Colosseum Tour with Underground, Arena & Gladiator Gate with Roman Forum
Through the political and commercial life of the Roman Forum, to the palaces of the Palatine Hill and out onto the arena floor of the Colosseum, walk in the footsteps of emperors and gladiators on the most comprehensive of our Colosseum experiences. This tour is perfect for those who are looking for an educational walk through more than 2000 years of history, without feeling overwhelmed.
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This tour was awarded “Best of the Best” by TripAdvisor in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Reviews from millions of TripAdvisor travellers place this experience in the top 1% of things to do worldwide. |
- Take a semi-private tour with a maximum of 6 people & a dedicated expert guide
- Enjoy exclusive, priority access to the Colosseum underground & arena floor
- Walk to the top of the Palatine Hill to soak up the spectacular views of Rome
- Learn about everyday ancient Roman life by touring the Roman Forum
- Gain a comprehensive overview of the most iconic sites in Roman history
Semi-Private tours and experiences are guaranteed six participants max.
Our prices always include tickets and reservations fees (no waiting in lines!)
Our tour guides and staff are selected experts and speak perfect English
Easy to book and prepay your tours with our secure payment system
Eco-sustainable tourism, designed to respect and support local culture, art and traditions
**All Colosseum tours require photo ID for all participants; plan to bring your passports on the day of your tour. Failure to show identification will result in the denial of entry to the site.**
Your tour will begin as you approach the Colosseum, exploring its architecture and discovering why the Emperor Vespasian took the unusual step of building an amphitheater within the city walls. With LivTours, you won’t have to wait in line for tickets, just a quick security check before you are standing inside the Colosseum, under the arches where spectators used to enter to experience the most brutal of entertainments.
This tour will take you to two restricted access areas inside the Colosseum: the underground area and the Arena Floor. You’ll understand what it was like for the gladiators underground in the semi-darkness, surrounded by terrified animals, waiting to be hoisted up to stand in front of the crowds. From the Arena Floor, you’ll have an incredible view of the entire amphitheater, as the gladiators did when they walked through the Gladiator Gate to the deafening roar of 50,000 cheering spectators.
And what about the people who came to watch the games at the Colosseum? In the part of the Colosseum open to the general public, you’ll visit the first tier and look down onto the arena, get your first glimpse of the Forum, and visit the Imperial box.
Outside, you’ll pass the Arch of Constantine and skip the line into the Roman Forum. With stories that educate and entertain, your guide will bring the complexity of more than 2000 years of history to life. You will see the most famous sites of the Forum, including the Arch of Titus, the Temple of the Vestal Virgins and the spot where Julius Caesar was cremated.
*Depending on ticket availability, this tour may start or end at the Colosseum.
- Exclusive Access into the Colosseum Underground
- Arena Floor & Gladiator Gate
- Main Floor and 1st Tier
- Roman Forum
- Arch of Constantine
- Palatine Hill
- Remains of Julius Caesars Temple
- Arch of Titus
- Basilica of Maxentius
- Temple of Vesta
- Fully guided experience
- Please note that all Colosseum tour starting times are subject to change based on ticket availability.
- All Colosseum tours require photo ID for all participants; plan to bring your passports on the day of your tour. Failure to show identification will result in the denial of entry to the site.
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Due to recent changes in Colosseum ticketing regulations affecting all guides and all tour operators, there is a chance that the Colosseum will not allow guides to accompany their groups for the short 20 minute portion of the underground. In this circumstance, your guide will share all the historical insights prior to your entering and a member of the Colosseum staff will join you for this portion of the tour. This change is affecting all guides and all tour operators. Please see our terms and conditions page for more information.If you would like, you can install the Parco Colosseum official app on your phone and download the Colosseum Experience audio recordings prior to arriving.
- Tickets for the Colosseum Underground are extremely limited and are only released twice: 30 days prior, and 7 days prior to the tour date. Upon booking tickets on their release dates, we will confirm your tour. In the event we cannot fulfill your booking request, we will contact you immediately to provide you with the option of either a full refund, or an alternative Colosseum tour with a refund of the difference in price.
