Highlights
- The Colosseum
- The House of the Vestal Virgins
- The Temple of Saturn
- The Arch of Septimius Severus
- The Flavian Palace
- The Stadium of Domitian
- Roman Forum
- The Palatine Hill
- The Arch of Constantine
Preview Description
Enjoy a full experience of the most iconic sites of Ancient Rome, learning about Caesar, Augustus and Nero with an expert, private guide.
Description
Our Immersive Colosseum Private Tour offers an immersive experience of Ancient Rome
Just entering the Colosseum is an event in itself, but our private Immersive Colosseum tour takes things to another level, transporting you back to the gladiatorial games of Ancient Rome and situating them in their historical context. We’ll help you make sense of these vast structures and the incredible ancient engineering techniques that made it possible to build the amphitheatre in just 10 short years.
The guides we entrust with leading our private Colosseum tours are all experts in their fields, many of them trained archaeologists. They’ll provide fascinating insights into who the gladiators were, where they came from and their punishing training regimes. You’ll also find out what happened when they stepped onto the floor of the amphitheatre for what was often the last time. You’ll learn about how the fights were staged and discover the complex mechanical infrastructure of the arena (including trap doors and elevators), which made the spectacles of death a dramatic reality.
Thanks to recent excavations and archaeological research we know more about the Colosseum than ever before, and our itinerary will clue you in to the latest research in as you discover the secrets of the Flavian Amphitheater. You’ll learn about fascinating details like the Velarium, a kind of awning that covered the seating area which was operated by sailors, or how the Colosseum could be flooded to allow chaotic naval battles to be staged there. You private guided visit of the Colosseum will take you through the events of a whole day at the games around the arena, entering the world of the ancient Romans and gaining a vivid insight into their social and political life. Of course your guide can personalise the itinerary to suit your interests – curious whether you need to take Hollywood movies like Gladiator with a pinch of salt? Did emperors really join the deadly frays in the arena? Find our with our expert guides!
Gladiator Combat and Imperial Propaganda
The daily life and politics of Ancient Rome underwent dramatic changes during the shift from the Republic to the Empire with the emperor Augustus, at the end of the 1st century. The relation between the citizens of Rome and the politicians of the Republic, who had mostly been elected, changed completely. The emperor became the centre of all political power, and the only point of reference. The Romans would go to the Colosseum to show their support for their emperor. The emperor used the spectacles at the Colosseum to demonstrate his commitment to the public, the strength of his political campaigns in distant parts of the empire, and his undisputed authority - now based on the law of the strongest.
Our Colosseum private guided tour will reveal how the gladiatorial combats in the arena of the Roman Coliseum played an important part in uniting a complex and turbulent empire, a multitude of languages and ethnicities dominated by the greatest metropolis in antiquity - Rome.
19 years of success of our in-depth Private Tour of the Colosseum
We our 19 years of experience, and a dedicated team of guides, mostly expert archaeologists, keen to share their knowledge with you, we can guarantee you an enjoyable, stress-free tour, as we take care of purchasing skip the line tickets for your private itinerary. As well as the best private Colosseum as we have carefully optimised it through the centuries on the basis of our experience and the thousands of feedback we have received from you over the years.
Your Itinerary is an in-depth exploration of all the key sites of Ancient Rome
Your tour lasts 5.5 hours (including a break) because this is the time needed to enjoy and experience the vast archaeological sites of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, at your own pace, spending more or less time at each site according to your preferences.
Instead of hurrying through the most famous sites of Ancient Rome, we want you to enjoy and understand the significance of these famous sites in the wider context of Rome and its history, as well as exploring some exclusive, less famous sites. The VIP experience is guaranteed on our tour; you will decide how long to remain in the garden of the Vestal Virgins, learning about their unusual lives, or gazing at their statues. Depending on your interests, we can explore the political or economic themes of the time, or learn about religious rites, or discuss the scandalous love affairs of cultured, emancipated women of the 1st century, such as Julia, daughter of the emperor Augustus.
In addition, our guide will take you to panoramic viewpoints to take photos of the impressive imperial ruins, as well as spectacular views of the Colosseum and the valley of the Roman Forum from above, giving you an unparalleled view across Rome.
