Rome: Colosseum, Forum & Palatine with Arena Access + Audio Guide

Rome, Italy

Very popular!

5+ bookings in the past 6 hours.

1 to 3 hours (approx.)
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.4

· Andrea_B ·

Apr 2026

Awe-inspiring. One of the best visits I have made on my European travels. A MUST-SEE. Experience of reserving, getting the ticket and explanation of what's included was seamless. Dream Tours did a great job and were very friendly.

· Kelly_S ·

Mar 2026

Great experience!! Staff was very helpful, didn’t have to wait in lines, overall highly recommend!!!

Overview

Don’t miss the big Rome attraction—the mighty Colosseum—because of budget constraints. Book this visit with an audio guide in advance, and gain access to the three main sites of the Colosseum—including the arena floor—Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill on your Rome vacation. Just remember to bring your headphones for the audio guide, switch on your Wi-Fi, and arrive in plenty of time to give the sites your full attention.

Receive an instant booking confirmation for quick peace of mind
Meet a host for entry assistance at Rome’s most popular attractions
Listen to an audio guide to hear tales of the emperors and gladiators
Admire ruined temples and basilicas at the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

This self-guided Colosseum package includes arena access, an audio guide app—and a host to ensure entry.

What's Included

Entry to the Colosseum with Arena access
Entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Colosseum entrance ticket with Arena access (valued at €24 per person)
Local assistance from a representative
Audio guide app for Colosseum only (requires an internet connection)

Transportation to/from the attraction
Headphones (please bring your own)
Live tour guide

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Piazza del Colosseo
P.za del Colosseo, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Please proceed to the Arch of Constantine, located directly in front of the Colosseum. Once you arrive at the meeting point, contact our host by phone, and he will promptly come to greet you.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Colosseum

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Roman Forum (Pass By)

Palatine Hill (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Most travelers can participate
You must follow the queue for security check although you have bought the priority access.
Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with all travelers' full names at the box office prior to entry may result in denied entry to the colosseum and roman forum.
A valid photo ID is required for all guests at the entrance gate.
Arrive at the entrance of colosseum 15 minutes before time. The entry pass will be invalid after 15 minutes of travel time.
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 24 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 10 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.

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

4.4

based on 227 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Awful

Jayne_P, Apr 2026

Arrived at meeting point as per your app - the person we were due to meet could not be found. The message re tickets was sent into message box and only found that message whilst panicking at the meeting point when trying to contact company. So we downloaded tickets and went into venue ourselves as we were already running late. Also the message re the audio links did not work so could not access that. I attempted to ring the WhatsApp number which rang out. Then at 10:15 45 minutes after our ticket entrance time we had a call and the person asked why had I rang no apologises and no explanation as to what had gone wrong. Over priced awful experience - please provide how we can log a complaint and ask for refund / compensation?

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Hi Jayne, Thank you for your feedback — but I do need to clarify a few important points to avoid any misunderstanding. Your booking was for a self-guided experience, which means there is no mandatory meeting or host required. All tickets, entry instructions, and the audio guide app link were sent to you 3–7 days before your travel date via the Viator message system, along with clear instructions to download and check everything in advance. We also want to clarify that our representative was present at the meeting point — not as a required host, but to assist any travelers who might need help, especially those facing issues downloading or accessing their tickets. This is an additional support service we provide, even though the experience itself is self-guided. From your message, it appears you were able to locate your tickets in the message box and enter the Colosseum successfully, which confirms that the tickets and access were delivered correctly. Regarding the audio guide, the link and setup instructions were also shared in advance. We always recommend downloading and testing it beforehand, as connectivity at the site can sometimes be limited. As for your call, we returned it as soon as it appeared in our system. However, all essential details had already been shared prior to your visit. Finally, regarding pricing — this experience includes: Reserved timed entry Arena access Digital audio guide Pre-visit instructions and support On-site assistance (if needed) Since all services were provided as described, we’re unable to consider this a service failure. If you would still like to submit a formal complaint or request, you may do so directly through the Viator platform. Best regards, Dream Tourism

