On this semi-private tour of 10 people or fewer, you can experience this historic Rome icon to the fullest with access to areas that are typically closed to the public—the underground chambers. After skipping the main entrance line, explore the Colosseum with an informative guide, who shares stories about life in Ancient Rome. Get the rare chance to walk through the tunnels, stand where gladiators stood and enjoy a panoramic view. Then visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill to complete your tour of Rome’s top ancient sites.

Enjoy access to all areas of the Colosseum, including places normally off-limits
Explore the Colosseum's underground chambers and see where wild animals were caged
Visit the Roman Forum, walk up Palatine Hill and enjoy views of Nero's Circus Maximus
Walk in the Gladiators' footsteps on the Arena floor

Why Travellers Choose This Tour

Secure access to the underground chambers and arena floor

What's Included

Professional guide
Small groups of 10 people or fewer
Skip-the-Line Access to Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
Special Skip-the-Line Access to Colosseum Underground and Arena Floor
Dedicated audio headsets so you don't miss a thing
Guaranteed to skip the long lines

Food and drinks
Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Largo Gaetana Agnesi
Largo Gaetana Agnesi, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Meet your guide at Largo Gaetana Agnesi, above the 2nd floor of the metro line B (blue line) stop "Colosseo". If arriving by metro: Upon exiting the turnstiles of the metro, take an immediate right down the tiled hall to the escalator/stairs within the metro station.

End point

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

What To Expect

Colosseum

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Palatine Hill

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Roman Forum

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Please note: All participant names are required at the time of booking in order to enter the Colosseum. Every customer is required to carry a valid ID that matches the name on the ticket, or an entry will be refused. Name changes are not permitted once the booking is confirmed
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Due to the fact that Colosseum Underground entry tickets can only be purchased using the full name of each passenger and cannot be modified or cancelled, no refund will be given for any tour cancellation once the tickets are purchased on the passengers’ behalf.
On this tour, some of the venues or parts of the venue may be subject to last-minute, unpredictable closures.
Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travellers

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 travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Traveller Tips

There is a lot of walking on uneven ground and climbing of stairs so wear comfy shoes for sure.

Take water and ensure you go to toilet before you start as it's quite a way into the tour before a toilet break.

Take a water bottle and aome snacks as you will not get a chance to stop and get these.

Reviews

4.5

3,918 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 3,918 reviews

Canceled twice at the last minute by the company.

Ryan_T, June 2023

First, they told us that they needed to cancel our tour we had booked for the morning and offered to re-book in the afternoon. We switched plans around to accommodate them, but made it work. Then, we get an email night before the new afternoon tour saying, sorry, your afternoon tour got canceled again last minute as well. We spent over an hour on the phone just to get the promise of you can have your ticket, but no tour. When we got to the meeting point, there were several tours from the exact same company at the exact same time as ours was supposed to be. We were just "unlucky" that ours was canceled. One worker did admit that several guides decided to not show up to work because of the Giro di Italia bike ride that day. I admit company can't control that, but when you fly half way across the world to see these things, it would be nice if they just added us into one of the many, many other guided tours they had going at the time. At least we still got a ticket and entered the Colosseum on our own.

