VIP Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Rome, Italy
- 1 to 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Most tours of Ancient Roman ruins offer one sightseeing option or, at most, two. This tour option offers different packages to explore the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Choose the package that best suits your travel plans, whether it's the small-group option, access to the arena floor or underground dungeons, or an express-length exterior stroll around the Colosseum to capture photos.
- Learn far more than you would on your own by visiting with a guide
- Upgrade to Arena Floor access that is usually restricted
- Check off plenty in a matter of hours—without committing to a full-day of sightseeing
- Choose from different tour options and lengths to suit your schedule
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
A selection of upgrade options makes this far more flexible than standard Colosseum tours.
What's Included
- Admission to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum (if option selected)
- Admission to the Colosseum Arena Floor (if option selected)
- Colosseum entry ticket and reservation fee included (€18–€24 value)
- Expert storytelling from a licensed historian guide with headphones provided
- Personalised, group experience offering top-rated value and comfort
- Access to the arena floor (unless selected, available for an additional fee)
- Food and Beverages
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Arch of ConstantineP.za del Colosseo, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Please meet your guide in front of the Arch of Constantine. They will be holding a yellow Carpe Diem Tours flag or sign. Arrive at least 15 minutes before the tour start time. Late arrivals unfortunately cannot be refunded.
End point
- Roman Forum00186 Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy
The tour will either finish in the Roman Forum or the Colosseum, depending on which monument we start with, where you will be left to either leave or spend more time exploring the area.
Itinerary
1
Colosseum
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Palatine Hill
30 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
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Please provide the full names of all travellers when booking. Tickets must match these names; failure to present a voucher with all travellers’ full names at the ticket office may result in denied entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Each traveller must present a valid passport or ID matching the name provided at booking for entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
- Tour order may vary: we will start with either the Colosseum or the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill depending on ticket times.
- Colosseum admission is free on the first Sunday of each month. Tours are discounted on these days.
- Want an upgrade? Check out these other options: VIP Colosseum Tour (12pax), Colosseum Express Arena Tour (24pax)
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 1,637 reviews
Aidan_D, May 2026
Our guide Francesca was an experienced archaeologist who new everything there was too know about the coliseum and the Roman forum.
Cathy_M, May 2026
We had a great three hours with Francesca. Dress cool and bring water and comfortable shoes and a hat! And then be prepared to learn so so so much about Roman history! Absolutely fascinating!
anita_r, May 2026
Highly recommend this tour if you’re interested in learning about the history behind each location. The tour guide was amazing, she was so knowledgeable and made sure we made it to all three places in a timely manner without feeling rushed.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the tour and that your guide made the history come alive while keeping everything well-paced and comfortable. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Andrew_R, May 2026
These are must see places in Rome. As a first time visitor, we lucked out to have Ivana as our tour guide!! She was an amazing story teller and weaved the history and politics and vision of the past into the tour that made it very understandable. I learned so much and really appreciated her knowledge and skill in recounting it all!!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled you had such a fantastic experience at the Colosseum and that Ivana made the history so engaging and easy to understand with her storytelling. We hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Billy_S, May 2026
Our trip was fantastic, our carpe diem guude was wonderful, experienced and knowledgeable, very nice and she made the experience very enjoyable.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you had such a fantastic experience at the Colosseum and that your guide made the tour so enjoyable with her knowledge and warmth. We hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Monica_R, May 2026
My husband and I showed up for the chore five minutes early. My own fault, I forgot my photo ID so said I would get the five minute taxi ride back to the hotel and get it while my husband stayed with the group. The tour, God rudely told me there was no time and it was starting right then. So I told my husband no problem I would just hang around outside until they got back from the tour. At 9:45 my husband messages me and tells me the tour had not even started yet because people were late. I would have had plenty of time to go get my passport and return in time to take in the tour. Then the tour guide told him if I went and got my passport what door to go to and he would send the ticket and I could meet them. So I took the taxi to the hotel and then the taxi back and when my husband told him I was back, he refused to send the PDF for me to get in because he said it was too late. So it was a complete waste of money and the tour guide was completely rude and not only did I waste money on the experience itself. I also wasted money on a taxi to and from the hotel when I was told that would be no problem. Although it was my fault, I forgot my ID. It did start 45 minutes late and I would’ve had plenty of time to get back. I found the tour guide completely rude and would not suggest this tour I would go with another.
KENNETH_B, May 2026
Daniel was very informative and interesting throughout the tour. We had a huge thunderstorm and rain event but nothing deterred him- he moved us into a safe area and kept the tour moving
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you found Daniel’s tour informative and engaging, and we really appreciate your understanding during the unexpected weather. We hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Michael_D, May 2026
Our guide was very knowledgeable and did a great job with our tour. I hadn’t realized how impressive the Palatine Hill & the Roman forum area would be. In some ways, it was more, impressive than the coliseum. I could also see that another advantages of taking this tour is that we were able to go onto some restricted areas that were not accessible to the average visitor.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you enjoyed discovering the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum along with the Colosseum, and that your guide helped make the experience so memorable. We hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Jana_W, May 2026
This was an excellent Colosseum and Roman Forum 3 hr tour with Francesca. She had so much to teach us in a very interesting way. The time flew by- she kept us moving from one spot to the next without being hurried. She was very easy to understand. Our 13 yr old grandson enjoyed it as well. I’d take another tour with her for sure if we had time.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled you had such a great experience with Francesca and that your grandson enjoyed the tour as well. We hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Keith_O, May 2026
Great experience. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and kept the group moving at a good pace. Thanks.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you had a great experience and enjoyed the tour with your knowledgeable guide. We hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Greg_S, May 2026
Very well done! The tour was so informative! You could not get this on your own! Be prepared for a lot of steps and walking
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you found the tour informative and enjoyable. We also appreciate the helpful tip about the walking and steps for future travelers. We hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Maria_M, May 2026
Our tour guide was fantastic, very knowledgeable and engaging throughout the entire tour. We learned so much and had a great experience. Would highly recommend
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you had such a great experience and enjoyed the tour with your knowledgeable guide. We hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Sandra_M, May 2026
we booked this to include walking along the passage routes that the fighters walked. but we never went down there. other groups did but not us very dissatisfied as I paid nearly £400. We never got to Paletine Hill either as we were still in the Forum area at 4.50 p.m and the tour finished at 5.
