Walking Tour Of The Colosseum, Roman Forum And Palatine Hill

As a disabled person, travel for me can be a real challenge, but Ferdinando helped to make our planning and visit easy and enjoyable. He is patient, helpful, and generous and he understands the many challenges that accompany disability. Thank you, Ferdinando!

Excellent tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill. Our guide Ferdinando was an archaeologist, so his knowledge and insight into the ancient Roman way of life was second to none. Humorous and informative, would highly recommend this tour!

Rome In Tours, and Ferdinando specifically -was highly recommended to us by friends, and they did not disappoint! Ferdinando is a highly knowledgeable, professional and personable guide. With a Masters degree in archaeology he is able to explain very succinctly what you are actually looking at, and what lays beneath - in a way that we could all understand. We came away in awe of his presentation and knowledge. He is clearly completely immersed in the Eternal City and his enthusiasm is infectious. Can’t wait to do Pompeii! A thousand thanks. Top notch!!

I did the walking tour with my husband and son. Ferdinando was our extremely knowledgeable and friendly guide who kept us informed and entertained at every moment. I would highly recommend booking this tour so that you get as much as you can out of your time at these historical places.

We scheduled this tour very last minute. Ferdinando responded immediately and confirmed our tour for the next morning. We skipped all lines with the guides’ entrance. We walked the entire Coliseum, learning so many interesting stories as we stopped along the way. Palatine Hill and the Forum were just as amazing. It was tough to believe 2 1/2 hours had passed at the end. However, Ferdinando gave us a list of recommendations to continue our visit around the area. Highly recommend!!

My husband and I were visiting Italy on our honeymoon and decided a skip the line tour was our best option for the Colosseum - especially with all the craziness happening in Rome. Boy, did we make the right choice! Ferdinando was an excellent guide! We were the only two people who signed up for the tour that day - so it turned into a private tour! A lot of bigger companies might have canceled for lack of participation, but Ferdinando led us through the tour alone, which was awesome! He was so knowledgeable about everything and, even more importantly, passionate about the history he was sharing with us. Thank you for a wonderful tour! This was my fifth time in Rome and this tour was among one of the best I’ve had of the Colosseum!

Francisco has Experience, knowledge, personality! Totally would recommend if you want an informative enjoyable tour! Can’t say enough about him ..5+ stars

In late September 2024 we took a 4-person Skip-the-Line tour with Ferdinando Badagliacca. It was the highlight of our entire 10-day visit to Rome. Ferdinando is a trained archaeologist who is passionate about his topic. He explains details: from the materials used to build the Colosseum, the various type of events held there, the dynamic between the emperors and the people of Rome, the cremation site of Julius Caesar, to the types of trees and flowers on the Palatine. If you love history and Rome, this is for you! We highly recommend Ferdinando!

Ferdinando gave us interesting information and highlights that we enjoyed and understood! As an Archaeologist, he really knew his stuff and his English was excellent.

Extremely informative! Our guide was engaging and entertaining. We saw all the sights we wanted to see and got a lot of stories that enanced the experience. HIGHLY Recommend!!!

Ferdinando is an excellent guide and teacher! He contacted us the night before our tour with detailed directions to the meeting point and he did an excellent job of guiding us through the Colosseum at a pace that was good for me and my daughter. He holds a PhD in archeology and had wonderful stories and examples to share from his own experience with excavations in Rome (complete with sketches and pictures in a book he assembled for the tour). The whole tour was very enjoyable and informative! I highly recommend booking this tour with Ferdinando!

Ferdinando was great! As a PhD archaeologist, he shared his own experience and extra insights into the history of excavations around Rome. Plus we had the luck of booking on a slow day, so we actually got a private tour. He was very personable with fantastic English and a good sense of humor. He also provided great answers to every question I could think to ask. He painted a picture with everything we looked at, and he used a thick book of renderings to illustrate what things looked like in the past. Also, it was almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit that day and he was very considerate to use the shade, break up the walking, and give us time for photos. Out of all the guided tours across our three weeks touring Europe, this was probably the best!

Ferdinando was wonderful. A real expert and offered us insights that only someone with his background could add. Would highly recommend.

Our guide Ferdinando was very informative! He made the tour come alive with his knowledge of the Colosseum and history

Ferdinando our guide was phenomenal. Other Viator tour we had to search to find the location. Our guide emailed the night before and sent a picture of the location as well as the address and detailed directions

Ferdinand was a knowledgeable guide who navigated the structure and the crowds to show us the best vantage points and interesting spots. He had a low-key delivery, and used the information he had accumulated during his studies of Roman archeology to make this tour absolutely fascinating. He helped make our trip to Rome memorable.

