The Ultimate Colosseum Tour: Underground, Arena Floor and More

Our Small Group Tour of the Colosseum

On our Colosseum tour, we visited multiple levels within the Colosseum, including all of the restricted areas. We also walked around Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, and learned about place we saw along the way.

We were arranged into two small groups of twelve with two tour guides, Alisse and Raffaela. During our time at some of the restricted areas, we formed into one large group as there are time restraints for tour operators in these spots.

For all of the other times, we stayed in our small group with our guide, Alisse. Everyone in the group received headsets to wear with earbuds to make sure that we could hear Alisse at all times.

This was crucial as it can get quite loud in some spots, making it difficult to hear the history lesson otherwise.

We started at the Colosseum. There were huge crowds of people all around and we waltzed ahead of the line with our group. It was one perk of booking a tour with a guide!

Visiting the Colosseum

Throughout our visit, Alisse would reference a book with photos of what the Colosseum used to look like when it was first built in comparison to today. It was so interesting to try to envision how it may have looked back then.

The most amazing part of visiting the Colosseum was setting foot inside a place that you've learned about so much in school and seen so many times in photographs and movies. It almost didn't seem real.

Colosseum Arena Floor

Our first stop was the Colosseum Arena Floor, a restricted area where only our two small tour groups gathered. The arena floor was where the gladiators went into battle.

Could you imagine yourself entering a fight for your life, surrounded by 60,000 spectators? The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater ever built. It was constructed in only eight years by over 60,000 Jewish slaves, completed in 80 AD.

The building materials for the Colosseum include travertine stone for the exterior, and tufa and brick for the interior. Alisse showed us some spots where you could see the original brick and other reconstructed or repaired spots.

Originally, the main pedestals were marble, but there isn't any marble at the Coloseeum today. Back in the day, Romans took marble from the Colosseum to build St. Peter's Basilica.

Natural disasters and earthquakes have damaged the Colosseum over the years. Also, Romans removed much of the stone from the interior during the Middle Ages and repurposed it for other building projects.

Going Underground in the Colosseum

Back in the day, the arena floor was wooden and covered with sand. Beneath the arena floor was the hypogeum, which was where most of the magic happened.

Literally meaning "underground", the hypogeum was a complex multi-tiered network of tunnels and cages that contained live animals and traps to intensify the gladiatorial performances.

As most of the arena floor is gone today, this structure is mostly visible from many levels.

The Dungeon

Our next stop was The Dungeon, another restricted area limited to small tour groups. There were eighty vertical shafts where scenery set pieces or animals could be concealed beneath the arena floor.

Systems of pulleys and elevators would raise and lower entertainers, props, and animals. Wild animals were brought to the Colosseum from all over the Roman Empire, including lions, tigers, hippos, rhinos, bears, and even elephants.

There were even mock sea battles as it was possible to flood the entire arena floor very quickly due to a nearby aqueduct. There were several underground tunnels connected to the dungeon where animals and performers could be easily transported inside without having to go through the crowds outside.

Colosseum Second Floor

We left the dungeon and ventured up to the second floor by way of visiting the Third Floor. The second floor was where most of the tourists gathered and it was quite crowded.

We wandered through the crowds. While we got some great glimpses of the amphitheater, our views were even better up on the third floor.

Colosseum Third Floor

Up on the third floor, we witnessed sweeping views of the whole interior of the Colosseum. We were also treated to panoramic scenes of the surrounding cityscape.

If you're looking for the best views, be sure to book this tour and visit this space which isn't open to the public.

So, we toured around the entire Colosseum, but that wasn't all. This particular tour also took us to many important historical sites surrounding the Colosseum, too.

Unfortunately, it had just started to rain, but we were prepared with our umbrella. It really didn't put a damper on anything as it only rained for a moment. It actually helped cool the weather down, so it was actually nice that it did rain!

Arch of Constantine

The Arch of Constantine is the largest arch in Rome, celebrating Emperor Constantine's victory over Maxentius and the legalization of Christianity in Rome.

Palatine Hill

Rome's Emperors used to live on Palatine Hill, one of the seven founding hills of Rome.

We saw beautiful gardens here, and there were some spectacular views from the top of the hill overlooking Rome. It's a bit of a climb to get to the top, but it's completely worth the exercise!

Stadium of Domitian

There's not much left of the Stadium of Domitian. There's a collection of ruins. The Emperor Domitian had his own private chariot racing track here.

It is possible to take a separate tour of these underground archaeological ruins. They're located beneath Piazza Navona. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there is an audio guide that will help you learn about its history.

The Roman Forum

After seeing Palatine Hill and the Stadium of Domitian, we ventured down to the Roman Forum. Remains of columns and buildings stood proudly.

We slowly walked down the cobblestone roads as I attempted to travel back in time in my mind to picture this place as it once was. It was the political, economical, and religious center of ancient Rome.

I tried to imagine Romans having lively political debates on the streets, or bartering for goods at the local marketplace. We first entered the Temple of Romulus, an ancient church in the Roman Forum. There were remnants of wall murals and statues on display.

Next, we walked past the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina. I always find it truly remarkable when buildings that are this ancient are still standing in tact today.

We wrapped up the three hour tour in the middle of the Roman Forum, viewing the remnants of the ancient structures all around.

Many notable events in ancient Roman history occurred in the Roman Forum, such as the funeral of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony's famous funeral oration. There is a temple for Julius Caesar here, too.

Other important sites to look for at the Roman Forum include the Arch of Titus, Rome's Eternal Flame, the Atrium, the Senate House and the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine.

While the guided tour ends here, you are welcome to explore the Roman Forum at your leisure. It's such a massive site with many little buildings and museums that you could quite literally spend hours here.

Booking This Colosseum Tour

After this tour, we had an even greater appreciation for these architectural marvels of the ancient world.

On this tour, we had exclusive looks inside the Colosseum, traveled to the surrounding buildings within the Roman Forum, and saw beautiful views from on top of Palatine Hill.

Our tour guide, Alisse was very knowledgeable and was excellent at explaining many interesting details to the group. She answered any questions along the way, and even made some area restaurant recommendations and tips at the end of the tour.

Book the tour: Colosseum Underground Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

More Blog Posts About Rome

You are welcome to browse all of our Italy travel guides, and here are more blog posts specific to visiting Rome:

• The Ultimate Colosseum Tour
• Rome Underground Tour: Crypts, Bones and Catacombs
• Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary
• Zen Trastevere: Where to Stay in Rome
• Why You Should Stay in Trastevere