See the Colosseum on a guided tour that gives you special access to enter the amphitheater on the arena, the same entrance that gladiators once used for their battles. This also allows you to skip the line at the main public entrance. Once inside, explore the ancient landmark with a guide, and then head outside to tour the archaeological area of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Select your preferred tour time when booking.

Colosseum and ancient Rome tour with special access
Enter the Colosseum directly from the arena floor, a rare privilege
Skip the main entrance line with priority admission tickets
Explore the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, as well

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Enter the Colosseum by the arena floor, and visit Palatine Hill and the Forum.

What's Included

Guided tour
group tour guide for 3 hours
admission tickets
arena floor access

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Transportation to/from attractions
Food and drinks

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Santi Cosma e Damiano
Via dei Fori Imperiali, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
The meeting point is in the square in front, OUTSIDE, of the Basilica of Santi Cosma and Damiano, the church is located on Via dei Fori Imperiali (half way) & is close the entrance of the Roman Forum. You will see our staff in front of the Basilica wearing a uniform with the logos of the company.

End point

Via dei Fori Imperiali
Via dei Fori Imperiali, Roma RM, Italy

What To Expect

Your tour begins by meeting your guide at the local tour office near the Colosseum; then walk to the special entrance reserved for members of this tour.

Skip the regular lines and maximize your time at the Colosseum as you enter the amphitheater directly onto the arena floor, where gladiators and wild animals engaged in bloody fights. Visit the ring overlooking the underground sections of the Colosseum, and learn about its history from your guide, who has a degree in either art history or archaeology. Listen to anecdotes about the glory days of the arena and the lives of the emperors and senators of the time.

Next, leave the Colosseum and walk to Palatine Hill, one of the Seven Hills of Rome, where emperors and other wealthy residents lived. Take in the view of the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus, and then walk down the hill to explore the ruins of the forum, where your guide shares more stories and uses books and 3D pictures to show you how the site looked during the days of Ancient Rome. Your tour ends with return to your starting point.

Colosseum

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Roman Forum

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Palatine Hill

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Normal sized backpacks are permitted as huge backpacks will not be admitted.
Colosseums' Rules:Sharps objects, liquid glass bottles, drones, selfiesticks, perfumes & sprays are NOT allowed. Only plastic water bottle are accepted.
Small group tour will average 20 people (with a maximum of 26 people).
Please be aware that to enter the Colosseum it is necessary to pass a metal detector security check;
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Please be on time or you might lose the entrance for the Colosseum or a part of the tour
There might be a slight change in the departure timing. In this case we will call you in advance.

A current valid passport or ID document is required on the day of the tour for the entrance at the Colosseum
Please make sure you bring comfortable shoes and a refillable plastic water bottle especially during hot weather!
Near public transportation
There might be a slight change in order of the itinerary due to security and ticket availability.
Please note that due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not suitable for any persons with disabilities.
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Please show up at least 10 minutes before the tour to do the check in
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 26 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

Of course worth the trek, but be sure to wear proper shoes as the walk to the Colosseum is dusty, rocky, and uphill.

Note, it is a lot of walking, bring water and wear comfy shoes!!

Skip the line is a must when visiting these sites.

Reviews

4.5

1,831 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 1,831 reviews

Great tour by Yuri

Darcy_D, Jun 2023

Yuri was a great guide. He was so knowledgeable and warm and open, and he made it really fun. Loved the Palatine hill and forum history and fun facts. Colosseum, too. There was along security line at the Colosseum and Yuri’s engaging tour made the time fly. His terrific tour clearly reflected a small portion of his knowledge.

An enjoyable consolation tour

Dhane_M, Jun 2023

Our tour guide Paulo was excellent. He added wonderful colour and context to the experience. Unfortunately, the tour adminstration was less impressive as the confirmed tour was cancelled last minute due to the operator's inability to secure entry tickets. An alternate tour of lessor scope was offered, which we did enjoy.

Not worth the money

Katrina_S, Jun 2023

Signed up for English tour but the tour guide didn’t speak English well. It also started thirty minutes later than it was supposed to be. The tour guide did not teach facts about the Colosseum well so we listened to other tour guides around us who were much better. Our ear bud devices did not always work and sounded fuzzy. Would not recommend tour.

A great tour with Mateo!

Nicholas_R, Jun 2023

Mateo was a great tour guide. We were a family of 6 (4 adults 2 child). We were with about 20 others. He gave us individual headsets so we could hear him easily. He provided so much history of the colosseum the forum and Rome in general. It was great to learn from a local mayor from a nearby town who had a deep understanding of Roman history. He was great with my 10 y/o who had some interesting questions about the gladiators. He also made it a point to stop in shaded areas to talk to the group and he made an effort to talk to everyone face to face at some point. He knew where all the bathrooms and water fountains were along the way and he ensured the group stayed together. While it was 3 hours it certainly did not feel like it. Time past quickly. Thanks again Mateo!

