Rome · GUIDED

15 Guided Tours in Rome Worth Booking

141 tours  ·  from $14

This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 guided tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour - The Pinecone Courtyard and Sphere Within a Sphere
Guided, Museums, St Peter’s Basilica Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tours

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour

1.Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 39,149 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $22Our pick

This English-language tour takes you through the Vatican Museums’ Maps and Tapestries galleries, the Pinecone Courtyard, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Expect a fast, focused route, headsets, groups of 20 or fewer, and guides such as Sophia, Christian, Maria, Laura, or Amy depending on the departure.

“Need to bring cash for a tip. The vatican will always be crowded.There is a chance for peaceful reflection after the tour in one of St Peter's side chapels.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rome: Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour - Roman Forum: Rome’s public heart in ruins
Guided, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tours, Rome Colosseum Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Rome: Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour

2.Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 32,814 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $52

Spend 2.5 hours exploring the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum with a live guide in English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, or Portuguese. Guides such as Henry, Leo, Aphrodite, and Alessandra bring the ruins to life, while headsets help you follow every detail.

“Leo out guide ,was awesome, always sharing his passion for teaching others of the Roman's and their history. Tour was small which made the experience even more special. My hats off to the staff at Rutas Romanas for showing as their professionalism and showing true customer satisfaction, Bravo👏🏼👏🏼”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rome: Guided Tour of Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill - The Roman Forum, where the ruins need explanation
Guided, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tours, Rome Colosseum Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Rome: Guided Tour of Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

3.Guided Tour of Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 27,897 reviews · 2.5 - 3 hours · from $55

Join a 2.5 to 3-hour guided walk through Rome’s Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. Expect vivid stories, pre-booked entry, headsets, and photo stops. Guides such as Felicity, Alessandra, Angela, and Andrada are praised for clear storytelling and warm, engaging personalities.

“Our tour guide Alexandra was amazing. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for the ancient sights really made the tour for everyone. Unforgettable afternoon spent in Rome.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rome: Colosseum & Forum with Audio Guide App -Optional Arena - Entering the Colosseum at a timed slot
Audio Tours, Guided, Rome Audio Guide and Self-Guided Tours, Rome Colosseum Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews

Rome: Colosseum & Forum with Audio Guide App -Optional Arena

4.Colosseum & Forum with Audio Guide App -Optional Arena

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 24,770 reviews · 1 - 3 hours · from $41

Visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill at your own pace with timed admission and a downloadable audio guide. An English-speaking host helps with check-in, while the optional Arena Floor gives you a closer look inside Rome’s legendary amphitheater.

“The Colosseum is massive—photos don’t do it justice 🏛️😮 Yes, it’s touristy, but if you’re patient and find the right spots, you can still get those crowd-free photo moments 📸✨. An absolute MUST when in Rome. Even if you book online, you still need to pick up the physical tickets 🎟️ at the ticket office, just a 3–5 minute walk from the Colosseo Metro station 🚇—super easy. Security is airport-style but only takes 5–10 minutes depending on the time ⏱️. Learning about the history really adds to the experience 📚. There are loads of guided tours, but DIY works just fine. During our visit there was some ongoing construction 🚧,…”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill Guided Tour - Following the footsteps of Roman gladiators
Guided, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tours, Rome Colosseum Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour

5.Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23,903 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $59

Spend about three hours with an English-speaking guide at the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. Guides such as Sam, Flavia, Iman and PG explain the sites with humor, pictures and useful context. Expect crowds, uneven ground, stairs and a brisk visit to all three landmarks.

“The Guide (sorry forgot her name) was very nice and knowledgeable. She is very kind to tourist. We learned a lot from her. I enjoyed very much.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rome: Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum Guided Tour - Starting the Ancient City near the Colosseum
Guided, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tours, Rome Colosseum Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Rome: Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum Guided Tour

6.Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 12,703 reviews · from $51

Spend about three hours with a guide such as Chiara, Magda, or Giorgio exploring the Colosseum’s first two levels, the Arch of Titus, Julius Caesar’s burial site, and the Imperial Palaces on Palatine Hill. Priority entry saves time, but security checks can still cause delays.

