Rome Tours
Colosseum & Ancient Rome with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Tour
4.5
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Colosseum & Ancient Rome with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Tour

By City Wonders
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About
The Colosseum is one of Rome’s most popular landmarks, but visualizing the ruin in its ancient heyday isn’t always easy. Understand the arena’s significance to Roman history during this guided tour, which also includes visits to nearby Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Prefer a self-guided option? Then opt for an audio guide and tour the iconic monument at your own pace.
Lowest price guaranteeFree cancellation

Ages 0-99, max of 24 per group
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More

Highlights
  • Explore the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum with an expert guide
  • Learn about ancient Rome and its unique origin story
  • Customize your tour with options for a self-guided experience
  • Tours provide entry to all three sites, so you won't have to queue at the ticket office

  • Professional Expert Licenced Guide [if guided tour selected]
  • Access to the Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
  • Headsets to hear your guide clearly [if guided tour selected]
  • Fully guided visit of the Colosseum [if guided tour selected]
  • Colosseum Entry ticket [€18]
  • Colosseum Entry ticket with Arena access if selected [€24]
  • Audio guided visit of Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill [if option selected]
  • Entry/Admission - Colosseum
  • Entry/Admission - Palatine Hill
  • Entry/Admission - Foro Romano
What's not included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

Your tour begins near just off the blue metro line at Largo Gaetana Agnesi. Travel back 2,000 years as your guide tells stories of gladiator battles, bloody animal fights, and executions in front of 50,000-strong crowds of spectators. If you’ve opted to upgrade your experience, you’ll then visit the arena floor and subterranean chambers, which are usually closed to the general public. Visit cells in which criminals and wild animals were kept, and follow in the footsteps of Roman gladiators in the arena.   After ample time at the ancient landmark, you’ll continue to the Roman Forum via Via Sacra. The sprawling site has minimal signage, but your guide takes you to the highlights and gives you the inside scoop. Learn about the historical significance of the House of the Vestal Virgins and the Temple of Julius Caesar before concluding your tour with sweeping city views atop Palatine Hill.

Start:
  • Largo Gaetana Agnesi, L.go Gaetana Agnesi, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
    Meet your guide at Largo Gaetana Agnesi, on the little square above the metro line B (blue line) stop "Colosseo". Your guide coordinator will be waiting here wearing a blue City Wonders polo shirt or jacket for easy recognition.
End:
  • Palatine Hill, 00186 Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy

  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3731COLOSSEUM

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Please ensure to arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before your departure time. Late comers cannot be accommodated.
  • Please note: All participant names are required at the time of booking in order to enter the Colosseum.
  • Please note that the itinerary for our tours may differ from the advertised order of destinations. We assure you that any changes made to the tour itinerary are carefully planned and intended to enhance your overall experience
  • On this tour, some of the venues or parts of the venue may be subject to last-minute, unpredictable closures. When this occurs, we are happy to offer customers an extended tour in keeping with the advertised total length of the tour.
  • May experience delays in clearing security checks when entering the venue
  • IF PRIVATE TOUR IS SELECTED: Please be aware that the price for both adults and children is the same. Children can be booked at the adult rate.
  • Each traveler must present a valid ID card or document that matches the name provided at the time of booking for successful entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
  • If you select the audioguided option, you will not be part of a guided tour, you will be able to visit the Colosseum at your own pace with your mobile audioguide. Please make sure to read all instructions on your voucher.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travellers

  • If you cancel at least 8 days in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
  • If you cancel within 7 days of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3731COLOSSEUM