Ruth_R, May 2026
Totally brilliant. Our tour guide, Kopal, was hugely knowledgeable and enthusiastic, she clearly had a real love of her subject.
She did such a wonderful job of building up walking through the tunnel into the Colosseum I could almost hear the roar of the crowd. I can’t recommend this enough.
If you do one thing while you’re in Rome, do this.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled you had such an incredible experience with Kopal and enjoyed the Colosseum tour. We hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Barbara_F, May 2026
Great guide. Philomena gave us an interesting and very informative tour of Palatine Hill and The Colosseum. Not enough time to explore Roman Forum which was disappointing.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour with Philomena and found it informative. We’re sorry there wasn’t enough time to fully explore the Roman Forum, and we appreciate you sharing this with us.
Porfirio_M, May 2026
Extremely informative, however 3 hours of walking. Therefore wear comfortable footwear that you would mind getting dusty. The guide was very friendly and detailed.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your helpful review! We’re glad you found the tour informative and enjoyed your guide. We hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Vladimir_L, May 2026
The guide had a very heavy accent and was speaking way too fast. Sometimes, we could barely understand a word of she was saying.
Gery_L, May 2026
The tour was amazing and our guide was the best!!! She taught us so much about the Colosseum and history .
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you had an amazing experience and enjoyed learning about the Colosseum with your guide. We hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Patricia_F, May 2026
Tour guide offered good info, difficult to follow her accent, but kept up enough.
I expected to have time in the forum but most of the tour was spent at Coloseum.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re glad you found the guide informative, and we’re sorry to hear that parts of the experience didn’t fully meet your expectations. Your comments are valuable and will be shared with our team as we continue to improve the flow and clarity of the tour.
Debra_B, May 2026
Our tour guide was excellent. She was very knowledgeable and explained everything clearly. She was patient as well
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re thrilled you had a great experience with your guide and enjoyed learning about Ancient Rome. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Eric_S, May 2026
Was great from start to finish, your team was there early to get everyone gathered, our guide Mariana was funny and drew everyone in with questions and we learned so much while seeing all the top sites, we even jumped bypassed lots of the lines and crowds, totally recommend this tour!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great experience with Mariana and enjoyed exploring the wonders of Ancient Rome with us. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again soon in Rome!
Samantha_P, May 2026
Andrea was a very experienced guide! The tour moved at a great pace - plenty of time to stop and take everything in and get great pictures, but didn’t feel like we lingered too long at any one spot. The smaller group option was the perfect size.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the pace of the tour and the small group experience with Andrea. We truly appreciate your kind words and are glad you had time to take in the history and capture great memories along the way!
Nicholas_J, May 2026
Daniele was a friendly and highly knowledgeable guide and provided us with a comprehensive tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill. Highly recommended.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your excellent review! We’re so glad you enjoyed discovering local spots with Anna and had a fun time with the group. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Peggy_C, Apr 2026
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion and our knowledgeable tour guide. I would definitely recommend.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad you and your husband enjoyed the tour and found your guide knowledgeable. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Lily_S, Apr 2026
Linnea was marvelous! She made the tour and all the historical information more than just a talking point, but also entertaining! We really appreciated her expertise!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour with Linnea and found her both entertaining and informative. We truly appreciate your kind words!
Karen_W, Apr 2026
What an amazing tour we had from 10 Star Nick! When I return next year with my kids, I hope that he will be our guide!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your amazing review! We’re so glad you had such a fantastic experience with Nick. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you and your kids next year!
Lauren_L, Apr 2026
Wonderful tour! My guide, I believe was Liliana, covered all the major areas thoroughly. I very much enjoyed her stories! The check in process in the morning was smooth and organized . Would book with the group again.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour and Liliana’s stories, and that everything ran smoothly from the start. We truly appreciate your kind words and look forward to welcoming you again!
Lyna_A, Apr 2026
Our guide ( Daniel) was very informative and considerate. We could understand what he was saying not like other guide we had for Vatican .
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your kind review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour with Daniel and found him informative and considerate. It’s wonderful to hear his clear guidance helped make your experience even better. We truly appreciate your feedback!
Ricky_N, Apr 2026
Great value and well spent time. Our guide was archeologist and made our tour wonderful. She did a good job talking and engaging with us.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your great review! We’re so glad you found the tour a great value and time well spent. It’s wonderful to hear your archaeologist guide made the experience engaging and memorable. We truly appreciate your feedback!
Johanne_R, Apr 2026
This experience was amazing! We learned so much and our tour guide was the best - she had so much interesting info, we loved every minute of it! easy to hear and understand with the portable mic set up. This is a MUST if you do one tour in Rome!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear you had an amazing experience and learned so much during the tour. It’s great to know your guide made it so engaging and that the audio setup helped you enjoy every moment. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again in Rome!
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