In Rome, two guided Colosseum tours listed on WizardTrip give access to the arena, and each also offers an option with the underground. One goes through the Gladiators’ Gate, the other lets you choose between three levels of access. They have 4,177 and 5,389 reviews, with ratings of 4.7 out of 5 (as of 18 October 2026). This article details what each option includes and which one suits your trip.
Colosseum tour: arena, underground and levels, what you need to know
Each listing groups several options on one page, and their content differs a lot. Duration varies from 1 hour to 3.5 hours depending on the option chosen at booking. Three areas of the Colosseum come up in the listings, and not all are accessible everywhere.
The first listing describes the arena floor as an area generally off-limits to the public. The underground is presented as an exclusive space. As for the upper levels, the second listing specifies that they are not included in any option.
Gladiators’ Gate: the arena floor, in a group of 16
The Gladiators’ Gate tour lasts 3 hours, with 16 people at most and an English-speaking guide. The meeting point is Via delle Terme di Tito 72, across from Oppio Caffè, at the fenced entrance to Colle Oppio park. The guide holds a yellow WalksDevour sign.
The program counts 1 hour 35 minutes at the Colosseum, 40 minutes at the Roman Forum and 45 minutes on Palatine Hill, entry fees included. You go in through a special gate, once used by gladiators, then step onto the arena floor. A headset is provided to groups of more than 6 people.
The arena floor is not in every option of this listing. You need to choose “Group Tour - Gladiators’ Gate” or its private version, both 3 hours. The 2-hour “Express Arena Tour” covers the arena, the Forum and the Palatine terrace. It excludes the Colosseum’s upper levels and Palatine Hill. Two options do not include the arena floor. The “Express Colosseum Tour” lasts 1.5 hours, the “Colosseum & SUPER Sites Tour” 3.5 hours.
For the underground, the listing offers the “Private Underground Tour.” This private VIP tour lasts 3.5 hours and continues at the Roman Forum and on Palatine Hill. The “Colosseum & SUPER Sites Tour” opens areas normally closed on the Palatine and in the Forum, including the Casa di Augusto.
Colosseum and Forum: three levels of access to choose from
For the Colosseum and Forum tour, the meeting point is at the exit of the Colosseo metro station, Line B, at street level, near the green kiosk. A yellow Touriks sign marks the group. The station also has an exit on the upper level: the listing asks you to join the team downstairs, 30 minutes before the time. The group leaves 15 minutes before the official time, to get through security.
Three options give access to the Colosseum, to be chosen at booking, subject to availability. The Regular option offers a 1-hour guided tour of the main levels, with free entry to the Forum. The Arena option lasts 3 hours: 1 hour in the arena, without the underground, then 1.5 hours of guided Forum. The Underground option, also 3 hours, combines regular levels, arena, underground and guided Forum.
The group has 24 people at most, and 7 for the one-hour Regular Levels and 3-hour Arena options. The guide speaks German, Portuguese, English, Italian, French or Spanish. The Arena and Underground options are advertised in French. Lunch is not included, but admission to the Colosseum, the Forum and Palatine Hill is.
The tour ends at the Colosseum or the Roman Forum depending on the option, and the order varies: either the Colosseum or the Forum and Palatine Hill come first.
The two Colosseum tours compared
| Gladiators’ Gate | Colosseum and Forum | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 3 hours (options from 1.5 to 3.5 hours) | 1 to 3 hours depending on the option |
| Arena access | Gladiators’ Gate option, group or private | Arena and Underground options |
| Underground | Private 3.5-hour option | Underground option |
| Meeting point | Via delle Terme di Tito 72 | Green kiosk, Colosseo metro (Line B) |
| Arrive before the start | 15 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Guide language | English | German, Portuguese, English, Italian, French, Spanish |
| Group size | 16 people at most | 24 at most, 7 for some options |
| Bad weather | Tour goes ahead | Another date or refund if canceled |
| Free cancellation | Up to 3 full days before | Up to 7 full days before |
| Price from | €63 | €99 |
Arena or underground: how do you check the option you booked?
The pitfall is in the booking: each listing groups several options, and only some lead to the arena or the underground. Stacy, who rates the first tour 4 out of 5 in August 2026, was moved to another tour. According to her, “the tour company could not get tickets with floor access.”
Michael, who gives the second tour 5 out of 5 in September 2026, writes: “I thought we would have the underground Colosseum experience, but it wasn’t included.” In the listing, underground access is reserved for the Underground option.
Before you pay, check the option name: Gladiators’ Gate for the arena floor on the first listing, Arena or Underground on the second.
Rain, lateness, children: what do the listings provide?
If it rains or if you arrive late
The Gladiators’ Gate tour runs rain or shine. The Colosseum and Forum tour depends on good weather: if it is canceled, the listing offers another date or a full refund. For lateness, both listings are firm. The group does not wait, and no refund is provided.
If you cancel yourself, the first listing refunds in full up to 3 full days before the tour, the second up to 7 full days before. After that deadline, nothing is refunded.
With children or reduced mobility
The Gladiators’ Gate tour is not suitable for people with reduced mobility, wheelchairs or strollers. It requires a moderate fitness level. The Colosseum also requires ID for children.
The Colosseum and Forum tour lists families among its audiences and accepts service animals. Infants stay on an adult’s lap, and carts and large backpacks are banned. The listing describes a tour suitable for all fitness levels, with a moderate amount of walking and stairs. It does not specify whether wheelchairs are accepted.
Which one should you choose?
- Arena floor in a small group: the Gladiators’ Gate tour, in the group option (16 people at most) or private, with an English-speaking guide.
- Underground: the Underground option of the Colosseum and Forum tour, in 3 hours, or the 3.5-hour private tour from the first listing.
- French-speaking guide: the Colosseum and Forum tour, whose Arena and Underground options are advertised in French.
- Short on time: the one-hour Regular Levels option, or the 2-hour express arena tour.
- Late decision: the Gladiators’ Gate refunds up to 3 full days before, against 7 for the other tour.
For the rest of your stay, the city’s tours and excursions are gathered on the page Things to do in Rome. Those for the country are on Italy.
Frequently asked questions
Can you walk on the floor of the Colosseum arena?
Yes, with the options that include it: the group or private Gladiators’ Gate tour, or the Arena and Underground options of the Colosseum and Forum tour. The Regular and Express Colosseum options do not include the arena floor.
How do you visit the Colosseum underground?
In the Colosseum and Forum listing, only the Underground option gives access to the underground: 3 hours of guided tour with regular levels, arena and Roman Forum. The other listing offers a 3.5-hour Private Underground Tour, followed by the Forum and Palatine Hill.
What ID do you need to enter the Colosseum?
Each visitor presents official ID, passport or driver’s license according to one of the listings, in the name entered at booking. One of the listings specifies that children are included. Without valid ID, entry may be refused.
Are the Colosseum’s upper levels included in the tour?
Not in the Colosseum and Forum tour: the third and fourth floors are not included in any option. The Gladiators’ Gate tour describes the first and second levels, and its express arena option excludes the upper levels.
What happens if it rains during the Colosseum tour?
It depends on the tour. The Gladiators’ Gate one runs rain or shine. The Colosseum and Forum tour depends on good weather; if it is canceled, the listing offers another date or a full refund.
Can you cancel a Colosseum tour and get a refund?
Yes, within the deadlines. The Gladiators’ Gate tour is refunded in full up to 3 full days before departure; the Colosseum and Forum tour, up to 7 full days before. After that deadline, no refund is given.
Activities mentioned in this guide
All activities in Rome, with their prices and reviews: Things to do in Rome
