Rome: Colosseum Underground Full Experience Tour
Rome, Italy
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Walk in the footsteps of the gladiators in this group tour of the Colosseum. Head underground to its tunnels and chambers where lions and tigers were kept and fighters awaited their fate. Step out onto the arena floor and hear thrilling tales of combat, and climb its tiered platforms where spectators gathered. Includes access to the nearby Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum.
- Immerse yourself in the history of the Colosseum on this guided tour
- See the atmospheric underground tunnels and chambers
- Timed entry allows you to walk right in without a wait
- Head to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum to explore at your own pace
What's Included
- Admission Tickets
- Certified tour guide
- Access to the Colosseum's restricted underground
- Access to Arena level, first and the second levels of Colosseum
- Entry tickets to Palatine hill and Roman Forum
- Colosseum entrance ticket with arena and underground access (valued at €32 per person)
- Colosseum reservation fee (valued at €2 per person)
- Note: Colosseum fees are as above. The remaining cost of the experience covers other services
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- P.za del Colosseo, 23, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Meeting point is in front of the Colosseum metro station (on the lower level), by the green Kiosk (ATM)
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Colosseum
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Upon booking, entering the name of all travelers is mandatory as the tickets are nominative
- Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with all travelers' full names at the ticket office prior to entry may result in denied entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Having ID card/passport for all the participants is mandatory (copy on the phone is OK)
- 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 25 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
3.5
based on 35 reviews
Allison_B, Mar 2026
Very hard to understand the guide as her English wasn’t very good. Disappointed! Tour ended abruptly.
Brian_H, Oct 2025
Getting to the meeting point was a bit of a struggle. Due to incorrect information from officials . We felt it was exspensive for what we did.
Kirsten_K, Sep 2025
Very cool experience with a very knowledgeable tour guide. She told great stories and actively engaged everyone on the tour. A fantastic experience!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
So happy to hear that you had such a great time!
Our guides love bringing history to life, and it’s amazing to know you enjoyed the stories and energy of the tour.
Peter_C, Sep 2025
I had to piece all of this information together myself over many reviews and speaking to the real tour guides in Rome, so I’m trying to help get you all of the information I’ve gathered without having to waste the hours (and money!) I did.
The experience itself is 5-stars, no complaints AT ALL. But here’s the thing - every one of these underground experiences you see on ANY of these sites, including Viator, is just a scalper robbing you blind. The underground experience is ONLY run by the Colosseum staff itself and ONLY sold through their website. This booking company has nothing whatsoever to do with the tour, they’re just here to get an exorbitant amount of money from their customers by gobbling up all the tickets and reselling the back to you at 7 times the cost (or more!)
Tickets for the underground tour are sold directly through the Colosseum 30 days before the tour, to the hour ROME TIME (7 days in advance if you prefer the night tour). The actual price for this tour, the price that will be on your ticket even if you book through this company is €24. That’s right - €24. That’s with the €8 surcharge for an English speaking guide. If you take an Italian tour it’s €18.
If you’re reading this with enough time before your trip, congratulations, you still have a shot. Companies like this one steal all of the tickets the moment they come on sale, so you have to be vigilant and be ready to refresh the page and fight the bots for your tickets!
The tour itself is just incredible. Our tour guide was a Roman archeologist named Julia and she deserves all the praise in the world. Knowledgeable, kind, and engaging throughout the tour. She answered every question with passion - she clearly loves her job. Again, she is employed by the Colosseum and Roman Tours no deserves no credit whatsoever for any part of her abilities or our experience
Oh and don’t listen to the fools who can’t find the meeting points. If you are in any way a capable person with a working head on your shoulders, you will have no trouble finding where to go. Honestly, I can’t believe anyone would have an issue - it’s that obvious. There are also tons of colosseum employees ready to help at every step. Again, whatever company you booked with, including this one, is not running your tour. Don’t go asking them where the Roman Tours group is, they’ll look at you like you’re crazy. They don’t know because Roman Tours only exists to take your money and leave you in the hands of the Colosseum staff
The adventure itself is like no other. If you’re in the same boat I was with no other recourse, do it. It’s fascinating history and a beautiful walk through time. It doesn’t matter what company you book with - find the cheapest ticket, and just bite the bullet. Just avoid this nonsense if you can. Happy travels!
