Best Colosseum Tours of 2023

A member of the Virtuoso network, Imago Artis Travel is a top-notch destination management company trusted by A-list celebrities like Angelina Jolie and athletes like Tom Brady. They organize multi-day bespoke trips through Italy, but if you only have one day, you should request their “Timeless Tales of Gods and Laymen” tour, which will bring you to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill before heading over to the Pantheon, which was built during the reign of Augustus and dedicated to the pantheon of gods before becoming a Catholic church that now houses the remains of Renaissance painter Raphael. 

The absolute cheapest way to visit the Colosseum is to simply purchase a ticket online for €16, and with guidebook author and television host Rick Steves’ audio guide, you can learn fun facts about the Colosseum at no extra cost. The audio guides you through to the arena and upper level while Steves regales you with tales of the emperors who built it, the gladiators who fought in it, and the spectators who watched the games. This audio tour packs a lot of fascinating history into just 40 minutes, so it’s also ideal if you’re short on time.

One of the most popular tours on the global booking platform GetYourGuide, these small group tours can be booked for a duration of one, two, or three hours. You can also choose from the available group sizes of up to 30 people (from €54), up to 20 people (from €57), up to 10 people (from €74), or private tours (from €150). GetYourGuide works with a number of different tour providers, depending on availability. 

Elisa Valeria Bove, CEO of Roma Experience, is not your average tour guide but a trained archeologist. Her private tour starts at the Roman Forum, where she made a significant discovery during her Ph.D. fieldwork, and continues to the Palatine Hill and finally the Colosseum. Along the way, she recounts the stories and myths behind the founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus, its development under Julius and Augustus Caesar, and what the experience of watching the games at the Colosseum was actually like. The tour generally takes around three hours, but Elisa has the exhaustive knowledge and passion to conduct full-day tours of ancient Rome for visitors with enough interest and stamina. 

In the summer, when temperatures in Rome can reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, a night-time tour is a great way to see this ancient monument in the evening, when it’s cooler. The official tours are divided into English-speaking and Italian-speaking groups, each of which has a guide that passes out headsets so you can hear everything clearly. This tour lasts one hour and focuses on the underground passageways and the arena, so it’s great if you want to get a nice overview without spending too much time. However, just know that you’ll be missing out on visiting the upper levels, where some exhibits showcase ancient artifacts and archival photos of the Colosseum. The official tour costs €25, so be wary of resellers that charge a premium for this tour and book instead on the official website. 

This tour is ideal for elementary and middle school-age kids who are eager to learn about the Colosseum and Ancient Rome while playing games. There are a handful of guides who aim to keep kids engaged with games, books showing what Ancient Rome looked like, and even props like a wooden tablet with wax and a stick to show how kids learned to write in Ancient Rome. The tour lasts 2.5 to 3 hours, so it may not be the right choice for very young children or teenagers with short attention spans.

If you’re the kind of traveler who prefers to take public transit and wants to visit monuments and museums at your own pace, the official Roma Pass is a good option. It’s available for either 48 hours (€32) or 72 hours (€52). The 48-hour pass includes free admission to one monument/museum while the 72-hour pass includes free admission to two monuments/museums. After that, you can use the card to get discounts at many other museums and attractions, including must-visit sites like the Galleria Borghese and Capitoline Museums. Note that you still need to book tickets in advance to visit the Colosseum. The pass doesn’t include a guided tour, but will get you a discount on the official audio tours.