Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill Guided Tours

In Rome there are many places that leave you speechless just by contemplating them, but the Colosseum conquers your heart and soul as a traveler. I tell you all the details to make your visit to the most famous amphitheater in the world is unbeatable.

The cheapest option

Colosseum Guided tour with arena access & Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Explore the Colosseum with a guided tour and access to the arena area, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill.

Experience the Colosseum as a Roman gladiator. Walk around every corner and even access the arena area where the greatest spectacles of Ancient Rome were performed.

From $88 at Hellotickets

With this guided tour of about 2 hours and a half, you can move to the past. You will have the chance to tour this gladiator temple with an expert who will tell you details of the history and anecdotes.

You will be able to take countless unique photos and make the most of one of the most important attractions of the Roman capital.

Recommended if... you want to get a complete experience of the Colosseum but do not have much time to dedicate to the experience.

The most complete option

Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Guided tour with Optional Arena

Discover the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill with an expert guide

Travel to Ancient Rome and live a complete experience with this guided tour of the places that marked the history of the empire and the destiny of today's civilization.

From $38 at Hellotickets

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Visit the most iconic points of the Roman capital and what in the past consolidated the empire. This 3-hour tour will take you on a journey through the past and you will feel like a gladiator or an emperor himself.

You will be accompanied at all times by a professional guide who will tell you facts and events in the same place where they took place.

Recommended if... you have little time in Rome and you want to save time, saving you the trouble of running out of tickets.

When booking a visit to the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine Hill you will realize that choosing the best guided tour of the Colosseum is not easy. In fact, you will find several options for all budgets.

In general, the most important thing to look for is that the tickets are included (so you will avoid surprises of having to pay extra at the door). It is also important that it includes direct access to avoid having to wait in long lines at the entrance. And, in addition, you can choose between those with access to the arena.

In Hellotickets, all options include tickets with access without queues and depending on your budget you can choose between the different options. In addition, all have free cancellation if your trip suffers last minute changes.

In general, if you book a tour of the Colosseum you have to expect that it will last about two and a half to three hours. At first it seemed like a short time, but I realized that visiting the site with a specialized guide makes the time twice as long as it would be if you were to see it on your own.

There is also an express tour of the Colosseum of only an hour and a half if you don't have that much time or just prefer to do a shorter tour.

Later I will compare my experience with other travelers who did longer tours and most of them agreed on the same thing: it was difficult to keep your attention all the time and the last explanations were too dense.

The best time of day to visit the Colosseum in Rome is early in the morning, just as it opens (usually around 8:30 am), or late in the day, close to its closing time. This way, you will avoid the large crowds and enjoy a quieter experience as much as possible.

And I say as far as possible, because you have to keep in mind when booking your guided tour of the Colosseum that you are visiting one of the most visited monumental complexes in the world. In fact, if you have the opportunity, make the visit on a weekday, as there are fewer visitors than on weekends.

Visiting the Colosseum on a guided tour has many advantages: you will learn about its history, legends and architecture. Moreover, with tours that also include entrance fees and a guided visit to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, the experience is much more complete. But if you are looking for a more intimate and authentic visit, I recommend choosing a small group tour.

If the average general tour of the Colosseum and Forum is 25 people, there are other tours like this one that have the option of an average of 16 people. You can consider this option if you are traveling with a large group and this way the guide will be practically private for you.

Once the tour was done, I can say that what I appreciated the most was the fact that we were able to visit the Colosseum without waiting or queuing, in a group of 25 people and with access to areas that are not normally seen on the individual tour on your own. It's something I loved doing on my visit to Rome.

Ana's Traveller Tip

If you want to have a breathtaking view of the Forum without paying an entrance fee, go from the Piazza del Campidoglio.

If you are booking a visit to the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine Hill, here are the stops that all tours usually make, although if you choose the private guided tour, you can deviate from the usual itinerary and ask the guide to adapt it to your tastes.

Colosseum of Rome

This is the main point of the tour and the one that gets the most time. Almost all of us had seen Gladiator and knew about the gladiator and animal fights that were held in the Roman amphitheater, what I, for example, did not know and we were told on the visit was that naval battles were also recreated here.

It was very curious to imagine the Colosseum in a different context and to see how all the shows that were held here were possible thanks to the maximum use of the amphitheater's engineering.

Palatine Hill

It is close to the Colosseum and next to the Forum and is one of the oldest points of the city and the most central of the seven hills of the city of Rome. I remember very fondly that they chose this point to tell us the story of Romulus and Remus since it was at this point that Romulus founded the city.