marita_G, Sep 2025
All of the underground tour tickets have ben purchased by middlemen who resell on Viator and make a killing. We thought our tour guide was from the company advertising on Viator. No. Our tour guide was an employee of the Coliseum. The Coliseum provides tours of the underground and entrance to the Forum and Palatine for 18 Euros+ 6 Euros= 24 Euros. We paid 150+ Euros a person for a tour whose tickets were bought by this Viator affiliated company and inflated 600%. Now we know. These companies buy all the tickets for the underground tours when they are released 30 days in advance. Don't pay the middle man! Get online 30 days before the day you need and buy your underground Coliseum tickets directly from the Coliseum. BTW: We have enjoyed Viator tours (for example the Rome Trastevere Food Tour). Buying up tickets to corner the market and make a killing is not what we thought we were buying. We'd rather give $100 to the Coliseum so archeologists can continue their good work.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
We understand your frustration, but this is not accurate.
The Colosseum Underground Tour is a guided experience, and the price you paid reflects far more than just the basic entry ticket. It includes:
Securing extremely limited underground access tickets that sell out within seconds of release,
Professional licensed guides,
Customer service and booking support,
Handling logistics and communications in your language.
Official Colosseum tickets at €24 do not include a guided underground experience, nor do they provide any assistance. The guides you saw inside the Colosseum are employees running the tour itself, but access is managed by external tour operators who must reserve those slots in advance.
It’s important to note that nobody is “cornering the market”, demand for these tours is simply much higher than supply. Our role is to make sure travelers who want a seamless experience actually get access, rather than having to fight for tickets on their own and risk missing out entirely.
We’re sorry you feel disappointed, but the service you booked delivered exactly what was promised: guaranteed access, professional guidance, and a smooth experience without stress.
Jocelyn_K, Sep 2025
I was disappointed that the tour company emailed and told us we had to change our time to the afternoon, we booked for the morning for a reason as we had other things booked, however the only choice was in the afternoon or the next day and we were not in Rome the following day. We I also a little disappointed with the tour as it cost a lot extra but didn’t really take you through a lot of underground area, it was rather short.
However I can say it’s been ticked off and at least we got to see it but you aren’t missing much if you go underground.
David_W, Sep 2025
I would not use the tour company. We arrived at tour site 45 minutes early and we the site with three different tour companies that we were at the correct site. I tried to contact the tour company with no response. We had to buy tickets with another tour company or our day would have been wasted.
Steven_W, Jun 2025
Seven of us/3 generations were to take this tour. It was the focus and highlight of our trip for all…The tour operator never showed up!!!!! we called repeatedly and were told they were here, but they were never found!! My credit card was still charged for this tour over $1000 and even after trying to dispute it with my card company and VIATOR— they would NOT refund my money or give me credit or anything!! Be aware of
this deceptive practice!!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Dear traveler,
After carefully checking our records, we could not locate any booking under your name or that matches the situation described. This has been very shocking and concerning for us, as we take our customer service and reliability very seriously.
To clarify a few important points:
• This tour only allows up to 6 participants per booking, so a group of 7 could not have reserved it under one order.
• We have not received any refund requests for this type of tour in the past 18 months.
• Our standard procedure includes sending tickets and detailed instructions a few days prior to the tour, and we personally call all guests one hour before the start time to make sure they have everything they need and know exactly where to meet their guide.
Based on these facts, we believe this review may have been mistakenly posted under our listing, perhaps intended for a different operator. We would be very grateful if you could double-check your confirmation details and consider updating or removing this review if posted in error. It helps us maintain the trust of future travelers and ensures everyone receives accurate information.
Should you need further assistance, we’d be happy to help; please feel free to reach out to us directly.
Taylor_L, May 2025
Amazing. Well worth it to do a full tour including underground. Tour guide was very friendly and easy to understand
Toby_R, Mar 2025
This was a really unique and interesting experience, and we were very glad we chose to do the "express" tour, instead of the 3 hr one. The tour guide basically goes over the history most of us have already heard. My friend and I both agreed it was underwhelming and our least favorite and least interesting of the tours we did in Italy.
