Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill Guided Tours

In Rome, there are many places that will leave you speechless just by looking at them, but the Colosseum will capture your heart and soul as a traveler. I'll tell you all the details so that your visit to the most famous amphitheater in the world is unbeatable.

The most comprehensive option

Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Guided tour with Optional Arena

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

Travel back to Ancient Rome with a 3-hour tour covering the key sites of the empire, with the option to include access to the arena.

From $42 at Hellotickets

With this comprehensive 3-hour guided tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill, you'll visit the places where Roman history was forged: from the arena where gladiators fought—which you can add as an extra when booking—to the temples and triumphal arches of the Forum and the imperial residences on Palatine Hill.

You will be accompanied at all times by a professional guide who will place each column and each stone in its historical context, allowing you to imagine the grandeur of the empire right where its most famous episodes took place.

Recommended if... you have limited time in Rome and want to ensure access to all three sites, with the option of stepping onto the sand of the Colosseum for an even more intense experience.

The cheapest option

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

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

Experience the Colosseum like a Roman gladiator: explore the arena, the Forum, and the Palatine Hill on an affordable 2.5-hour tour.

From $88 at Hellotickets

With this 2.5-hour guided tour of the Colosseum and its arena, you will travel back in time accompanied by an expert who will reveal the most surprising history and anecdotes of the amphitheater. After stepping on the sand where gladiators once fought, you will continue on to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, completing the essential archaeological trilogy of Ancient Rome.

Take advantage of the opportunity to take unique photographs from corners that are not visited with the basic ticket and optimize your time at one of the most emblematic attractions of the Italian capital.

Recommended if... you want a complete experience of the Colosseum without investing too much time or money.

The Coliseum only option

Colosseum Guided Tour with Arena Access

Access the Colosseum arena in a small group

1.5-hour tour focusing on the amphitheater: enter through the gladiators' gate and walk around the arena with an expert guide.

From $56 at Hellotickets

The guided tour with direct access to the Colosseum arena opens the Porta Libitinaria, the same gate through which gladiators and beasts paraded, and allows you to step onto the wooden platform just above the pit. In just 90 minutes, you will learn about the logistics of the shows, the lives of the fighters, and the architectural secrets that made them world famous.

Unlike tours that include the Forum and Palatine Hill, this experience is dedicated entirely to the amphitheater, perfect if your priority is to "experience the arena" and you prefer to reserve the rest of the day for other plans in Rome.

Recommended if... you want to focus on the Colosseum, feel like a gladiator for a day, and enjoy a small group without spending extra hours at adjacent sites.

The night option

Colosseum Night Guided tour

Explore the Colosseum at night, without crowds

After-hours access to the illuminated amphitheater on an exclusive 2-hour tour with an official guide.

From $147 at Hellotickets

With the guided night tour of the Colosseum , you will enter after closing time, when the amber lights enhance the arches and the corridors fall silent. For two hours, you will explore the arena and the upper levels with an official guide, listening to stories of battles under the dim lighting that makes every stone vibrate.

The after-hours atmosphere offers perspectives and photographs that are impossible during the day: without crowds, with the moon over the Palatine Hill and the echo of your footsteps as the only sound, the experience becomes almost cinematic.

Recommended if... you are looking for a different perspective, without crowds and with the unique atmosphere of the Colosseum lit up exclusively for your group.

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

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

At Hellotickets, all options include skip-the-line tickets, and you can choose between different options depending on your budget. Plus, all tickets are free to cancel if your trip changes at the last minute.

In general, if you book a visit to the Colosseum, you should expect it to last approximately two and a half to three hours. At first, I thought this was not very long, but I realized that when you visit the site with a specialized guide, you get twice as much out of it as you would if you were on your own.

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

Later, I will compare my experience with that of other travelers who took longer tours, and most agreed on the same thing: it was difficult to maintain attention the entire time, and the last explanations were too dense.

The best time of day to visit the Colosseum in Rome is first thing in the morning, right when it opens (usually around 8:30 a.m.), or late in the day, close to closing time. This way, you'll avoid the large crowds and enjoy a more peaceful experience as much as possible.

I say as much as possible because when booking your guided tour of the Colosseum, you have to bear in mind that you are visiting one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. In fact, if you have the opportunity, 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 all about its history, legends, and architecture. What's more, with tours that also include admission and a guided tour of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, the experience is much more complete. But if you're looking for a more intimate and authentic visit, I recommend choosing a small group tour.

