--- title: "Small Group Tour: Colosseum & Roman Forum with Arena Floor Access" lang: en type: tour city: Rome country: Italy price: 85 currency: EUR price_unit: per_person availability: bookable rating: 4.81 reviews: 990 duration_minutes: 150 languages: [en] rank_in_category: 73 of 132 (Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Tours) schedule_checked: 2026-10-03 data_updated: 2026-10-12 canonical: https://guidekin.com/italy/rome/tours/small-group-tour-colosseum-roman-forum-with-arena-floor-access/ --- # Small Group Tour: Colosseum & Roman Forum with Arena Floor Access **Guidekin's take:** Arena floor entry in a small group at a price closer to standard tours than premium ones, and a 4.81 rating across 990 reviews says the guides carry it. Arena ticket, reservation fee and headsets are included at €85 per person. Strollers are welcome, unusual for an arena tour, but transport and food are not covered. In our comparison: #73 of 132 in Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Tours, by rating weighted by review volume (table below). ## Overview Step onto the arena floor like a gladiator when you take this exclusive tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Your friendly professional guide will take you and your small group through the special gladiator gate entrance to stand directly on the arena floor. Here, you will get to feel what it's like to look up at the stadium the way gladiators would on the day of battle. After learning about the daily lives and fighting styles of the gladiators your guide will take you up to the next level so you can see the arena from the view of the excited spectators, where you will learn all about the games and the emperors who hosted them. Your guide will also take you to the Roman Forum, the city center of ancient Rome with it's temples and government offices. From here you'll go up to the Palatine Hill to hear your guide tell stories of the emperors as you walk through the palaces they built and lived in. ## Before you book - Meeting point: Meet at the Roman Vacations office on… - Entry ticket included: skip the ticket desk - Group size varies by option: small group from €85 · private from €140 · max 5 from €229 · max 6… - 23 start times: between 08:15 and 15:30 - Food not included: bring or buy your own - Strollers OK: infants accepted - Children from €75: ages 1 to 11 **Pickup:** No hotel pickup: everyone meets at the start point ## Key facts - Price: from €85 per person for the Small Group Arena Floor Access option; other options up to €395 - Duration: 2h 30m - Rating: 4.81/5 from 990 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor) - Operator: Roman Vacations - Group: Group size varies by option: small group from €85 · private from €140 · max 5 from €229 · max 6 from €395 - Guide languages: English - Tickets: Admission included - Start times: 23 start times between 08:15 and 15:30 - Booking: Instant confirmation, mobile ticket - Price checked on Viator: 2026-10-03 ## Reviews 4.81 from 990 ratings on Guidekin, Viator & Tripadvisor. 95% of ratings with a star breakdown are 4 or 5 stars: 945 of 990. - 5 stars: 900 (91%) - 4 stars: 45 (5%) - 3 stars: 14 (1%) - 2 stars: 9 (1%) - 1 star: 22 (2%) ### What reviewers say Reviewers praise engaging historical explanations and attentive guides; walking on uneven ground in the heat can be demanding. **Praised:** - Knowledgeable guides who make Roman history engaging through stories and humour - Regular stops for shade, water and rest in hot weather - Small groups with time for questions and personal attention - Arena floor access that reviewers find worth including - Detailed coverage of the Forum and Palatine Hill as well as the Colosseum **Complaints:** - Some find walking in heat or on uneven paths demanding, while others find the pace comfortable - Poor audio sometimes makes the guide's commentary hard to hear - Changes to booked start times can disrupt plans Written by Guidekin from the 100 most recent English reviews on Viator & Tripadvisor (2026-06-27 to 2026-10-03); last checked 2026-10-03. ## Tour options Prices are the operator's current list price for two travellers (whole euros); options sold only to bigger parties say so; pick the option on the booking page. | Option | Price | Guide languages | Details | |---|---|---|---| | Small Group Arena Floor Access | €85 / person | English | Beat the Roman Heat: Tour route is designed to keep you cool by entering the Colosseum and Roman Forum/Palatine Hill at the optimal times of day. Small Group Arena Floor Access | | VIP Small Afternoon Tour | €140 / person | English | VIP Small Group : With a maximum of 9 adults. This is as close to a private experience we offer as a group tour option. Colosseum, Forum & Palatine: You'll be able to ask our guide questions specific to your interests in our small group. Fewer crowds. More Shade. | | VIP Early Bird Exclusive | €140 / person | English | VIP Very Small Group Tour: With a maximum of 9 adults. This is as close to a private experience we offer as a group tour option. Prime time Colosseum: Ask the questions you've always wondered about in this small group, and don't get lost in a crowd. | | VIP Extra Small