Rome

Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum Guided Tour Skip-the-Line

Rome, Italy
Skip the Line Colosseum Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Official Guided Tour Entrance fee included

From $55.13

Select Date and Travelers

-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.

  • 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Take a guided tour of the Colosseum, including skip-the-line admission, to get the most out of your visit. By exploring the amphitheater’s first and second tiers with an official Colosseum guide, who has a background in history, art, and archaeology, learn about the origins of this iconic Rome landmark. Hear stories about gladiator battles and Roman emperors, and marvel at the engineering of the ancient structure. Then visit Palatine Hill and the ruins of the Roman Forum.
  • Skip-the-line admission to the Colosseum with a guided tour
  • Learn about the Colosseum's history and engineering from a knowledgeable guide
  • Listen to tales of gladiator battles that once took place here
  • Explore Palatine Hill for views of Circus Maximus and the Roman Forum
  • See ancient ruins like that of the Temple of Julius Caesar and Arch of Titus

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Tour the Colosseum’s 1st and 2nd tiers with an official guide before heading to the forum.

What's Included

  • Skip the line Entrance ticket
  • 2.5 hrs Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill guided tour, group max 24 people
  • Official Guide
  • Earphones (over 8 people)
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Colosseum's underground (unless you book the special option!)

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • Via delle Terme di Tito, 72, 00184 Roma RM, Italy

    The meeting point is at Via delle Terme di Tito on the corner of Via Nicola Salvi. Our Staff will wait next to the park entrance, in front of "Oppio Cafè" with a "Tour in the city" sign on their blue T-shirts. MANDATORY meeting time 20 minutes before tour departure time.

End point

  • Roman Forum
    Via della Salara Vecchia, 5/6, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

What To Expect

With this tour, benefit from the knowledge of an official Colosseum guide, who brings a background in history, art, and archaeology to the majestic ancient amphitheater.
Skip the ticket lines and the crowds struggling to get into the eternally popular attraction, and spend about an hour exploring the first and second tiers while listening to detailed accounts of the historical games and battles. Also, learn about the Colosseum's architecture and engineering from your guide.

Visit Palatine Hill, birthplace of Rome. Here, enjoy panoramic views of the Circus Maximus and the Roman Forum. Learn about the legend of Romulus and Remus, the legendary brothers raised by a she-wolf who founded Rome.

Continue to the Forum, where you spend about 45 minutes visiting archaeological sites such as the Temple of Julius Caesar, the Arch of Titus, and the Sacred Way. Your tour finishes here.

Colosseum

1 hour Admission Ticket Included

Palatine Hill

45 minutesAdmission Ticket Included

Roman Forum

45 minutesAdmission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Customers have a mandatory meeting time stated 25 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time due to managing and organizational reasons.
  • 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.
  • PLEASE NOTE: as for the Colosseum new management, it might take few minutes to grab tickets for kids (if any of them are in the group) so the activity can suffer 20/30 min variation due to organizational reasons
  • The order in which the sites are visited during the tour can vary
  • 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.
  • Discounts for children under 18 years is applied only with a valid ID card!
  • Please note that for safety reasons the Colosseum can accommodate up to 3.000 people at once.This could lead to delays in access to the site, even for pre-booked visitors.
  • For security reasons all visitors and their luggage shall be screened.
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Forbidden objects inside the Colosseum: bottles and glasses containers, alcholic beverages and aerosols, backpacks, camping, bulky bags and luggage / trolley
  • Please notice that the Colosseum Administration, which depends on the Ministry of Cultural Assets and Activities has the faculty to close the Colosseum, or parts of it, with or without notice, for events, strikes, heavy rain, or any other reason. In which case, we will offer an alternative itinerary as it seems fit and offer a partial refund
  • Activity not recommended for people with motor lag
  • No change on a booking can be accepted less than 96 hours before the time of the tour. In that instance, no refund will be issued.
  • For the safety of all guests, the tour operator reserves the right to refuse service to passengers who are intoxicated or show signs of intoxication. If, as a result, your tour is canceled, you will not be entitled to a refund.
  • PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED
  • The meeting point is at Via delle Terme di Tito on the corner of Via Nicola Salvi. Our Staff will wait next to the park entrance with a "Tour in the city" sign. MANDATORY meeting time 25 minutes prior to tour departure time
  • In case of late arrival or cancellation beyond the limits indicated in the cancellation policy by the customer, a refund is not foreseen.
  • The duration of the tour may vary according to the time taken to access the monument. The tour duration is always at least 2 hours and will always be at most 3 hours.
  • Every refund request MUST be done within and not later than 48 hours from the day of the tour
  • The Colosseum management does not distribute individual tickets. We will have one group tickets for the entire group. For this reason, we cannot give individual tickets to late arrivals.
  • Not recommended for travelers with walking problems
  • Not accessible for walker users
  • We kindly inform you that any kind of disability (visual impairment, hearing impairment,... ) or anything that might prevent you to regularly join the tour, MUST BE communicated in advance to our staff.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers

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.