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

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

Ana's Traveler Tip

If you want to enjoy impressive views of the Forum without paying admission, take a look from the Piazza del Campidoglio.

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

Colosseum

This is the main attraction of the visit and the one where most time is spent. Almost all of us had seen Gladiator and knew about the gladiator and animal fights that took place in the Roman amphitheater, but what I didn't know, for example, and what we were told on the tour was that naval battles were also reenacted here.

It was very curious to imagine the Colosseum in a different context and see how all the shows that took place here were made possible by 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 in the city and the most central of the seven hills of Rome. I fondly remember that they chose this spot to tell us the story of Romulus and Remus, as it was here that Romulus founded the city.

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

Roman Forum

After seeing the Palatine Hill, we went on to explore the Roman Forum. This was one of the parts I was most looking forward to because during the individual visit there is no information available to help you understand what you are seeing. On the guided tour of the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum, you will probably have more time to ask the guide any questions you may have, but the truth is that they are all very professional and will try to answer your questions during the visit.

After pointing out the different parts of the Forum (the temples of Saturn, Venus, Vesta, etc.), he explained 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 understood why.

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

What should you bring?

When packing your backpack, don't forget the voucher that was emailed to you when you booked the tour (the guide will give you the tickets); if you can't print it, don't worry, just show the email. It gets very hot in the Colosseum and especially in the Forum, so bring water, a hat, sunscreen, and cool clothes if it's summer. Although the guided tours are not usually long, bring something to eat as well, since food is not normally included in tours in this area.

How do I 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 metro line B to the Colosseo stop (the easiest option), buses C3, 60, 81, 85, 87, 175, 628, or tram number 3. If you are staying in the center of Rome, you can also walk there; although the Colosseum is not in the center, it is within walking distance.

Eating in the area

If you finish your tour of the Colosseum and the Forum at lunchtime or dinnertime, it's best to head away from the crowds and avoid reheated food. However, if you take a guided tour, you can ask your guide to recommend a nearby place that isn't too touristy, where you can enjoy a more authentic meal.

Colosseum tours with children

If you are visiting the Colosseum with children, the private guided tour of the Colosseum and the Forum may be a good option as, if there are children in the group, the guide often includes anecdotes that may interest them and adapts part of the commentary accordingly. In any case, you will also find tours that are fully adapted for children and may be a good option to spark 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're going to Rome, keep in mind that you can book a night tour of the Colosseum, an option you should definitely consider, as the opportunity to explore this monumental complex at dusk, under the starlight, could be described as an almost magical and more intimate experience, as there are fewer tourists than at other times of the day.

However, you should bear in mind that the availability of these tours depends on the season and demand. It is essential to book in advance, as this experience is very popular and places are limited.

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

Photographs

The main tip I'm going to give you is useful for any guided tour you take in Rome. If you love photography, Rome has hundreds of spots that will delight you, but don't try to take too many photos during the guided tour.

You'll have plenty of time to take photos of the Colosseum from the outside, so during the tour, enjoy the explanations and let yourself be seduced by the surroundings. In return, here are a couple of places where you can take impressive photos of these two monuments:

Beware of the heat

I must also remind you to be careful with the high temperatures. Keep in mind that the Forum is an open esplanade with no shade, and it can get very hot during your visit. Bring plenty of water to stay hydrated and protect yourself from the sun.

What to do with backpacks and luggage

Finally, keep in mind that you will not be allowed to enter the Colosseum with large backpacks or luggage, so avoid taking this guided tour the day before you leave for the airport or immediately after arriving without stopping at your hotel.

Along with the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums are Rome's most iconic attraction and have so much to offer that it's worth visiting them with someone who can tell you all about their history in an entertaining way. You can check out this article I wrote about Vatican Guided Tours

I wouldn't forget the Galleria Borghese, one of the most spectacular places in the city and one that often goes unnoticed by tourists. Here's the guide Borghese Gallery in Rome: Tickets and Tours

If you prefer more comprehensive tours of the city, I recommend reading Top 11 Tours of Rome. I'm sure you'll find the one that best suits your tastes, as the range of tours and guided visits in the city is endless!