Your Roman Forum Private Tour
The wide valley of the Roman Forum was the political heart of Ancient Rome. In this labyrinth of temples, buildings and streets of incomparable beauty, history is everywhere, and there are infinite ancient stories to be uncovered. Your private tour of the Roman Forum will be a journey to discover and learn about how this valley grow in importance through the centuries to become the political and religious heart of Rome form the 5th century A.D. onwards. Your personal guide will help you to envision Rome of the 1st century AD, a bustling city which reached a million inhabitants.
Walking through the cobbled streets of the Roman Forum, your dedicated guide will put together the pieces of this fascinating puzzle of ruins. We will bring you into the Senate, the imposing symbol of the Roman Republic; S. P. Q. R. symbolises the famous pact between the people and aristocracy of Rome. Our knowledgeable guide will introduce you to the senators, their speeches, and the debates recorded by the historians of the time, as well as the crucial events that led to the unstoppable conquest of the Mediterranean.
You’ll also discover the secrets of Roman religion in the atmospheric ruins of the House and Garden of the Vestal Virgins, learning about the privileged yet often tragic lives of the priestesses. The Basilica of Maxentius with its colossal arches gives us a fascinating insight into the achievements of ancient architecture and the important trials which were held here and attended by hundreds of Romans. Just think that the famous speeches of great orators such as Cicero and Julius Caesar echoed through these halls.
Exploring the temples of the Forum, including the awe-inspiring Temple of Saturn (connected to the foundation of the Republic) and the Temple of Castor and Pollux, is the perfect way to learn about the Roman gods and religious rituals. The grand temple of Antoninus and Faustina is made even more intriguing by its surprising history; over the centuries it was converted into a church, creating a spectacular architectural hybrid.
On our Roman Forum Tour you’ll hear stories of the triumphal parades that took place on the Via Sacra, where you can still see the wheel-ruts of the carriages, and you’ll have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the Romans, all the way to the Arch of Titus. This magnificent arch vividly depicts the triumphs of the Roman Empire in Jerusalem. Along with the Arch of Septimius Severus at the other end of the Forum, it gives us a fascinating glimpse into the grandeur of Ancient Rome. The triumphal arches are covered with inscriptions and bas-reliefs; these stories immortalized in stone are the predecessors of our war films and victory celebrations.
You’ll also explore the places where some of the most important events in Roman history took place, such as the funeral of Julius Caesar and the decapitation of Cicero.
The Roman Forum after the fall of the Roman Empire
In the 16th century the Roman Forum, by now abandoned, was the place where shepherds tended their flocks in the open, amongst the vast ruins. The rediscovery of the archaeological sites through the centuries, the passion for antiquities which spread contagiously from Renaissance onwards, it’s a fascinating story that will be revealed by your personal guide.
Then it's time to climb up the Imperial Ramp to reach the Palatine Hill.
Your Private Palatine Hill Tour
There’s so much to discover on the beautiful Palatine Hill. With its strategic position high above the city, the Palatine offers spectacular views of the Tiber, the Circus Maximus, the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, and has preserved human settlements from more than 3,000 years ago.
Our private tour of the Palatine will allow you to discover some of the most significant sites in Ancient Rome, mostly overlooked by other tour companies. The explanations of our expert guide will enrich your appreciation of its gardens and palaces, banquet halls and the porticos. The history of Rome began on the Palatine Hill, and it is here that we can see the remains of huts dating to the period of Romulus and Remus, and learn about their fatal contest for the foundation of the city. It’s no surprise that this legendary hill later became home to Roman aristocracy and emperors, including Augustus and Tiberius. This part of our walk will focus on the private lives of the Romans, just as the dominant theme of the Roman Forum was public life.
You’ll explore the vast Flavian Palace, the Baths of Septimius Severus, and the Stadium of Domitian. As you walk through the impressive ruins of the palaces, your expert guide will share stories of the lives of the emperors, and show you exquisite frescoes, mosaics and statues.
We will then retreat to the shady Farnese Gardens and learn about the Renaissance response to antiquity, when this area was rediscovered and divided up by influential families of the time. A tour of the Palatine Hill is as an educational experience, but it’s also a chance to relax, and to enjoy the peaceful gardens.
Activity Level
As this is a walking tour with steps, staircases and uneven surfaces, comfortable walking shoes and a bottle of water are strongly recommended.
Please advise if any travelers have mobility concerns so that we can best accommodate you.
The Arch of Constantine (Italian: Arco di Costantino) is a triumphal arch in Rome, situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. It was erected by the Roman Senate to commemorate ... moreConstantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312. Dedicated in 315, it is the largest Roman triumphal arch. The arch spans the Via triumphalis, the way taken by the emperors when they entered the city in triumph.
