Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Guided Tour or AudioGuide Option

Rome, Italy

High interest

Booked 5+ times today.

2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.5

· Thomas_S ·

May 2026

Very nice and good guide. The tour was great. No waiting line, very interesting tour. Thanks very much to the lady who guided us👍

· Richard_K ·

Jul 2026

Excellent tour. Very informative and fun. Lots of information and beautiful scenery. Great experience

Explore our promoted experiences

"From one of our solo tours."

#The guide is with the white t-shirt.

Rome, Italy

5.0

(5)

Private Personalized Architecture Tour of Rome with an Architect

from $185

Price varies by group size

Rome, Italy

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with St Peter’s Basilica Tour

from $151

Likely to Sell Out

Colosseum Tour with Ancient Rome max 12 people

Rome, Italy

4.8

(62)

Colosseum Tour with Ancient Rome max 12 people

from $104

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

No one should leave Rome without visiting the Colosseum, Roman Forum, or Palatine Hill, where the city began—yet understanding the history behind the ruins can be a challenge when visiting independently. Enrich your visit with crucial context on this guided tour which also includes admission. Prefer the freedom of visiting alone? Then opt for entry combined with an audioguide, and listen to recorded insights while you wander.

Stroll around Palatine Hill and learn about the palaces of the Roman emperors
Visit the Roman Forum to see temples, arches, and religious monuments
Choose from a variety of departure times to suit your schedule
Audio guide tour option available for independent travelers

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

A few different morning tour times offer options for beating the afternoon heat.

What's Included

Entrance to the Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
Colosseum entrance ticket (valued at €18 per person)
Colosseum reservation fee (valued at €2 per person)

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Transportation to/from attractions

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Santi Cosma e Damiano
Via 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. You will find our staff wearing a light blue vest with our logos. Please arrive 15 minutes early. The tour cannot be joined in case of delays.

End point

Colosseum
P.za del Colosseo, 1, 00184 Roma RM, Italy

Itinerary

Choose from one of several start times through the morning and afternoon when you book. Then on the day, head to the meeting point on Via Frangipane, near the entrance to the Roman Forum.

Once the site of brutal gladiatorial battle, the amphitheater was the go-to place for the ancient Romans’ entertainment. Hear about the gladiators, wild animals, emperors, and senators as you explore, and imagine the roar of the crowds, centuries ago.

From the Colosseum, you’ll continue to Palatine Hill to see where the emperors built their lavish palaces. Gaze at the view over Circus Maximus where chariot races were held, and look down at the ruined temples of the Roman Forum. Then, get a close-up view as you head inside the forum itself to learn about daily life in Ancient Rome.

After three hours, your tour ends outside the Roman Forum.

Colosseum

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Palatine Hill

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

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 make sure that the names provided EXACTLY MATCH THE NAMES on the passports or ID cards of all participants (children included), otherwise entry to the Colosseum will be denied. A valid ID is required for everyone to enter. Nicknames, missing names, or incorrect first or last names are not accepted by Colosseum guards. Feel free to contact us if you need any assistance with this.
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
Late arrivals will not be refunded
All visitors must pass through a metal detector to enter the Colosseum. No exceptions
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
If you booked the audio guide option, please download the app in advance using Wi-Fi. Once downloaded, it works offline. Earphones are not provided – please bring your own, compatible with your smartphones. Note that older phones may not support the app properly. For bookings after 4:00 PM, you may not have enough time to visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. You can either arrive earlier or visit the Roman Forum the next day.
The Ancient Rome tour involves Steps and a lot of walking on un-even path especially in the Roman Forum . We highly suggest flat confortable shoes. This tour is not suitable for any person with recent surgeries, with disabilities and for people in wheelchairs due to the street level , up street level and steps.
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

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

4.5

based on 718 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Sort by: Most insightful

I'd do it if I was you

Peter_A, Jul 2026

Brilliant tour, watch out for the days temperature. Great guide, brilliant insight. A history lesson you should take.

Back to the past

Pedro_B, Jul 2026

Understand life in ancient Rome, not only the Colloseum but also the Roman forum. Amazing to understand the taughtbprocess in building such an arena, with details still in use today.

Rome tour

Richard_K, Jul 2026

Excellent tour. Very informative and fun. Lots of information and beautiful scenery. Great experience

Great Deal - Know Your Tour Operator Name!!

Michelle_H, Jun 2026

We loved the audio guide skip the line. Quick and easy to get in and enjoy at your own pace. Just remember there are tons of tour operators at the meeting place so know the company name in advance. Mine was Vivitas Travel. Guilia was great communicating with me via the Viator app. She was very organized and I had everything I needed and she gave wonderful instructions. Her colleague who brings the blue flags was late so it did take a while to find them. Thankfully the water sellers know them and helped me find them. Bring water and buy an extra bottle from the water sellers if it’s hot. There’s a fountain in the Coloseu that you WILL need to fill up 2 bottles for everyone in your party.

