Colosseum with Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour
Rome, Italy
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Save precious vacation time when you book this tour of the Colosseum and Ancient Rome with either an audio guide or a tour guide, so you don't miss out on valuable information. Even better, it includes access to the reconstructed Arena Floor, usually off-limits to the public. After visiting the ancient gladiatorial arena, proceed to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, to recount the story of Rome’s founding.
- Prefer to explore on your own? Opt for the audio-guided tour
- Enjoy a unique perspective of the Colosseum from the arena floor
- Hear stories and insights from your guide you'd otherwise miss
- Morning and afternoon tour times to suit your schedule
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Get arena floor access and benefit from the flexibility to choose a self-guided or guided tour.
What's Included
- Entrance to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (if option selected)
- Colosseum entrance ticket (valued at €24 per person)
- Colosseum reservation fee (valued at €2 per person)
- Pre-purchased tickets to skip the ticket's desk line
- Professional Tour Guide (not included for Audioguide Option)
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transportation to/from attractions
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. 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
- ColosseumP.za del Colosseo, 1, 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 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
- 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
- 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.
- If you choose the semi-private option, please note that our tours are designed for up to 12 guests per guide to ensure a personal and immersive experience. Occasionally, to keep families or friends together, the group size may be slightly larger. In other cases, the group may have fewer than 12 participants. This flexibility helps us provide the best possible experience for everyone.
- 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 24 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.4
based on 3,723 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Kim_L, Jul 2026
Excellent trip and fab energetic guide Georgia very knowledgeable giving you just the right information needed also very good at keeping everyone upbeat and hydrated despite the extreme temperature
The only one thing u woyid say is myself and my teenage daughter works have liked a little longer in the colosseum to explore the upper level
Gladys_G, Jul 2026
Our family of 6, including 8yr old, truly enjoyed this amazing experience! Our guide, Max or Massimo, was very patient with all participants during a very hot day and provided a great deal of historical information about the Colosseum. We really appreciated him being flexible with us taking breaks and answering our questions as needed. However, it was upsetting to us that when we tried to go up to the 1st & 2nd levels, we were told that we couldn’t use the elevator as we didn’t have the ‘full experience’ with attic access, we only had the arena floor access. The guards pointed it out on our tickets and we were confused as we were told we couldn’t take the stairs either! The ticket we purchased clearly advertised access to these levels and states “full experience”. We were told we could buy an additional ticket if we wanted to go up. Since Max had left at this point, we had no one to speak to about this situation. Other tour participants from our group of 12 also had the same problem. So, although we did have a good time, that last part left us feeling a bit swindled.
Nicole_B, Jul 2026
Tour company not helpful and only want your money! They don’t try and help you out when circumstances arise out of your control and won’t give you a refund! Do not recommend
Robert_C, Jul 2026
Our guide Guiseppe did a fantastic job. It was sweltering hot and he found all the shady spots to help us cool down. He was extremely knowledgeable and explained much of the history of the Roman emporers who built the structures. He spoke English very well and definitely did an A+ job!
On the downside, the company changed our tour time to later than we booked, and the heat was worse as a result. And they deleted the tour segment of the Colosseum arena and could not tell us what amount they might refund for the reduced access.
But Giuseppe's fantastic job made it all worthwhile.
Robert_T, Jul 2026
Tour guide was a history teacher. He was fantastic and with lots of information. Our small group (7) were asking questions and our guide encouraged it. I had a much better understnding of the history (time line) and how things were done. Loved the tour
MelinaM_M, Jul 2026
Easy instructions for meeting point text and emails and reminders the day before in an hour before both from the app and the text made it extremely easy to find what I was looking for. True guide was amazing and very knowledgeable.
Jennifer_S, Jul 2026
This tour was really good and a great way to see/experience Rome on our first day. My daughter has been dreaming about visiting the Colosseum and this tour did not disappoint!!
Mridul_B, Jun 2026
Dropping one star because Arena access was dropped from our booking few days before the tour although we have made reservation a month in advance. We did take the tour and overall it was still a good experience. Our guide was knowledgeable, friendly and covered the historical site details well. We were also provided a partial refund and tour operator communicated well with text to confirm and remind about the time and meeting point.
Joanne_S, Jun 2026
Paula was fantastic.She was a wealth of knowledge. She spent to e explaining each area and importance inthat era
Lynda_G, Jun 2026
This tour of the Colosseum and surrounding area was great. Our tour guide was wonderful and provided us with lots of information about the sites. He was very personable and also provided some humor. We appreciated him very much.
JAMIE_K, Jun 2026
Our tour was delayed by an hour and a half and the Floor part of the tour was canceled and a partial refund promised but never given. Being delayed we only had time to see the Colosseum and not the rest of the tour due to a train we needed to catch. So we ended up paying way too much for this tour and only seen the Colosseum. On the other hand the tour guide was excellent!