Ferdinand was a knowledgeable guide who navigated the structure and the crowds to show us the best vantage points and interesting spots. He had a low-key delivery, and used the information he had accumulated during his studies of Roman archeology to make this tour absolutely fascinating. He helped make our trip to Rome memorable.

The view from Palestine hill of Roman Forum and around was just unbelievable. When we reached the Colosseum that was another WOW moment to see the 2000 years old ancient history. Our tour guide Ferdinando has archeology background and very deep knowledge of these historical sites. I felt like having a really valuable lecture in the middle of Colosseum. Strongly recommend to have a trip there to feel it.

Our tour guide was excellent! She shared so much knowledge with our group about the Colloseum. We would give her 10++ stars. My son was with me and he walked with her at the front most of the time. We highly recommend this tour and tour guide! Best tour we had in Rome and we tried a few different companies.

The tour was eye-opening and engaging thanks to our guide, Mr Ferdinando. He was able to give us in-depth explanation based on his archaeological knowledge, and even prepared and shown us reconstructed impression pictures of archaeological sites back in the days.

Amazing tour! Ferdinando was so knowledgeable and made the day very easy, informative, and not just a memorized speech. Highly recommend!

Ferdinando was very knowledgeable and enthusiastically shared his knowledge. It was not just a memorized script. Awesome experience!

An incredible experience. Ferdinando knows everything about Roman archaeology. Not surprising since he is an archeologist. Also he made the day most enjoyable. I give Rome in Tours and Ferdinando my highest recommendation. Book this tour. You will not be sorry.

Ferdinando was an excellent and knowledgeable tour guide! He was pleasant, interesting and considerate of all in the group. His information he shared was terrific. I didn’t want it to end! What a wonderful experience! Grazie!

I had to book this tour last minute since my original one was cancelled, but I thoroughly enjoyed the tour! It was just me, one other person, and the tour guide. He was in constant communication with me before the tour, which I was almost late for. He was an actual archeologist and had done a dig near the Colosseum in the past, which was very neat. He was super nice and very knowledgeable. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Ferdinando was great! Super knowledgeable, super friendly, super clear in his explanations. I highly recommend him and this tour. I wouldn't see this site without a guide. You really need someone to put everything in context and with ferdinando's background in archeology, he can do just that and he does it well. I hope to come back one day to take some more tours with him. Thanks for a great tour!

I appeciated the tour guide sending us a message the day before our tour confirming the meeting point and time as well as giving us his phone number. Our group was small, only 3 people which made is easy to hear his explanations. As a degreed archaeologist he gave us a very clear and detailed explanations of these ancient Roman buildings and ruins. He came prepared with many drawings depicting how the buildings looked like in Roman times. Sure was wonderful skipping the ticket lines.

Ferdinando was a fantastic, knowledgeable, and fun tour guide. He made the tour engaging and brought Ancient Rome to life for us.

Ferdinando was Awesome!!! we met up with him at the Colosseum & right from the start he was kind, fun & full of knowledge, he adapts to your needs & made this tour a wonderful experience for us, we left knowing so much about the Colosseum & surrounding area, it was breathtaking! We thoroughly enjoyed his company & he made us feel like we were friends, We would definitely book a tour with him again & would recommend everyone to also take the tour, with this number 1 tour guide

The history of the Colosseum. The amount of construction done without and pieces of heavy equipment.

Ferdinando did a terrific job on this tour. He sent a text with pictures to let us know when and where to meet for the tour which was extremely helpful. On the tour, he was incredibly knowledgeable and shared his knowledge and passion for archeology and the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill in particular. He had a great personality and was a pleasure to have as tour guide. We certainly hope to go on other tours with him in the future.

We have become fans of guided tours, and know it's the guide that makes all the difference. We cannot say enough about Ferdinando, who owns and operates this tour, for his pre-trip communication (not only was he thorough, he dropped a pin on the exact location for us to meet him on a VERY crowded, free first Sunday of the month) and his knowledge and ability and desire to share the very obvious passion he had for the sites. His expertise as an archaeologist made the tour come to life. Bravo, Ferdinando!

Ferdinando was a phenomenal tour guide. His vast knowledge of archeology, history, and the specific sites we visited (Roman Forums, Palatine Hill, Colosseum) made the tour fascinating for the adults and teenage boys in our group. He was engaging and interested in the people on his tour. We only wish we had time for another tour with Ferdinando! Highly recommend.

Best and hardest working tour guide - Ferdinando - a true archeologist and historian - gave us insights and background to put into context the history and meaning behind what we were viewing! Very enjoyable, highly recommend taking this tour! Could have spent much more time in the Coliseum, it was so good!

This tour was fantastic and everything we hoped for! We were visiting on one of the most challenging days -- a first Sunday of the month in summer. It's not possible to get skip the line tickets on those days as all museums and landmarks are free and open to the public. Sure it was an initially long wait to get through the queue to get our entry tickets to the Colosseum but it was time well spent with an exceptionally interesting PhD'ed archaeologist with tons of interesting information. We would highly recommend this tour operator. Our guide was Chiara and she was simply amazing!

