Colosseum Tour with Arena Floor Priority Access: Includes Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Explore ancient Rome's most famous ruins without the crowds

$693

Private

$150/pp

Small group

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Tour Details

About the Tour

Private Tour: $ 693
Small Group Tour: $ 150 /PP
Category: History, Colosseum
Duration: 4 hours
Location: Rome

Photos & Highlights

Led by an archaeologist or classical historian
Detailed explanation of ancient Roman politics, society, and empire
Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, and Colosseum's Arena Floor

Tour Description

Please note: tickets for the Arena Floor entrance to the Colosseum are among the most difficult to procure in all of Rome. They are released for sale by the venue in waves approximately 30-60-90 days prior to entry date and sell out quickly. We cannot confirm Arena Floor tours until about 2-3 weeks prior to your tour date. Thank you for your patience!

With priority access tickets to the Colosseum’s Arena Floor entrance, our exclusive 4-hour tour begins with no lines and no crowds. We’ll enter from the “Gladiator’s Gate”, where ancient warriors passed on their way to battle, and start our tour from this unique vantage point. We will launch our discussion of ancient Rome as we head to the upper level of the Colosseum and then on to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, focusing on the archaeological core of the city. Led by an archaeologist or historian, this tour features an in-depth look into the Colosseum in Rome and uses the ruins of the ancient city as a backdrop for discussing the rise of the Roman empire, the political intrigues of emperors, and the daily life of commoners. Since our guide is a trained scholar, we’ll also use our time together to discuss the role of archaeology in history and learn how to read the ruins in order to reconstruct the ancient city, using skip-the-line Colosseum tickets so that our entry into the Forum, Palatine, and Colosseum happens quickly and smoothly.

Priority Access tickets to the Arena Floor Entrance of the Colosseum includes skip-the-line tickets to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill
Led by an archaeologist or classical historian
Detailed explanation of ancient Roman politics, society, and empire

“[Our guide] skilfully invoked the historical, cultural, and material background needed to arrive at a deeper and richer understanding of these ruins. Truly the highlight of our trip.”

At the Colosseum, we will discuss Roman public spectacle and decadence. Also known as the Flavian Amphitheater, the Colosseum is a marvel of ancient engineering and construction. Gladiatorial fights, wild beast hunts, and mock sea battles all contributed to the spectacle that played an important role in the social life of ancient Rome. We will explore these themes in detail, separating fact from fiction in one of the most visited sites in Rome. We'll also gain greater insight into the way the Colosseum was constructed, with our guide’s expertise to help us imagine the monolith in its full marble-clad glory.

Ascending the Palatine Hill

On the Palatine Hill, we will explore the first stages of the city and the legend of its founding in 753 B.C. (on April 21, to be exact) by Romulus. After covering the founding myths and anthropological record of the Palatine, we'll explore the imperial palaces that eventually covered the hill, using our imaginations and the expertise of our guide to mentally recreate the grandeur of the former residences. If time and interest allows, we usually stop in the Palatine Museum to learn about Roman sculpture. We will linger for a while among the ruins of the Palatine, using the remains as a primer to the archaeological technique, Roman architecture, and construction technologies, and Roman political and social structure. From here, we will explore the remnants of the aqueduct of Claudius and take in vistas of the Roman Forum that illustrate the palimpsest nature of the city.

Roman Forum Tour

As we continue to the Roman Forum, we will delve into a series of discussions that will carry us down the Via Sacra (the main street of ancient Rome) and past the major sites that crowded the city center, including the Curia (senate house) and the temples, triumphal arches, and basilicas around the Forum Square. Depending on our guide’s specialization we may linger in front of the House of the Vestal Virgins, the Basilica of Maxentius, or the game boards etched into the steps of the Basilica Giulia. There are tens of thousands of fascinating details to focus upon in the Forum; based on the interests of the group, our guide will pick apart a few salient ones to help us get a perspective on the history of this area.

