Skip the Line: Colosseum Small Group Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

Your Ancient Rome tour starts near Oppian Hill, one of the Seven Hills of Rome, for a view of the Colosseum. Then walk down to the arena with your guide, and skip the main entrance line with your fast-track ticket. Inside, explore the Colosseum’s first and second tiers while listening to stories from your guide about the brutal events that were once held here, like executions and gory gladiator battles. As you stroll around the perimeter of the amphitheater, try to image the ancient crowd of up to 50,000 spectators who cheered as gladiators’ fates were decided by power-hungry emperors.

Next, exit the Colosseum and walk over to the Roman Forum, once the political heart of the city. Get an up-close view of ancient remains like the House of the Vestal Virgins and the Temple of Julius Caesar, and then walk up Palatine Hill for another perspective of the ruins, including Circus Maximus, where chariot races once took place. Your tour ends here, from where you can continue exploring on your own.

Optional upgrade to the Ancient Rome and Colosseum Tour: Underground Chambers, Arena and Upper Tier (3.5 hours)

For a more thorough exploration of the Colosseum, select the upgrade option when booking for a tour that includes access to the third tier, the arena floor and the underground chambers—sections of the Colosseum that are either newly opened or typically closed to the general public. You’ll see more than most visitors do.

Walk around the reconstructed floor of the arena, where the gladiators once dueled in bloody battles, and look down through the gaps into the underground chambers. Then make your way below ground to explore the chambers themselves, checking out pits where wild animals like tigers and lions were held, before heading up to the third tier for a panoramic view into the Colosseum and out to Palatine Hill. Your tour ends with a visit to the Roman Forum, as described in the standard tour.