Maurilio_M, Jun 2026
Our tour was absolutely fantastic! The guide Gisele was knowledgeable, engaging, and brought the history of Ancient Rome to life. Learning about the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the incredible stories behind these iconic landmarks made the experience unforgettable. The tour was well organized, easy to follow, and worth every minute. Highly recommend it to anyone visiting Rome!
Brian_G, Jun 2026
Diego was great. Very knowledgeable and had a great attitude. Some great movie references. Prepare to walk fast!
hjkay, May 2026
Guide was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. My second visit to these and learned lots of new history. Recommended
Barb_B, May 2026
Felt rushed and missed alot. Wished I had done it on my own. The group ended up splitting up. Spend the money on more access to colosseum
Lazaro_C, May 2026
The guide was excellent she's explaining very well everything we have a great time the only reason I give a 3 starts because I was very disappointed that we just on the arena taking some pictures and sit down to explaining what happens there we didn't have a slight of chance to go inside .
Just at front of the arena in that's it if you want to go inside be sure because is not gonna happen in this one
Robert_R, May 2026
We got a change in time 4 days ago. When we arrived today, while waiting for our guide we received a cancellation only 6 minutes before! Terrible
PAUL_I, May 2026
What an outstanding tour Massimo gave. Knowledgeable and funny too. The history is so amazing. The Colosseum is gigantic from the inside and an engineering marvel.
Patrick_B, May 2026
Tour guide was very pleasant, knowledgeable, professional and engaged very well with the group, and invited questions.
moced121, May 2026
Could someone please reach out to me? The tour left without me. I need a refund. The meeting point directions were not clear
Jessica_G, May 2026
We felt completely misled by this purchase.
We booked this experience months in advance specifically because it included access to the Colosseum Arena. At that time, only standard tickets were available on the official website, and my children were very excited about experiencing the Arena.
However, once we were already in Rome, Viator informed us that due to “Colosseum capacity restrictions,” they could no longer provide Arena access and would only offer standard admission tickets instead. We felt forced to accept because there was no longer availability on the official site, and we did not want our children to miss the opportunity to visit the Colosseum.
In the end, we paid USD 227 for tickets that were worth far less than what we originally purchased. We understand that operational changes can happen, but informing customers only when they are already at the destination and without realistic alternatives feels extremely unfair.
The final impression is that a service was sold that could not actually be guaranteed, which significantly affected our family’s experience and expectations.
Jason_M, May 2026
Excellent tour, Diego was the best. Very informative and knowledgeable not only about the areas we visited but in overall knowledge. Highly recommend this tour. Thank you, Diego for making it a great tour!!
Julie_C, May 2026
The check in process was so chaotic. Maybe assigning “group colors” prior to would help? It was very overwhelming, and hard to hear what the instructions were. The tour headsets were awful. Half of them didn’t work, holding up the tour for troubleshooting and replacements…and when they did work, the quality of sound was not good.
The tour guide was very knowledgeable.
Keri_C, May 2026
The operator contacted me 2 days before and cancelled part of our excursion and changed the time. I had no option but to accept this change as there was no availability on other ties at such short notice. The operator told me I need to contact Viator for a partial refund, and Viator say they can’t refund this as the operator has not approved it. Poor service and will not book with Viator again.
Jane_R, May 2026
The tour is a must do but avoid viator as the tour company. I booked my tour 2 months in advance. We were to visit the Vatican on the 30th of April and the Coliseum on May 1, which unbeknownst to me is a major holiday in Italy. One week before my trip they notify me that they have to cancel the coliseum tour due to the holiday. They offered to change it to the 30th. When I replied back to inquire as to why they allowed me to book for May 1, (they should have known it was a holiday) I never received a response. I proceeded to cancel the booking completely. I booked another tour (the same exact one) for the 30th at 4pm in the afternoon. It was supposed to include a tour of walking the arena. Once again 3 days before the tour i receive a message that they have to change the time to 4:30pm and thay it will not include the arena.
jordan_k, Apr 2026
The guide was very knowledgeable and very good guide! He went above and beyond to make sure we knew!
Bianca_D, Apr 2026
It was amazing! I recommend! Seeing Rome with a guide and diving into its history make you understand how great and important this place is for history .
Patricia_V, Apr 2026
The tour is very comprehensive, the meeting point was complicated and we almost arrived late, but the tour was very good.
Michael_R, Apr 2026
Great tour! The tour guide was very informative and knowledgeable! She even went out of her way and helped us find our way back to our hotel. Just be prepared to do a lot of walking and lots of stairs! Highly recommended!
Stacy_G, Apr 2026
Words cannot explain this tour. We had a small guided tour which was incredible and our tour guide was amazing and shared so many details about the history. Answered all of our questions. If you can after walk around the area there is so much to see.
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