Guided tour

Colosseum and Palatine Hill Skip-the-Line Tour

Guided tour

Colosseum and Palatine Hill Skip-the-Line Tour

From US$ 70.18 per person

Travel back to the days of the Roman Empire on a 2.5-hour, skip-the-line tour of the Colosseum, Imperial Forum, and Palatine Hill.

About this activity

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Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the ticket line
Live tour guide
English
Private or small groups available

Experience

Highlights
  • Learn the history of Ancient Rome at its most important monuments
  • Look inside the mighty Colosseum and follow in the footsteps of the crowds on 2 tiers
  • Hear stories about the brave gladiators and the bloodthirsty entertainments
  • Ascend Palatine Hill to see where the Roman emperors lived
  • Discover the ruins of the Temple of Julius Caesar and the site where he was cremated
Full description

Learn the story of the Roman Republic and its most important monuments on a half-day tour of Ancient Rome. Enjoy skip-the-line privileges at the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman (Imperial) Forum. Meet your guide at the meeting point and enjoy panoramic views of the best preserved part of the Colosseum. Get a detailed description of the Colosseum from the outside, before skipping the long lines to step inside. Once inside, learn about the spectacular entertainments put on during the Roman Republic. Discover the construction techniques invented by the Romans.

Hear about the great feats of the gladiators and their battles with wild animals. Marvel at the technological advancements of the Roman engineers to build the Colosseum. Learn about the trapdoors and all the mechanisms used to animate the games. Your guide will entertain you with tales of sea-battles and tell you about the cages where the lions were kept. Imagine the roar of the crowd as their blood-lust was met. Continue to the 2nd tiers for the best views of the Colosseum, inside and out. Next, go to Palatine Hill to see where the elite emperors took residence. Admire the views of the Circus Maximus on one side and the Roman Forum on the other.

See the ruins of the Temple of Julius Caesar, built in the same spot where his body was cremated. Look at the Arch of Titus, House of the Vestal Virgins, Senate House, Basilica of Maxentius and much more.

Includes
  • Colosseum & Ancient Rome guided tour
  • Headset system to understand guide
  • Walking tour
  • Professional tour guide
  • Skip the line, special entrance
  • Entrance ticket for the Colosseum
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pick-up and drop off
  • Transportation to/from the attractions
Not suitable for
  • People with mobility impairments
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meet your guide at Via delle Terme di Tito, corner Via Nicola Salvi. The guide will be waiting next to the park entrance with a sign "Tour in the city" on it.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Passport or ID card
  • Comfortable shoes

Not allowed

  • Pets
  • Luggage or large bags
  • Backpacks
  • Sunscreen

Know before you go

  • A moderate amount of walking is involved
  • This tour is not wheelchair accessible due to the terrain conditions of the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forums
  • The itinerary may vary depending on availability. The order in which the sites are visited during the tour can vary
  • Important: please note that you can not take large bags, backpacks or suitcases into the Colosseum. It is possible to bring small bags. Please note, there is no cloakroom service
  • Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
  • Selfie sticks cannot be used inside the Colosseum for security reasons
  • Please be advised that the Colosseum’s capacity regulations and security may delay the tour departure
  • This could also influence the smooth running of the tour especially on national holidays and events
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.5 /5

based on 1008 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.7/5
  • Value for money
    4.2/5
  • Service
    4.5/5
  • Organization
    4.3/5

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Star rating:

Such a friendly and knowledgeable guide (feel awful that I can’t remember his name!) who not only wowed us with his knowledge of Ancient Rome and the Colosseum (can imagine he was a brilliant teacher in his past), but had a load of great tips about what else to do in Rome after our tour. Considering our entrance fee was included in the tour price, this was incredible value.

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March 28, 2023

Our guide, Simon, arrived in plenty of time. Access was easy to the sites despite Covid requirements. We had an excellent and informative tour. We were never rushed and felt able to ask any questions that we had. The tour was comprehensive in terms of seeing the main aspects. It was great value for money and we would highly recommend it. Now is an excellent time to visit Rome as there are not many visitors. It makes for an ideal opportunity to see the sites at leisure. Our guide was excellent and we would highly recommend her.

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March 28, 2023

We were “late”, as the ticket says be there 30 minutes prior to the indicated time (in small font in the very end). So, our tour was rescheduled which worked out just fine. We had two guides. The first one did not interact, just talked like a recording. The second one, Zenda, was wonderful.

March 28, 2023

Product ID: 57837