David_W, Nov 2024
Great tour, totally different prospective of the Coliseum than from above, really completes the experience. The guide was informative and answered all questions, and gave us time to wander on our own. Great directions to get into Coliseum and meeting point, just one minor omission telling us to enter thru Group Admissions rather than Individual Admissions, but it was only a short walk away.
James_F, Nov 2024
Only one hour with a guide. Way too expensive for what we got. Guide just left and said see the rest on your own.
Alan_M, Nov 2024
The meeting point needs to be marked better and have a representative available. The tour guide was just ok. Seemed liked the guide was a last minute substitute.
Marie_S, Nov 2024
The skip-the-line tour is the only way to go if you’re visiting this attraction. The groups are small and the guide does their best to avoid large multitudes of people to keep the experience pleasurable. If it’s a little more money to skip-the-line it’s totally worth it! Our guide was knowledgeable and throughout the tour she allowed you to imagine life as a gladiator during its reign. I highly recommend this tour if you find yourself in Rome, it was fantastic.
Patrick_C, Oct 2024
Learning about gladiator life, gladiator types, going into the below-arena tunnels, and going into the arena floor. Our guide Mikaela was very informative on details like the history of use, trap door mechanics, where people sat. Helpful and patient overall. We would not have had a deeper understanding of the Colosseum and its functions without the tour.
pgqqsjzfp6, Oct 2024
Very grateful to have had the opportunity to see and partake in the Underground Colosseum Tour!!!
Our guide was very good and took good care of us despite having a much larger group to manage then as stated in the Viator description. Our group that was advertised as a small group, to be of 10 people, was exceeded by more than double and our tour guide was managing and audio narrating for a larger group than noted in booking.
More accuracy in the booking description would have helped with our expectations versus reality of what the tour was. We splurged for small group tour booking and were a disappointed to have each narration stop with our guide be awkward as she was managing 20+ of us trying to get glimpses at the points she was references before moving us along to stay ahead of the next tour group.
Denise_T, Oct 2024
Highly recommend! Guide was great!
Such a detailed description of the mechanics and processes of ancient days.
Lynne_G, Oct 2024
The underground tour was great. We had visited the coliseum previously, but this tour gave us the added experience of the underground which added so much more! We loved it! Our guide (I can’t remember her name..sorry) was thorough & knowledgeable. Highly recommended this tour.
Paul_S, Oct 2024
The tour itself was wonderful. Agnes, our tour guide was excellent. The reason we rated the experience as average was due to the poor directions. We had our tickets sent to our email, which was great, but there was no direction given at that point that made any sense. We wondered around the Colliseum for a long time, amid thousands of tourists, looking for a Viator rep or someone who could help us. We finally found that all we had to do was go to the entrance marked "underground tour ". Once we found that out we were in. You should have put that in your instructions. It would have made life alot easier.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you for sharing your feedback, and we’re glad you enjoyed the tour. We want to mention that we had sent you the instructions with complete details, and the directions were attached to the entry tickets. It’s quite surprising for us that this wasn’t seen. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your insight, which helps us continue to improve.
Nathan_T, Oct 2024
The underground tunnels and explanation of the workings of the lifts and trapdoors.
The experience of the guide was great
Bethany_M, Oct 2024
I booked 1:15pm, a week or so before the tour i received a message saying the time i booked was no longer available and they moved us to 12:15pm. I booked the 1:15pm as we had a tour at the Vatican in the morning. I voiced my concern for being late due to being at another tour, but the time was changed. The time in the Viator app never changed and the meeting location was different in the app than in the message i received. We ended up missing our time as i feared and messaged the operator when we were on the metro with no response. We were able to access the colosseum, but were not able to access the underground. Very frustrating as if we had the time i booked originally we would have been able to do the tour. An alternative time was never offered as if it was i would have asked for a later time. When voicing my concern for not being able to make it they just said great we will see you at 12:15pm
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Three weeks prior to your tour, we informed you that only this time slot was available and asked if you wanted to proceed with the reservation. You confirmed for 12:15pm. The day before the tour, all details, including the meeting point, were sent to you. We even made the meeting point easier for you. However, you did not arrive in time. In our confirmation, we had explained clearly to be in front of the Colosseum entrance 20 minutes before the start time for a smooth check in process. Unfortunately, you did not follow these instructions. Had you been there even 5 minutes earlier, you would have certainly made it to the tour.
