Colosseum Arena, Underground, or Regular Entry & Roman Forum Tour

Recommended by 91% of travelers

Rome, Italy

Very popular!

5+ bookings in the past 6 hours.

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

Why travelers loved this

4.7

· Christina_S ·

Jun 2026

This tour was awesome! Rosy was an amazing guide. She’s very knowledgeable and has a history/archeology background and really helped us understand the importance of these places. She was very pleasant and made sure everyone could hear and keep up. Lots of walking but the pace was good and she was constantly trying to find us shade. Loved this tour!

· Madison_T ·

May 2026

This was great! Our tour guide was very fun, animated & friendly. It was very hot the day we went and I felt she did a great job of keeping us in the shade when available before taking us to all the main areas to see. She offered to take pictures for those in the group at a few spots and explained meaning behind everything.

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Overview

Not all visitors to the Colosseum get to see all of its areas. This guided tour provides access to parts of this ancient arena that are usually off-limits. Choose to explore either the arena floor or the underground during this experience, and walk in the footsteps of gladiators. After your visit, continue your tour at the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill and gain deeper insight into Ancient Roman life.

Visit three ancient ruins in one single tour
Learn more than you would exploring alone with live commentary
Don't miss a word your guide says with provided audio headsets
Upgrade to private tour to suit your preferences

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Explore the Colosseum’s arena or underground—exclusive areas that many tours don’t get access to.

What's Included

In-depth introduction to the Colosseum with an expert guide
Guided visit of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Live expert guide & earphones to hear your guide clearly
Colosseum Arena/Underground visit (only with "Arena" or "Underground" options) worth €18–€24
Roma Pass: 2-days tourist-card (only with "Colosseum Freedom Experience" option) valued at €38
2-days public transport with the Roma Pass (only with "Colosseum Freedom Experience" option)
Reduced price on museums with the Roma Pass (only with "Colosseum Freedom Experience" option)
Ticket to Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, valued at 18 Euros (with both options)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

P.za del Colosseo, 21, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Meet us at the green kiosk at street level outside “Colosseo” metro station - Line B (blue line). Look for a member of staff holding a yellow Touriks sign. There’s also an upper floor exit of the metro station; please meet us downstairs. Please arrive 30 minutes before your starting time.

End point

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

Itinerary

Meet your guide and group at the designated departure point in central Rome. Begin your visit at the Colosseum, where you access restricted areas not included on standard visits, including the underground chambers and the Arena floor.

As you explore, learn how gladiators, animals, and stage crews once operated behind the scenes, and gain insight into daily life in ancient Rome.

Continue past the Arch of Constantine before walking into the Roman Forum, once the political and social center of the empire. Follow a clearly planned route through temples, basilicas, and public squares while hearing stories of emperors, senators, warriors, and religious traditions.

Climb onto Palatine Hill for elevated views over the ruins and surrounding city, and learn why this area became the preferred residence of Rome’s elite.

Throughout the half-day experience, your guide provides historical context and explanations, allowing you to explore at a steady pace while focusing on key landmarks.

The tour concludes within the archaeological zone, leaving you free to continue exploring independently.

Roman Forum

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Palatine Hill

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Arch of Constantine

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Colosseum

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Ludus Magnus

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
IMPORTANT: Please provide the full names of all travellers (specifying who is younger than 18). Missing/wrong information may result in denied entry.
Please make sure to provide the names exactly as they appear on the ID or passport.

Each participant will be asked to present a valid passport or ID card, at the entrance of Roman Forum / Colosseum, that matches the name provided at the time of booking.
You will pass through strict security checks both at the Colosseum and at the Roman Forum entrance. Please be aware that security check lines are not skippable.
A moderate amount of walking and steps are involved; wear comfortable walking shoes
Please be at the meeting point 30 minutes before the tour starts in order to complete the signup. We might not be able to accommodate, refund or reschedule late arrivals
This tour is subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
Flying drones and knives of any kind are strictly forbidden. Neither trolleys and big backpacks nor animals are allowed into the Colosseum. Glass/metal containers and sprays of any kind are also not allowed.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 7 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

4.7

based on 5,263 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Cancelled portions of tour day before tour

Kelly_G, Jul 2026

Travellers should know that actually getting in to the Colloseum with this tour will not happen. We had it cancelled the day before we were supposed to do the tour. We still were offered a tour of Palantine Hill, the Forum, and outside the Colloseum but we had to buy extra tickets to get inside the Colloseum and then wait to get in. Do not expect that you will get inside the Colloseum with this tour. We were offered a reduction in cost (which was good) but it left us scrambling at the last minute trying to find a way inside. The whole reason we booked 9 months ahead of time was so that we wouldn’t have to hustle at the last minute for tickets. The tour guide we had for the other areas was lovely and knowledgeable. This review in no way reflects the job that she did.

