued at €24 per person
Palatine and Roman Forum entrance tickets valid for 24 hours
Professional Tour Guide Service for 3 hours
Colosseum reservation fee (valued at €2 per person)
Note: Colosseum fees are as above. The remaining cost of the experience covers other services

Gratuities (recommended)
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks
Transportation to/from attractions

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Via Labicana, 96, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
The meeting point is at our agency at Via Labicana 96, where you will meet your tour guide.

End point

Roman Forum
00186 Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy

Itinerary

Colosseum

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Palatine Hill

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Roman Forum

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Near public transportation
Not wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Entrance is strictly limited, for this reason all travelers must arrive punctual at the meeting point. Anyone who arrives after their time slot cannot be accommodated or refunded.
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.
Traveler's who fail to provide a valid ID card or Passport at the entrance, or the name on their ID card does not match the name on their booking, will be refused entry to the Colosseum.

Discounts for children under 18 years is applied only with a valid ID card!
The order in which the sites are visited during the tour can vary depending on availability
Discounts for children under 18 years is applied only with a valid ID card!
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Forbidden objects inside the Colosseum: glass bottles and containers, alcholic beverages and aerosols, backpacks, camping, bulky bags and luggage / trolley
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
This activity is not recommended for people with motor lag
For the safety of all guests, the tour operator reserves the right to refuse service to passengers who are intoxicated or show signs of intoxication. If, as a result, your tour is canceled, you will not be entitled to a refund.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

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 11 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Amazing personal tour!

Bryan_G, Feb 2026

This was the most amazing and extensive personalized tour I’ve ever been on. Our guide, Eva, was exceptional. She regaled us with historical and cultural commentary for over three hours straight. Her excitement about the site and history was contagious! This was a perfect tour for anyone who wants an intimate and in depth experience!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We are truly delighted to hear that this was one of the most amazing and personalized tours you’ve ever experienced. Providing an in-depth and intimate visit to such an iconic site is exactly what we strive for. Eva will be thrilled to read your kind words. Her passion for history and her enthusiasm for sharing it with guests are what make her tours so special — and we’re so glad her energy and knowledge made the experience unforgettable for you. Thank you again for choosing us. We hope to welcome you back to Rome for another exclusive experience in the future!

Book this if you want a fabulous experience

Rosemarie_L, Sep 2025

This was an incredible tour to see the Colosseum. Daniel our guide was amazing and our tour was just the five of us which was perfect because we had a lot more ability to have discussions and ask questions and delve deeper. Daniel has a vast knowledge and was eager to share it. Doing this tour gave us access to other parts of the Colosseum that you wouldn’t normally be able to go to without a guide. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone going to the Colosseum especially if you wanted to do the underground!

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are thrilled to hear that you had such an incredible experience at the Colosseum with Daniel. His passion and knowledge truly bring history to life, and we’re glad you enjoyed the intimate setting of a small private group. The underground and arena are indeed special areas, and it makes us very happy to know that visiting them with our guide made your tour even more memorable. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again soon for another unforgettable Roman experience! Warm regards, Tour in the City

Private tour worth the $$

Jessica_L, May 2025

Absolutely amazing! We ended up in a private tour after having to reschedule something due to our own error and we are so happy that we did. Marie Grazie, our guide, was a true gem and able to guide us through a busy Colosseum seamlessly. She was quick to anticipate issues and prevented them from affecting our enjoyment. Her historical knowledge base was impressive. Overall the underground tour was very cool and worth the extra expense. But having the private tour with such an amazing guide was the best part. She showed us parts we hadn’t noticed and other tourists just walked by. She spoke about seeing this site as a child- and has very interesting stories to tell. Loved the tour!!

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that your rescheduled tour turned into such a memorable experience. Marie Grazie is indeed a gem, and we’re so glad she was able to make your visit to the Colosseum both seamless and special. Her passion for the site and deep historical knowledge really bring the tour to life—especially when shared through her personal stories. We’re delighted that you found the underground tour worthwhile and that the private format gave you the chance to explore hidden details others may have missed. We hope to welcome you back for more discoveries in the future!

Worth the money spent

Joe_A, May 2025

An absolute fantastic tour. We were the only ones with our guide. You spend a little more but I feel like we really got our money and time’s worth. Very exclusive tour.

Response from Host, May 2025

That's fantastic to hear! It sounds like you had a truly special and personalized experience. It's wonderful that you felt the exclusivity of the tour was well worth the investment of your time and money. Enjoy the rest of your time in Rome!