Elaine_F, Sep 2024
The fact that we were touring the thousand years old Colosseum was a life experience. However, finding the meeting point and fighting the crowds left much to be desired. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and informative, however, the communication system they used was very poor and cut out often and was not very audible. The directions to the meeting point needed to be more specific. No one seemed to know, even the police on the Colosseum grounds.
Sonya_P, Sep 2024
Amazing experience! Great guide that was informative.underground experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity
Liz_W, Aug 2024
Tour was great. Who knew there was a whole colliseum under the colliseum. Gemini Tour director was so helpful. My ticket didn't show in the app so she emailed it. She directed me to the start of the tour. She saved my day.
Jason_K, Jul 2024
It was so cool being away from the crowds in the underground. The kids really enjoyed it. We loved learning the history and being in a place that not everyone gets to go.
The only bad part was that the meet-up was a little awkward and rushed.
Laura_B, Jul 2024
Tour was wonderful. You get a real understanding of the scope and scale of the events at the Colosseum. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly and did a great job keeping us in the shade whenever possible. My only complaint was it was a bit confusing to find the meeting spot. The company was wonderful and we eventually found it. This is an incredibly busy area with many, many vendors. Even though we arrived 20 minutes early we almost missed the tour because of the confusion. There were two metro areas under trees. The company needs to add “next to the green kiosk on the lower level” to their description to avoid confusion. Overall, we would highly recommend!
Margaret_G, Jun 2024
Our guide was terrible. Her English was not good enough and she had such a thick accent that we could not understand much of what she said. She was also so quiet we could not hear what she was saying. I asked her politely many times to repeat things, to speak louder or to put the microphone to her mouth, but she would do it for one sentence and then stop. She was also late arriving and then cut the tour short, so it lasted only 55 minutes, instead of the 1 hour 30 mins advertised. There were 7 of us so it cost over $900 - a complete waste of money. Don't bother!!!!!
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Dear Margaret,
Thank you for your feedback. We want to address the inaccuracies in your comments.
1. There were four participants in your booking, not seven. This ensures a more personalized experience for our guests.
2. Our guides are fluent in English and highly rated for their clear communication. We have never received complaints about her accent or volume. It seems there may have been a misunderstanding or exaggeration regarding her abilities.
3. Our tours are scheduled to last 1 hour and 30 minutes. According to our records, your tour adhered to this schedule. Claims of it being cut short are incorrect.
We aim to provide top-quality service and believe that your review does not accurately reflect the experience we offer.
Laura_M, Jun 2024
So at first I didn't trust this tour company because they had cancelled our night-time tour, but said they would rebook us for a better tour, underground! great!! so excited, I said yes, they said they had to wait until the Colosseum released the new tickets, what they DID NOT tell me was DO NOT CANCEL your night time booking on viator to clean up your account, even though I was told it was cancelled. I thought because they texted me and I said that yes I did want to do the Wednesday afternoon or morning tour that I was already reserved tickets. Luckily 6 people cancelled and we were able to book this exceptional tour! Our guide was sweet, knowledgeable, and had a great disposition. But this miscommunication cost me losing my money on a different colosseum tour because a different company would not refund my money on a simpler colosseum tour , so this was a very stressful experience. I have heard that some Colosseum tours are fraudulent. It all worked out, so yes, do this tour, trust this company and enjoy yourselves, just be sure to communicate very clearly with this company.
Patrick_G, Jun 2024
Excellent tour of the underground and arena floor. Not as crowded as the other areas in the colosseum. Excellent views, gladiators gate, underground, etc. A must do in Rome.
Elisa_N, Jun 2024
The best way to experience the Colosseum! The tour was led by an archeologist and she so knowledgeably shared insights about the structure, excavations and the gladiatorial games. Wonderful!
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