Tours › Colosseum · Rome
Colosseum Arena Small Group Tour, Max 12 People
From €105 per person
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Group size
- Max 12 people
- Entry
- Skip the line
- Guide
- GB
The arena floor with twelve people, not twenty-four
This is the arena tour with half the group. The route is the one our standard arena tour follows: in through the Gladiator Gate, out onto the arena floor in the middle of the Colosseum, then across the Roman Forum and up the Palatine Hill, all on one skip-the-line ticket. The Colosseum lets a guide take up to 24 people onto the arena. On this tour we stop at 12, so there are never more than twelve of you around the guide on the sand.
Twelve people changes the visit more than the number suggests. You stand close enough to the guide to see what they are pointing at, a question asked in the middle of the arena gets answered there and not at the next stop, and the group moves through the security check and the gate faster, which leaves more of the three hours for the sites themselves. The tour runs in English, with the same licensed guides who lead our other Colosseum tours.
At a glance
- Duration
- About 3 hours
- Group size
- 12 people at most, half the limit the arena allows
- Language
- English
- Entry
- Skip-the-line entry to the Colosseum and the arena floor through the Gladiator Gate, then the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill
- Meeting point
- Our tourist hub, Via delle Terme di Tito 93 - look for the Enjoy Rome logo
- Where it ends
- Inside the Roman Forum or at the Colosseum, depending on the day's entry order
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours before the start time
- Best for
- Visitors who want the arena floor without a crowd standing between them and the guide
Highlights
- A group of 12 people at most, half the size the arena allows
- Enter through the Gladiator Gate, the passage closed to standard tickets
- Stand on the arena floor and look down into the hypogeum below
- One skip-the-line ticket for the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill
- A licensed guide in English, close enough to ask questions as you go
- Radio headsets included, so you hear every word on the busiest days
What’s included
- Small-group guided tour, 12 people at most, with a licensed English-speaking guide
- Skip-the-line entry to the Colosseum
- Restricted-area access to the arena floor through the Gladiator Gate
- Skip-the-line entry to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill
- Radio headsets for the whole tour
Not included
- The Colosseum underground, the hypogeum: you look into it from the arena, you do not walk through it
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Gratuities
Itinerary
Meeting pointOur tourist hub, Via delle Terme di Tito 93
The tour starts indoors, at our hub a few minutes uphill from the Colosseum. With twelve people check-in takes minutes: you show your ID, pick up a radio headset and meet your guide, who already has your names on the arena list. Bring a valid photo ID for every participant, because arena tickets are issued in names and checked at the gate. Be at the hub fifteen minutes before the start time: the Colosseum gives the group a fixed entry slot and it cannot wait for latecomers.
1Colosseum and Gladiator GateOnto the arena floor, through the fighters' entrance
You go in with a reserved time slot and follow the corridors to the short axis of the amphitheatre, where the Gladiator Gate opens straight onto the arena. This is the part of the tour where group size matters most: twelve people fit comfortably around the guide in the middle of the floor, so you can see the details they point out on the tiers, the entrances and the open section of the floor. From there you look down into the hypogeum, the tunnels, cages and lift shafts that sent animals and scenery up into the games, while your guide explains how a day of spectacle was organised, paid for and staged.
2Roman ForumAlong the Via Sacra, through the centre of Roman public life
From the Colosseum you walk down into the Forum along the Via Sacra, the road every triumphal procession followed. Your guide stops at the Arch of Titus, the Curia where the Senate met, the spot where Julius Caesar's body was burned and the remains of the great basilicas where Romans traded, sued each other and listened to speeches. In a small group the stops are shorter to reach and easier to hear, which matters here: the Forum is a field of ruins, and it only makes sense with someone telling you what stood where.
3Palatine HillThe hill of Romulus and the palaces of the emperors
The last part of the tour climbs the Palatine, where Rome is said to have been founded and where the emperors built their palaces from Augustus onwards. You walk among the remains of the imperial residence, look down into the Circus Maximus from the terraces above it, and get the view that puts the whole archaeological area into one picture. The hill has very little shade, so in summer bring water and a hat. The tour ends here or back in the Forum, depending on the order the Colosseum assigned that day.