Just good

Judith_H, Apr 2025

Was very nice however the tour that visitor arranged they another tour company moved the 11:30 time frame to 10:45 am and even though we arrived by 11:15 the tour guide had us literally RUNNING thru Rome …. Had my children been younger this would not have been possible! We ran and ran chasing out tour guide to get into the colleseum and then the tour guide insisted we were notified via email however reception aboard takes time even though we had cellular service and it seems that the tour company was determined to blame us rather then adhere to the assigned time so for this I caution you to arrive 40 minutes early because they leave on their own time frame! Otherwise was a wonderful inside private experience!

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Hi! Thanks so much for your kind words about the inside experience. However, it sounds like there was a significant issue with the tour arrangements made by another company. Could you please clarify which tour company organized the 10:45 am departure? This feedback is important for us to understand what happened.

Best tour

Steve_C, Apr 2025

Absolutely well worth it. The tour was extensive and informative. It really completed our time in Rome

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Dear Client, We're delighted to read your positive review! Knowing that you found the tour to be absolutely worth it, extensive, and informative is fantastic. Thank you for letting us know it completed your time in Rome.

best arena and colosseum tour

mia_m, Mar 2025

what a great tour! so much history and background information. guide andreas was our history professor and archealogist. this tour also goes through the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum, and the valley was an amazing walk thru history. "skip the line" tour is like a fast pass, and i was glad we didn't have to wait in such long lines as other people. restroom stops provided, fyi. this tour was a little more than 3 hours for us. even though it was expensive, it was a PRIVATE tour. we were the only ones on the tour, which allowed us to stop along the way and take photos and spend (a little) more time than would have been allowed on a larger tour. when considering this tour: remember you'll never (most likely) be back here again. reward yourself.

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Dear Customer, Thank you for your excellent review! We're delighted you appreciated our efforts to provide the best possible service. Every review is valuable to us and essential for our continuous improvement. While we strive for perfection, our priority is always to ensure a wonderful experience for all our customers. Thank you again from all of us, and we hope to welcome you back soon. Best regards, Stefano

Worth it!

Jen_Z, Mar 2025

Our tour guide, Andrea, was wonderful. Answered all our questions and was such a great communicator. Our son is studying abroad had previously done a general admission ticket and couldn’t believe how much more interesting the Colosseum was with a guide. Definitely worth the underground tour. Favorite part.

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Dear Customer, thank you for your excellent review. We are happy you have appreciated our efforts to give the best possible service. Every review has absolute value and is our lifeblood to work and provide 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 again soon. Best regards Stefano

Incredible knowledge and amazing story telling

Christina_S, Oct 2024

Our small group tour of the Colosseum was an unforgettable experience! Katerina was an amazing storyteller who helped us truly imagine what the Colosseum was like when it was in use. Her deep knowledge of history, combined with the vivid way she described the ancient events and structures, made it easy to picture the grandeur of the place in its prime. Katerina’s passion for the subject really shone through, which made the tour that much more engaging. She was also incredibly attentive to the needs of our group, making sure everyone was comfortable and had the best possible experience. If you want a tour that's both informative and exciting, this is the one!

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Dear Customer, thank you for your wonderful review. We are happy you have appreciated our efforts to give the best possible service. Every review has an absolute value and is our lifeblood to work and provide 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

Very informative visit...

Chantal_T, Jul 2025

Very informative tour with Alessandra, our guide, very interesting. The visit to the underground is definitely worthwhile, as well as the skip-the-line ticket. We enjoyed going through the gladiatorial gate to access the arena and climb to the first level to get the view of the city dwellers of the time. The visit to Mount Palatine and the Forum are also very interesting, it is very hot! It is a visit full of history that I recommend!

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Response from Host, Jul 2025

Merci infiniment pour votre message si enthousiaste ! Nous sommes ravis d’apprendre que vous avez apprécié votre visite en compagnie d’Alessandra — c’est une guide passionnée et nous ne manquerons pas de lui transmettre vos compliments. La découverte des souterrains, l’entrée par la porte des gladiateurs et la vue depuis le premier niveau du Colisée offrent en effet une immersion unique dans l’histoire romaine, et nous sommes heureux que cela vous ait plu. Vous avez bien fait de profiter aussi du Palatin et du Forum, malgré la chaleur ! Merci encore pour votre recommandation, cela compte beaucoup pour nous. Au plaisir de vous accueillir à nouveau lors d’un futur séjour à Rome !

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