Huge disappointed (avoid!!)

Lee_W, Jul 2026

The trip started off with them having issues with the tickets they had printed out for everyone which left our group standing in the blistering heat for over an hour, eventually managed to get access to the Roman forum, once this finished we were told that we couldn't get access to the colosseum as there was further issues with the tickets and that we had to book our own tickets, they didn't give any further explanation other then a quick sorry and then disappeared with saying they would give us 60% refund. (You get free access to the Roman forum when you purchase a colosseum ticket) so the refund should have been 100% due to waisting everyone's time and the whole reason people book this trip is to access the colosseum. As you could image all the floor access tickets to the colosseum were sold out which then completely ruined our trip, I would never use this company again to purchase tickets because you'll just be left disappointed.

The tour guide was so...

Mark_F, Jul 2026

The tour guide was so knowledgeable and friendly! The team accommodated the group during some last minute changes to help with ensuring we could see everything!

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour.

Brilliant tour

Sarah_L, Jul 2026

Amazing tour Dona the guide was very informative. The tour was about 2.5 hours would highly recommend going on the arena floor was brilliant.

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour.

Great Tour

Chandana_N, Jul 2026

We had a wonderful time with Francesca. She was very knowledgeable with helpful illustrations for us to learn about the historical context of the sites. Long tour on uneven surfaces and steps, so wear good walking shoes. If you’re going in the summer bring a hand fan and water bottle. There are water fountains for filling the bottles.

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour.

Very interesting tour

Silvia_G, Jul 2026

The tour started at the Roman forum and ended in the Colosseum which was just perfect. Really worth it, the guide is essential for the Roman forum

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thank you so much, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed our tour!

Fake tour

Jennifer_B, Jul 2026

This vendor could not get us in. Was a complete waste of time. This tour group was likely an unofficial scalper group.

Skip the line at the Vatican

Kimberly_C, Jul 2026

Incredible! Christina is such a fabulous guide! She looked out for all of us, keeping us in the shade and AC (while other guides talked directly in the sun). Christina found us some benches and AC, and had her pics with her to share about the Vatican. We learned so much about the Vatican, and some ins and outs about Italy, too! She made it really fun!!

Great thorough tour of an essential part of Rome!

lucy_d, Jul 2026

It is very worth it! Guide Francesca was very knowledgeable & entertaining. She kept the group engaged even though it was a 3 hour tour and it was a very hot day. Very kind, letting us know where the bathrooms were, were the fountains were and also brought additional visual aids to help with her explanations. She was really great.

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour with Francesca.

Laura was very...

Amanda_M, Jun 2026

Laura was very knowledgeable. Added historical information as well as info about local plants. Very mindful of the extreme heat. She was fabulous.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you so much, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour with Laura.

Great Tour

Ryan_R, Jun 2026

Good tour, lots of knowledge and fun experience. Tour guide was knowledgeable and very passionate about everything he was teaching us

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum tour with us.

Failed Colosseum Arena Tour

Trevor_G, Jun 2026

Our tour was with Touriks. We confirmed the Colosseum and Arena floor 2 days ahead of time. When we got there, we were told that all of the tickets in the group were invalid. We had to buy a new ticket, no Arena floor, and got in an hour late. This is becoming more common. The tour was a let down. Sam was nice, and had lots of information; unfortunately too much time was spent on non-Colosseum details and it moved too slowly. We had to leave before we even got to the Forum or Palatine Hill portion as we had other tickets that we could not miss. Buyer beware, they are cracking down on third party tour groups!

It was wonderful and very...

Angela_D, Jun 2026

It was wonderful and very informative. Our guide was very knowledgable and very funny. He made the experience so much better.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you - we are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour.

A++ Great Tour For Bucket List

J_J, Jun 2026

Great experience! Patient guide who allowed time for photos, and also gave great detail of tour history. Worth the time & memories.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour.

Recommended!

Elizabeth_M, Jun 2026

We had a great time on our tour. She was knowledgeable and informative. We all really appreciated our guide’s thoughtfulness about the impact the unusually hot weather would have on us and she kept us in the shade as much as possible. She was also extremely accommodating to the folks who were less agile and needed to use the elevator. I wish she was the guide on all of our tours here in Rome!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you, we are so glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour!

Colosseum

Wayne_H, Jun 2026

Very disappointing paid for colosseum and arena tour only to be told at gates at colosseum that our tickets were not valid. We than had to purchase new tickets and told by tour operator that we would only receive a 40% refund . Our guide was fantastic and full of knowledge just wish the rest of organisation was as good.

Mario was extremely...