Though dedicated to Constantine, much of the decorative material incorporated earlier work from the time of the emperors Trajan (98–117), Hadrian (117–138) and Marcus Aurelius (161–180), and is thus a collage. The last of the existing triumphal arches in Rome, it is also the only one to make extensive use of spolia, reusing several major reliefs from 2nd century imperial monuments, which give a striking and famous stylistic contrast to the sculpture newly created for the arch. This earned it the derisive nickname of Cornacchia di Esopo Aesop's Crow.
The arch is 21 m high, 25.9 m wide and 7.4 m deep. It has three archways, the central one being 11.5 m high and 6.5 m wide and the lateral archways 7.4 m by 3.4 m each. Above the archways is placed the attic, composed of brickwork reveted (faced) with marble. A staircase within the arch is entered from a door at some height from the ground, on the west side, facing the Palatine Hill. The general design with a main part structured by detached columns and an attic with the main inscription above is modelled after the example of the Arch of Septimius Severus on the Roman Forum.
Type: Attraction, Cultural, Historic
The Arch of Titus (Italian: Arco di Tito; Latin: Arcus Titi) is a 1st-century AD honorific arch, located on the Via Sacra, Rome, just to the south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed ... morein c. AD 82 by the Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus's victories, including the Siege of Jerusalem (AD 70). The arch has provided the general model for many triumphal arches erected since the 16th century, perhaps most famously it is the inspiration for the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.
Walk along the cobbled street of the Via Sacra and you’ll see this imposing triumphal arch, built in the first century AD to commemorate Titus’s military victories. Built on the orders of Domitian after the death of Titus, the arch depicts winged victories and a triumphant Titus being crowned with a laurel wreath. The arch is one of the earliest examples of humans and divinities being portrayed together, rather than in separate scenes. Even the laurel wreath is fictional, as in reality, Titus apparently refused to be crowned, saying that it was not really his victory – he had only been an instrument of God’s wrath.
The south panel of the arch shows spoils from the Siege of Jerusalem, including a menorah and trumpet. A contemporary historian, Josephus, claimed that a million Jews had been killed in Jerusalem. While this estimate is now considered to be greatly exaggerated, there’s no doubt that the Roman armies devastated the city. It was a major victory for Rome, and the Arch of Titus not only celebrated the emperor, but also served as a demonstration of the power of Rome. Illiterate Romans would have looked up at this magnificent monument – once brightly coloured – and read the story of the Roman victory through the sculptures, rather like reading a comic book.
Type: Attraction, Cultural, Historic
Roman Forum Here we have a great valley, the political heart of ancient Rome, where the daily life of the ancient Romans unfolded. The Republic revolved around the Senate, where giant, ... morerichly decorated spaces still resound with the voices of the great senators that unleashed war and brokered peace in the Mediterranean. While the House of the Vestals introduces us to the only female religious order in Rome, the via Sacra, still marked by the wheels of carts that traversed it for centuries, helps us understand the Romans’ amazing engineering capabilities. In front of the Temple of Julius Caesar we will be catapulted into the story of one of the greatest political murders of all time. Nearby, the temple of Antoninus and Faustina tells us of the extent of the Roman empire, with its rare marbles and its inscriptions. The images carved into the Arch of Titus tell of the conquest of Jerusalem and the transfer of its ancient treasures to Rome, fascinating histories that your expert guide will explain.
The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum (Italian: Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum.
For centuries the Forum was the center of day-to-day life in Rome: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches; and the nucleus of commercial affairs. Here statues and monuments commemorated the city's great men. The teeming heart of ancient Rome, it has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world, and in all history. Located in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, the Forum today is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments and intermittent archaeological excavations attracting 4.5 million or more sightseers yearly.
Type: Attraction, Cultural, Historic
The Palatine Hill is the centremost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city. It stands 40 metres above the Roman Forum, looking down upon it on ... moreone side, and upon the Circus Maximus on the other. From the time of Augustus Imperial palaces were built here.
Rome has its origins on the Palatine. Excavations show that people have lived in the area since the 10th century BC. Excavations performed on the hill in 1907 and again in 1948 unearthed a collection of huts believed to have been used for funerary purposes between the 9th and 7th century BC approximating the time period when the city of Rome was founded.
