Roman Forum Tickets & Tours

The Roman Forum was where religious and public life in ancient Rome took place. The Forum is, along with the Colosseum, the greatest sign of the splendor of the Roman Empire that can be seen today.

Opening Times:

The Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine and Imperial Forum are open every day

2 January - 28 February                  9.00 - 16.30

1 - 26 March                                    9.00 - 17.30

27 March - 31 August                      9.00 - 19.15

1 - 30 September                            9.00 - 19.00

1 - 30 October                                 9.00 - 18.30

31 October - 31 December              9.00 - 16.30

Last admission one hour before closing

Highlights and Description

For someone unfamiliar with Rome, trying to work out the difference between the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Palatine Hill can be confusing. Below is a brief overview of each one to help you understand the difference between these three iconic sights of Rome.

Visiting the Colosseum
This world-famous icon is an ancient amphitheater dating from AD 70 and is the iconic, unmissable sight of Rome. A symbol of the splendour of the empire, the Amphitheatre has changed its appearance and its function over the centuries, presenting itself as a structured space but open to the Roman community.

The Roman Forum
The Foro Romano (Roman Forum) is located just to the west of the Colosseum and is the truly ancient city of Rome – the very place where history took place, with processions, criminal trials, elections, and intrigue all happening here. It was the site of the original Senate, and where Caesar’s body was brought following his assassination. The ruins of some of Rome’s most important ancient structures can be found at or near the Forum.

The Palatine Hill
The flat-topped Palatine Hill that rises above the Forum is where the emperors built their palaces (and indeed “Palatine” is the source of the word “palace”. Contrary to the beliefs of some visitors to Rome, it is not the “Palantine Hill”, and it’s definitely not the “Palpatine Hill”!). The Palatine hill preserves the remains of Iron Age settlements connected with the earliest core of the city of Rome. The hill was home to important civic cults, including the Magna Mater (Cybele) and, between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, it became the residential district of the Roman aristocracy, with elegant houses characterised by exceptional painted and paved decorations, such as those preserved in the House of the Griffins.

The S.U.P.E.R. sites
The S.U.P.E.R. sites, unique places in the world whose special visit allows you to get to the core of Roman art and civilisation through immersive technologies and fascinating virtual narrations. An itinerary through the Roman Forum and the Palatine, connected by the Domitian ramp, which will lead you to discover ancient painting from the Augustan age, with the House of Augustus, to the late ancient and early medieval age with the church of Santa Maria Antiqua and the Oratory of the Forty Martyrs, to the Curia Iulia, the ancient seat of the Roman Senate. The visit will be enriched by video projections, lightmapping, narrative voices and new informational media that enable you to discover and explore:

- painting in ancient Rome and Byzantine, Medieval and Renaissance works;
- the architecture of the domus and imperial palaces and their transformation through the centuries;
- the sculptures and decorations that adorned public, private and religious buildings.