Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Guided Tour
Rome, Italy
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Rome’s ancient ruins can be overwhelming and hard to interpret on your own. This guided tour brings them to life, giving historical context and fascinating stories behind each site. In just a few hours, explore the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum with insights that make history vivid and easy to understand.
- Check off three historic sites in one seamless tour
- Learn more than you would on your own
- Hear loud and clear with handy audio headsets
- Choose from morning or afternoon tours to suit your schedule
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Skip generic commentary—experience a tour designed to help you truly imagine life in ancient Rome through immersive storytelling.
What's Included
- Official Live Guide
- Audio Equipment
- Entrance to the Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
- Colosseum entrance ticket (valued at €18)
- Colosseum Entrance Fee (Valued at €2)
- Please note: Colosseum fees as above. The remaining cost of the experience covers other services
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Tips
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Santi Cosma e DamianoVia dei Fori Imperiali, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
The meeting point is in the square in front of the Santi Cosma and Damiano Basilica, in Via dei Fori Imperiali 1 (halfway, near the Roman Forum entrance). Our staff will be wearing a light blue vest with our logos. Please arrive 15 minutes early—late arrivals cannot join the tour.
End point
- Piazza del ColosseoP.za del Colosseo, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Itinerary
1
Colosseum
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Palatine Hill
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Roman Forum
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Please note that THE NAMES YOU PROVIDE HAVE TO MATCH THE IDS OR PASSPORTS OF ALL PARTICIPANTS (including children), or the Colosseum will deny entry — and don’t forget to bring valid ID for everyone which is necessary to enter. No nick names nor missing or wrong name and/or last name are admitted by the Coloseum management. Don't hesitate to contact us if you need support with this matter.
- For minors, the age must be 17 or younger on the day of the activity
- The entrance tickets to the Colosseum cannot be changed or refunded
- Each traveler must show a valid ID matching the booking name for entry. Without ID, entry is not guaranteed
- Please show up at least 15 minutes before the tour to do the check in
- Meeting time is subject to change; if this occurs, you will receive a call or message from the activity provider. Please provide your correct phone number and country code
- In July and August due to the heat the duration of the visit is 2 hours
- All visitors must pass through a metal detector to enter the Colosseum. No exceptions
- Late arrivals will not be refunded
- Not Allowed: Big backpacks, pets, weapons, sharp items, large bags, alcohol, drugs, sprays, glass.
- By purchasing this tour, you agree to our Terms and Conditions
- 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
4.2
based on 1,332 reviews
Shalini_S, Apr 2026
This was an amazing tour with Georgia. She is filled with energy, the ability to respond to everyone’s internal pulses and interests on the tour and a sensational sense of humor. She has details and reflective facts that connect the unconscious threads of what connects the past to the present.
It was truly one of the most amazing tours we took in Rome.
Would hope that everyone gets to experience her energy as we did!
Grazie Mille Georgia. You will be remembered for many years to come!
Rebecca_M, Apr 2026
This tour operator was not kind or helpful like others we worked with. They did not answer or advise well when we had trouble with the directions and phone apps and knew we were having issues but could not wait or even have us meet the for the 2nd activity and said they had given or tickets away. Very rude, poor communication and poor customer service.
Mattias_B, Apr 2026
The guided tour was great.
We got to see the Colosseum and the guy told us a lot of the history of Rome
Our guide Fredrika was very good.
Sharon_M, Apr 2026
Seemed like we spent way too much time at palatine hill and was rushed through at the coliseum. Our guide spoke broken English and at times was difficult to understand but seemed knowledgeable.
ASHRAF_M, Apr 2026
Colosseum is a big place so it was hard for us to find the group. We were on time but unfortunately we missed the tour
I wish we were given contact number for the tour guide so that we could find them. There was a regular customer service number. We called multiple times to find the location but no one answer the phone
We had to buy new ticket to go into Colosseum
Scott_M, Apr 2026
Try booking this adventure on a non-holiday weekend. We booked during the Easter holiday and the waiting times were extensive - which cut into our ability to enjoy the tour. We were expecting a guided tour of the Roman forum and only received a 10 minute review from atop Palatine Hill. We were disappointed with that.
The audio equipment did not function properly if you were more than 15 to 20 feet away from the guide. Every time he moved his head, you could no longer hear him, and the audio went in and out, again based on distance from the guide.
Our Guide (Andre?) did a respectable job under the circumstances, but we feel like we missed more than half of the tour due to the long lines, forcing our group to move single file through an extremely busy crowd.