  • 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

    See more

    Traveler Tips


    This can be a long day so make sure you have refreshments and comfortable shoes.
    It was a hot day so take plenty of water.
    Worth every penny to be guided in/out easily and with such a rich explanation along the way.
    Reviews by Viator travelers. We perform checks on reviews

    Reviews

    4.5
    2,378 reviews
    Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    Reviews by Viator travelers.
    Showing 1-10 of 2,378 reviews
    Ok but I’d book without a tour next time
    kim_s, Mar 2024
    There was a lot of waiting before your started. It was great to see colosseum but going in a group meant we had to wait for others less able to walk freely and it felt rushed in areas I’d would have liked to spend a longer time at.
    Stunning Tour, an absolute must whilst in Rome.
    Michala_K, Mar 2024
    Fantastic tour guided trip. Our guide was so knowledgeable and passionate in sharing her experiences. Make sure you have comfortable footwear and water as its quite a hike and around 4 hours from start to finish.
    Great tour and guide
    Timothy_H, Mar 2024
    Katerina our guide was fantastic, and she didn’t let the heavy rain and windy conditions slow her down or prevent her from doing her job well! The tour was great and the sites were amazing, but we would have enjoyed it even more if the weather had cooperated.
    Colleseum, Firum & Palatine Hill Tour
    Kaisra_K, Mar 2024
    Superb tour around the Colleseum, Forum & Palatine Hill with Daniello! He shared his vast and interesting knowledge really clearly. Great all round experience!
    Historical information with details was wonderful
    Catherine_E, Mar 2024
    Excellent historical information given by our guide Richard. Very knowledgeable. The lines were extremely long. Hours long. Richard apologized for that which was nice of him. It was not his fault
    SCAM! DONT BUY
    Tabatha_S, Mar 2024
    This is a scam! This is NOOOO skip the line, we waited an hour just to enter the coliseum. No point in a tour guide, for sure could have got all the information provided based off the photos in the area. Don’t waste your money on this and just purchase tickets yourself and do your own walking tour.
    Response from Host, Mar 2024
    Dear Client, We are sorry the tour did not meet your expectations. The queue at the entrance is for the security check, which has recently increased due to the well-known problems regarding events in the Middle East. Furthermore, it is well written on our voucher that there may be delays in entering the Colosseum due to security checks. Should you contact us directly at info @ tourinthecity.com with your comments, please do not hesitate to do so and provide your booking reference number so we can follow up with the relevant people for you. Thank you for leaving us your review once again. We hope to hear from you soon. Kind Regards, Stefano Tour in the City
    Great tour
    Julia_H, Mar 2024
    Our guide was very thorough and nice-he stayed with us for a very long time and gave us a lot of interesting details, it was very educational for my kids and we are very grateful. The guide is a very nice guide
    Well worth doing.
    Peter_C, Mar 2024
    The tour takes the hassle away from queuing for tickets and provide a wealth of information that you can relax and take in.
    Request to be in Katarina’s tour group. She is the best tour guide we have ever had!
    Christina_N, Mar 2024
    The Colosseum and Forum are amazing sites that you must see when you come to Rome and this tour is a skip-the-line and guarantees you a ticket. Had we not purchased with Viator, we would have been out of luck that day because the Colosseum was sold out, However even with all of the incredible locations and rich cultural sites, the real stand out of the day was KATARINA! Not only was she very informative, she was also hilarious with a very smart, dry wit. She kept our group of about 20 in order and noticed when stragglers got lost and wrangled them back several times. She kept the pace of the tour quick, never boring. Sometimes we go on these tour and the guide is just reciting a script. Not KATARINA, she was able to answer many questions and was absolutely charming. If every Viator tour guide was like KATARINA, we would sign up across the board. Brava Katarina! You made our trip to Rome spectacular.
    Colosseum Roman History
    Tammi_P, Mar 2024
    Beautiful, informative, and interesting. We learned a lot from our very nice and kind guide, Ricardo.
    Tour guide basically abandoned us. Not refund given.
    Hardeep_S, Mar 2024
    I recently booked a tour of the Colosseum in Rome and it started out great until the last third of the colosseum when we were essentially abandoned and it turned out to be a disaster. Upon arrival, our group, which included a baby in a stroller and elderly individuals with mobility issues, was assured that accommodations would be made for us. However, that didn't happen when the tour guide abandoned us without warning, instructing us to take an elevator and then failing to retrieve us. She did not provide clear instructions and made no effort to communicate with us through the radios she provides us. We even called our friend who was in the tour telling him to tell her to wait for us. This would have been a key opportunity to communicate with us and still no effort was made. This was really stressful for us and we felt horrible for the group of elderly people who took the elevator with us. They were doing there best to keep up but the same unclear instructions were given to them. This blatant disregard for the well-being of tour participants is inexcusable and reflects poorly on the professionalism of the tour guide. We missed out on the entire Palatine Hill tour and the elderly women missed out on 70% of the tour! She told or friend to tell us to wait where we were, but if we did that, we definitely would've missed even more. So we continued and found them, but by then, we were pretty pissed off. We were unable to fully appreciate the historical significance of the Colosseum and were deprived of the opportunity to capture memories with photographs. I strongly advise against booking a tour with this company, especially if you will need to take elevators for any reason. Their incompetence and lack of consideration for their customers make them unworthy of patronage. Save yourself the frustration and disappointment and look elsewhere for a Colosseum tour experience.
