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Expert Guided Tour of Colosseum or Arena or Underground & Forum

4.7 (5,259 reviews)
2 hours
From $166
USD per person (€143)
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Duration: 2 hours
Shared tour
If you cancel at least 7 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 7 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
Offered in: it
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About This Tour

Enjoy a premium tour of the Colosseum and Ancient Rome, combining a guided visit inside the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill with one of two in-depth Colosseum visit options.

Choose the Interior Guided Tour option if you want to enter the Colosseum with your guide and follow a guided itinerary inside the monument, with Arena or Underground access depending on the option selected at booking.

Choose the Exterior Tour + Independent Entry option if you prefer a more flexible formula: your guide will explain the Colosseum in depth from the outside, then you will enter independently with your included Roma Pass and explore at your own pace, without being tied to a group itinerary. This option includes a 2-days pass for public transportation in Rome.

In both versions, your guide will bring Ancient Rome and the world of gladiators to life, explaining how the Colosseum was built, how the games worked, where gladiators trained, and why it became the symbol of Imperial Rome.

What's Included

✓ Included

  • Roma Pass: 2-days tourist-card valued at €38 (only with option "External Tour - Entrance Included")
  • Colosseum Arena/Underground ticket (only with the "Inside Tour" options) worth €18–€24 by entry type
  • 2-days public transport with the Roma Pass (only with option "External Tour - Entrance Included")
  • Ticket to Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, valued at 18 Euros
  • Live expert guide & earphones to hear your guide clearly
  • Guided visit of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
  • Reduced price on museums with the Roma Pass (only with option "External Tour - Entrance Included")
  • In-depth guided tour of the Colosseum with an expert guide

Itinerary

1
Stop
Guided Interior Visit:

Begin your journey inside the Roman Forum, the political, religious, and commercial heart of Ancient Rome. Walking among temples, basilicas, triumphal arches, and ancient streets, your guide will help you imagine the Forum as it once was: a vibrant centre of power, public life, ceremonies, speeches, and imperial ambition. This is where Rome’s history becomes tangible.

Hear about the Vestal Virgins and see their gardens and the pagan temple of the Goddess Vesta they served. Learn about the Basilica Julia and the penal system of Ancient Rome and its effects on Christianity. See the temple of Castor and Pollux and the Arch of Titus and learn about the sacking of Jerusalem.
 Discover the Senate House, where senators met to decide the fate of the Roman Republic and how that climaxed with the murder and cremation of Julius Caesar.
2
Stop
Guided Interior Visit:

Continue to the Palatine Hill, the legendary birthplace of Rome and later the most exclusive address of the ancient world. Here, emperors built their palaces above the city, surrounded by gardens, courtyards, and spectacular views. Your guide will reveal the myths, power struggles, and imperial lifestyles connected to this extraordinary hill.

From the heights of the Hill, enjoy a bird's eye view over the Roman Forum and what is considered to have been the largest structure for public games ever built by mankind, the Circus Maximus.
3
Stop
Exterior Stop:

Start the second part of your tour by pausing at the Arch of Constantine, one of Rome’s most impressive triumphal monuments. Standing between the Colosseum and the ancient city, this richly decorated arch tells a story of victory, propaganda, and transformation. Your guide will explain why it was built, what its sculptures reveal, and how it marks a key turning point in Roman history.
4
Stop
Choose Your Preferred Option at booking:

For the Colosseum part of the tour, choose the experience that best fits your style.

Select the "Interior Guided Tour" option if you want to enter the Colosseum with your guide and follow a guided itinerary inside the monument, with Arena or Underground access depending on the option selected.

Select the "Exterior Tour + Independent Entry" option if you prefer a more flexible formula: your guide will explain the Colosseum in depth from selected exterior viewpoints, then you will enter independently with your included Roma Pass (with 2-day public transport included)

The exterior option gives you both the context of a premium guided tour and the freedom to explore independently (guests on an interior tour are not allowed to leave the guided group and visit freely). You can move at your own pace, pause where you want, take photos, and enjoy the monument without being tied to a group itinerary or rushed through timed sections.
5
Stop
Only with option "Exterior Tour + Independent Entry".

See the remains of the Ludus Magnus, the ancient gladiator training school located just steps from the Colosseum. This fascinating site reveals the hidden world behind the games: where gladiators lived, trained, prepared, and waited before entering the arena. It adds a more human and dramatic perspective to the story of the Colosseum and the people who fought there.