Nicole_S, Apr 2026
Horrible customer service
This tour company shouldn’t be in business. They changed the time 24hrs before tour, I was just arriving by plane at 12, therefore I could not have mode it. I contacted them, when they finally responded they simply said they have the right to change time, no refunds have a nice day!! Luckily I booked through Viator, then contacted them and talked to a few agents, finally asking for a supervisor. She was nice, put me on hold several times for 5-10 minutes each (probably expecting me to hang up and forget about it and lose my money) I stayed on hold and she finally refunded me the entire amount. It’s principal for me and that was bad business.
Darla_E, Mar 2026
Tour operator cancelled our selected time and told us when we HAD to go-without consideration of our schedule. We had just landed at FCO and couldn't make the earlier tour (they selected). No option for a refund or to reschedule was given. It was either we show up for the earlier tour or don't -but they keep our money. I tried to explain that. This was a huge disappointment my first day in Rome to pay so much for an excursion and they changed our time to an impossible time when we couldn't go. Their communication so far is that they don't give refunds - period!
Sofia_C, Mar 2026
Mircea was very knowledgeable and passionate about his work. He gave us many great information and we really appreciate his work!
Adrian_J, Mar 2026
It is a bit chaotic at the meeting place, as a lot of different groups are meeting up, but one that was done we set of with our guide, she explained so much and also had a few books with her so that we could see what she was explaining,
There are quite a few stairs to go up and down, and a lot of un-even cobbles to walk on,
Overall we found that it was very enjoyable and worth the price.
If I could remember the guides name, I would give her a big shout out (we were on the 10:00 tour on the 6th March)
Heather_H, Mar 2026
We had an amazing time with Diego as our guide! So glad we chose to do a guided tour, as it wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable without all of his insights.
Ren_L, Feb 2026
The guide was trying her best with explaining, but with heavy ascent. Also she skipped the Palatine Hills. A few people in the tour group weren’t happy about it.
Gary_M, Jan 2026
Colosseum was very neat to see. The audio tour we had to download didn’t work for half of us, so that wasn’t worth the extra money we paid. Didn’t realize we still had to wait in a long line for the Forum entrance with these tickets.
Catherine_E, Jan 2026
Maximo was the absolute best tour guide I’ve ever had! He was so knowledgeable and happy to answer any question we had!
Yanqiu_Z, Jan 2026
Very informative about history,por tour guide is very kind and helpful. We all enjoyed it very much. We would highly recommend it
Cindy_S, Dec 2025
Francesca explained the areas and artifacts we were seeing so well! Very interesting tour and worth booking.
Jaidee_W, Nov 2025
Not a tour guide. This is a scam. Technically it was them purchasing the tickets with the audio and giving to us. There was no tour whatsoever.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear about your dissatisfaction.
We would like to clearly clarify that this booking was not a live guided tour, but an assisted entry with audio guide, as stated in the product title, description, and booking confirmation. This service includes ticket reservation, check-in assistance, and access coordination, with commentary provided via audio guide rather than an in-person guide.
The service delivered fully matched the option selected at the time of purchase. While we understand this may not have aligned with your personal expectations, we respectfully reject the characterization of this experience as a scam.
We encourage future guests to carefully review tour inclusions before booking to ensure the selected product meets their preferences. We appreciate your comments and wish you the best in your future travels.
Anna_R, Nov 2025
So much time standing around and very little learning interesting background. This was the third time I’ve done the forum but the first without a specific recommended guide. I won’t make that mistake again.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that the tour did not meet your expectations.
Time spent waiting or regrouping can occasionally be necessary due to site access procedures, security checks, and crowd management regulations at the Roman Forum. Our guides aim to balance historical context with movement through the site within the time and route permitted.
While we regret that the experience did not align with your personal preferences, we appreciate your comments and will take them into consideration as part of our ongoing efforts to improve. We wish you the best in your future travels.