Good to know
- The group is limited to 12 people and the tour runs in English only
- Bring a valid photo ID or passport for every participant, children included: arena tickets are issued in names and checked at the gate
- The full name of each participant must match the booking, or entry cannot be guaranteed
- Be at our hub 15 minutes before the start time: the Colosseum entry slot cannot be moved
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time; after that the booking cannot be refunded
- In extreme weather the arena floor can close at short notice; the rest of the tour runs as planned
- There is an airport-style security check at the Colosseum entrance, and it can queue
- Large bags, glass, pets and sharp objects are not allowed inside, and there is no cloakroom
- The route is not suitable for wheelchair users or visitors with limited mobility
Who this tour is for
This tour is for
- Visitors who want the arena floor but not a crowd of twenty-four around the guide
- Travellers with questions, who want a guide close enough to answer them on the spot
- Families and couples who would rather spend three hours with a dozen people than two dozen
- Photographers: on the arena floor a smaller group gets in the way of your shots far less
Look elsewhere if
- Travellers who want the tour in Spanish, German or French: the standard arena tour runs in all three
- Anyone hoping to walk through the underground tunnels: the hypogeum is a separate restricted area
- Visitors who only need entry and a commentary, who are better served by the ticket with audio guide
- Wheelchair users and visitors with limited mobility: the route has stairs, gravel and uneven ancient paving
Not sure which Colosseum tour to pick?
Frequently asked questions
How many people are in the group?
Twelve at most. The Colosseum allows a guide to take up to 24 people onto the arena floor, and our standard arena tour uses that limit. This tour stops at half of it, so even on a full departure there are never more than twelve people around the guide.
What is the difference between this tour and the standard arena tour?
Only the size of the group and the language. The route is the same: the Gladiator Gate, the arena floor, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill on one ticket. The standard arena tour takes up to 24 people and runs in English, Spanish, German or French; this one takes up to 12 and runs in English.
Is the small group worth the extra cost?
It is if you want to hear the guide without straining and ask questions as you go. On the arena floor and in the Forum a group of twelve stands close enough to see what the guide is pointing at, and it moves through security and the gate faster. If you mainly want to set foot on the arena, the standard arena tour gives you exactly the same access for less.
What is the Gladiator Gate?
It is the entrance on the short axis of the amphitheatre that opens straight onto the arena, the one fighters, animals and stage machinery used to reach the sand. It is closed to standard tickets: only restricted-area tours enter through it, and that access is part of what you book here.
Can you see the Colosseum underground from the arena floor?
Yes. Part of the modern floor is left open, and from the arena you look straight down into the hypogeum: the corridors, cages and lift shafts that fed the games from below. Walking through the hypogeum is a separate restricted area and is not included.
How long does the tour last?
About three hours for all three sites: the Colosseum with the arena floor, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. The exact order depends on the entry time the Colosseum assigns that day.
Is one ticket valid for the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill?
Yes. Your ticket covers the Colosseum with arena access, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. The Forum and the Palatine are a single archaeological area, so there is no second queue.
Which language is the tour in?
English only. If you would rather have the tour in Spanish, German or French, book the standard arena tour, which runs in all four languages in a group of up to 24.
Do children need a ticket?
Everyone needs a ticket, infants included, and everyone counts towards the twelve places. Under-18s enter the Colosseum free, but the free ticket still has to be issued in their name, so book a place for every member of your party.
Can I cancel or change my booking?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before the start time and you are refunded in full. Inside the last 24 hours the booking cannot be refunded, because the arena tickets have already been issued in your names. To move to another date, write to us as early as you can and we will do what the availability allows.
What happens if I arrive late?
The group leaves at the start time and the Colosseum entry slot cannot be moved, so arriving late means losing the tour, and the booking cannot be refunded. Plan to be at our hub fifteen minutes early, and if you are running late call the office straight away.
What happens if the arena floor closes?
In extreme weather the Colosseum can close the arena at short notice. When that happens the visit continues as a guided tour of the amphitheatre, the Forum and the Palatine. The decision is taken by the site, not by us; we tell you as soon as we know, and the office will go through your options with you.
Is the tour accessible for wheelchair users?
Not really. The Colosseum has lifts, but this tour reaches the arena through the service corridors, then crosses the Roman Forum and climbs the Palatine Hill on gravel, cobbles and uneven ancient paving. We do not recommend it for wheelchair users or visitors with limited mobility; write to us and we will tell you honestly what is workable.