Fantastic experience!!!!!

Brandon_P, Jun 2023

Walking into the Colosseum was the most memorable experience for my new wife and I. The entire experience was FANTASTIC!!! The tour guide was great and knowledgeable and so funny!!! The best time we have had here in Rome.

This is in no way a SMALL GROUP tour.

Andrea_P, Jun 2023

I'm not sure how a SMALL GROUP TOUR has 34 people plus the guide in it ! We wanted a SMALL group, but were added to one totalling 34 people, so it's not as described in the sales literature at all. The guide - Giorgio - was amazing, and absolutely no complaints there. But the group was huge, unweildy, and as it's all so busy in the Forum, Palantine Hill & Colosseum, it became very tiring being part of this group. The tour lasted 3.5 hours, in the heat ! We were happy to leave, I must admit.

Worst tour company

JAYA_H, Jun 2023

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY unless you plan to arrive 1 hour earlier than your start time and push your way to the front of the line to check in extra early. Do not listen to them when they tell you to wait in a different line to check in. They will leave without you and will not make any effort to find you but will lie and say they did.

It was a wonderful site...

Carol_T, Jun 2023

It was a wonderful site to see. It was very hard to hear the guide. The ear pieces provided do not work clearly. Also being older, it was a bit hard to keep up. Some of the terrain was unstable which slowed us down

Great tour

Brennen_G, Jun 2023

Great tour, it was very hot so be sure to bring water. Guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Would recommend.

Yuri was an excellent...

Nicola_H, Jun 2023

Yuri was an excellent guide. He was very informative and animated. The tour was well organised and everything ran smoothly in spite of it being so busy.

Mateo is the best!

Annette_W, Jun 2023

We had a great time! Mateo was the best guide and made 3 hours fly by. There was a lot to see and he was such a great communicator and made everyone feel involved and entertained. The sites were amazing and I would highly recommend this as this tour helps you get past all the looooong lines for people who didn’t have tickets.

Great Tour

Dylan_Z, Jun 2023

Our tour guide Francesca was so knowledgeable and it was a great tour to see the forum and to be able to set foot on the area a floor!

Giorgio was a great guide!

Lisa_F, Jun 2023

This tour was not as well organized as the other tour that we took. The check in process was a bit chaotic. Time changed last minute and if you were not monitoring your email you would not have known. The check in staff seemed overwhelmed and were a bit rude. Once we were on our way our tour guide, Giorgio was wonderful! He was very knowledgeable and fun! He made a concerted effort to include everyone in the group. He was a pleasure to spend the day with! I would recommend this tour.

So much history you need a guide

Amy_O, Jun 2023

This is a very informative tour that moves along at just the right pace. Our guide Tom(?) spoke excellent & clear English. There is so much history here and things you would not know if you didn’t take a tour to see and understand if.

Disappointing overall

Lynn_J, Jun 2023

There were, unfortunately, several major flaws with this tour. First, they contacted me the night before to let me know they were moving the tour up by 30 minutes. We already had our train tickets reserved so we were cutting it really close. I was given no other option: that’s just the way it was going to be, despite the fact I booked the tour at a certain time. We arrived to the meeting point right on time to find total chaos. People were just standing around trying to figure out where to go. Ironically, we didn’t actually depart for the tour until it was basically the original booking time.. The tour into the colosseum was pretty brief. I specifically booked a tour that went into the arena floor, but that didn’t occur. I went back to find the description and they had changed it. Another gentleman on the tour asked about the same thing (so I know I’m not making this up) and the guide was very dismissive of him and told him he’d have to take it up with the tour company. I would not describe the tour as VIP at all. It was more like herding cattle, honestly. It was a group of 30 trying to get through masses of people. We didn’t spend much time inside and only stopped a few times. At the forum, there were a few stops, but we kept taking breaks to stand around for whatever reason. Then the tour was over. We didn’t go to circus Maximus as stated in the tour description. The tour also ended before 12:30, so it was significantly shorter than described. Overall, while there were a few good points, this tour was pretty disappointing and I would not recommend it.

Great tour. Worth the money.

kabrooks, Jun 2023

Tour guide was great. Very informative and clear. Instructions were easy to follow as to where to meet them. Only complaint is at the very last minute they pushed the tour 45 minutes later. Had we been catching a plane or train we would’ve missed it.

Bing inside the Colosseum...

Maxine_B, May 2023

Bing inside the Colosseum was the highlight, being on the floor and being able to omagine the gladiators and the fighting. Seeing where the animals were pennded up for days before the fight all of this helped us visualise what things were like

Missed tour, local tour company and Viator no help!