- Access to the restricted areas of the Colosseum (Underground and Arena) may be shared among other participants in the LivTours exclusive entry slot. At times, for safety reasons, logistics, and traffic control, the group may be led by one guide. This choice is at the complete discretion of the Colosseum’s administration and security policy of that day in accordance with adequate safety measures. Please be aware that this is only for 30/40 minutes of the total duration of the tour. Our max 6 people policy is guaranteed for the remainder of the duration of the tour.
- The above itinerary is an example, the order of the sites might change depending on the scheduled slot for the Colosseum Underground and Arena floor.
- Please let us know in the “notes” section if you will be traveling with children under the age of 5 or if anyone in you have any mobility issues.
- WEATHER CONDITIONS: In extreme weather conditions, parts of the restricted areas may be closed for safety reasons by the Colosseum administration. LivTours’ tour will always run, and itinerary will adjust accordingly to the weather therefore no refunds will be granted for reasons out of LivTours’ control.
- Guests with wheelchair accessibility needs will find difficulty with this semi-private group tour. In order to ensure a tour with alternative routes, please inquire with our customer support team and we will find you a barrier-free tour.
- 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. Please be on time!
LivTours’ group size of max 6 participants is and always has been based on sustainable travel, and we are proud to be at the forefront of change and innovation in the industry. LivTours is committed to providing travelers with truly sustainable tours with the lowest possible environmental impact, all while supporting the local industries and people of each unique destination. To learn more about how you can actively support sustainable tourism and how LivTours is contributing, click here.
All LivTours Semi-Private Group Tours are limited to 6 guests per tour guide. Our commitment to maintaining our uniquely tiny group sizes can sometimes be a little tricky, mathematically speaking. For example, we want to ensure that traveling families and friends can tour together so on rare occasions we may add one or two guests in order to not split groups. On that same note, you may also find yourself on tour with less than six people! We thank you for your understanding and flexibility.
Non-Refundable Entrance Fees
Due to recent ticket policy changes imposed by the Colosseum, this tour cost is fully refundable minus the skip-the-line Colosseum entrance fees. Cancellations or modifications will exclude these entrance fees.
If you want to help us restore this tour to 100% refundable and modifiable, please sign the petition here (scroll down for English). Thank you!
5 Stars
"The guided tour of the Colosseum, including the hypogeum, was fascinating. Our guide Rebecca was both very knowledgeable and very pleasant and friendly, and her informed commentary enhanced the experience. It is not a cheap tour, but it was worth paying a higher price to be in a private group of just five people (maximum six) rather than following a red flag in a party of thirty or more. Particularly helpful was the use of radio receivers with an earpiece, enabling us to hear Rebecca chatting away without her having to shout over other people, and also enabling us to now and then disengage from the group by a few metres in order to take photos without missing any of the commentary. Email communications with LivTours before the day were good - although their website ought to make it clear that the Colosseum ticket also provides entry to the Forum without extra charge (ask the guide for the ticket on the day). Overall, highly recommended."
M. Webb - USA
Best tour while in Rome
"We booked the Colosseum and Forum tour with access to underground colosseum in August 2022. Barbara was our guide in a small group of 6 and was amazing! It was the best tour we had taken while staying in Rome, she was very knowledgeable about the Ancient city and was so nice in helping us stay hydrated and cool in the shade during the summer heat. I would recommend seeing the underground and will book again with Liv Tours and Barbara."
GM - Canada
Great guide
"We booked the Colosseum and Ancient Rome tour with LivTours. Ribal, our guide, was very knowledgeable and was a great guide who explained things really well. We also did the underground option which is a MUST!!! Small group which made things much more personal. Thankyou LivTours"
Kylie - USA
By selecting Choose Dates Later / Buy as Gift at booking, any tour can be purchased without fixed dates. This is the perfect option if you want to purchase your tour as a gift for a loved one, or if you are in the pre-planning phase of your vacation. After booking, you will receive a Travel Voucher Code and full instructions on how to schedule your tours when ready. Once your travel plans are confirmed, you can easily use the Travel Voucher Code on the LivTours website to formally schedule your tours. You can find out more here.