Must-see

Andrea_B, Apr 2026

Figure It Out On Your Own

Douglas_B, Apr 2026

It was impossible to find a person connected with this tour. We never were sure we were in the correct meeting point and never found a representative for this tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Hi Douglas, Thanks for your feedback. This experience is designed as a self-guided tour, so there isn’t a guide accompanying the visit. The meeting point is primarily for ticket handover and initial assistance, and a host is available there for support if needed. All meeting instructions, including the exact location and how to identify the host, are shared in advance. Many travelers prefer this flexible format as it allows them to explore the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill at their own pace using the audio guide. That said, we understand that finding the meeting point can sometimes feel unclear in a busy area like the Colosseum surroundings. We’ll continue refining our instructions to make the process even more straightforward for future visitors. Best regards, Dream Tourism

Clear communication, easy pickup, good access to most of colosseum

Megan_B, Apr 2026

The whole thing was very organized and our contact, Sak, communicated clearly through WhatsApp. The meeting point was simple enough (arch of Constantine) and he explained well what was included and not. Heads up: the audio guide app drains phone battery very quickly.

Dream Tourism via Viator...

Gina_T, Apr 2026

Dream Tourism via Viator is a good option. I couldn’t get tickets through the original website, so I used the TripAdvisor/Viator website. Dream Tourism communicated well through the Viator app. I received a PDF of my tickets a few days before. I was also instructed to download the official Colosseum app, MyColosseum. Some reviewers have mentioned audio glitches, but the accompanying text is read by audio. Watching YouTube history videos beforehand is better. To be overly prepared, meet the Dream Tourism before the tour. The guide stands near the Arch of Constantine’s benches. They ensure we have tickets, the app, and direct us to lines for the Colosseum and Palantine Hill. Tickets were unavailable through the official Colosseum website, so this was a good option. Alternatively, you could stand in long lines on the day of purchase.

Dream Tourism company provides terrible customer service

Veronica_G, Apr 2026

The third part company, Dream Tourism, staff were incredibly rude and condescending. The sights are wonderful but book through a different company. Dream Tourism was not good.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Hi Veronica, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to read that you felt this way about your experience with our team. This is certainly not the impression we want to leave, and we take comments about customer service very seriously. We always aim to communicate with travelers in a respectful, helpful, and professional manner, so it is disappointing to hear that your experience did not reflect that. We would truly appreciate the opportunity to look into this matter more carefully. Please contact us personally with any details you would like to share, including the date of your visit or the interaction you had, so we can review the situation internally and better understand what happened. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. Best regards, Dream Tourism

Excellent service

Kristi_S, Apr 2026

This tour guide was very helpful and informative. He gave us directions of where to go, options of what to choose, and also directions on how to use the app. He made it very easy to navigate the area so we knew what we were doing. He also sent pictures so we had no trouble finding where to meet. I would look for him again to get a ticket from this tour guide.

Audio app tour for your own convenience

Rita_K, Mar 2026

We booked this last minute, not realizing you can’t buy Colosseum tickets in person. Things were sold out everywhere, especially the arena access, and that was the only thing we really wanted for our son, who looked forward to this visit. We found this at a great price, with no guide but an audio app, which was perfect for our family with little kids. We could go and leave at our own pace and bother no other tour guests. The instruction to find the entrance was clear, it was everything we wanted. Would highly recommend.

Great experience!! Staff...

Kelly_S, Mar 2026

Great experience!! Staff was very helpful, didn’t have to wait in lines, overall highly recommend!!!

Need to plan accordingly to the queues

Kaisa_M, Mar 2026

It was good that person met us in the entrance and explained the queues only thing that would have been nice to know beforehand is that the Palatine hill and Roma Foro will not have an option for skip-the-line. But the same person let us know during the day when the queues were shorter so we did not need to stand in lines for hours.

Great convenience package...

