Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Experience

An absolute rip off! This ‘tour’ was literally just the company buying all the tickets in advance so the public can’t buy them, and selling it back to us at 4 times the face value under the pretence you’re getting a guided tour. The tour guide was a nice chap, but added very little to the experience. Repeating the same limited information over and over again and being unable to answer any questions that our group had. He disappeared after around 35 minutes and left us to our own devices, which to be honest none of our group were too bothered about. Unfortunately, this practice seems to be common practice with many tour operators here and is often then only way you can get a ticket without booking way in advance. Be aware that buying from this operator is essentially just supporting ticket touts.

This tour was absolutely incredible, and Sandro Cava made it unforgettable. He was knowledgeable, experienced, hilarious, and kept the entire group engaged from start to finish. Rather than simply showing us the Colosseum, he brought its history to life. I learned that its original name was the Flavian Amphitheatre and that the name “Colosseum” comes from the nearby Colossus of Nero. He walked us through the reigns of Nero, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian, explained how thousands of Jewish prisoners helped build the amphitheater, and described its transformation over the centuries, including the devastating 1349 earthquake that destroyed much of it. His detailed explanation of the gladiators and the realities of their lives was fascinating. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide and highly recommend this tour!

No tuvimos guía. Pero nosotros hicimos nuestro propio tour. Ese día fue la carrera por The cure, y fue un caos, para llegar al sitio señalado. Todas las calles cerradas a la circulación. Y cuando llegamos solo nos dijeron por donde podíamos entrar y ya. No hubo ningún dispositivo electrónico o ningún guía que nos acompañara en el recorrido.