Group Tour | €229 / person | English | VIP Extra Small Group: With a maximum of 5 people on this tour, you are sure to get the extra VIP treatment in the form of a tiny group tour. Duration: 3 hours Colosseum, Forum, Palatine: The order of the sites visited on the tour will vary based on time and date booked. | | Premier VIP Emperors Tour | €395 / person | English | Extended Tour of Imperial Rome: After visiting the Arena Floor of the Colosseum, visit the Palatine Hill, Roman Forum and Imperial Forums of the Emperors Premier VIP: With a small group of maximum 6 people, you will have the full attention of your expert tour guide for your entire tour. Duration: 4 hours: The tour will last 3.5 to 4 hours depending upon the pace of the group. Colosseum and Imperial Rome: Visit the Arena Floor of the Colosseum as well as the Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, and the Imperial Forums of the emperors. Ages 12 and Up Only please: Due to the duration of the tour and the route, the minimum age is 12 yrs, the tour is not suitable for strollers. | ## What's included - Entry to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill - Headsets for groups when appropriate - Colosseum entrance ticket with arena access (valued at €24 per person) - Colosseum reservation fee (valued at €2 per person) - Please note: Colosseum fees as above. The remaining cost of the experience covers other services. - Access to Arena floor - Expert Certified Guide ## Not included - Transport to/from meeting point. - Food and Drink - Gratuities ## Itinerary 1. **Roman Forum** (45m; admission included) - Take in the oldest part of Rome when you visit the Roman Forum to see the government buildings, temples and ancient roads that were home to daily life in Ancient Rome. Pass by the senate house, the temple of the Vestal Virgins and the Temple of Julius Caesar where his ashes... 2. **Palatine Hill** (45m; admission included) - Make your way from the forum up to the Palatine Hill where Emperors built their palaces. Once home to the founder of Rome, Romulus, the Palatine Hill is where Rome originates. Throughout Roman history emperors were born and died on this hill. Many of them built grand homes we... 3. **Colosseum** (1h; admission included) - You will feel like a gladiator about to go into battle when you enter the Colosseum directly onto the arena floor using the special access Gladiator Gate. This special entrance is only for those who book this special Arena Floor experience. Once you are on the floor, you will... ## Schedule - Runs: daily - Departures: 23 start times between 08:15 and 15:30 - Schedule last checked: 2026-10-03 - These are published departures, not a live seat count; availability is confirmed at checkout. ## Cancellation If you cancel at least 7 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 7 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund. ## Meeting point Meet at the Roman Vacations office on Via dei Santi Quattro, 81 Roma RM 00184.. Look for the white Roman Vacations flag with the lion head on it. Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJM8k0LLhhLxMReU2_o4jUm6c ## Good to know - Public transportation options are available nearby - Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller - Suitable for all physical fitness levels - Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with all travelers' full names at the ticket office prior to entry may result in denied entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum. - Each traveler must present a valid passport or ID document that matches the name provided at the time of booking for successful entry to the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Booking asks for: dates of birth ## Compared with other Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Tours | Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group | |---|---|---|---|---| | **This tour · #73 of 132** | €85 | 2h 30m | 4.81 (990) | varies by option | | [Ancient Rome Discovery: Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Guided Tour](/italy/rome/tours/ancient-rome-discovery-colosseum-forum-palatine-guided-tour/?format=md) | €129 | 3h | 4.99 (1367) | shared | | [German Colosseum and Roman Forum](/italy/rome/tours/german-colosseum-and-roman-forum/?format=md) | €99 | 3h | 4.98 (686) | shared | | [Colosseum & Ancient Rome with Arena Floor Option I Max 6 People](/italy/rome/tours/colosseum-ancient-rome-with-arena-floor-option-i-max-6-people/?format=md) | €149 | 3h | 4.94 (3890) | shared | Ranked #73 of 132 in Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Tours by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €4 to €1500, median €115; typical length 2h 30m. 41 of 132 are private. Figures are live from the tour cards; the rubric is our handpicked set, not the whole market. Full list: https://guidekin.com/italy/rome/colosseum-tours/?format=md ## More in Rome - All Rome tours: https://guidekin.com/italy/rome/?format=md - This page as HTML: https://guidekin.com/italy/rome/tours/small-group-tour-colosseum-roman-forum-with-arena-floor-access/ Filters, the full catalogue and the URL contract for this city: https://guidekin.com/italy/rome/?format=md