Elizabeth_M, Mar 2026

Great convenience package for access to Colosseum, Forum and Hill areas. The tour company does an excellent job of providing information on meeting time, location and link to official app that visitors may not know. The pass definitely helps get you through the lines quicker. Recommend exploring the app ahead of time and knowing how to navigate it because it can help when you are actually touring the area.

Worst purchase of the trip to Italy

Augusto_M, Mar 2026

Don’t buy this scalped tickets worth 72 euros for over 200 euros. It is a scalper operation, with zero value added. The mycolloseum app didn’t work well at all. Huge waste of time and money. You can buy directly at colloseo.it or get a tour with a guide for more money but with value added.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Dear August, Thank you for your feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet expectations. We would like to clarify that our service is not a resale or scalping operation. The price includes several added services such as reserved entry arrangements, customer support before and during your visit, and access to the audio guide app. These elements are designed to make the experience smoother and more convenient compared to booking standard tickets independently. Regarding the audio guide, we sincerely apologize if it did not function as expected. This is certainly not the experience we aim to provide, and we are continuously working with our partners to improve its performance. We also fully respect your point that travelers may choose official tickets or guided tours depending on their preference. Our goal is simply to offer an alternative option for those who prefer flexibility and assistance. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts—it helps us improve our service. Kind regards, Dream Tourism

Self guided tour. I...

Kenny_T, Mar 2026

Self guided tour. I didn’t use the audio but I still enjoyed it. I got on all 3 levels of the Colosseum but in order to go to the lowest lever you need a guide. Between the Colosseum, Forum & Palatine it’s a lot of walking but you have to do it to get your moneys worth. Overall a great experience

Not Sure What I Paid For

Paul_K, Mar 2026

Couldn’t figure this out really. Enjoyed seeing the Colosseum but I’m not sure what I paid for. We didn’t have to line up to get in so that was good. Was that what the ticket was for or could I have done that anyway with another ticket. But the ‘service’ provided was a guy showing us beforehand how to use an app that gives is a guided tour. Surely I could have done that anyway. On that point, I didn’t know this was going to require me to have headphones and a fully charged battery on my phone. Couldn’t hear the commentary and my phone juiced out after 30 minutes. The ticket included the Forum but we didn’t do that. Our decision. There was no commentary so this part of the offering was definitely ticket only.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Paul, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed visiting the Colosseum and that you were able to enter without waiting in the long general admission lines — that is indeed one of the key benefits of the ticket included in this experience. Just to clarify, the service you booked includes pre-reserved Colosseum Arena Floor access tickets, which are limited and often sell out in advance. With these tickets, your entry time is secured so you don’t need to queue at the ticket office on the day of your visit. Regarding the audio guide, this experience is designed as a self-guided visit using the audio guide app, and our host meets travelers before entry to help with ticket distribution and to explain how to use the app so that everyone can explore the site at their own pace. Many travelers appreciate this flexibility compared to a fixed guided tour. We’re sorry to hear that you couldn’t fully enjoy the audio guide due to headphones and battery issues. We do mention in the booking information that the audio guide runs on your personal smartphone, so bringing headphones and a well-charged phone helps ensure the best experience. The ticket also includes access to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, which you can visit after the Colosseum at your own pace on the same day. Your feedback is very helpful, and we’ll review how we can make these details even clearer for future travelers. We appreciate you visiting Rome with us and hope you still had a memorable time exploring this incredible historical site. Warm regards, Dream Tourism Team

Worth skipping the line for colosseum

Lucinda_F, Feb 2026

Good skip the line, well worth it for the colosseum, recommend you download the audio guide before hand, it was messaged to us the day before, as downloads for palatine hill were an issue due to reception. Host was helpful and pointed us in the right direction for colosseum entry, palatine hill and Roman forum.

Tickets.

