An absolutely amazing tour today! Carina was our guide and she was the best!!! Charming, personable and informative. We’ve been traveling Europe for over two weeks (one of which on a cruise with many guided excursions) and have done many tours…this was, hands down, our best tour so far.
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Colosseum entry ticket and reservation fee included (€18–€24 value)
- Admission to the Colosseum Arena Floor (if option selected)
- Personalised, group experience offering top-rated value and comfort
- Expert storytelling from a licensed historian guide with headphones provided
- Admission to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum (if option selected)
Excludes
- Access to the arena floor (unless selected, available for an additional fee)
- Food and Beverages
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Photoshoot Option Only: Meet your guide at Largo Gaetana Agnesi, above the Colosseo Metro station. Use Google Maps to find the meeting point and look for a yellow Carpe Diem Tours flag or sign. If near the Colosseum, enter the metro station and take the stairs up.
Return
- The tour will either finish in the Roman Forum or the Colosseum, depending on which monument we start with, where you will be left to either leave or spend more time exploring the area.
Itinerary
Retrace the steps of the gladiators, accompanied by engaging stories from your expert guide. Learn about the social status of spectators, the norms of ancient entertainment, and the gladiatorial games that captivated audiences. Your guide’s storytelling will bring the monument to life. Please note: we may begin with the Colosseum or the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill, depending on ticket availability.
The Palatine Hill is one of Rome’s most important and beautiful hills and is a highlight of any city tour. With your guide, explore the birthplace of one of history’s greatest civilizations and the ancient ruins of the Imperial Palace, surrounded by pine trees and views of the Circus Maximus and the Roman Forum below.
To understand life in Ancient Rome, visit the Forum. In the city’s political, social, and commercial heart, you will walk the Via Sacra and the Via Nova, weaving around arches and towering temples. See the Senate House and the remains of the Rostra, where Senators made laws and orators addressed the public. Learn about the myth-shrouded Romulus and Julius Caesar from your expert guide. Although less than half of the Forum remains today, your guide will share their extensive knowledge to bring the ancient city to life.
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
The guide was incredible!!!! Ten stars for her! The tour was amazing but crowded but the guide managed to keep us clear of most big groups! We were in small group. Extra money well spent!
Our Guide was extremely knowledgeable about the history and workings of the Colosseum and forum . She added a lot of local color while maintaining the accuracy of historic records.
Marcia was very informative and took the time to answer all questions. She lead the tour at a good pace and was very knowledgeable and was easy to understand.
It was informative and fun. Our guide was Sabrina. She was knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor. Our explanations were very relevant. And she was very easy to understand.
Mariana was such an amazing guide. We learned so much and got an experience we would never been able to have without a guide. She was fun and informative!
Really enjoyed the tour. Daniel was a great guide and his passion for history was evident! The whole tour was fascinating but we probably would like more time at the Coliseum than Palatine Hill.
The tour guide Daniel provided great insights and context to the sites and provided time for us to stop at the best photo opportunity spots to get pictures and explore. We also approeciate the order of the sites we visited beinning att he Arch of Constantine, then Palantine Hill, the Roman Forum area and ending at The Colosseum.
Our guide, Paulo, was wonderful and personal as we as well-we ducated and informative. I learned things about the Colosseum that I did not know. I was excited to learn.
Kopal was a fabulous guide! She is knowledgeable, well-spoken, friendly, and engaging. Her ability to answer questions and bring history to life for visitors is terrific. She was quite adept at navigating the crowded areas and the pace of the tour was good for all mobility levels. We highly recommend Kopal and Carpe Diem Tours.
Thanks! Very experienced, friendly and enthusiastic tour guide made this tour a very pleasant experience
It wasn’t with Viator. Didn’t care for the tour guide. I booked with Viator not Carpe Diem. In the future it may be better to book with a company I know. I actually cancelled some tours because I heard of other great tour company experiences. This one was hard to find the guide among so many in that area. The streets had been closed due to a marathon that day. You should have been aware and notified us of the difficulties we would have getting into the area.
Our guide Nick was amazing. Very knowledgeable and friendly Everybody would be lucky to have him guide them
The coliseum was remarkable. We met went into the coliseum up to the top all the way atound then to the second floor all the way around. To the forum and to the trance and all around. Alot of walking but we'll worth it.
Such a stellar tour. Our guide was incredible. So knowledgeable, funny and consider. My sister and I were traveling with our 80 year old Mom and it was a great day. I booked the same tour in 2023 with Carpe Diem and it was amazing then, too. Highly recommend.
Francesca was a wonderful guide. Very enlightening, dynamic and friendly.
Francesca was a fantastic tour guide very very informative with super interesting facts. There's nothing she doesn't know about Rome and the history! We were a family of 4 with 2 children of 12 and 9 years and Francesca kept the children engaged the whole time with her great personality and story telling! Would highly recommend Francesca and her team. Many thanks 😊
Polina was a great tour guide. We were glad to have someone knowledgeable taking us through all there is to see.
Vatican museum was disappointing. Was expecting more priceless artifacts. Staff does not allow you take bypass lengthy collections of pottery. In the end I’m we did it.
Wonderful tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. Our guide was very knowledgeable and made the experience fun! The only downside was that we had booked this tour with the Colosseum floor experience but were told that they weren't allowing people on the floor that day. When we arrived, there were many people walking around on the colosseum floor. Disappointed with that, otherwise I would have given our tour a 5 star review.
