Meet your expert, English-speaking tour guide outside the Colosseum, the most iconic monument of Ancient Rome and see where the gladiators stood. Breathe in the spine-tingling atmosphere and enjoy unparalleled views of the tiered rows that could seat up to 80,000 cheering spectators. Look down to the eerie underground network of passages and elevators where ferocious beasts and gladiators would wait to make their grand entrance.
You’ll learn all about the famously bloody games, theatrical performances, criminal punishments, wild beast hunts, and of course the gladiatorial combats that took place on the stage upon which you stand.
After the Colosseum, your guide will take you to the Forum and Palatine Hill, the political, cultural and spiritual heart of Ancient Rome. Here, you will explore the ancient ruins of the majestic palaces where the emperors lived and ruled. Walk the halls where the senators gave rousing speeches, and learn about the fascinating politics of Ancient Rome. You’ll also walk the cobbled streets where people socialized, worked, and worshiped their many gods and goddesses.
Your tour explores some of the most fascinating archaeological SUPER sites of the Roman Forum that bring the past vividly back to life. Depending upon the day of the week and ongoing restoration efforts, your tour will include a selection of the following SUPER sites:
Visit the newly opened House of the Emperor Tiberius; it offers unique insight into the luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by Rome’s elite. It also boasts magnificent views over the Roman Forum.
Then, you’ll visit either the house of the emperor Augustus or newly re-opened house of the empress Livia—both stunning examples of the wealth and splendor of ancient Rome and an intimate peek inside the private residences of Rome’s greatest rulers.
Head underground to the extraordinary Aula Isiaca, a hall with stunning frescoes dating back to the first century BC. Admire the miraculously well-preserved 2,000-year-old paintings dedicated to the goddess Isis, including lotus flowers, snakes, vases, and garlands of roses. Just next door, explore the Loggia Mattei, a glorious Renaissance era structure decorated with classical frescoes of Hercules and Hebe, Cupid and Psyche, and the Muses.
Visit the interior of Santa Maria Antiqua, a 6th century church, nestled at the base of the Palatine Hill. Its early Christian frescoes provide an incredible insight into the bridge between pagan and Christian Rome.
See the majestic ruins of the famous temples of Vesta, Jupiter, Saturn, Castor and Pollux, as well as the triumphal arches of Titus and Septimius Severus. Your tour will end in the Forum, also called the Valley of the Gods, close to where Julius Caesar was laid to rest after his brutal assassination, and where flowers are still laid to this day on the anniversary of the Ides of March.