The won’t even give upto...

Damian_O, Jun 2026

The won’t even give upto 5mins grace, traffic was horrible and the told me no refunds! Don’t use them. Very selfish, even after I communicated with them!

The meetup area is a bit...

Tiffany_T, Jun 2026

The meetup area is a bit chaotic/confusing—don’t bother to show up early because the guides show up on time. They call your name and pass out vouchers (and stickers) then direct you to your group guide. The voucher redemption point and tour beginning is really in the same place. From there, everything runs smoothly. Our guide was knowledgeable, funny & engaging.

2nd party Tour company coordination

Sylvia_P, Jun 2026

Unfortunately we did not receive the message regarding the new meeting point until after our tour. We met at the location provided by the voucher in the Viator App. We were wrongly advised by a number of other tour guides when I asked where our tour was since I saw no light blue shirts (based on instructions on voucher) and who even the tour company was and none indicated anything as related to Viator. It wasn’t until I called to get proper information and the new meeting point was sent. However by that time it was too late and we missed the guide. We were told we could still get into the colloseum so we rushed to make our entry window to get in. So we visited the Collosium on our own with no guide as paid for. Our family was very disappointed in this effort and why the meeting point was changed from what I understood from the Viator voucher. Because of this we missed our tour. I used Viator for tours many times in the past vacations with no problem. I am not happy about missing our tour in Rome as this was also the last day of our stay. I will have to reconsider when traveling abroad due to the circumstances experienced. It was quite an investment and very stressful to make tour and were not accomodated.

Don’t use Viator

Mark_B, Jun 2026

An awful day. Tour company changed the meeting place late by sending an email with new meeting point. No explanation given. I noticed that we had two meeting points so arrived an hour early. Went to original meeting point and queued to speak to check in guy. Wasted 20 mins to be told I wasn’t on the the list. Pointed over the road and said I needed to go there. Found alternative meeting point on map sent to me on email but that was wrong too. Called the number given a few times, no answer so went back to original meeting point, no joy, they couldn’t help. Then received a call from tour guide asking if we were coming. Explained that the meeting point on map was wrong. They sent a video showing the way to another meeting point. We followed this and arrived just after 10am but the tour had left without us. There were 6/8 people with us trying to find the meeting point. We all missed the guided tour because the company changed the meeting point very late and gave incorrect new meeting point on map. Our granddaughter was hoping to use the tour for her school work on Roman life but missed out! Viator have refused a refund. Don’t use this company!

Excellent tour!

Kelly_W, Jun 2026

Wonderful tour! We had a fantastic tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about what he was sharing. We really enjoyed it, and learned a lot. Definitely recommend!

Informative and interesting

Don_V, Jun 2026

Very informative, passionate and friendly tour guide. Knowledgeable and friendly and concerned with all in the group.

Good Tour

Heather_S, Jun 2026

This tour is a medium effort level tour. The tour guide was knowledgeable about the three areas. I wished they would have provided a brief restroom break along the way and time to visit the book shops/souvenir areas.

The tour guide was great...

Noah_H, Jun 2026

The tour guide was great and really knew her stuff. Made it very entertaining and enjoyable. Also did a good job at keeping us in the shade and making the tour not drag on too much.

Audio Guide with no Headphones

Richard_C, May 2026

I was very surprised to find the audio guide we ordered didn't come with headphones. This added 50% to the cost. Some better directions to find the ticket man would be better. For others benefit, there are steps up to Via Colloseo within the metro station.

Coliseum & Forum Tour

Margaret_B, May 2026

The tour guide Elida was really informative. She provided a lot of information took us on some good information we need to understand in English

Great communication, very informative

Grace_W, May 2026

Very easy and communicative in terms of meeting points and the itinerary. Your guide was very good and informative and patient. Would recommend

Amazing

Amy_W, May 2026

Diego was absolutely amazing in his knowledge of the site. We would not have known what we were looking at without his insight.

Fine

Tess_M, May 2026

Obviously the experience of a lifetime…but I wish there were more signs and or that I paid money for a tour with a guide (not just audio).

It was a great...

NorAzieta_K, May 2026

It was a great experience. Everyone must see it once. But try to book with the official site. Better deal. But must do in advance

Great tour, great guide!

Thomas_S, May 2026

Very nice and good guide. The tour was great. No waiting line, very interesting tour. Thanks very much to the lady who guided us👍

if you are looking to...