Loved this trip and our guide was wonderful. I took my Mom who is older, but none of it was too difficult for her to manage (there were some stairs and ramps which she is in shape enough to climb). The entire archaeological site was amazing to see.
Lots of walking but worth it! Our guide was so experienced and entertaining! Even through a rainy she made ot work.
Our guide was very good and took us around the most crowded areas. It is a lot of walking, but he provided interesting information.
Such a great tour! Although there is a lot of walking and stair climbing, it is SO worth it. This is something you shouldn’t skip. Shout out to our tour guide, Ivana. She was so knowledgeable and had a true passion for history. There were amazing views, plenty of time for pictures, and lots to learn.
A very enjoyable tour and I would highly recommend! lots of walking on uneven stone pathways so wear tennis shoes.
The tour was a small group max 8 people Easy to stay with and hear our guide Sushi ! She said if we couldn’t pronounce her name to call her Sushi.
The knowledge of our tour guide was amazing. She was very patient with all of the visitors and took time to answer any questions we all had. I was in awe when I saw how big the Colosseum was.
Small group is a plus, an excellent guide is really important and Franchesco made it happen. I would highly recommend this tour.
Great informative tour. Walk around the Colosseum, and see both floors. You don't get too much access to the below floor or other areas, unless you book in advance. But you can see a lot of the rebuilt ruins from above. Palentine and Forum tour is amazing. I had no idea the are was so large. And so beautiful. Francesco was a great guide. He kept pace and allowed for photo opportunities as well as showcased details you wouldn't otherwise notice. It's best to start a morning tour, it does get very busy. It was also easy to find the group coordinator at the arches.
The entire experience was incredible. The detail shared by Evana was amazing. The book she had that showed the before and after helped us understand what the area looked like historically. Well worth the money, a great experience overall.
A guided tour in a place filled with such history is needed and this one delivered! Our guide, Daniel, was incredibly knowledgeable and provided details around each corner. Highly recommend booking!
Guide was very informative and energetic. She really had passion for this historic place and subject matter. She helped us see how the coliseum had looked back in ancient times. A level of energy and enthusiasm very rarely matched. Completely filled the three hours and yet it wasn't overwhelming.
Mercedes was a terrific guide. She was considerate of we slower paced older people and kept us all engaged. Her English was very easily understood. We were impressed.
Francesco was so knowledgeable and passionate about Roman history. A trained guide with a background in archaeology. The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palantine Hill all came alive through his narrative. We learned a lot, and the kids enjoyed the day.
Great tour with Mariana! Easy to have the tickets included with the tour. Stuck around at the end to answer all of our questions!
We had an absolutely wonderful experience on our tour of the Colosseum! I was traveling with my two parents, and it was our highly anticipated first activity in Rome. Our tour guide was incredibly professional, but what truly blew us away was his compassion and empathy. As we approached a particularly steep hill, our guide immediately noticed my parents and took the time to gently let them know about the terrain ahead. Instead of rushing the group, he showed amazing kindness by offering them a comfortable place to sit and rest until we reached the Colosseum. This thoughtful gesture completely saved our day and made my parents feel deeply respected and cared for. His wonderful attitude and willingness to problem-solve made our first experience in Rome unforgettable. We are so grateful for his outstanding customer service and will absolutely book with this company again.
Interesting. Would book again to skip the entry line. Tour would have been great in another town, but I was spoiled by so many hilarious and fascinating guides in Rome. This was merely adequate.
Check in process a waste of time. Tour guide very animated and engaging but low on useful information.
The meeting place was easy to find and our guide, Deborah, was pleasant, friendly and very knowledgeable. We navigated through the areas about as easily as would be possible. Deborah knew all the best spots for photos and made sure we had enough opportunities to get the pictures we wanted. Highly recommend this tour.
What a great tour! Paolo shared so much great insights into Roman life, the Coloseum, gladiators, and everything in between. Could not have asked for a better experience!
The communication and notifications on our up coming tour was very helpful. Our tour guide was amazing. Highly recommend using them. Grigori I think was his name, was very knowledgeable and friendly. Thank you for a great experience. The Anderson’s
Our guide, Andy, was amazing. Really appreciated his wealth of knowledge regarding our tour. His sense of humour was appreciated.
This does require a lot of walking and climbing stairs. Also hills. Dusty and dirt path ways so be prepared. Wear a hat to help with sun shade. DANIELE did a fantastic job giving us a lot of history. Easy to understand. This our third time touring the Colosseum and definitely the best.
Nick was a fabulous guide and very knowledgeable. He made the experience amazing and everyone loved him and the tour.
Very well done our tour guide Marzi was exceptional. Very knowledgeable on the Rome and the Vatican.
I was very disappointed in our guide. Her commentary was flat and boring. How is that possible at three amazing locations- The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine hill. The lines were atrocious but a good guide knows how to fill the wait time with great stories. Our guide only talked the bare minimum so we stood around in silence half of the time.
Our guide was very informative. She definitely knew her material. I took a photo of her ID, but it’s blurry- so I don’t know her name. My husband thought that she talked too much. I guess I agree a little, but I also learned a lot!
The meeting point was really chaotic and not well organized. The tour was good - I felt like we saw a good portion of Palatine Hill and the forum. In the Colosseum, the tour guide only brings you to the arena floor and then the rest of the Colosseum is on your own.
Great. Polina did a wonderful job. Very knowledgeable and informative. We learned so much about the coliseum and the other ruins in the area. She is very knowledgeable about the history of Rome.
Amazing! We had a great guide named Mariana. Be prepared for a lot of walking and steps…but worth it to see everything.
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