Colosseum and ancient rome tour by night

See Ancient Rome and the Colosseum by night on this exciting 2.5-hour evening tour, led by an expert local guide! Hear little-known facts about the Roman Forum’s ruins as you look at it from a vantage point at Piazza del Campidoglio, and then gain rare access to the Colosseum after dark, walking around its arena floor and underground chambers. Taking place when the city’s daytime crowds have dispersed and the balmy temperature has dropped, your tour is perfectly timed to see these word-class monuments at their bedazzling best.

Numbers are limited to 25 on this small-group tour ensuring you’ll see these top Rome attractions with personalized attention from your guide.

Meet your guide in the early evening at Piazza Venezia in central Rome, and set off on your leisurely paced evening walking tour. Stroll past Trajan’s Column, the triumphal column that was built to celebrate a Dacian War victory, and head to Capitoline Hill to visit Piazza del Campidoglio – a lavish 16th-century square designed by the Renaissance supremo Michelangelo.

The Roman Forum is closed at night, but your guide will lead you to a little-known vantage point in Piazza del Campidoglio that offers a perfect vista of the site. Watch the soft evening light set on the city’s ancient monuments, seeing all the notable ruins, like the Sanctuary of Vestal Virgins – a temple that was once home to Rome’s most revered women.

See Caesar’s and Augustus’ forums as you walk down the hill, and then stop outside the highlight of your tour – the Colosseum. Basking in its Roman-era glory, the city’s undisputed A-list attraction is virtually empty at this time of night, leaving the ancient structure filled with shadows rather than shuffling feet. Walk around the reconstructed arena floor, and stand in the space where battles were once fought, while hearing all the little-known details of the gladiator games from your guide. Little of the original arena floor still exists, but the gaps in the surface offer a great vantage point to the underground levels below.

Then, head below ground to see the chambers for yourself, working your way through the tunnels where gladiators and beasts walked before being hoisted to the arena floor via trap doors. Few visitors to the Colosseum get to walk through these chambers, as they are only open to a limited number of people per day; even better, you’ll be one of a very select few to see the chambers at night, making this visit even more exciting.

After exploring the Colosseum’s darkened corners with your guide, your tour ends outside the monument around 9:30pm.