Skip the Line: Ancient Rome and Colosseum Half-Day Walking Tour

Duration: 3 hours
Location: Rome, Italy

Take a small group walking tour (maximum 25 people) of Ancient Rome's major sights and skip the queues for the Colosseum and Palatine Hill. Perfect for first-time visitors, this guided morning tour is the ideal introduction to Ancient Rome, leaving you with the afternoon free to explore Rome at your leisure. Several major sites are covered in just three hours, and you'll receive enlightening insights into Rome's millennia of history as you stroll, without wasting time waiting in line.

Your tour begins atop the Colle Oppio with a panoramic view of the Colosseum, Rome's most recognizable landmark. Next, you will skip the long lines and gain special access to the Colosseum. Once inside, your expert official guide will take you through the bloody past of the amphitheater as you listen to tales of gladiators, mock sea-battles and executions. After a brief rest at the Arch of Constantine, you will arrive at the Palatine Hill, the most famous of the seven hills of Rome.

From here admire the views of the Roman Forum and Nero's Circus Maximus where chariot races were held. Romulus and Remus were said to have been found on the Palatine Hill by the she-wolf who nursed and raised them. The last stop is a walk along the Via Sacra or 'Sacred Way', the main path through the Roman Forum that was used for triumphal processions. Tour ends at the temple which houses the altar where Julius Caesar was cremated.

Do you want special access to the Colosseum’s underground chambers and its third tier?
For the first time in history, the Colosseum is opening its underground level to visitors. 2011 marked the public opening of the Colosseum’s underground chambers for the very first time, as well as the Colosseum’s third tier, which hasn’t been open in decades. If you upgrade to the 8:30am tour, you’ll get special access to both areas and see Ancient Rome the way no one ever has. You’ll follow in the footsteps of the gladiators themselves as you explore the tunnels where they once prepared for fights and where lions and tigers were once caged. You’ll also go up to the highest existing level of the Colosseum – the third tier, or terzo anello, as it’s called in Italian. This third level of the amphitheater is opening for the first time since the 1970s. The view from the third tier includes not only a new perspective of the inside of the Colosseum, but also the surrounding Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. It’s not to be missed.

These newly opened areas can only be visited with a guided tour and must be booked in advance. To get this once-in-a-lifetime experience, you must book the 8:30am tour. Not only will you skip the long lines (which can last up to two hours) to enter the Colosseum, but you’ll also beat the crowds and enjoy the Colosseum in the calmer hours of the morning. Tours groups never exceed 10 people. You’ll also get an extra 30 minutes inside the Colosseum (3.5 hours total).