From
R 569,69
per adult (price varies by group size)
Select date and travellers

Similar experiences

Itinerary
  • L.go Gaetana Agnesi, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
    Meet your guide at Largo Gaetana Agnesi, on the little square above the metro line B (blue line) stop "Colosseo". Your guide coordinator will be waiting here wearing a blue City Wonders polo shirt or jacket for easy recognition.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Palatine Hill, 00186 Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
  • City Wonders
    36,892
    Rome, Lazio, Italy
    Joined in November 2007
  • mikolm102
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Your one day Coastal getaway
    If you don't have the time to go an do a full visit to area, take this tour. Our tour guide Jonathan was definitely a delight for the day very informative, very helpful guide. The cons though, it's a long time just getting to Salerno and back about 6 hours, next is the ferry situation, but that's more of a crowd control issues, the areas are popular so expect a lot people but when you go you'll figure out so many people flock to the Amalfi Coast
    Written 6 October 2024
  • jlsharp65
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amalfi/Positano
    Jonathan was a great tour guide. Gave us lots of information and history which helped make the ride go faster and the day interesting. Positano and Amalfi were beautiful!
    Written 6 October 2024
  • Donald S
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Johnathan’s Amalfi Coast Tour
    Our family took a tour from Rome to the Amalfi Coast. Jonathan was our tour guide and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide. He was extremely organized and informative. He went out of his way to make sure everyone got their personal questions answered and was incredibly knowledgeable. We were incredibly happy with our tour.
    Written 6 October 2024
  • A866KCpaulw
    0 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Bridge (town) Too Far (from Rome)
    Rome to Positano takes a 5 hour bus ride in traffic. Delays shorten the available time in the town. It’s “recommended” to buy bad sandwiches at a gross rest stop along the way to increase your limited time for touring. Then a 2-3 hour ride to Pompeii (which is awesome), then it’s recommended to get bad pizza for the bus ride, a 2-3 hour ride back to Rome, arriving around 9:30pm. Positano is too far from Rome to do in one day. Go from Naples, or just skip it, it’s completely overrun by tourists. Definitely go to Pompeii.
    Written 6 October 2024
  • 0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very interesting
    The ideal way to visit the Colosseum, with a knowledgeable guide invaluable in managing the queues, leading around and providing all the information you need about this amazing site. Well worth it..
    Written 6 October 2024
  • princess008
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Highly recommend! Great experience
    Wonderful experience! Let me begin by noting how easy it was to find our tour guide; the instructions were clear and precise. Our tour guide, Alexandra, was so sweet and very thorough. We saw everything and had a great time. Highly recommend
    Written 5 October 2024
  • Whitney S
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Book it! You won’t regret it!
    Emma was our tour guide and was amazing! Had a very cool and engaging personality and was extremely knowledgeable. The tour was well organized and comfortably-paced. Highly recommend.
    Written 5 October 2024
  • Melissa D
    0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent !
    Clear instructions on how to find and meet our tour group. Greeted by the lovely Valentina who was just so nice , she was passionate about the three locations we visited , informative and helpful at the end of the tour with guiding us in the right direction for some lovely food ! Was an amazing tour we loved the crypts and would have liked a little more time there but the whole tour was fascinating and something really different in Rome ! Again just a massive compliment to Valentina she was a credit !
    Written 5 October 2024
  • riemerkim
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must do. Beautiful
    We absolutely loved our day trip to Amalfi. Due to rain/weather we did not stop in Positano which was disappointing but it gave us more time to wander around Amalfi. They made the best of the long bus ride with a great guide who provided good information and a sense of humor.
    Written 5 October 2024
  • P9640KAmariannat
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    3 Regions Day trip- 5/5!
    My boyfriend and I had the most amazing time on this tour. Our guide Elizabetta and Luca our driver were professional, attentive and knowledgeable. Finding our group in the morning was easy as the city wonders flags and shirts can be easily spotted in the piazza and the staff are all helpful and friendly. Elizabetta provided lots of historical information and tips for the best viewpoints/shops in the areas we visited, and always made sure everyone was safe and enjoying their time. She is such a lovely person we would gladly join her in any tour in the future. We met wonderful people in our group coming from all over the world, getting to share experiences and future travel plans, making the tour not only beautiful in its destinations, but in it’s company as well. Thank you for an amazing experience! Marianna and Dimitri
    Written 5 October 2024
  • Traveler10987645
    0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great time with Fabrizio, nice visits
    Fabrizio is a fantastic guide!! He ensures everyone is well taken care of and accounted for. He provided lots of great information and laughs along the very long day. I also greatly appreciate Giovanni, the sweet driver. I took this trip with a friend and it was a day well spent! Bagnoregio was truly a highlight - I was not expecting it to be such a sight. Orvieto was also nice - we didn't have nearly enough time there. What I did not like about the tour was the winery. The entire experience was rushed! We were taken down to see the cellar but we were barely told about the history, vineyards, production, or different wines. We had gone on a similar trip the day before and had a much better experience in every way at the other winery. The food was good, though, and we were able to try quite a bit. The older woman (owner) ripped me off in the shop. She charged me 40 euro for 2 glasses of wine and a truffle "salsa" .. we then visited a store that had the same truffle salsa for 10 euro. I was extremely disappointed by that.
    Written 4 October 2024
  • Teashoplover
    0 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Allow a day
    We booked " skip the line " tickets but due to late booking could only get tickets for entry at 16:30 on the day we needed them. Plan your visit better than we did because the whole place was packed and the museums ask people to leave by 18:30. There are some many beautiful pictures and artefacts . Next time we will plan longer ahead and allow a day, arriving first thing in the morning. The room guides were all very polite and helpful - patient too. Couldn't fault them. The Sistene Chapel was huge although Michaelango's Creation of Man was not as big as I imagined it would be. * check the time the Basilica is going to be open beforehand. We didn't realise it closed at 13:30 the day we went so didn't get to see inside. This is free by the way *
    Written 4 October 2024
  • Gappu5
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun and Beautiful
    Loved the trip as weather was amazing and John was hilarious and very informative. Would suggest to everyone and big thumbs up. Thank you John and Inti for making the trip fun.
    Written 4 October 2024
  • minava79
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tuscany tour from Rome!
    Great Tour to Tuscany overall, plus our guide Jonathan is awesome, super knowledgeable, helpful and friendly! Highly recommend!
    Written 4 October 2024
  • wycechjody
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A fanastic jam-packed day in Tuscany at a relaxing pace
    Jon did a fantastic job on our day trip to Tuscany. He herded us cats very well. He provided excellent information on the bus about things we were seeing out the window as well as about the wines we were going to taste. We did so much but never felt rushed.
    Written 4 October 2024
See all 36,892 reviews
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles4 990 reviews
Excellent
3 927
Very good
428
Average
186
Poor
126
Terrible
323

