Ultimate Colosseum Semi-Private Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

The ancient Colosseum is undoubtedly the most amazing monument in Rome, built on a vast scale in less than ten years. The spectacles that took place here were like nothing seen before or since, and they were designed to entertain not only the people of Rome, but also the emperor himself.

The gladiatorial games are legendary, and on your tour of the Colosseum you’ll learn the difference between fact and fiction. But you’ll also discover that truth is often stranger than fiction, as you hear stories of wild animal hunts, mass executions, naval battles, and violent re-enactments of Greek myths that all took place in the arena. You’ll learn about everything that went on behind the scenes, including the amazing machinery that made the spectacles possible and so popular. For the rare opportunity to descend into the Colosseum’s Underground to see these machines and mechanisms up close, check out our Colosseum Underground Tour.

There was more to the games than meets the eye, and the entertainment at the Colosseum also had an important political role. Your expert guide will help you to understand the Colosseum in context, explaining what the games meant not only for the slaves and gladiators who took part, but for the whole of ancient Rome.

A Roman Forum group tour is an opportunity to learn about Roman history in the very place where the events took place.

These atmospheric ruins were once the political heart of the ancient city. You begin in front of the Senate, the imposing building used for the meetings and heated debates of the Republic. In the gardens and the House of the Vestal Virgins you’ll learn about the extraordinary lives and deaths of the priestesses who were tasked with ensuring Rome’s sacred flame remained forever lit. We’ll also visit the basilica of Julia and the basilica of Maxentius, the most important courthouses of the ancient city. The famous public trials that took place in these basilicas contributed to the fame of great historical figures such as Cicero and Caesar, whose orations were highly praised by their contemporaries.

Your walk through the Forum continues with a visit to the temples, as you explore the impressive ruins of the temples of Saturn and Castor and Pollux. Here you’ll learn about the Roman gods and the early days of Christianity, which often overlapped in unexpected ways – as you’ll see at the temple of Antoninus and Faustina, an ancient Roman temple that was transformed into a Catholic church. On your group tour of Rome you’ll also walk along one of the most important Roman roads of all, the Via Sacra, where you can still see the wheel-ruts of the carriages that passed over its flagstones for centuries.

The triumphal arches are another highlight of our visit to Ancient Rome, and you’ll be amazed by the Arch of Titus and the Arch of Septimius Severus, which dramatically represent the conquests of the Roman Empire.