Colosseum & The Heart of Rome Private Tour

From the Colosseum arena to Bernini’s stunning fountains, heart-stopping treasures abound on this unforgettable experience spanning more than 2,000 years of fascinating Roman history!

Highlights

• Skip-the-line access means you bypass queues at the Colosseum AND Roman Forum
• So many takeaways! Learn the meaning of “Caput Mundi,” what’s all the fuss about a she-wolf, why you should toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain, and did all roads really lead to Rome?
• Tick more than a dozen sites off your bucket list on this half-day tour

Tour duration

4 hours

Description

Meet your private tour guide just steps from the Colosseum, where you’ll want to take some pictures of the spectacular view before we descend to the entrance.  Enjoy fast-track entry to the Roman icon built in 72 AD to seat up to 50,000 spectators. Once inside, your guide will paint an accurate picture of the gladiator games that took place in the Roman empire’s most impressive arena, helping you to decipher between fact, fiction, and the images portrayed by big-screen Hollywood blockbusters.

After walking around the perimeter of the Colosseum, gaze down onto the arena floor and beneath to the maze-like underground level where man and beast awaited their moment of glory or met their fateful death. 

Follow your guide outside the arena and travel even further back in time as you enter the Roman Forum, the true heart of ancient Rome with monuments dating as far back as the 7th century BC. Learn of the legendary founding of Rome on the Palatine Hill and how a she-wolf rescued and nursed the young twins Romulus (the first king of Rome) and Remus after they washed up on the banks of the Tiber River. Hear how these famous twins paved the way for future tyrants, emperors, and even caesars who declared themselves gods throughout the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. 

We then change gears and fast-forward many centuries, as no visit to Rome is complete without a trip to the Trevi Fountain. This Renaissance jewel was immortalized in Fellini’s film “La Dolce Vita” by the actress Anita Ekberg, who dared to take an impromptu dip in the fountain. Be sure to toss three coins into the blue water before moving on to our next port of call: the Pantheon. Tour this astonishing architectural marvel built nearly 2,000 years ago as a pagan temple to honor the gods, and learn why it is the best preserved of all the Roman ruins in the city.  

Your tour concludes at Piazza Navona, the most beautiful of Rome’s Renaissance squares. As you stroll across this picturesque promenade that lies above what was once the Emperor Domitian’s stadium, you’ll enjoy the scene of buskers and street artists while Bernini’s remarkable Baroque fountains take center stage. Enjoy a refreshing aperitivo or dinner in one of the local characteristic trattorias. 

Know before you book

• This is a walking tour

Know before you go

• No large bags or backpacks will be allowed into the Colosseum
• Bring a hat, sunblock, and water on hot summer days
• Tour departs rain or shine

Cancellation Policy

• All cancellations must be received in writing. Cancellations made up to 48 hours prior to the start time will be refunded in full. No refunds will be made for cancellations with less than 48 hours notice or failure to arrive at the meeting point on time (no-show).