Response from Host, June 2023

Hello Ryan_T, Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your experience with the Colosseum Underground Semi-Private Tour with Roman Forum & Gladiator Arena. We apologize for the inconveniences you encountered and appreciate your understanding in the matter. We deeply regret the cancellations and rescheduling of your tour, which caused you to rearrange your plans. We understand the frustration and inconvenience this must have caused you. While we strive to ensure a smooth and seamless experience for all our guests, unforeseen circumstances can occasionally arise, resulting in necessary changes to tour schedules. We apologize for any confusion caused by the last-minute cancellation of the afternoon tour. Our team worked diligently to find a suitable solution, and we regret that we were unable to provide you with a guided tour as initially planned. We understand your disappointment, particularly given that other tours from our company were taking place at the same time. We acknowledge that the absence of several guides due to the Giro di Italia bike ride was an unexpected event beyond our control. While we couldn't alter the situation, we understand your expectation of being accommodated in one of the other guided tours available. We apologize for not being able to fulfill that request and for any disappointment it caused. We are pleased to hear that you were able to enter the Colosseum with the ticket provided, allowing you to explore the site at your own pace. However, we deeply regret that you were unable to enjoy the additional insights and knowledge that our guided tour would have provided. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we will use it to improve our operations and communication. We sincerely apologize for the inconveniences caused and assure you that we will review our processes to minimize the occurrence of similar situations in the future. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this unfortunate experience. We hope that, despite the challenges, you were able to enjoy your visit to the Colosseum. It would be our privilege to have the opportunity to serve you again and provide you with a seamless and memorable experience. Best regards, Edgar J. Communications Manager City Wonders

Best tour

tanya_d, June 2023

It was the best experience by far. Our guide was thoughtful, knowledgeable and amazing. Took time to make sure we understood

Never use Viator again. Untrustworthy.

Christopher_A, June 2023

Viator cancelled my confirmed tour of the Colosseum in Rome 3 times!! I booked 5 months in advance for my Honeymoon and they cancelled 3 weeks out, rebooked me twice - then cancelled 12 hours before our tour when we were already in Rome. Their tour operators are not trustworthy or reliable. They could not get us rebooked after we moved our trip schedule around at our own expense to accommodate the only dates they could rebook us for. It was sold out and all they could do is suggest we stay another week for an open date. They would not put me on the phone with a manager because they were busy - assuming dealing with other customers with the same issue.

Amazing.. The tour guide,...

Vaso, June 2023

Amazing.. The tour guide, Anna, sadly walked off a bit, not very patient, she did not seem to know what she was doing. The tour guide for the underground was very informative and patient. Overall, a must do. It was fantastic.

City Wonders - Guide No Show

Robert_L, June 2023

Very disappointed in this tour company. Their communication was poor and they didn’t have contingency plans. There were two big issues: 1 - The tour company changed our tour time without contacting us. 2 - The guide canceled due to I illness, which we learned about when we arrived. Very disappointing after reserving this tour many weeks in advance. This also happened with another tour provided by City Wonders that left us without a guided tour…very disappointing.

Rough start but strong finish

Mishaela_L, June 2023

Overall we thought the tour was good, the beginning was a bit unorganized and we had a hard time understanding our tour guide. For the underground portion the tour guide sent us on our way freely and didn’t really give us an explanation as to why? When we went back to the main level he met back up with us and we enjoyed most of the rest. Keep in mind this tour is 3 hours long and a lot of walking.

Disappointed

JOANNE_S, May 2023

We were part of a party of five, had a quick introduction before heading underground. Our guide said she was unable to come with us so without having any audio guide we were left with no information was just told to walk through , it was lucky there was another larger group all with headsets and we were fortunate to be able to listen to his information otherwise we would have been lost. Poorly arranged and with the price asked not value for money, we left the tour earlier than arranged. It’s a shame because we had been so looking forward to it. Not like Viator to get bad guides.

Cancelled Last Minute

Aaliyah_G, May 2023

Your was moved from 1:30 to 4 and then cancelled 2 hours before. They did give us a partial refund and our tickets to the colosseum but it was unfortunate we didn’t get the guided part.

Your tour company...

Karen_M, May 2023

Your tour company rebooking us twice and then cancelling it all together. Leaving us to self tour with an underground guide who basically dine nothing. Thoroughly disappointing - please expedite the refund for the tour I originally booked.

Great Tour

Rick_G, May 2023

Paula was fantastic as a guide. She had a difficult job blending this group together but she did it very well in a professional manner. She loves her job and we loved her!