Tour Options

This tour is available in multiple formats. Choose your preferred option when booking:

Italian Small Group : ARENA

no access to UNDERGROUND part: This option is for a tour in Italian with access to the Gladiators' Arena (NO Underground) in a group of maximum 20 people

Spanish Small Group : ARENA

NO access to Underground part: This option is for a tour in Spanish with access to the Gladiators' Arena (NO Underground) in a group of maximum 20 people

Evening group-tour in English

Special Evening access: In this tour you will visit the undergrounds and Arena of the Colosseum during an evening opening.
Duration: 2 hours: This tour is split in 2 separate parts: 4:30pm Roman Forum tour (1 hr) + evening Colosseum tour (1 hr)
Split tour: First meet us for the 4:30pm Roman Forum tour (1 hr) then meet us again for the evening Colosseum tour (1 hr)

Portuguese Private UNDERGROUND

Private Tour in Portuguese: This option is for a private 3-hour guided tour of the Colosseum Underground and Arena, Forum & Palatine Hill.

Inside PrivateTour UNDERGROUND

Duration: 3 hours
Guided Underground Access: This option is for a 3-hr inside tour with guided access to the Underground, Arena & Forum in a private group
Tour Language: English

German Private : UNDERGROUND

Private Tour in German: This option is for a private 3-hour guided tour of the Colosseum Underground and Arena, Forum & Palatine Hill.

Arena Semi-Private (MAX. 8)

NO access to Underground part: This option is for a tour with access to the Arena in a small group of a maximum of 8 people with an English speaking guide.

Colosseum Freedom Experience

Duration: 2 hours
1hr INSIDE Forum tour & ticket: + 1hr EXTERIOR Colosseum tour + independent entry with Roma Pass (REGULAR ACCESS, NO Arena) + 2days public transport included
Tour Language: English

German Small Group: ARENA

NO access to Underground part: This option is for a tour in German with access to the Gladiators' Arena (NO Underground) in a group of maximum 20 people

Spanish Private : UNDERGROUND

Private Tour in Spanish: This option is for a private 3-hour guided tour of the Colosseum Underground and Arena, Forum & Palatine Hill.

Inside Guided Tour: ARENA

Duration: 3 hours
Guided Arena Access: This option is for a 3-hr guided tour with included access to the Arena & Forum in a group of max 24 people (NO Underground)
Tour Language: English

French Small Group : ARENA

NO access to Underground part: This option is for a tour in French with access to the Gladiators' Arena (NO Underground) in a group of maximum 20 people

Italian Private : UNDERGROUND

Private Tour in Italian: This option is for a private 3-hour guided tour of the Colosseum Underground and Arena, Forum & Palatine Hill.

Portuguese Small Group: ARENA

NO access to Underground part: This option is for a tour in Portuguese with access to the Gladiators' Arena (NO Underground) in a group of maximum 20 people

UNDERGROUND GROUP OF MAX. 7

SMALL Group tour in English: This option is for a tour with access to the Underground AND Arena in a shared group of a maximum of 7 people

French Private : UNDERGROUND

Private Tour in French: This option is for a private 3-hour guided tour of the Colosseum Underground and Arena, Forum & Palatine Hill.

Spanish Group : UNDERGROUND

Group tour in Spanish: This option is for a tour with access to the Underground AND Arena in a shared group of a maximum of 25 people

Select your preferred option on the booking page. Prices may vary by option.

Good to Know

  • 🐕 Service animals allowed
  • 🚌 Public transportation options are available nearby
  • 👶 Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • 💪 Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • IMPORTANT: After entering the participants’ names during the booking process, please specify in the “Special Requirements” field who the adults and children are, so we can issue the correct Colosseum tickets. Missing information may result in denied entry.
  • Please provide the full names of all travellers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with all travellers' full names at the ticket office prior to entry may result in denied entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
  • Please note that the tickets for this tour are nominative. We will register on them the names you have provided during checkout. Please make sure to provide the names of the people attending the tour as they appear on their ID or passport.
  • 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.
  • The order in which the sites are visited during the tour can vary; either the Colosseum or Forum and Palatine Hill will come first
  • A moderate amount of walking and steps are involved; wear comfortable walking shoes
  • Please note that the group will leave the meeting point 15 minutes before the starting time in order to pass the security check
  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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
  • 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.
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