If you do not know the story or have forgotten it, I recommend that you do not look up anything before the visit and listen to the guide's explanations as if it were the first time you are being told the story. Even if you choose the standard group guided tour of the Colosseum, you will visit this part of the Forum as well, as it is included.

Roman Forum

After seeing the Palatine Hill we moved on to tour the Roman Forum; it was one of the parts I was looking forward to the most because during the individual tour there is no information available to better understand what we are seeing. Probably, in the guided tour Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and Colosseum you will have more time to ask your doubts to the guide, but the truth is that everyone is very professional and will try to solve your questions during the visit.

After pointing out the different parts of the Forum (the temples of Saturn, Venus, Vesta, etc.) he explained to us what kind of activities and ceremonies took place here. We all knew that this enclave was the center of Roman social life, but I think that after the explanations we really assimilated the reason.

Have you already booked your visit to the Colosseum? Well, here are some recommendations you should know so that, once you are there, there are no setbacks to spoil your visit to one of the main monuments of the Roman city.

What to bring?

When you pack your backpack, don't forget the voucher that is sent to you by e-mail when you book the tour (the tickets will be given to you by the guide); if you can't print it, don't worry because you can show the e-mail. In the Colosseum and especially in the Forum it is very hot so bring water, a hat, sunscreen and cool clothes if it is summer. Although the guided tours are not usually long, bring something to eat as food is usually not included in the tours in this area.

How to get to the meeting point?

The meeting point will be near the Colosseum and the guide will tell you how to find it. To get to the Colosseum from the center of Rome you can take the metro line B to the Colosseo stop (the easiest option), buses C3, 60, 81, 85, 87, 175, 628 or streetcar number 3. If you are staying in the center of Rome you can also walk there; the Colosseum, although not in the center, is accessible on foot.

Eating in the area

If you finish the tour of the Colosseum and Forum at lunch or dinner time, it is best to stay away to avoid crowds and overheated food, but if you take the guided tour you have the option of asking the guide to recommend a nearby place that is not too touristy so you can enjoy a more authentic meal.

Colosseum tours with children

If you are going to visit the Colosseum with children, the private guided tour of the Colosseum and the Forum can be a good option because, if there are children in the group, they often introduce anecdotes that may interest them and adapt part of the speech for it. In any case, you will also find tours totally adapted to children and it can be a good option to awaken their interest in the history of the place.

Special options

If you are traveling with someone with reduced mobility, make sure that the guided tour you choose is adapted for this group. The Colosseum has several wheelchairs available for visitors.

If you go to Rome, keep in mind that you can book a night tour of the Colosseum, an option that you should consider, since having the opportunity to explore this monumental complex at dusk, under the light of the stars, could be described as an almost magical and more intimate experience, since there are fewer tourists than at other times of the day.

However, you have to keep in mind that the availability of these visits depends on the season and demand. It is essential to book in advance, as this experience is very popular and the number of places is more limited.

Finally, here are some practical tips for your guided tour of the Colosseum.

Photographs

The main tip I am going to give you is useful for any guided tour in Rome. If you love photography, in Rome there are hundreds of places that will delight you, but do not try to take too many pictures during the guided tour.

You will have plenty of time to take pictures of the Colosseum outside, during the visit enjoy the explanations and let yourself be seduced by the surroundings. In return, I'll point out a couple of places from which you can take stunning photos of these two monuments:

Beware of the heat

I also have to repeat to you to be careful with the high temperatures. Keep in mind that the Forum is an esplanade where there is no shade and that during the visit the heat can get very hot. Bring plenty of water to hydrate yourself and protect yourself from the sun.

What to do with backpacks and luggage

Finally, keep in mind that you will not be able to enter the Colosseum with large backpacks or luggage, so avoid taking this guided tour the day before you leave for the airport or just upon arrival without stopping by the hotel.

Along with the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums are the most emblematic site in Rome and have so much to offer that it is worth visiting them with the company of someone who can tell you all its history in a pleasant way. You can check this article I wrote about Vatican Guided Tours.

I would also not forget the Galleria Borghese, one of the most spectacular places in the city and that often goes unnoticed by tourists. I leave here the guide of Borghese Gallery in Rome: Tickets and Tours for your reference.

If you prefer more complete tours of the city, I recommend that you read Top 11 Tours of Rome. I am sure you will find the one that best suits your tastes, since the offer of tours and guided tours of the city is endless!