Canceled tour at very last minute, awkward experience

Meredith_K, May 2023

Like another reviewer, City Wonders contacted us a few days before to change our tour time. The new time worked for us. We got there 30 mins early and were told that check-in starts 15 mins before. When we went to check in, we were told that our tour guide was sick and we wouldn’t have a tour. We were able to go inside, but we had basically a bootleg tour of the underground where we had a Colosseum employee chaperoning us to make sure we didn’t join the other tour groups in our time slot. She was lovely but wasn’t able to give us a tour, so it was honestly pretty awkward!! We got a refund and had already booked another tour with this company which went fine, but I would use a different company in the future.

Response from Host, June 2023

Hi Meredith_K, Thank you for sharing your experience with us regarding your Colosseum Underground Semi-Private Tour with Roman Forum & Gladiator Arena. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment you faced during your visit. We understand that the last-minute change in tour time and the unavailability of your assigned tour guide due to illness had a negative impact on your experience. We strive to provide the best service possible, and we regret that we fell short of your expectations on this occasion. While we're glad to hear that you were able to enter the Colosseum and explore the underground area, we acknowledge that having a Colosseum employee accompany you without providing a proper tour experience was not what you had anticipated. We apologize for the awkwardness caused by this situation. We appreciate your understanding in accepting the refund for the tour. We also want to assure you that we have taken your feedback seriously and will work on improving our communication and contingency plans to avoid similar situations in the future. We are pleased to know that your subsequent tour with us went well. If you decide to give us another chance in the future, we will do our utmost to provide you with a more enjoyable and seamless experience. Thank you for your valuable feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve you better on your next visit. Best regards, Edgar J. Communications Manager City Wonders

Would not use Vaitor again!

Kunjal_S, May 2023

Treated unprofessionally. We bought these tickets do semi-private tour with guide and we were alone!!

Response from Host, June 2023

Hello Kunjal_S, We are sorry to hear about your disappointing experience during the Colosseum Underground Semi-Private Tour. We understand that you expected a semi-private tour with a guide, and we apologize if you were the only participants on that particular tour. We strive to provide the best possible experience for our customers, and we regret that this did not meet your expectations. We would like to investigate this matter further to understand what happened and ensure it does not occur again. To assist us in resolving this issue, we kindly ask you to reach out to us directly at edgar.chavero@citywonders.com with your booking reference number. This will allow us to look into the specifics of your tour and take appropriate action. Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your feedback. We value your patronage and hope to have the opportunity to make it right. Best regards, Edgar J. Communications Manager City Wonders

Guide was very...

Donna_C, May 2023

Guide was very knowledgeable. Original guide was absent so we missed out on the guided tour of the Forum.

Response from Host, June 2023

Hello Donna_C, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your Colosseum Underground Semi-Private Tour with Roman Forum & Gladiator Arena. We appreciate your kind words about our knowledgeable guide, and we're thrilled to hear that you had a positive experience in that aspect. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused by the absence of the original guide, which resulted in missing out on the guided tour of the Forum. We understand the disappointment this may have caused, as we strive to provide our guests with the best possible experience. Please know that we take your feedback seriously, and we will address this matter internally to ensure that such situations are minimized in the future. We value your input, as it helps us improve and provide even better service to our guests. We sincerely hope that despite this setback, you were still able to enjoy the other aspects of the tour and explore the remarkable Colosseum Underground and Gladiator Arena. If there's anything else we can do to assist you or if you have any further concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to our customer service team. Thank you once again for choosing our tour, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future for an even more exceptional experience. Best regards, Edgar J. Communications Manager City Wonders

The guide did not show up

Brad_D, May 2023

Two days before the tour, the guide company contacted us and requested to change the time. Our plans were able to be changed so we said ok. When we went to meet the guide, a coordinator told us the guide did not show up and was not answering their phone. We were then given Individual entry tickets and shown what line to wait to enter, and it became a self guided tour. I would not recommend this provider.

