Be sure to book a tour in advance to avoid the queues.
The Colosseum is an enduring symbol of the power, prowess and bloodlust of the Roman Empire. Although damaged over the years by earthquakes, pollution and stone-robbers, it remains a truly spectacular structure.
Visitors tend to be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the Colosseum: it stands 48 metres tall at its highest point and boasts a perimeter over half a kilometre long, making it the largest amphitheatre in the world. To this day, the building dwarfs the majority of the Rome's more modern architecture. Remarkably, the Colosseum was completed in only 8 years (72-80 AD), thanks to the liberal use of slaves in its construction. Dio Cassius recounts that over 9,000 wild animals were killed in the inaugural celebrations.
A crowd of over 60,000 came regularly to watch the entertainments on offer. These included dramatic productions, vast battle reenactments and, of course, gladiator fights. The Colosseum's groundbreaking engineering extended to a complex system of passages, ramps, lifts and pulleys that operated beneath its sand-filled arena; these contraptions were used to ensure a dramatic entrance for the gladiators, who would fight to the death against wild animals and each other. Evidence suggests the arena was even periodically flooded for sham naval battles called naumachiae.
The building hasn’t been used for entertainment since the early medieval era; in the following centuries it was employed variously as a fortress, Christian shrine, and housing for a religious order. Today, in limited numbers, visitors are now able to take a tour of the Colosseum underground and also the highest tier of the walls. Access to these parts provides a new perspective on the ancient building. Suffice to say, any visitors sightseeing in Rome should make the Colosseum a top priority.
Experience the magic of Rome with a fully guided walking tour of the most popular highlights of the Eternal City and discover the Colosseum, the historic centre and the Vatican Museums in a day with entrance tickets included.
On your private full-day walking tour, you will:
Discover the religious, historical, and cultural significance of Rome, once the Caput Mundi (head of the world) on this magical full-day privately guided tour.
Walk in the footsteps of slaves and emperors, gladiators and Vestal Virgins, cardinals and artists as your expert guide weaves together the stories that have made Rome the Eternal City.
Relish walking into the Colosseum and step out onto the stage – the most famous monument of the ancient world. Learn about a day in the life of an ancient Roman as you stroll through the Forum admiring the temples and basilicas still standing after two millennia.
Then plunge into the friendly hustle and bustle of ‘modern’ Rome as you walk around the historic centre, taking in such iconic sites as the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona and the mighty Pantheon – the largest man-made cement dome with an oculus in the world. And it was built in the second century!
After a pit stop for lunch, hop in a taxi across town where your guide will lead you through the hallowed halls of the Vatican Museums to wonder and marvel at the masterpieces from antiquity and those extraordinary, god-like rivals of the High Renaissance: Michelangelo and Raphael.
On exiting the Sistine Chapel your tour will end on the iconic balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, after which you will have time to explore the Basilica at your own leisure.
PLEASE NOTE: The order of the itinerary may change based on ticket availability.
On this private tour, you will time travel back 2,000 years to visit the Ancient Rome sites that were of significance to the Roman Empire including the Colosseum, the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, the Roman Forum, the heart of ancient Rome, and the Palatine Hill, where the city of Rome was founded on.
On your private tour, you will:
You will start your tour at the ancient Colosseum, which is an enduring symbol of the power, prowess and bloodlust of the Roman Empire. Although damaged over the years by earthquakes, pollution and stone robbers, it remains a truly spectacular structure.
The building hasn’t been used for entertainment since the early medieval era; in the following centuries, it was employed variously as a fortress, Christian shrine, and housing for a religious order.
Your next stop will be the Roman Forum where you will come across remnants of magnificent temples, law courts, palaces and marketplaces, while your guide shares the stories of what daily life in the heart of the Roman Empire was like.
Your tour will end at Palatine Hill – the birthplace of the Roman Senate, and where Rome’s Emperors lived and ruled from. The word ‘palace’ is derived from the name of this hill, as so many Roman rulers built their lavish residences on the Palatine.