    Response from Host, Mar 2024
    Dear Customer, We are sorry for what happened. We want to point out that through no fault of ours or lack of attention, you could not follow the second part of our tour. We would like to specify that the route to visit the archaeological areas of the Palatine and the Roman Forum is not accessible to strollers, wheelchairs, or people with serious motor disabilities. In our tour description, it is specified that: - Activity not recommended for people with motor lag - We kindly inform you that any disability (visual impairment, hearing impairment,... ) or anything that might prevent you from regularly joining the tour MUST BE communicated to our staff in advance. As we requested, you did not communicate with us before the tour, and we only discovered at the start of the guided tour that one person in your group had serious mobility problems, and you also had a child in a stroller. Considering what happened, we are very sorry, but the problem occurred due to your negligence and not due to our lack of availability. Our staff did everything possible to make you participate in the tour but, during the visit to the Colosseum, the guide did everything to accommodate you, often waiting for the person with walking problems, slowing down the whole group and changing itinerary where this was possible. Next time, we recommend that you let those who have to provide you with a service if there are people with walking problems so that they can help you and give you an adequate service. Best Regards Stefano
    Great! Highly recommend
    Kendra_K, Mar 2024
    Our tour guide was great! She had a great personality and very considerate. It was a wonderful experience!
    Try exploring yourself!
    Shaelyn_R, Mar 2024
    We had a smaller group size (about 12) which was nice, but we highly recommend doing the Colosseum on your own! The tours only take you on the heavy foot trails and you are not able to explore the quieter and nicer spots. A couple people chose to leave the tour partway through and we debated it too!
    Response from Host, Mar 2024
    Dear Client, We are sorry the tour did not meet your expectations. We reviewed the feedback from your group's participants and found no similar complaints. The itineraries of our tours are planned to allow our customers to get the most out of their visits and to optimize the time available. In any case, our guides are all experts, trained, and passionate. Although they give their best, they may only be appreciated by some as opinion is an entirely personal factor. Please contact us to check through your booking code and which tour you have participated in and make the right decisions. Nonetheless, we have also forwarded this to our Guide Management department so that it can be looked at and followed up with the guide in case it is needed. Our local guides, selected for experience and professionalism, try their best to share their passion for their country and local History; we apologize that the guided tour was disappointing for you, and we will do our best to avoid it again. If you contact us directly at info @ tourinthecity.com with your comments, please do not hesitate to provide your booking reference number so we can follow up with the relevant people for you. Once again, thank you for leaving us your review. We hope to hear from you soon. Kind Regards, Stefano Tour in the City
    Must due
    Sarah_M, Mar 2024
    The tour guide was amazing. She was very informative and did a great job. She explained every detail with so much information.
    Colosseum with history!
    Thomas_G, Mar 2024
    Our guide, Sam, was very informative on the history of the Colosseum along with Rome. He was very good information on the Colosseum and the Forum. Seeing and touching the walls of the Colosseum and understanding the history was a great experience. Highly recommend this tour company.
    Good info, good tour
    Rob_C, Mar 2024
    Guide was really knowledgeable and interesting, we went on the 9.30am tour and it gives you the rest of the day to explore the city. Well worth the money. Would recommend.
    Great tour!
    Tera_N, Mar 2024
    We had a great tour despite the wind and rain. We were able to see the projection show on Palatine hill displaying the frescos. Very interesting!
    Outstanding — do it!
    Andrea_B, Mar 2024
    The entire tour was outstanding, and Angela was a wonderful guide. A couple of people wandered away and she was very patient.
    Great tour and guide
    YONGQIANGANDY_T, Mar 2024
    Excellent guide in a bustling wondrous arena. No frills no spills, well worth your 3 hours in Rome. Excellente!
    Very memorable
    Everald_C, Mar 2024
    Very knowledgeable and caring tour guide! The walk was well paced. The tour guide new the best views to avoid the crowds.
    ...

    Explore Similar Things to Do