The hill has a strong link to Roman mythology. It is believed that on Palatine Hill, the twins Romulus and Remus were found in the Lupercal Cave by their four-legged shepherd mother, who raised them. Ultimately, this is where Romulus decided to build the city. Palatine Hill, Rome
The Palatine Hill today. Therefore, it was on this hill that the Roman Empire began.
From the start of the Empire (27 BC) Augustus built his palace there and the hill gradually became the exclusive domain of emperors; the ruins of the palaces of at least Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD), Tiberius (14 – 37 AD) and Domitian (81 – 96 AD) can still be seen.
Type: Attraction, Cultural, Historic
- The construction of the Colosseum was started in 72 AD by Emperor Vespasian and it was completed in 80 AD, a year after the death of Vespasian.
The Colosseum is one of Rome's most famous land marks. The structure is an elliptical amphitheatre located in the center of Rome. The colosseum was built from concrete and stone .It ... moreis considered to be the largest amphitheatre in the world. The construction of the Colosseum started in 72 AD by the Roman Emperor Vespasian. The building was completed in 80 AD, a year after the death of Emperor Vespasian.
The colloseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public shows and games such as animal hunts, mock sea battles, gladiator battles and executions. It seated 50,000 people. The Roman emperors used the Colosseum for the entertainment of the public with free games. The games symbolized power and they were used by the ruling emperor in order to increase his popularity. These games were held for an entire day or several days continuously. The shows usually started with comical acts and displays of exotic animals such as lions and bears and concluded with fights to the death between the animals and gladiators. The fighters were prisoners of war, slaves, or convicted criminals. The gladiatorial games continued until Christianity gradually put an end to the gory and deadly games.
The Colosseum was built on the area of an artificial lake. At the late 6th century a small church was built into the structure of the amphitheatre. In 1934, the Colosseum was damaged by an earthquake which resulted in the collapse of the outer south. The stones from the Colleseum were then reused to build palaces, churches,hospitals and other structures in Rome. Some of the famous structures which were built using the stones are Palazzo Farnese and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Church officials in Rome sought a productive use for the Colosseum during the 16thand 17th century. Pope Sixtus V had planned to turn The Colosseum into a wool factory in order to offer employment opportunities to prostitutes in Rome but the plans did not come to fruition due to his premature death. In 1671, Cardinal Altieri authorized the Colosseum to be used for bullfights but the public opposed this idea.
The Colosseum continued to be subject to different uses and renovations as nearly every leader of Rome had his own ideas concerning the use of the compound. The Roman emperors used the Colosseum to entertain the public with free games. The games symbolized prestige and power and they were used by the ruling emperor as a way of increasing his popularity. These games were held for a whole day or even several days continuously. In most cases, the shows started with comical acts and displays of exotic animals which ended with fights to death between the animals and gladiators. The fighters were normally slaves, prisoners of war or condemned criminals. The gladiatorial games continued until Christianity gradually put an end to the parts of the games which led to the death of people.
The modern Colosseum has been renovated, redecorated and painted. The Colosseum is used to host large events although the space inside is limited. During events with great attendance, the audience sits outside the Colosseum. The Colosseum is also a major tourist attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists visiting it every year to view the interior of the arena. Entrance for citizens of the European Union is partially subsidized, and the entrance is free for European Union citizens below the age of 18 or over 65. The upper floor of the outer wall of The Colosseum has a museum that is dedicated to Eros. Part of the arena floor had been re-floored and looks fabulous.
The Colosseum is also the site of Roman Catholic ceremonies in the 20th and 21stcenturies. For instance, Pope Benedict XVI led the Stations of the Cross ceremony called the Scriptural Way of the Cross at The Colosseum on Good Fridays. There was an agreement between the local official and Diego Della Valle, in 2011, to sponsor €25 million restoration of The Colosseum.
Today it is one of the most popular tourist sites in Rome. Be sure to come and visit the Colleseum!
Type: Attraction, Cultural, Historic
| 2 People | Private Tour | $ 1,06405 |
| Daily, until Tue, Dec 31 2024 | 9:00 AM |
Check In Details
You will meet your guide in front of the Cafe/Restaurant Angelino ai Fori. The address is Largo Corrado Ricci, 43a. They will have a Through Eternity sign or flag.
Cancellation Policy
Custom policy
- Cancellations made 30 days before will be fully refunded except for a service fee of 3%.
- Cancellations made 8 days before will be refunded 50% of the amount paid.
- Cancellations made at a later date will not be refunded.
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