Linda_C, Nov 2025
This experience was wonderful , Hillary was our guide. She provided a lot of interesting facts. It involved a lot of walking , some hills , uneven sidewalk, crowds. But it was still worth it
Kierston_P, Nov 2025
I am a young(ish) woman, and I was solo travelling through Rome for 2 days. I had very limited time, and I booked this Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine tour last-minute. I advised that I would be late by about 5 minutes, and they waited for me before starting. The tour was on a Saturday, which was also All Saints Day in Italy. The popular tourist attractions were so crowded, and lines were super long, even in the morning. There were only 7 of us on the tour, which allowed for a more thorough experience, and we were able to skip a lot of lines and waiting time. Our tour guide, Diego, was so engaging and knowledgeable. He took the time to get to know each one of us, and he was accommodating to everyone. I could tell he was highly regarded by the Colosseum staff. They all greeted him with warm welcomes, and were happy to accommodate our small group. Diego told us so many fun facts about the Colosseum, and I learned a lot. His delivery and energy kept me engaged. He also knew the best places to take photos, and gladly took photos of us. He knew I was traveling alone, and I felt that he really had my back like a Roman uncle or something. When we went to the Roman Forum, it was a 15+ minute walk to get there. My group was getting tired, and Diego managed to get all of us onto a crowded bus so we didnt have to walk. The line-up to get inside the Roman Forum was super long. Diego opted to take us to an alternate back entrance. On the way there, he brought us into a farmer's market that is only open on limited times on weekends. It was such a cool and unexpected experience. Unfortunately, my other group members were too tired to continue the tour. It was a hot day, and there is a good amount of walking involved. I was worried the tour would end early because of this, but Diego knew I had limited time in Rome, and was still interested in seeing the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. He continued on with the tour, and we walked to the alternate entrance. The staff there seemed to know Diego well, and they made me feel so welcome. I told Diego that I had a background in law and philosophy. He showed me around the Roman Forum, and told me many fun facts. He made an effort to relate the information to my background and interests. Then, we finished the tour at Palatine Hill, and he walked me to an authentic Italian restaurant that he recommended highly. Throughout the rest of the tour, Diego took photos of me in the best locations. I could tell that he was doing this out of kindness, without expecting anything in return. He obviously had a lot of experience doing this tour, and a great eye for scenic views. Overall, this tour was way beyond my expectations, and well worth the money.
Julianne_P, Oct 2025
The guide was very knowledgeable and good about navigating us around with the large crowds of people. She gave us time to do some exploring and always made sure everyone was accounted for. She did a great job.
Ngoc_B, Oct 2025
The Colosseum was absolutely incredible! The tour was well organized, and our guide was so knowledgeable and passionate about Roman history. I unfortunately forgot our guide’s name, but they did an amazing job bringing the ancient stories to life. It was an unforgettable experience and a highlight of my trip to Rome. Highly recommend this tour!
SHONDA_J, Oct 2025
Finding your guide is chaotic and confusing. Once you do- it doesn’t get easier. There is no orientation of what to do. They just hand you a piece of paper and tell you to go to the entrance. Reading - although fundamental- takes time and you’ve got to harrow your way through people AND be mindful of pick-pocketers along your way at the same time! Definitely wanna take the time allotted for the tour BUT be aware there is a cut off time for entry into the other exhibition. I missed it and had to come back the next day. Fortunately, I had the time BUT THIS was not convenient, as I was leaving for the airport the day after my visit. AND also, lucky for me they had a luggage holding place. Still not as worry free as it could’ve been had I been properly informed and handled with care that I came from a whole other continent to make this visit, like many but UNlike most. It was REALLY something to see but maybe paying a lil discounted fare wasn’t as worth it than just paying full price. Consider how much patience, time management, physical mobility/ agility, transportation you have. It may help to make your experience different.
Kayla_H, Oct 2025
Diego was very knowledgeable and funny. We appreciated his presentation and the pace at which he did the tour.
Charles_S, Oct 2025
English speaking guide was very difficult to understand with the ear piece. Talked way too fast and accent was very strong so understood only half of what was told. If you learned about the area prior then maybe ok to do. I would recommend the experience but guide needs better english or talk much slower
Deborah_N, Oct 2025
This tour was exceptional! The Coliseum, Palentine Hills & Forum were very impressive - photos don't do them justice! Our tour guide, Sandra, was wonderful. She is very knowledgeable about the history, archeology, architecture, geology, and people across the eras. Sandra was also very astute at guiding the tour to avoid "traffic jams" with other tour groups, giving breaks, and pointing out many of the things even a tour book would overlook. I learned so much. I highly recommend the tour, especially with Sandra. I would love to take another tour with Sandra.
Naomi_B, Oct 2025
Fun and engaging tour! The guide was funny and made ancient Rome come alive. A must do experience when in Rome!
Cindy_H, Oct 2025
I did not feel I learned very much at all about the colosseum. They just gave you a map, and audio guide to download. You are much better off spending a little extra and making sure you have a guided tour.
Robert_H, Oct 2025
You need to let clients know that they don’t enter coliseum for an hour and a half after tour starts. We had a plane to catch as well as another pair. My original booking was for 12:30pm which would’ve given us plenty of time to catch our plane. We were informed that the 12:30 tour was cancelled due to technical issues. The tour guide was good. We had to leave the tour once we entered the coliseum, and had to quickly look at the ruins as we walked to the exit.
LauraJo_L, Oct 2025
The sites were amazing but the tour group was average at best. They didn’t communicate proactively and seemed to be executing on their own terms without care for the group needs. Felt the guide could have been more engaging and provided more variety of facts. We weren’t even given moments for pictures at notable spots.
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