Raquel_c, Feb 2026

Getting ticket was difficult if Viator app is not working or you don’t have whats app on your phone. Had to call customer service and they had to text me a screenshot of our tickets. Once in we still didn’t have access to the self guides tour via app. Also the change is time due to closing early had prevented us from see the forum or palatine. We arrived early as directed to see the forum, etc but the area construction and not accessing tickets delayed us. Very frustrating.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Dear Raquel, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We’re truly sorry to hear about the difficulties you faced on the day of your visit and understand how frustrating this must have been. Regarding ticket access, we acknowledge that technical issues with third-party apps or messaging platforms can occasionally cause inconvenience. While our team did their best to assist promptly by sending the ticket screenshot, we understand this was not the smooth experience you were expecting, and we sincerely apologize for that. We also regret that the early closing time and on-site construction affected your ability to fully explore the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Unfortunately, such operational changes are sometimes implemented by the authorities on short notice, but we understand how disappointing this can be—especially when you arrived early and followed the instructions provided. Your feedback is extremely valuable to us, and we are already reviewing our communication and access process to help prevent similar issues in the future. Our goal is always to make our guests’ visits as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Thank you again for your feedback, and we truly hope you’ll consider giving us another opportunity to provide you with a better experience. Warm regards, Dream Tourism Team

1st trip to Rome

ally, Feb 2026

Fab day with history around every corner! Colosseum, palatine Hill and the Roman Forum is a must for history lovers

Skip the line!

Cristina_S, Dec 2025

We booked an audio guided tour. We were met by a person from the company who handled the booking. He was kind and very helpful explaining where to enter. The coliseum is always crowded and a bit daunting to navigate. I was glad that we chose to visit this way.

Dream Vacations through Viator

Michelle_T, Dec 2025

We booked through Viator, but the tour was through Dream Vacations. The tour guide was there to meet us, tell us where to enter and make sure we were taken care of.

Sights great, Audio guide worthless

Marianne_A, Oct 2025

Colosseum, Forum Romanum and Palatine hills are worth the entrance, but dont buy the audio guide option, thats just a waste of money. The app is free to download. Buy just the entrance or a real guide if you feel you need that. What the Viator person did was to show how to download the app and tell us to get in the ques to the white tents. Thats all. Except some whats up messages like ”remember to be on time, 30 min before your ticket time slot” etc. Colosseum Area was good but perhaps you could enjoy just without it since you get close to see the underground from one spot during the lower ring. Perhaps it depend on how crowded it is. It was not too much when we were there (late Oct).

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Dear Marianne, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed visiting the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill — they truly are incredible places to explore. We’re sorry to hear that you were not satisfied with the audio guide experience. Our self-guided tour includes an app-based audio guide, and we always send the ticket, app link, and detailed instructions several days before the tour so travelers can download and prepare everything in advance. As this is a self-guided experience, there is no live host on-site — our team’s role is to ensure you have all materials and guidance beforehand to enjoy the visit at your own pace. We appreciate your feedback, as it helps us keep improving our services and communication for future travelers. Kind regards, Dream Tourism

Basic Colosseum tour, significantly overpriced.

Lembi_R, Oct 2025

The experience consisted of visiting Colosseum in a self-guided tour. You get the electronic tickets a few days in advance. You don't meet anyone but enter Colosseum from the general entrance along with everyone else. You make a tour by yourself in Colosseum, visiting also the arena. You download a free app that you can listen while there. You go and visit Foro Romano later during the day, again by yourself. Very straightforward. However, considering the price paid, the entire thing looks and feels rather like a scam. It is exactly what you would get when booking full experience tickets directly at Colosseum official website. The only problem is that there are no official tickets available, weeks and months before your visit, because tour 'companies' like this one have bought them in advance. And they charge you almost three times the price - the tickets for two adults (24 eur/person + 2 eur booking fee) and two kids (free) is approximately 50 eur officially, so paying more than 130 eur for the same thing is not correct. So if you book this experience, just be aware of this reality.

Dreams did well!

Claire_L, Oct 2025

Well organised; helpful guide from Dreams…would recommend…..far more reasonable and better organised than tye Vatican museums……the Colosseum is the highlight of our holiday!

Good when the official tickets are sold out

Timothy_L, Oct 2025

The guide was a little difficult to find but didn’t end up being necessary. He just told us which way to go in. You have to download the audio guide ahead of time, but it appears that the audio guys just the official Colosseum audio guide anyway. I recommend the Rick Steves audio tours.