John_C, Jun 2026

Mario was extremely knowledgeable and did a great job of explaining what we were seeing and how it was built thousands of years ago. He included humor where it was appropriate which helped maintained everyone’s interest!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum tour with Mario!

Excellent Tour Led Manola

Laramie_S, Jun 2026

Highly recommend this tour! Our guide, Manola, was fantastic — extremely knowledgeable and engaging throughout. She brought the history to life with vivid stories that made the Roman ruins feel real. If you are looking for a tour covering the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum, this is the option to choose.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you so much, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum tour with Manola!

Good until we got left behind at the end

Karen_D, Jun 2026

This tour of course has a lot of walking. Near the end when my 65 year old husband was offered the elevator in the coliseum, he accepted. The guide said he would meet us at the top. By the time we managed to get in the third elevator, our tour group was gone and we never found them again. We spent a frustrating hour searching and figuring out how to return the audio devices. We asked Viator for a refund and they declined. It seems like a breach of contract to me and is certainly a cautionary tale about separating even briefly and with permission from the group.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your review. We are sorry to hear that you did not enjoy our tour. We did speak with the guide and they said they wait for a bit and did not see you, so they thought you had left. For any future issues, please note that the voucher has our phone number that you can use to call us.

This tour is a must-book....

Morgan_D, Jun 2026

This tour is a must-book. Laura was our tour guide and she was so knowledgeable. It was so amazing and a perfect amount of time. We went on a hot day and she was great about being accomodating for everyone and doing everything she could for this experience to be so enjoyable for all. She was so smart and amazing at answering questions and providing little fun facts that were so memorable! So glad we did this!!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you so much, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour with Laura!

Tour guide was a wealth of information!

Janelle_C, Jun 2026

Our tour guide was a wealth of information. We had many curious questions from our group and she expertly answered them based on historical facts. So interesting! Was a highlight of our trip!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour!

Great way to experience the sites!

Robyn_T, Jun 2026

Great experience! Our guide was very knowledgeable and informative. I particularly enjoyed the Palatine hill segment which was very beautiful. We went in June so definitely recommend cool clothing and sun protection as most of the ruins are uncovered. We got the ‘Arena’ experience and it was great to see the ground floor where the gladiators fought in ancient times. Would definitely recommend this tour as a great way to experience the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you so much, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum Arena and Forum guided tour!

Always book with aviator!

Donnie_T, Jun 2026

Dr. Jones, our guide was the best! He was very knowledgeable and full of history facts we would never have known!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the Colosseum guided tour with us.

Amazing experience! ...

nene_k, Jun 2026

Amazing experience! Our guide was very knowledgeable, informative and helpful. Highly recommended tour but be prepared to do a lot of walking. Tennis shoes are a must.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the Colosseum guided tour with us.

Well organised and an excellent guide - Recommended!

Joe_B, Jun 2026

This tour was well organised and our guide Rosy was excellent and easy to hear via the provided ear piece She was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and her insights really added to the experience - we learnt so much more than we would have done without a guide Recommended!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the Colosseum guided tour with us.

Our guide was very...

Heather_M, Jun 2026

Our guide was very knowledgeable. Definitely glad we booked the morning tour as it was packed by the time we were ending. Also it gets hot quickly in the summer months.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum guided tour.

Exceptional tour with a...

Melissa_L, Jun 2026

Exceptional tour with a knowledgeable and extremely funny guide. Originally had booked the underground portion with forum (6 months prior) but operator cancelled at last minute and we were able to secure arena floor and forum. No longer disappointed and even had a chance to see down in to underground and learn a bit about it. Forum was also incredible.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you so much, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed our Colosseum and Roman Forum guided tour!

Misleading ticket description for what's included

Jennifer_D, Jun 2026

This should have been a 5 star tour, had it actually included all the sites listed. Our tour guide took us to Palatine Hill, and then the Colosseum. When some of the group asked about the Roman forum at the end, she said separate tickets would need to be purchased to see that area. The description of what we paid for said it was included, so I was definitely mad that we didn't get to see the forum in person. We took our tickets to the forum to verify, and they did say that it was not included in that ticket since the guide took us to Palatine hill instead, when all 3 should have been included per the description. This tour was not cheap, and I didnt want to pay even more to see a site that was supposed to have been in what we paid for.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

We are sorry to hear that you did not enjoy this tour with us, however it seems very unlikely that the guide did not tour the Forum. The Palatine Hill is located inside the Roman Forum and you must walk around most of it before reaching the hill. The guide you had on your tour is an art historian and she always gives explanations to most locations in the Roman Forum. We will check regarding the issue, but it is known to every guide that the one ticket you hold allows the visit to both the Forum and the Hill (as they are in the same area and the entrance includes access for all).