Climb the hill today, and you will find extensive ruins of the once splendid palaces and gardens of some of Rome’s most famous emperors, including those of Augustus, Tiberius and the Flavian Palace, as well as the Temple to Apollo built by Augustus, and Domitian’s impressive Hippodrome.
Please note that the order of this tour may change based on ticket availability.
Immerse yourself into Ancient Rome and travel back to the time of Roman gladiators by exploring the Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater and the Roman Forum, the scenario for public meetings, gatherings and shops, on this family-friendly half-day tour especially designed for young children and teens in mind.
On your private tour, you will:
If any site in Rome will entertain your children, the Colosseum will! A symbol of Rome and of the Ancient Roman Empire, this building has been entertaining people for millennia! This is where the Emperor and the Roman people would come to watch the "games" ranging from gladiator fights to processions of exotic animals.
After visiting the Colosseum (time-entrance tickets included), you will see the Arch of Constantine, built to commemorate Emperor Constantine the Great's victory over Maxentius in 312 AD. Your guide will regale you with tales of the Emperor and his army triumphantly marching into Rome!
You will then head into the Roman Forum and walk on the Via Sacra (or "sacred way"), the main street of Ancient Rome. This was the "downtown" area of the city where Senators and people alike came to meet and trade, hear public speeches, vote in elections, trial criminals, host religious ceremonies... and more! You will even see the ruins of the Temple of Julius Caesar and his altar, where people still lay flowers today in commemoration of the famed Roman General!
Depending on the day and your preference, you will enjoy a quick stop for a delicious Italian Gelato either halfway through the tour for a sweet treat break or at the end of the tour.
This shorter tour is ideal for families with young children and does not include a visit to Palatine Hill.
Please note: The order of this tour may change based on ticket availability
Discover the heart of Rome, as you cruise the most popular attractions and hidden backstreets that only small vehicles or pedestrians can access.
On this private golf cart tour, you will:
Often referred to as the “Eternal City”, Rome is undoubtedly one of the most historically and culturally vibrant cities in the world. Here, you will come across the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona – two landmarks that date back to the Roman Empire; in addition, you’ll have the opportunity to see the amazing architecture of the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps from the Rococo (late-Baroque) period.
This four-hour golf cart tour is designed to give you a perfect overview of the city: visit the key sites in the centre and be shown all the best-hidden haunts and local hangouts that you might otherwise miss. A golf-cart tour allows you to access parts of the city that cars and tour buses cannot.
Stop off at attractions or for gelato whenever you feel like it, go for a wander through Rome’s winding cobbled streets and save your energy for the rest of the day by hopping back on your golf cart, which will be waiting, ready to whisk you away to your next destination.
A great way to experience the magic of Rome in a comfortable and flexible manner – and your experience will be unaffected by the weather!
This tour will whisk you away to the cobbled lanes and idyllic fields of the Italian countryside to visit the Catacombs and drive along the famed and historic Appian Way.
On your private tour, you will:
Your experience starts with a pick-up in central Rome and a panoramic drive past the iconic Colosseum, Roman Forum, Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus and Imperial Palaces on Palatine Hill, before you embark on an adventure across the less travelled side of beautiful Rome - the majestic Appian Way.
The Via Appia Antica (Appian way) was at one time, the most important road in the Roman Empire rolling from Central Rome to the beautiful hills and fields of the neighbouring countryside and eventually all the way to the City of Brindisi. Sided by sleepy churches, farmhouses and crumbling Roman ruins, it is a truly magical picturesque route.
You will stop at one of Rome's ancient catacombs to explore the network of underground burial grounds that date from the second to the fifth century, and then drive out to the city’s remaining visible network of aqueducts.
Please note: Private guides are not allowed to guide inside the Catacombs so you will join a small group with an official Catacombs tour guide.
Once the pride of Roman engineering, these wonderful aqueducts transported water over long distances to towns and cities, providing the means to construct complex sewage irrigation systems, and supply fresh, clean water for baths, fountains, and drinking water for its citizens.
Your four-hour tour will end with a drop-off back in your hotel or any central Rome location.
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