Wonderful experience

Suzanna_T, Aug 2025

Absolutely amazing place to visit, so much to see and learn about. A lot of walking, so sensible shoes!!

Easy way to see these great sights without a guide

Christian_B, Jul 2025

We had no issues gaining entry with this service and found it a perfect way to enjoy the Colosseum. Guides are great to give you lots of information, but if you want to explore at your own speed and just take in the surroundings, then this is perfect. The Colosseum is well organised and clear in the direction to make your way around in 2.5 hours I would suggest you plan your day around spending a good amount of time at Rome Forum and Palantine hill. Firstly I understand you don't need to enter across from the Colosseum, there are other entries where the line is not as long. Secondly these sites are huge and in the heat of the day, can be a challenge for the family. I would suggest expecting 2 more hours here, and either eat between entering the forum or bring food. It was an amazing experience walking through the old cellars and along the temples.

If you want to lose the will to live and put your blood pressure to stratospheric heights this is the app for you!

Sara_B, Jun 2025

Audio guide didn't work. One of our party only had the relevant download if she switched to Ukrainian. App was glitchy, couldn't see the download points. Screen froze. Rep tried to help, but was useless. Kept saying that it worked outside the Colloseum (which it did) Email on website didn't work. Really very poor.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Dear Sara, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about the trouble you faced with the audio guide app. Please note that we always provide the download link and detailed instructions at least 7 days prior to the tour to ensure travelers have enough time to set everything up in advance. The app generally works well when downloaded and tested beforehand, as connectivity inside the Colosseum can be limited. Our on-site representative did their best to assist, but unfortunately, real-time troubleshooting can be difficult due to the app’s dependence on pre-tour setup. We appreciate your comments and will continue working with the app developers to improve the user experience. Thank you again for your understanding. Warm regards, Dream Tourism

We had a good tour ....

JULIE_B, Jun 2025

We had a good tour . If you are opting for a self guided tour . Please download not just the app but also the audio . And carry your headphones.

Disappointed

Brendan_J, Dec 2024

It was very traumatic trying to find the guide and details were poor. There was an expectation that an audio guide would have been provided for the cost of the 'tour'.

A must-see but use a personal guide

Marijke_S, Nov 2024

The Colosseum itself is mindblowing, the audio guide was difficult to download, get working,keep up with wjere we were and understand due to non-native English speaker. The colosseum / forum itself is v badly signposted.

No service, no info, if you don’t have right app

Jill_C, Nov 2024

Do NOT go with this company. The instructions are very vague and you never get your tickets via pdf. No matter that how many notices you get from Viatour that “press to get tickets”. You must have “whatsapp”. That is never explained that you MUST have that app. No printing ticket, no pdf, no audio tour. I did not get any audio tour and barely got my tickets if I didn’t have a driver helping. The guy is hard to find- again no instructions on any email or text. Name of company is very tiny and hard to find who to meet. Just by the arch of Constantine. There are 100’s of people there. I had to ask and he says green and white flag. There is no green. The flag is about 6” big and white. Not very helpful. I got totally ripped. No time to download app because of timed entry. There were enough other very visual companies there. Go with them.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear about your experience, and we’d like to address your concerns. Regarding the "WhatsApp" issue, we request WhatsApp and email details just in case you face difficulty downloading the ticket from Viator. We always send tickets via Viator and made sure to send instructions and the audio guide link, as we do with all our customers. While we understand that technology can sometimes be tricky, we’ve received positive feedback from many customers who found the process straightforward. We were trying to assist, but it seems our efforts were not fully understood, which is disappointing. Regarding the guide's location, we sincerely apologize for any confusion. Our guide did call you, and we believe there may have been a missed connection. Many other customers have found our hosts very helpful in locating them, so please take a moment to read their reviews. We always aim to improve and ensure our customers feel supported every step of the way. Your feedback is valuable, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future.

Likely to Sell Out