Response from Host, May 2023

Hello Brad_D, Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your Colosseum Underground Semi-Private Tour with Roman Forum & Gladiator Arena. We apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment you experienced due to the guide not showing up and the change in the tour format. We understand that last-minute changes and the guide's absence affected your experience negatively. We take such incidents seriously, as it is our commitment to provide reliable and professional service to our customers. We apologize for the lack of communication and assistance you received during this situation. It is not the level of service we strive to deliver, and we appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention. Please note that we have already processed a refund for you. Please allow between 10-14 business days for the funds to post back into your account. We will take appropriate measures to address the issues raised and prevent similar occurrences in the future. We genuinely apologize for the disruption to your tour experience and understand your disappointment. We appreciate your feedback and value your patronage. If there is anything else we can do to rectify this situation or address any further concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Best regards, Edgar J. Communications Manager City Wonders

The Colosseum Underground is very interesting

Glenn_H, May 2023

The tour itself was very good. The portion inside the Colosseum underground was extremely interesting and enlightening. The tour of the Roman Historical area was also very interesting. There were two negatives. First, the promise of 10 or fewer participants was exceeded. We had 12 before and after the underground portion. But we then had 24 people for the underground portion. Secondly, we had to wait for 30 minutes with no place to sit waiting for the underground tour guides to be available.

Great Tour!

Karen_V, May 2023

This was my 2nd tour of the Colosseum. I had wanted to do the underground the first time but couldn't, so I was uncertain if it was worth spending the money and time to do this tour. I was so glad that I decided to take the 2nd tour. Emanuela, our tour guide, was super friendly, personal and very interesting. I loved the small group and how Emanuela helped us all to connect to make this experience fun and interesting. I was so glad to see the undrground and all that I missed on the 1st tour, but I was more grateful for Emanuela as she made the experience so much better!

Gifted guide securing a wonderful tour

Theresa_O, May 2023

Our guide was brilliant. An archaeologist whose knowledge and creative communication made the small group feel very inclusive and he saw we all were together and dealt with all the checks and security with great ease and assurance. My son enjoyed talking archaeology as he too works as one in England. The tour was fascinating and we can highly recommend it. It’s powerful history, just over powering buildings, incorporating triumphal arches, etc, which the tour does requires good stamina and fitness, as well as listening skills to the knowledgeable tour guide via ear set. Couldn’t praise this tour more or it’s guide. Many thanks

I learned so much!

Ann_B, May 2023

Barbie gave us lots of historical facts that made the tour super interesting. She brought the days of the Romans in the Colesseum alive for us. Seeing the pulley elevators, where the ships were built, and how the animals were raised to the stage from below was fascinating! The Pantheon and Forum were well worth seeing too! Don't miss this tour!

Great tour

MARTY_C, May 2023

Amazing tour, had Nichaulos as sour tour guide 5 star service & great tour guide Would recommend this tour

We had better…

Christina_S, May 2023

Am tour was cancelled and changed to afternoon, which was very overcrowded. The Tour guide was nice but scattered and kept cutting the lines and didn’t know the process of getting in to the sites. But the site is beautiful and would recommend seeing if you are visiting!

Response from Host, May 2023

Hi Christina_S, Thank you for sharing your feedback about your Colosseum Underground Semi-Private Tour with Roman Forum & Gladiator Arena. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the change in timing and the overcrowding during the afternoon slot. The decision to reschedule your tour from the morning to the afternoon was made in an effort to preserve the quality of your experience. While we understand that the afternoon time slot may have been busier, the morning slot could have been even more crowded, impacting your visit. We apologize if our guide appeared scattered and if there were any issues with the line-cutting process. We will address this matter internally to ensure that our guides are well-informed about the entry procedures and maintain a smooth and organized experience for our customers. We are pleased to hear that despite the challenges, you found the site to be beautiful, and we appreciate your recommendation to others visiting. Your feedback is valuable to us as we continuously strive to enhance our services. If there is anything else we can assist you with or if you have any further concerns, please feel free to contact us directly. Thank you for choosing our tour, and we appreciate your understanding. Kind regards, Edgar J. Communications Manager City Wonders

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