Underground, Forum & Palatine (max 7)

About This Experience

This is the tour on the site that takes the least decoding: every option on the listing includes the Colosseum underground, so you cannot book the wrong one by accident. You go below the arena into the hypogeum, the backstage where animals, fighters and scenery waited before the shows, then cross to the arena floor and finish with a guided walk through the Roman Forum and up the Palatine Hill.

Underground, the guide follows the corridors and chambers under the arena and explains how the lifts, trapdoors and pulleys raised cages and scenery about 6 metres to the arena floor. The route passes the exhibition of gladiator armour and finds that now lines part of the walkway. Expect the logistics of the games, the animal hunts and the shows; the guide skips the long list of dates.

The second half moves outdoors. In the Roman Forum you walk past temples, basilicas and triumphal arches, and on the Palatine Hill you see the remains of the imperial palaces and the view back over the Forum. The listing caps groups at seven people and also sells a private version; both include the underground.

It is rated 5.0/5 from 95 reviews, a smaller count than the long-running tours on this site, and the underground price is $211 per person. If you would rather compare it against the alternatives first, see how the guided underground tours compare.

Highlights

• Walk the corridors and chambers of the hypogeum, the Colosseum's backstage below the arena
• See how hoists, trapdoors and pulleys lifted animals and scenery up to the arena floor
• Stand on the reconstructed section of the arena and look up at the tiers from the centre
• Hear how the games, animal hunts and shows were staged and who worked behind the scenes
• Walk among the temples, basilicas and arches of the Roman Forum
• Climb the Palatine Hill to the imperial palace ruins and the view over the Forum

What's Included

• ✓ Guided tour of the Colosseum underground (hypogeum)
• ✓ Access to the Colosseum arena floor
• ✓ Entry to the Roman Forum with a guided walk
• ✓ Guided highlights of the Palatine Hill
• ✓ Entry through a separate group entrance, away from the ticket queue
• ✓ Live guide in English, German, Hungarian, Croatian or Serbian

Not Included

• Food and drinks
• Transport to and from the meeting point
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off

What to Bring

• Original passport or ID card for every traveller, children included
• Closed, comfortable shoes with grip
• Water, especially from May to September
• A small bag only (max 30 x 40 x 15 cm)
• Sun hat and sunscreen for the open Forum and Palatine

Good to Know & Caveats

• The underground is included in every option on this listing, small-group and private alike.
• The listing caps groups at seven. The park allows at most six clients plus the guide on a guided underground visit, so ask the operator how a full group of seven is handled below ground.
• Tickets are issued in each traveller's name. Give full names exactly as they appear on your passport or ID card when you book, and bring the original document: if the name does not match, the Colosseum can refuse entry without a refund.
• Be at the meeting point at the time the operator gives you. The park asks underground ticket holders to arrive 30 minutes before their entry time and does not admit latecomers to the underground.
• Heavy rain can close the underground and the arena at short notice: the park shut both on 12 February 2026 and closed the underground for a morning on 8 October 2026.
• The route covers ancient structures with uneven surfaces and steps, plus the slopes of the Palatine Hill.
• Security uses metal detectors. Bags larger than 30 x 40 x 15 cm are not allowed and there is no cloakroom, so leave suitcases at your accommodation.

Meeting Point

Arch of Constantine, Piazza del Colosseo, 00184 Rome. The arch stands beside the Colosseum, a short walk from Colosseo metro (Line B and Line C).