Premium Colosseum Arena Underground & Ancient Rome
Tour Description
Step Into History Beneath the Colosseum
Embark on a premium Colosseum underground tour that reveals the hidden side of Ancient Rome. This premium private group experience includes exclusive access to the subterranean tunnels and the Colosseum arena floor, areas rarely open to the public. With premium skip-the-line entry, you’ll bypass the crowds and dive straight into the amphitheater’s extraordinary past.
Walk across the arena floor and imagine the roar of thousands as gladiators battled for glory. Descend into the underground labyrinth, where wild animals were once held and elevated into the arena using ancient engineering systems. Your expert guide will share powerful stories of bravery, spectacle, and innovation that solidified the Colosseum as one of history’s greatest architectural marvels.
Continue to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Your journey doesn’t end there. After exploring the Colosseum, continue to the Roman Forum, the nerve center of public and political life in Ancient Rome. Wander through the remains of temples, basilicas, and triumphal arches as your guide paints a vivid picture of ancient society.
Then, ascend the iconic Palatine Hill, the birthplace of Rome, where you’ll explore imperial palaces and enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Eternal City. This premium, full-experience Colosseum tour connects the stories of gladiators, emperors, and everyday citizens who shaped the Roman Empire.
Tour Highlights
- Exclusive Underground Access: Venture below the Colosseum to explore restricted areas not open to the general public.
- Arena Floor Experience: Walk in the footsteps of gladiators and feel the history beneath your feet.
- Skip-the-Line Entry: Save valuable time with priority access to all monuments.
- Private Guided Exploration: Enjoy a personalized tour tailored to your pace and interests.
- Complete Ancient Rome Journey: Combine the Colosseum’s hidden world with the grandeur of the Forum and Palatine Hill for a full historical experience.
What's included
Itinerary
Know Before You Go
- Passport or valid ID (required for entry)
- Comfortable shoes
- Bottle of water
- Weather-appropriate clothing (hat, sunscreen, or umbrella)
- A camera or smartphone for photos
Not allowed
- Weapons or sharp objects
- Suitcases or bags
- Non-folding wheelchairs
- Glass objects
- Electric wheelchair
- Spray or aerosol
Useful information
- Names provided at the time of booking cannot be changed.
- The meeting time is subject to change. If this happens, you will be contacted in advance by email.
- Itineraries are subject to change, Colosseum and Roman Forum or Roman Forum and Colosseum.
- Tours will take place rain or shine (unless the monument is closed by officials for security reasons).
- Mandatory security checks are required at all site entry points.
- The wait time for security checks can be considerable during peak hours/seasons and is unrelated to the ticket line.
Customer Reviews
Overall Rating
Location
Amenities
Food
Price
Rooms
Tour Operator
We booked entry tickets to the Colosseum to Include the Forum, Palatine Hill plus we added the Colosseum floor to our tour. The tour operator was RoamMad. Three days before our tour was to commence, the tour operator sends an email stating that he was unable to procure our entry tickets!!! It was very important to us that our son and 17 year old grandson visit the Colosseum. I then had to scramble to find replacement tickets. These tickets sell out quickly and tour operators buy up all the tickets, and charge premium prices for the entry tickets, even without a personal tour. I was able to only find 2 Colosseum entry tickets for just our son and grandson, no Colosseum floor entry tickets available. It is INCREDIBLY frustrating to think that we have our tickets and then to find out, the tour operator obviously either over sold the tickets they had, or decided to charger a higher price for our tickets. Do NOT book any tickets through tour operator RoamMad!
Somethings are smaller and less impressive when you actually see it, but the Colosseum is not one of those. You can walk around it from the outside for free, but you really need to go inside with a guided tour if possible. We used LivTours to see the Forum and Colosseum. It included access the partial arena floor where the gladiators fought but not the lowest level where the animals were kept but you could see down into that area.
Bathrooms: After you get through the long line (we were able to bypass it with the tour), there are some bathrooms after the entrance turnstile but there was a long, long line for the women's bathroom. Instead if you walk around the Colosseum and can find the back exit which is located down a hill/steps there are accessible toilets (10 am - 7 pm usually) located under the hill/steps. It is open to the public.
The main accessible entrance is located at the Sperone Valadier entrance, which is specifically designed for visitors with reduced mobility. Here, you can enter without stairs and receive assistance if needed.
Once inside, elevators provide access to different levels of the Colosseum. Keep in mind the area around the Colosseum has the original large stone and cobblestone around it which make for uneven walking or pushing.
For our tour, we walked around the main floor then walked up the 50 steep steps to a higher level and then back down to the area floor.
The things that stood out to me were:
- the Colosseum used to be filled with water for ship battles
- the elevators used to bring up animals to the arena floor - they could come up from several different locations
- The shade awnings (no longer there) that were used to provide shade to the upper levels where the common people sat.
- in the Middle Ages, many people lived in the abandoned Colosseum since property ownership wasn't a thing. There are display cases with some of the artifacts found.
An amazing creation that still stands.
What can I add that others have not? It’s magnificent! As is the Forum. Surprisingly breezy and shady inside! Our guide was through City Walkers. Allesandra was the best! She was an art historian who was born and raised in that very neighborhood, in the shadow of the Colosseum, the greatest historic site on Earth. Allesandra was an absolute expert in knowledge of the sites and in managing the crowd and tour. She’s spent her life studying its every detail, and we were so lucky she shared her knowledge with our family. The pace of the tour was fine. We started in the Forum and ended in the Colosseum. We had earbuds. I cannot stress enough how critical it is to bring water and a hat and dress in light, breathable clothing. I witnessed two elderly ladies attempting to haul big heavy bags with them. They didn’t make it. They did not have the stamina to make it through the 3 hour tour. It’s worth the hype. It’s worth the crowds. It must have really been something! I highly recommend City Walkers and of course, the Colosseum itself.