Dessya_M, Apr 2026

if you are looking to walk around by yourself it was great! we were under the impression we would be in a group tour but we got the tickets and were off by ourself! we had the audio guide downloaded and tried listening to that but ended up just walking around by ourself! I loved how incontact the company was and sent lots of reminders which was a big plus!!!

Need better details on who the tour guide was

Aaron_M, Apr 2026

While we were able to meet up with the group. There was not a clear direction on where optional tour guid would be so we just explored the Collesium alone

Fun and informative

Robert_P, Mar 2026

Knowledgeable and fun, lots of interesting information, organized and friendly. Highly recommend this tour.

Think very carefully about using this agency. The tour was good but almost didn't happen due to their poor management.

Caroline_E, Mar 2026

We booked with Vivicos tours and initially all contact with them was great, very helpful and responsive. We'd booked a tour for 10am on the Sunday. On the Saturday, I messaged them to confirm the ID requirements of the tour and they resent the booking details along with a second message with details of the ID. Only at midnight on the Saturday when I was rechecking the meeting point and specifics about the tickets did I notice they'd changed the booking time to 9am. They had not specifically told me the time had been changed at any point. When they confirmed the time change wasn't a typo (at 00:20h, so that was good) it was simply due to 'operational reasons'. I then had to rearrange meeting times with my friends so that we didn't miss the tour. We had to get a taxi to ensure we got there for 8:45. We got there on time but there was no sign of the guides in the blue tops we were promised. We had to ask a different company who we were looking for, (two people not in any sort of uniform) so another 10mins of panic - I saw two guys turn up in blue tops at 9am, so 15mins late. What we got of the tour was very good, thanks 100% to the guide, Fabrizio. Very informative and great to skip queues for tickets (there's no escaping security queues). He was also helpful when a couple in the group lost their ticket and was able to contact the agency to reach a solution. Fabrizio, if you read this, change agency, they don't do you any favours. We were told the tour was 2 1/2 hours but at 11am, before we'd even got to the Palantine Hill, Fabrizio said it was the end of the tour and he'd got another tour to do immediately afterwards. When I said we'd paid for 3 sites and an extra 30mins (as had a significant number of our tour group) he was confused as he didn't know this but graciously took us to the Palantine Hill with a bit of explanation along the way. We were then left to our own devices to tour ourselves. I knew from the reviews about this agency that people have had issues with being messed around with timings before but because of the high overall review score, I assumed that they were only a tiny majority and that it wouldn't happen to us. Haha!! I guess I should consider myself lucky I spotted the time change myself, with enough notice to change my plans. Two people were no-shows for the tour and I wonder if they hadn't been so lucky. So to conclude, the tour was good but if you're still keen to use this agency, keep checking your messages, reconfirm the details of your booking at a time when you've still got flexibility to change the rest of your schedule if need be and confirm at the start of your tour what your guide thinks you've paid for (if there's confusion at the start, the guide can contact the agency). Even then, I still wouldn't like to guarantee that your tour would go without a hitch. I have to say whether I'd recommend this experience to a friend...having a guide for the Coliseum and Forum was well worth it, I just wouldn't recommend this agency.

Guide was very...

Maddy_C, Mar 2026

Guide was very knowledgeable and clearly enthusiastic about the history and the culture of ancient Rome. We were given headsets which work very well so that we could always hear him.

Excellent tour guide.

Stephen_R, Mar 2026

Definitely comfortable shoes and a bottle of water. The guide (Diego) was extremely knowledgeable and brought the experience to life.

Fun!!!

Matthew_L, Feb 2026

We stayed 1 minute from the Colosseum and could see it from our window, so I wasn’t sure the tour would be worth it… but 10/10 would do again. Everything was so beautiful and in such great shape considering. We also loved the hill & the forums!

Self guided audio

Suzanne_M, Oct 2025

We enjoyed the self guided tour. We were able to see a lot. Having the audio guide was helpful and allowed us to focus on the things we wanted to spend our time.

George was an exceptional...

Sharon_R, Sep 2025

George was an exceptional guide - very knowledgeable, friendly and outgoing with all of the participants. We are so glad to have signed up for the tour. What a wonderful experience.

Our tour guide was...

Rachel_B, Aug 2025

Our tour guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. We skipped all the queues and it was a really enjoyable tour. Would recommend.

Don’t use thistour

Kimberly_R, Aug 2025

There are so many other tour options—do yourself a favor and use any other tour! They change the time of the reservation once it’s past the cancellation window and then tell you that they can’t accommodate you despite having had this reservation for months. Was able to book our desired time with a different tour immediately after- they’re running a scam with this one hoping people just pay and don’t care about the start time.

Likely to Sell Out