Private Underground, Arena & Forum

About This Experience

This long-running listing offers three levels of Colosseum access, and only one of them goes below the arena. The Regular option is a one-hour tour of the main levels; the Arena option adds the arena floor and a guided Forum but no underground. The underground is sold here only as the private option, Underground, Arena + Roman Forum, Private Tour, at $434 per person.

On the private underground option your guide takes you through the Colosseum’s main levels, onto the arena floor and down into the underground, then leads a guided visit of the Roman Forum. The order can change: on some days the Forum and Palatine Hill come first. Entry to the Forum and Palatine is included, and the upper levels of the Colosseum are not part of any option.

The private format suits families and couples who want the guide to themselves and the pace set to them; compare the total for your party size against two small-group places. The small-group options on this listing are arena or regular access only.

It is rated 4.7/5 from 3,290+ reviews, the largest count among the tours on this site. Older low-star reviews (2018 to 2023) describe the underground part being cancelled or restricted. Read our comparison of underground and arena tickets if you are weighing a private underground tour against an arena-only one.

Highlights

• A private guide for your party through the main levels, the arena and the underground
• Go down into the hypogeum below the arena floor
• Stand on the arena floor and see the tiers rise around you
• Guided visit of the Roman Forum, with Palatine Hill entry included
• The listing with the most reviews among the underground tours on this site

What's Included

• ✓ Live expert guide with earphones
• ✓ Colosseum entry with underground access (private Underground option only)
• ✓ Arena floor access (Arena and Underground options)
• ✓ The Colosseum's main levels on the Underground option
• ✓ Guided visit of the Roman Forum
• ✓ Entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

Not Included

• Underground access on the Regular and Arena options
• Upper levels of the Colosseum (not part of any option)
• 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

• Only the private option, Underground, Arena + Roman Forum, includes the underground. The small-group options are arena or regular access only.
• The operator asks you to be at the meeting point 30 minutes before the tour starts.
• The order of the visit varies: the Colosseum or the Forum and Palatine Hill can come first.
• The operator says the tour is not wheelchair or stroller accessible, and strollers are not allowed.
• Cancellation is not free on this listing, so read the terms before you book.
• 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.
• 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.

Meeting Point

Piazza del Colosseo, 21, 00184 Rome, beside the Colosseum. The operator asks you to arrive 30 minutes before the start time.