Rome Combo: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour + Colosseum, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum Tickets

The Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill form a magnificent, jaw-dropping archaeological triple-threat that proves ancient Romans knew how to build things meant to last, even if they completely lacked safety regulations. Walking up to the Colosseum is like standing next to a mountain built by people who hated empty space. At nearly 2,000 years old, this massive stone oval still hums with the chaotic energy of 60,000 screaming Romans watching gladiators question their career choices. Sure, the concrete work is brilliant, but the customer service back in 80 AD left a lot to be desired. Today, you don't have to dodge lions, but you do have to dodge selfie sticks. Pro tip: look down into the underground hypogeum and appreciate that the backstage area of antiquity featured caged leopards instead of a bowl of green M&Ms. If you love piles of broken marble that used to be government corruption hubs, the Roman Forum is your paradise. Without a guide, it looks like a very expensive stone-quarry disaster. With a guide, it transforms into the bustling, cutthroat center of the ancient world where Julius Caesar once strutted around and senators argued loudly before backstabbing each other. Walk the ancient Via Sacra and try to imagine the toga-clad chaos, debt panics, and grand processions. Just watch your step—tripping over a 2,000-year-old curb is a poor way to recreate the Fall of Rome. Perched right above the noise, Palatine Hill is the mythical birthplace of Rome and the ultimate ancient real estate flex. Emperors built their sprawling palaces here simply because the view of the Circus Maximus and the Roman Forum beat looking at literally anything else. It is noticeably quieter than the Colosseum mosh pit, making it the ideal spot to wander past ruined imperial living rooms and pretend you are deciding whether to banish a province or just grab an espresso.

We got into the Vatican so quickly and completely bypassed all lines which were veryyyyy long. Our guide got us in so fast and we even got to do the garden tour. I love that we got to split up our tickets for the coliseum and palatine hill because we were pretty beat after a long day at the Vatican. Loved the flexibility and ease of use for tickets. Will be using them again in the future!