“Our tour guide was great! She was very knowledgeable about the history of the colosseum, Roman forum, and the palatine hill. I felt like the tour had a great pace to it. It wasn’t rushed and it didn’t take to long. Overall it was a great experience.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rome: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel Guided Tour - The Vatican Museums route, from maps to candle stands
Guided, Museums, Tour Reviews, Tours, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tours

Rome: Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

7.Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 12,117 reviews · from $118

Follow an English, Italian, French, Spanish, or German-speaking guide through the Vatican Museums, Gallery of Maps, Raphael Rooms, and Sistine Chapel. The 2.5-hour small-group tour uses headsets and a separate entrance, but does not include St. Peter’s Basilica.

“We absolutely loved our tour. The Vatican museum, Sistene Chapel and St Peter's Basilica is truly breathtaking. Our tour guide Pasquale was excellent, so helpful and provided such an informative but fun tour. We will be recommending to all our family and friends when booking their tours.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rome: Colosseum Arena, Palatine Hill & Forum Guided Tour - Entering Through the Gladiator’s Gate
Guided, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tours, Rome Colosseum Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Rome: Colosseum Arena, Palatine Hill & Forum Guided Tour

8.Colosseum Arena, Palatine Hill & Forum Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 10,584 reviews · from $73

Follow a live guide through the Colosseum, optional arena floor, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum. Guides such as Magda, Radu, Eni, and Tiziana are praised for clear storytelling, humor, and helpful pacing. Expect ancient ruins, uneven ground, security checks, and plenty of walking.

“The tour was excellent (we had the French tour) at a good pace. We could see everything we wanted to see.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Guided Tour - Walking through the Roman Forum
Guided, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tours, Rome Colosseum Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Guided Tour

9.Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8,939 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $42

Spend about two and a half hours with an English-speaking guide at Rome’s three great ancient sites. You’ll see the Colosseum’s first and second levels, hear gladiator stories through a headset, then walk the Forum and Palatine Hill. Guides such as Julio, Valerio, Amber, and Marco are known for lively storytelling.

“Not worth the ticket value. Paid more to viator than cost of actual ticket. Did not think the visit gave as much value .”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill Guided Tour - Following the footsteps of Roman gladiators
Guided, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tours, Rome Colosseum Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum And Palatine Hill Guided Tour

10.Colosseum, Roman Forum And Palatine Hill Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 8,420 reviews · 2.5 - 3 hours · from $42

Walk from the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill into the Colosseum with a live guide in your chosen language. Expect 2.5 to 3 hours of history, ruins, city views, and stories of emperors and gladiators. The Arena Floor option adds a closer look at the Colosseum’s famous stage.

“My guide was wonderful. Very engaging and made the tour a wonderful experience”

Check availability →Read our full review

Colosseum Arena Floor, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour - Roman Forum: the center of ancient public life
Colosseum Arena Floor Tours, Guided, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tours, Rome Colosseum Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Colosseum Arena Floor, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour

11.Colosseum Arena Floor, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7,448 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35

Enter the Colosseum through the Gladiator Door and stand on its restricted arena floor before touring the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. English-speaking guides such as Barbara, Max, Maria, and Patricia bring the ruins to life. Expect headsets, security checks, uneven ground, and a brisk pace.

“My friend and I each booked this tour at the same time but it turns out these were actually two separate groups. In addition, my friend was put on an "upgraded" tour and was able to see below ground at the Colosseum. When I asked why I wasn't offered this they told me it was because he booked his tour first which is factually incorrect; I booked several says before he did. I didn't get a good answer as to why he got the upgraded experience and I didn't (let alone why we were being separated) but the person we were working with was incredibly rude and assumed I didn't…”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rome: Guided Tour of St. Peter's Basilica with Dome Climb - Security Lines and the Real Two-Hour Schedule
Guided, St Peter’s Basilica Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Rome: Guided Tour of St. Peter’s Basilica with Dome Climb

12.Guided Tour of St. Peter’s Basilica with Dome Climb

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 6,096 reviews · 2 hours · from $64

Tour St. Peter’s Basilica with an art historian, then ride the elevator partway up the dome and climb the remaining stairs. See Michelangelo’s Pietà, glittering mosaics, and Rome from 136 meters. Guides may lead in English, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, or Italian.

“The whole experience was magical. The queue was long - over an hour - but that is out of the control of the tour guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rome: Colosseum with Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Guided Tour - Palatine Hill: the setting behind imperial Rome
Guided, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tours, Rome Colosseum Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Rome: Colosseum with Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Guided Tour

13.Colosseum with Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 5,598 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $60

You’ll enter the Colosseum by its arena floor, then walk through Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum with an art history or archaeology guide. Guides such as Paola, Francesca, Hillary, and Laura Antonucci are praised for lively storytelling. The tour excludes the Colosseum’s underground and third level.

