Behind-the-Scenes Colosseum: Underground and Arena Floor

Begin your tour of Rome’s most iconic monument with Skip-the-Line access directly through the Gladiator’s Gate. Once the main exit for defeated contenders, this special entrance leads you directly to the parts of the Colosseum most tourists don’t get to see. 

Your first stop is the Colosseum Underground – the backstage area where gladiators prepared for battle. Here, your expert, English-speaking guide will call on their historical and archaeological expertise to let you imagine the space as it once was. Scenery and caged wild animals stood ready to be hoisted into the arena by ingenious pulleys. You’ll practically feel the gladiators’ tense anticipation and hear the roar of the blood-thirsty crowd.

Then, you’ll walk in the gladiators’ footsteps on a partially reconstructed arena stage – a unique and amazing photo opportunity. And unlike the gladiators, you’ll get to ascend from the Arena Floor to the Colosseum’s second tier, where fans cheered the violent spectacles below.

The next stop on the tour takes you back to the very beginning. The Palatine Hill is the spot Romulus chose to find the city that would become Rome in 753 BC – a decision that ended in tragedy for his brother Remus. Here, steeped in history, you’ll enjoy a spectacular preview of your next destination: The Roman Forum.

The Forum and the Via Sacra, the Sacred Way, were the heart of Ancient Rome. All of Roman life could be found in this bustling marketplace: commerce and trade, political rallies, military parades, and the sacred ceremonies of the Vestal Virgins.