2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
Hi, I paid for a Semi Private guided Tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill with City Wonders. This tour was advertised as a small group of no more than 12 people for a 2 hour duration and with head sets included. We arrived at the designated area where we were greeted by a member of City Wonders, we then were introduced to our guide who we later found out was a free lance guide. The tour started with 14 people but grew further down the line as the guides own clients joined the group. We had no head sets as advertised and with the rain and wind found it difficult to hear her. We skipped so many areas of the Colosseum like videos and artifacts, were given brief descriptions of the main areas and were then ushered out to the entrance for the Roman Forums where we were left to our own devices and our tour guide left, this was also after an 1 1/2 hours and not the 2 hours advertised. It was that bad that a French family wanted to stay and look further around the Colosseum and were told that was fine but they would then have to pay again for entrance into the Forum as it was a group booking (surprisingly they did) At £135.00 for the two of us this was extremely poor value and City Wonders should vet their guides more stringently?
Written 5 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Y4885NYdavidt, Thank you for taking the time to leave us your feedback. We are sorry to see that you felt the tour didn't live up to your expectations. First of all we wish to say that we are very surprised to hear that the group was more than 12 people, as generally speaking we would never allow more than those allotted to the time slot to join. This is because we usually do not have spare tickets. Usually the headsets would also always be provided, and they would only not be provided if you joined the ticket only group. We are also incredibly surprised to hear that the guide was not a City Wonders guide, as generally speaking the guides work for our company directly. What is more, it is usually not at all possible for other clients to join the tour as it continues. It is however true that is is only possible to join the Forum if you do not stay in the Colosseum, as it is not possible for the guide to wait with the tickets to the Forum for clients to spend as long as they wish in the Colosseum. We are very concerned by the issues you raise, and we invite you to contact us at info@citywonders.com with the name of your guide and the booking reference number for the tour, so that we may follow up and investigate. Looking forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Kevin City Wonders Team
Written 5 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
One of the highlights of our trip was definitely our tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. We cannot say enough positive things about our guide, "Barbara (Blue Eyes)" and the experience she provided! Barbara is a phenomenal guide! She is extremely knowledgeable, educated, speaks fluent English, and really explained so much of the history without ever making us feel rushed. She also really paid attention to meeting the needs of everyone within our group.

We have visited many places and have been on several guided tours and have often felt rushed, had language barriers, and at times have felt like cattle being herded. This experience was hands down 'THE BEST' and most enjoyable we've ever experienced!