“What a terrible experience. They asked us to show up at 845am for a 9am entry. My husband and I show up at the time along with multiple people. Nobody was there, we attempted to call and text, no answer. Then at 920am someone shows up with a coffee that they made time to stop and buy and no apology for being late, and instead tries to rush us to get the tickets and direction for an entry at 930am. Overall 45mins behind. No communication at all and wasn’t even wearing the color for the uniform we were asked to look for. When we reached out to Viator regarding this,…”

Check availability →Read our full review

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Ticket with Optional Audio Guide - What skip-the-line really means here
Audio Tours, Guided, Rome Audio Guide and Self-Guided Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tours

Vatican & Sistine Chapel Ticket with Optional Audio Guide

14.Vatican & Sistine Chapel Ticket with Optional Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 5,405 reviews · 1 hour · from $46

Meet City Wonders staff near Caffè Vaticano, collect your timed ticket, and enter the Vatican Museums without joining the ticket-buying queue. Explore at your own pace, using the map and optional multilingual audio app, then see the Sistine Chapel. A buffet breakfast upgrade is available.

“Simple skip the queue ticket. Helped you get past the massive queue and potentially saved a lot of time. Got the earliest slot so i could rush to the sistine chapel when it was quiet. They do provide an audio guide app but I didnt use it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Expert Guided Tour of Colosseum Arena OR Underground, and Forum - Entering the Colosseum with a small group
Guided, Rome Colosseum Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Underground Rome Tours

Expert Guided Tour of Colosseum Arena OR Underground, and Forum

15.Expert Guided Tour of Colosseum Arena OR Underground, and Forum

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,041 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $107

Choose the Colosseum’s Arena floor or Underground chambers, then walk through the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill with guides such as Gabriel, Rosy, Bogdan, and Francesca. Expect about three hours, steady walking, security checks, and a group of up to 25 people.

“We had an amazingly informative and entertaining day with Guido of Touriks Tours. He’s thorough and VERY experienced as a tour guide. He seems to know so much about Rome, its history, architecture and art. I highly recommend the tour!!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

New in Guided

★ 5.0Guided Walking Tour of Rome: Top Sights & Baroque TreasuresFrom $30155 reviews
★ 4.0Rome to Florence: High-Speed Train Day Trip with Guided City TourFrom $263235 reviews
★ 4.5Domus Aurea Guided Tour: The Golden House of NeroFrom $56199 reviews
★ 4.5Colosseum with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Guided TourFrom $9368 reviews
★ 5.0Guided Tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine HillFrom $84385 reviews
★ 4.1St. Peter’s Basilica Audio Guide with Dome ClimbFrom $14379 reviews
★ 4.9Private Golf Cart tour with a Local GuideFrom $75377 reviews
★ 4.7Pantheon, Trevi Fountain & Roman Squares Guided TourFrom $41386 reviews
★ 4.4Audience Pope Leo XIV with guided tourFrom $43394 reviews
★ 4.9Bar Crawl with Local Guide & DrinksFrom $66387 reviews
★ 4.2Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Forum Guided ExperienceFrom $58395 reviews
★ 4.4Guided Tour of St. Peter’s Basilica & Panoramic DomeFrom $40403 reviews
★ 4.5Walking Guided Tour and Rome’s Iconic Temple Pantheon EntranceFrom $42422 reviews
★ 4.7Catacombs of Priscilla Entry Ticket & Guided TourFrom $16422 reviews
★ 5.0Private Rome WOW Tour in 1 Day: Luxury Car, Guide, Tkts & Lunch!From $744441 reviews

Keep browsing

Rome Colosseum ToursVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel ToursRome Catacombs ToursRome Food ToursRome Day TripsRome Golf Cart Tours
Scroll to Top

Explore Rome

Pick a ruin, a ceiling or a table.

Ancient Rome

Colosseum TicketsForum & PalatineArena FloorAppian WayAncient Rome

The Vatican

Museums & SistineSt Peter’sSkip-the-LinePapal AudienceVatican City

Food and wine

Food ToursPasta ClassesGelato & TiramisuWine TastingsAperitivo

Out of town

PompeiiAmalfi CoastTivoliOstia AnticaFlorence