This was a great tour. Our tour guide, I wish I could remember his name, had a PhD in Archaeology and it was very apparent. His passion for history made the tour so much more enjoyable than just pointing out buildings.

Ferdinando was a very informative and interesting guide! He answered all our questions throughout the tour.

Ferdinando was simply the great, has a PhD in archeology and was part of real life exacavations on this specific sight, so there is no one in whole Rome to pass the historic facts regarding this tour like him. My family loved him and we did some other tours but no one is near close to Ferdinando. 3 hours of pure pleasure. Keep the good touring Ferdinando and wish you and your family all the best. Best regards from Croatia!

Very good. I told Dr. Badagliacca about my personal interests; for instance how I didn’t care about the Colosseum but did care about the Forum and pre-Imperial Roman history. He was able to customize the tour to my personal interests, and gave detailed explanations of the historical significance of each Forum and Palatine site we visited.

I'm not sure why you would go tour the Colosseum and NOT schedule Ferdinando! We even went on "Free Day" in Rome...and it was Sooooo worth it. He really knows his history. With "free day", we still stood in line to get into the Colosseum, but Ferdinando immediately began giving us the history of where we stood. Once inside he explained the history of the building, stopping to point out things that you would otherwise walk by. With a history dating back to 1000 BC, why would you NOT want a archeologist with a PhD to walk you through the place? Best Guide Ever!

Very Good. Well educated on ever subject related to the Colosseum and ancient Rome. Speaks English very well and eager to answer any questions. This guide is professional, personable and pleasant. I highly recommend him because he cares about your touring experience.

I've had over 100 guides in my 60+ years, and Ferdinando easily rates as one of the top 3. First, as mentioned here a lot, he's a PhD Archeologist, who has actually dug significant finds within 200 yards of the Colosseum - he knows this area as well as anyone alive. Second, he speaks fluent English with a pleasant delivery. Third, he was *amazing* at sweeping us through the now-difficult maze of officials and security in the ever-increasing difficulty with the crackdowns on entrance requirements (this alone might have been worth the cost!). Finally, he has such intimate knowledge of materials (i.e. Roman cement and construction methods) and the archeological evidence and their proper period among the layers of ruins that these sites came alive. Ferdinando is exceptionally versed in understanding what evidence clarifies which periods in Roman history, and does a terrific job of bringing the ruins to life as if they were reconstructed and viewable today. Ferdinando is a superb guide and teacher, and I'd recommend him to anyone really wanting to "dig in" (pun intended!) to understanding the ancient Roman era, be it a serious academic style or a lighter, more informal one, he can do both and more. Thank you Ferdinando for a superb tour!

This was our favorite tour in Rome! Ferdinando was a great guide! He was extremely knowledgeable and personable. He made sure we had time to enjoy everything and took time explaining all of the history while also answering our many questions. Ferdinando also made sure to contact us the day before to confirm our tour and make sure we knew exactly where to meet. 10/10 would recommend!

This tour was the highlight of our trip in Rome. Ferdinando’s knowledge was broad and deep, and his enthusiasm for Roman history was contagious. His presentation style was engaging for our whole groups—-teens to seniors. We learned so very much—about the forum and colosseum and also about how to see them thru an archeological lens. Highly recommended. Worth every Euro!!

Specifically asked for Ferdinando to guide us through the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the forum based on TripAdvisor reviews. We will be telling all our friends to do the same. What’s more we look forward to having Ferdinando guide us again when we get the chance to see Pompeii. Clear and easy communication and instructions on where to meet, all the details we expected to hear plus many, many more delightful ‘Easter eggs’. Quite profound to learn the significance of a groove in the paving stones or a Minora on a fresco - we would never have known what they meant, let alone known where to look had we not been so professionally guided. Rome is of course incredible, her appeal made more so by the passion in which she is presented. Many thanks Ferdinando.

Ferdinando was an excellent guide. He made the tour very engaging and interesting, even for our teen daughter. He provided time to enjoy the sights and take pictures as well, which we appreciated. There was a hiccup with having to wait in line instead of “skip the line”, but he made up for it with a great tour.

Excellent communication and engaging tour. We learned a lot gained a deep appreciation for these historical landmarks. Ferdinando is exceptionally knowledgeable and a gifted storyteller. He made sure to tell us where the best photo opportunities were. Highly recommend this tour.

Forum Romanium. Exceller knowlegde of the time, history and politics. Very good tour, good guide and tour.

Incredibly knowledgeable and passionate tour guide. Very thorough in her explanation. Probably the best tour guide I’ve had all holiday