Takeaways

At the end of the tour, we will have a deeper knowledge of ancient Rome—its emperors, its history, and its feats of engineering. The Colosseum tour with Arena Floor Priority Access is also a perfect way to begin a visit to Rome: the archaeology of the Palatine, Roman Forum, and Colosseum only serves to whet the appetite for the feast of monuments that awaits us throughout the city. It provides a nice foundation for more thematic explorations of ancient Rome, such as our Caesar and Empire tour.

Miscellany

We highly recommend either an early start or in the summer season a late in the afternoon tour when the morning crowds have thinned out. Due to increased security measures and a strictly enforced maximum capacity at the Colosseum, the queues mid-morning can be very long, even with priority access Tickets.

Important: All visitors must pass through security checks before entering the monument. You must bring a valid government-issued photo ID with you on the day of the tour as you might be asked to present it to the Colosseum ticketing staff. Context is not responsible if the entrance is denied.

Disclaimer: please note that this tour is not confirmed until we guarantee the ticket availability.

FAQ

What is a private tour?

Our private tours are limited exclusively to travelers in your party. They are designed to provide a learning experience that is completely tailored to you and your traveling companions. Private tours give you more flexibility with scheduling (you decide when the walk best fits in your trip), the ability to tailor your itinerary (we'll work to match the itinerary to the interests and dynamics of your group), and more personalized time with your guide.

What is a small group tour?

Our small group tours cover many of the same itineraries as our private tours, but they place you with other travelers in groups of 6 or less. They operate on a pre-scheduled calendar, and are designed to provide an opportunity to engage with and learn from other travelers. Most of our small group tours require at least three (3) participants to run, although there is some variation from walk to walk. However, there is some variation from walk to walk. As you sign up for a tentative walk we display the minimum number required in order to confirm.

Where You'll Start

Tour Experts

Cecilia

Cecilia is an art historian and a native Roman with a Master's degree in Medieval and Renaissance art from the Sapienza University of Rome. Although her specialty is painting and decorative arts, she has a broad knowledge of the history of Rome and a personal passion for ancient history, which she shares on many antiquity-themed itineraries. Cecilia has worked actively in the past as a lecturer, teacher, and curator of exhibitions. She had been a staff member of the didactive service of the Vatican Museums, the Galleria Doria Pamphili and the Galleria Colonna where she still frequently consults. As a licensed guide for Rome and Florence and with a specialized teaching degree, she has more than 20 years of experience in leading highly-qualified tours.

Liz

Liz, a native of San Francisco, California holds degrees in architecture from the University of California at Berkeley and Università degli studi "La Sapienza", Rome. She specialized in restoration and urban design. Her restoration projects have brought her to work in direct contact with the rich historical layers of Rome and Italy. She has been leading study walks for Context Rome since its beginning and has lived in Rome since 1988 practicing architecture, researching design and lecturing at university study abroad programs.

Sara

Sara is an art historian with doctoral degrees in Medieval and Modern Art History and Classical Antiquities. She is the author of a book, published by the Accademia dei Lincei, on the antiquities collection of Pope Julius II and has written various articles in important scholarly journals on the history of Renaissance and Baroque collections. More recently, she had published a book on some of the most famous paintings of Caravaggio in Rome which introduces a new interpretation of the works, based on philological data, and which is changing the way we look at this artist. For many years, she has combined her philological research with her work as a university instructor, museum educator and professional tourist guide.

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55 Reviews – (4.96)

Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.

This tour was incredible. Dimo was a fascinating guide with firsthand experience exploring these sites as a professional, and his enthusiasm and knowledge really came through in the tour. It's wonderful being in such a small group, where you can ask questions and take your time without guilt. Would love to take more tours and learn about Rome with Dimo again!

Christine

Aug. 21, 2019

Excellent tour. Simona is extremely knowledge and worked well with the group.

Pam

Aug. 20, 2019

Simona was so friendly and informative. Loved every minute of our tour. Loved the fact that Simona was an archeologist and had spent time at the site. Excellent!!!

Kent

Aug. 20, 2019

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Tour Experts

All Context Experts are scholars or specialists in their field.

Cecilia

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