Thank you to Barbara and to City Wonders!
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

James
Wallingford, UK
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We were so lucky to have the knowledgeable and very personable Christina as our guide. Her enthusiasm for her city was infectious, and her passion for her academic subject of art history (PhD no less) really brought the Colosseum and Forum to life. There were 12 of us, a small enough group to make it feel personal and fun. It is expensive, but you get what you pay for and so much more - we sailed past queues, and were treated to interesting titbits of information that can’t be found on Google or in a guidebook. If you are new to the city I can’t recommend a personal guide highly enough. Handy hint - make sure you have water, a cap and sun cream as the sun above the Colosseum is strong even in Spring!
Written 12 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SophieP
New York City, NY
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019
This tour was fantastic! Although there were, what seemed like, a gazillion people gathering to see the Colosseum, the tour leaders quickly got us together with our guide and off to the front of the line. We saved hours of line-waiting and skated through pretty quickly. Our guide was patient and explained the process very clearly, so we all knew what to do and where to go. She was also incredibly knowledgeable as her other job is as an archeologist...so we really felt like we were getting an insider's tour. It was engaging and kept us riveted with tales of yore and information that doesn't always come from a book. When we moved on to the Forum and Palatine Hill, we got to see real archeological digs in action, too! I never felt rushed and although the tour was long, it kept me interested the entire time. I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone who wants a deeper exploration of these historical giants.
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Adele C
Brooklyn, NY
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Tour was excellent! We had Stephanie as our guide. She had a great personality and a wonderful way of relating to the diverse group that we were, from all different parts of the world. She pointed out things that I would never notice if I were on my own. She also was able to tell the history in a way that made it came alive and made it relevant to our lives. Thank you!
Written 10 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
The tour to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill was amazing. Booked using link on Trip Advisor. Guide was Selena. Very well educated on Romes history.
We did the Vatican first and then the Colosseum but I would reverse that order if going again. It is a total waste of time going to these places if you dont go with a guide as I feel a person should know what they are looking at. No queues anywhere and it was just great for us. Feel sorry for the Restaurants, busses, taxis etc. As tourism is dead here at the moment.
Written 7 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

spb1992
West Midlands, UK
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Tour guide was brilliant new what she was taking about. Passionate about her country.
Lots of steps and walking which is exactly what we expected.
Really enjoyed the tour and it was around 3 hours. Only thing I would advise is lots of people also did the Vatican City tour in the same day. Where as we did it over two days.
Doing the Vatican City tour and colosseum tour in one day would be far to much as there is no time for lunch as you go from one side of the city to the other. So glad we did it over two days!
Written 23 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Doc the Traveler
Ohio City, OH
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Couples
Our tour guide Hector was very knowledgeable. We got thru all areas efficiently while he provided a great commentary on what we were seeing. His suggestion to see a few movies Like Gladiator or Spartacus to get a big picture view of the past was great. This tour is not for those having problems walking. If you have trouble you may want to get a private tour guide so you can go slower. Some people did drop out. Also go early in the morning the Roman sun can be brutal in the summer. Very worthwhile
Written 12 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
Took the basic (not small group) Colosseum tour as part of the full day combo package with the Best of Rome walking tour and found that it's better to just go for the colosseum tour and skip the city walk.

Lady archaelogist guide for the Colosseum tour was knowledgeable, engaging and made every effort to connect with and tailor her content to different members of her group - from young children to the older adults. She even supplemented her commentary with hard copy pictures she carried in her bag.

This was in contrast to the city walk guide who kept shoving mainly art history facts to participants even though not everyone seemed interested in what's being said. There was also no mention of the large number of eateries and gelato spots along the way until a participant asked for food recommendations at the end of the tour. Note also that the guide will not be entering the Pantheon to explain things inside. So before you pay for this city tour, maybe check out other free walking tours first that also cover the city centre - some of these other agencies have very creative itineraries that reflect their guides' efforts to offer something different to tourists.
Written 15 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
Wonderful tour in every way. Our tour guide, Flavia [? spelling] was exceptionally knowledgeable, very thorough, personable, and entertaining. In our group of 7 we had 3 grandsons, age 10 and 12. She engaged them throughout the tour and made them feel a part of it and allowed them to experience the full perspective of how unique the history is of that time in Roman history. We started at the Colosseum, and after a thorough tour of it we moved on to the Palatine Hill and then to the Forum. It's a lengthy tour but time seemed to fly by due to her way of conducting the tour. We could not even remotely been able to obtain the information she provided for us on our own; and it would have taken much longer. This tour is well worth the money paid and my entire family highly recommend it.
Written 15 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Colosseum & Ancient Rome with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Tour provided by City Wonders

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