Jodi, May 2023

The most memorable part of this tour was being left by our tour operator, Vivacos because our train was late and our very rude taxi driver dropped us at the wrong location and there was no way to contact our tour operator without international phone capabilities. We tried texting them but they did not respond until it was too late and they left without us. We waited at the exit of the Colliseum for an hour and a half just to be told they couldn’t do anything for us and that if we wanted to rebook, we would have to pay full price again. We were told by aviator that they couldn’t contact the tour company either and they would try and email them and have them email us to rebook for the next day. We got no follow up from Vivacos or Viator. It was very disappointing and ruined our day. We will follow up when we get home but if this is how Viator handles international travel tours, we will take all of our future tours elsewhere.

Very informative. Could...

Bob_B, May 2023

Very informative. Could be a bit shorter. Gina was a Great guide. I love the history and great views of Rome.

Colosseum up close and personal

Diane_G, May 2023

It was amazing to actually be in the Colosseum and hear all the history. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and brought this history to life.

Great Experience

Andrea_A, May 2023

Our guide, Alive, was wonderful! At one point my son wasn't feeling, and she let us rest and catch up a little later. She was caring and patient with everyone. The tour was informative and enjoyable. Also, we showed up and 15 minutes late, my fault I misread my reservation, like 5 people helped us and we so kind to get us will our group. Thank you!

Nice tour

jmoswald17, May 2023

I thought we were going all the way to the bottom of the colosseum. It was a nice tour. She didn’t talk very much. Left us to our own devices a lot at the hills and forum. I would have liked more information there.

Don't try to do too much

THOMAS_G, May 2023

We never we never made it to the Colosseum. Our tour bus was late getting in then we could not find a taxi. We weren't sure exactly where we were supposed to go by the time we got it figured out we ended up at the wrong office and then we had to walk to the steps where we were supposed to meet somebody from the Vatican tour which we actually met someone and he was absolutely wonderful. He got us on an earlier Vatican tour and it was a skip the line and we did it on our own. We never got a actual Vatican tour either so we actually missed both tours, but because of the kindness of the young man that got us into the Vatican we were able to do the Vatican tour on our own. We didn't get to see everything we only had just a very short time, we are now a little wiser to how to book because of not being able to make either of the tours by the time the young man found us and helped us out. I was in tears, thinking I was going to miss both the Colosseum and the Vatican we never got to see Saint Peter's basilica , it was heartbreaking to me because this was what I came for. This was the whole reason I took the cruise. We spent a whole lot of money, and for both tours are and could've just bought a skip the line ticket to the Vatican and gone on our own.

Excellent small group tour

Julie_B, May 2023

Alice was our guide during our small group tour. She was amazing with her knowledge that she shared throughout the tour. Normally, we don’t like doing tours with a lot of people and being herded around. This tour was more personalized and quite enjoyable thanks to Alice. 😊

Just ok

IanLancaster, May 2023

The tour was decent, but could have been better. It’s important to get there early because the registration is chaotic. Our tour operator had a very thick Italian accent that made it really difficult to understand. In additional to this, the information included was not the best we’ve seen in other tours and countries.

Tour Guide Made the Difference!

Joseph_V, May 2023

Super excellent tour guide of group. We got an overview of everything in The Vatican, for which we were grateful, inspired, & pleased.

A good way to see the Colosseum and areas adjacent

ERIC_P, May 2023

Knowledgable tourguide, very friendly and helpful. Only regret was that, when you have dozens of tour groups all enjoying "skip the line" access...all those tours form lines and you have to wait anyway. At least having the tourguide with you means you're hearing good stuff while you stand there. Plus, even with having to stand in line, if you're there at anything resembling a desirable time of year, the area around the Colosseum is a zoo. Trying to navigate it on your own would be a headache and a half.

Great tour with an awesome tour guide.

Amanda_B, May 2023

Our tour guide was great as he was well informed and shared a lot of history with us. I was very disappointed with the instructions to find the meeting point (very difficult due to the roads being blocked off for the bike race). As such, we missed a part of the tour, which was paid for ahead of time.

Not a small group, disorganized assembly, did not include Pallentine Hill

Elaine_K, May 2023

We got a call in Canada 2 days prior to our trip asking us to move our tour from Sunday to Saturday - they said due to weather. It's clear now that this was likely due to staffing issues. Saturday turned out to be raining and Sunday was dry and sunny. There were far more than 26 people on that tour. In fact, on entering the Coliseum the group was split, half went in while the other half waited outside until another employee could come to bring the rest of the group in BECAUSE the group exceeded the size permitted by a single guide. This alone highlighted the fact that this was not a small group. The assembly was disorganized, we were running to catch up with the guide because, as explained by the harried guide, ONE OF THE GUIDES DIDN'T SHOW UP. The guides accent was very heavy and we were catching every 3rd word on the headphones.

Great experience but depends on your guide

Patty_C, May 2023

Amazing to see the colosseum and especially to be able to walk onto the arena floor. I felt our guide seemed a little bitter about the history of the colosseum and seemed to concentrate on the injustices which while true, it would have been nice to get more information on the things we could see.

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